Chapter 5 5. Prince de Argonne murdered

The count was silent. Dorothei was anxious, and some words were frightening, she said very quietly: "Is this possible?...Someone killed...someone killed my father?..." "All indications lead one to believe this is the case." "How did it hurt?" "Use poison." The girl was hit hard.she cried.The count leaned over her and said: "Read it, I think your father scribbled these last pages between two feverish deliriums. When he died, the administration of the field hospital found a letter and a The envelope with the addressee's name and address on it, and they sent it to me without reading it. Look at the end of the letter... it's the patient's handwriting... scribbled with a pencil... with tenacious will, at any time I may not be able to support..."

Dorothy wiped away her tears.She wanted to know the truth, made her own judgment, and read in a low voice: What a terrible dream... But, is it really a dream?Did I see what I saw last night in a nightmare? Or did you actually see it with your own eyes?The other wounded...my next bed...none of them woke up...but the one...those people made the noise...it was two people...they were talking in low voices...in the garden...under the window... The window must have been ajar because of the heat...then the window was pushed open...for this one person...must have stepped on another's shoulder...what was he trying to do?He tried to get in...but there was a nightstand in front of the window...he took off his shirt...at least, something was caught on the sleeve of his jacket, and there was only one arm...reached an arm...his hand was facing I'm searching in this direction... towards the drawer... I see... the medal is in the drawer...

Ah, I really want to shout out!But, my throat was clogged... Then something else freaked me out.In his hand he held a small bottle... there was a glass of water on the bedside table, the medicine I was taking... the hand poured a few drops from the small bottle into the glass.Ah!How abominable! ...poison, to be sure.But, I must not drink this glass of water, no, no... This morning, I write this down, and I must remember it well... I wrote about the hand that opened the drawer... and when it took the medal... I saw... I saw it on his bare arm ...above the elbow...a tattoo of the words... Dorothy had to move her eyes closer to the letter paper, the handwriting trembled so much that it became even more difficult to read, and she managed to read out each word one by one: a line of words... a tattoo... like a sailor... a line of words... what!My God, the line... the line on the medal... In Robert Fortuna...

The whole letter ends here.On this unfinished page, there were only some irrelevant symbols left, and Dorothy even gave up trying to guess. She bent over for a long time, her half-closed eyes allowed the tears to fall drop by drop.Everyone present felt that the various possible situations of her father's death had rekindled the pain in her heart. At this time, the count said again: "Later, the fever rose again...he fell into delirium again...he drank the poison unconsciously. At least, this hypothesis is credible...because, the hand What can be poured into the glass? But, I admit, we have no evidence on this point. Raoul's father and de Estreche accompanied me to the summer at my notice. Teller. Unfortunately, the hospital's administrators, medical officers and two nurses have all changed. I only saw one official document stating that the cause of his death was infection and complications. Is there any need for further investigation? The two brothers think No need, I think so myself. Murder for money... Is there any way to prove it? From the patient's account of his nightmares? Impossible. What do you think, madam?"

Dorothet made no answer, which perplexed M. de Charny a little.As if to defend himself, he said rather unhappily: "Miss, there is nothing we can do. Because of the war, we have encountered countless difficulties. It can be said that there is no way! We must consider the only solid fact, not go beyond reality To take risks, the fact is that outside of the four of us, three of us to be precise, because de Argona, alas, is no longer there, there is a fourth person trying to solve what we want to solve Question, this man is even a step ahead of us. There is a competitor, an enemy who will do anything to achieve his goal. Who is this enemy?

"Things have taken us out of the business, and out of our way to you. My two letters to Baldook have been lost. The days go by. George Darwell Noy was killed at Verdun, d'Estrèche was wounded at Artois, I was sent to Thessaloniki and did not return until after the armistice. In the following year, the restoration work began here. The inauguration took place yesterday , today, chance brought you here. "Miss, we have learned from you that excavations have been carried out here without our knowledge, and that the excavation site is related to the word 'wealth'. Your father and the person who stole the medal Part of the sentence read on the arm, you know, we are very surprised by this successive news. We have full confidence in your extraordinary insight, so, Madame de Chany and Raoul Dave Cernoy, I feel compelled to tell you the whole story. It must be admitted that Mme. de Charny's intuition and judgment were quite correct, because the person we trust is precisely the one recommended by de Algona for his daughter Jo Rhonda.

