ten corroborated his own."

Frederic Larsan said:

"Monsieur President, it will be interesting to hear Monsieur Joseph
Rouletabille, especially as he differs from me."

A murmur of approbation greeted the detective's speech. He was a good
sportsman and accepted the challenge. The struggle between the two
promised to be exciting.

As the President remained silent, Frederic Larsan continued:

"We agree that the murderer of the keeper was the assailant of
Mademoiselle Stangerson; but as we are not agreed as to how the murderer
escaped, I am curious to hear Monsieur Rouletabille's explanation."

"I have no doubt you are," said my friend.

General laughter followed this remark. The President angrily declared
that if it was repeated, he would have the court cleared.

"Now, young man," said the President, "you have heard Monsieur Frederic
Larsan; how did the murderer get away from the court?"

Rouletabille looked at Madame Mathieu, who smiled back at him sadly.

"Since Madame Mathieu," he said, "has freely admitted her intimacy with
the keeper--"

"Why, it's the boy!" exclaimed Daddy Mathieu.

"Remove that man!" ordered the President.

Mathieu was removed from the court. Rouletabille went on:

"Since she has made this confession, I am free to tell you that she
often met the keeper at night on the first floor of the donjon, in the
room which was once an oratory. These meetings became more frequent when
her husband was laid up by his rheumatism. She gave him morphine to ease
his pain and to give herself more time for the meetings. Madame Mathieu
came to the chateau that night, enveloped in a large black shawl which
served also as a disguise. This was the phantom that disturbed Daddy
Jacques. She knew how to imitate the mewing of Mother Angenoux' cat
and she would make the cries to advise the keeper of her presence. The
recent repairs of the donjon did not interfere with their meetings in
the keeper's old room, in the donjon, since the new room assigned to him
at the end of the right wing was separated from the steward's room by a
partition only.

"Previous to the tragedy in the courtyard Madame Mathieu and the keeper
left the donjon together. I learnt these facts from my examination of
the footmarks in the court the next morning. Bernier, the concierge,
whom I had stationed behind the donjon--as he will explain
himself--could not see what passed in the court. He did not reach the
court until he heard the revolv