"Therefore, Mademoiselle, it is natural for us to ask you to join us in our efforts. You take the place of Argonne, just as Raoul D'Avernoy takes the place of Georges D'Avernoy. Ours The collaboration will continue." De Chagny was satisfied with the generalization and the generosity of his proposal, but he also felt a shadow: Dorothet remained silent.Her eyes are on the sky.Her body remained motionless. Would she not think that the count had not done his best to find the daughter of his friend d'Argonne, and save her from her present life?They suspected her of stealing the earrings, so she wouldn't bear this humiliation, would she?Madame de Chagny asked pleasantly: "Dorothet, what is the matter with you? This letter has made you sad. Is it because of the death of your father? . . . "

"Yes," Dorothei replied in a low voice after a while, "...this is really a terrible thing..." "Do you also think that someone killed him? . . . " "Of course, otherwise the medal would not have been lost. Besides, it was written in black and white in the letter." "Then, in your opinion, we should have brought it to law long ago, shouldn't we?" "I don't know...I don't know..." said the girl. "If you think so, we can bring it up again. We will fully support you, please rest assured." "No," she said, "I'll do it alone. It's better that way. I'll find the murderer and he'll be punished. I promise my father...I swear to him..."

She stretched out a hand and said these words with deliberate seriousness. "We will help you, Dorothee," said the countess firmly. "I want you to stay here...this is your home." Dorothy shook his head. "It's very kind of you, madam." "It's not kindness, it's sincerity. You won my heart at once, and I hope we can become good friends." "Ma'am, we're already good friends. But..." "What! You refuse to stay here!" said M. de Charny angrily. "We wish Jean de Argonne's daughter, our niece, to live a life worthy of her name and birth, but you would rather live in poverty and low life!"

"I'm sure, sir, we're not poor and low. Four kids and I, we're used to it, and they need-" The countess insisted: "All right. That's no reason! There must be some secret reason." "No, ma'am, really not." "Then, you can stay, even for a few days. From this evening onwards, you will eat and sleep in the manor." "Sorry ma'am, I'm a little tired... I want to be alone." Indeed, she felt suddenly exhausted, as if smiling could no longer bring life to her sad, tense face. Madame de Charny did not insist. "Well, let's decide tomorrow. Send the four children to dinner. Let's meet and entertain them, we'll be very happy... Between now and tomorrow, think about it, if you insist on Let's go, and I won't force you. That's it, okay?"

Dorothy has stood up.Then, accompanied by the De Charnys, they walked towards the door.She was about to step over the threshold when she suddenly hesitated.Anguish at heart, but still, so to speak, haunted by the mysterious story she had known for hours, she said aloud, with the first spark in the darkness: "I fully believe , these legends passed down from generation to generation in several of our families are based on facts. There must be a lot of property buried or hidden somewhere, and they will sooner or later belong to the person who holds the magic weapon that was taken from my father. I wonder, therefore, if any of you other than my father have heard of the gold medal associated with the legend?" Raoul d'Avernoy replied: "Madam, I can give you a piece of material in this connection. Two weeks ago I saw my grandfather, with whom I lived, holding a large gold coin. He looked and looked at it over and over at La Dome de la Poste in the Vendée, but, as soon as he saw it, he put it in a jewelry box, obviously not wanting me to know." "Did he not explain anything?" "No. However, the night before I left, he said to me: The next time you come back, I have something very important to tell you. This matter has been delayed for too long." "Do you think it has anything to do with what we're talking about?" "I think so. So, as soon as I arrived at Robery, I told my brothers, de Chany and de Estreche. They promised to come and see me at the end of July, when I Then tell them what I found." "Is this the end of the matter?" "That's over, madam. I think this all confirms our hypothesis; that there is a talisman, and that there are several copies of it." "Yes... yes... that's obviously the case," the girl said in a low voice, "my father died precisely because he had one of the magic weapons in his hands." "But," Raoul d'Avernoy questioned, "why murder is enough to make money?" "You guys still remember, because there are hints on the medal. Besides, killing my father, maybe in the near future, there will be one less person who divides up the property. Who knows if there are other crimes committed, or are in the conspiracy offense?" "Other crimes? If that's the case, wouldn't my grandfather be in danger?" "Yes, sir," she answered unequivocally. The earl seemed a little uneasy, and smiled reluctantly: "So, what about us? There are also traces of the excavation just now at the Roberley Manor." "And you too, Monsieur Count." "Then we have to be careful too?" "I advise you to be vigilant." M. de Charny turned pale, and said anxiously: "How to guard against the law? By what method?" "I'll tell you tomorrow," said Dorothy. "What to worry about, what to do to defend yourself, you will know tomorrow." "You mean what you say?" "really." De Estreche, who had been keeping himself on the sidelines and listening attentively to each passage of the conversation, took a step forward and said: "Madam, we are waiting to meet tomorrow, because at the same time we have to settle the matter concerning the little cardboard box. A little incidental question. You haven't forgotten, have you?" "How could I have forgotten, sir," she said. "Tomorrow, when the time comes, this little matter and others, especially the stolen earrings, will be revealed." After speaking, she went out. The sun starts to set.The big gate of the manor has been reopened, and after dismantling their respective stalls, the vendors who were attending the meeting have already left one after another.Dorothet finds Saint-Quentin and three children, the older one is anxiously waiting for her, and the three younger ones are making a fire.The bells for supper were rung at the manor, and Dorothy sent them into the castle, where she remained alone to eat her supper, which consisted of soup and fruit.Before the children came back, she took advantage of the darkness to reach the parapet overlooking the valley, propping her elbows on the wall. The moon cannot be seen in the sky, but the thin clouds floating in the sky glow with patches of light.She listened to the silent world for a long time, without a hat, enjoying the coolness of the night with her hot forehead and shiny hair. "Dorote..." Someone was calling her name softly, and without her noticing, that person had quietly approached her.However, no matter how small the sound was, it really startled the girl.Even before she recognized his figure, she had already guessed that it was de Estreche. This person is really chilling. If the wall was not too high, if the valley was not too deep, she might have escaped.However, she immediately straightened her body, tried her best to keep calm, and overwhelmed the other party in terms of momentum. "What do you want, sir?" she asked coldly. "Monsieur and Madame de Chagny have been very kind to me and have given me a good rest. I am surprised to see you here." He ignored him, but seeing his figure getting closer, she said again: "What do you want?" "Just say a few words." He whispered. "It's not too late to say tomorrow in the castle." "No, what I want to say to you can only be heard by you alone. Miss, I assure you, if you listen, I will not offend you. Although from the beginning, you have shown inexplicable hostility towards me However, I still have friendship, admiration, and respect for you. Therefore, you need not be afraid of what I say, nor what I do. I am not speaking to a beautiful and charming girl, but to a person whose wisdom makes us A woman who is dizzy today. Listen to me..." "No, I don't want to hear it," she said. "Your words will only stain my ears." He raised his voice--we can feel that his nature is completely out of tune with gentleness--and added: "Listen to me! I command you to listen to me...and answer me immediately. I am not a talker, I cut straight to the point , a little rough if necessary, even to offend you. That's how it is. Your meddling in it for accidental reasons, I have every reason to think that it is entirely my own. Around us They're all dispensable people, and I've made up my mind to kick them out when the time comes. All of these people are fools who can't do enough and fail. Shani is ridiculous, desperate to save face... ... Darvernoy is a country bumpkin ... all these walking dead, a burden on you and me. So why work for them? ... For us, for the two of us, okay? You and me , as partners and friends, what can we not do! My energies, my strength, are at the service of your wisdom and wisdom! And... and... I know the whole story! Because, the point is, I, I know what the problem is! What you can find in a few weeks, what you will probably never find, is in my hands. I have all the information on this matter in my hands, and the rest I can definitely collect a few materials. You help me, we search together, this is an opportunity to make a fortune, we will find uncountable wealth, boundless power... Are you willing... Are you willing?" His body was too far forward, and his hand touched the shawl on the girl's body. Dorotai had been listening quietly, hoping to find out what kind of medicine the other party was selling in the gourd. She was furious when he touched her like this. "Go away...don't bother me...you can't touch me...you, friends?...you! you!" Dorothei hated him so much, he was so angry that he trembled all over, and said fiercely: "So... so... you refused? You don't care if I find out about your deeds, you don't care what I will do... ...You refused what I was about to do. After all, Saint-Quentin was not the only one who stole the earrings. You were there, too, in the valley, watching his movements from the shadows. Just now, you protected your Accomplice. But the proof is there, terrible and conclusive. The box is in the hands of the Countess. How dare you, you thief!" He held out his arms towards her.Dorotai squatted, shrinking his body along the parapet.However, he still grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms.Suddenly, a beam of light shone on his face, his eyes dazzled, and he let go of his hand at the same time. Monfogon leaned on the parapet, turned on the flashlight and aimed it directly at his face. De Estreche fled: the flashlight pursued him like a well-aimed searchlight. "You bastard!" he said through gritted teeth, "...I've got to get you...and you too, girl...and if you don't give up, you'll open the box in front of the police in the Castle at two o'clock tomorrow. Pick your own, you bastard." He fled into the bushes and disappeared. Nearly three o'clock in the middle of the night, as early as the previous morning, the small window to the driver's seat in the caravan opened.A hand stretched out, pushing Saint Quentin who was sleeping wrapped in a quilt. "Get up. Get dressed. Be quiet." He protested: "Duorotai, what you are going to do is ridiculous." "Hate." Saint Quentin obeyed. He hops out of the car to find that Dorotai is ready.Under the reflection of the moonlight, he saw a cloth bag and a bundle of ropes slung across her shoulders. She led him to the junction of the parapet and the gate.They tied a rope to an iron fence and slid down slowly, pulling on the rope.Then Saint-Quentin climbed up and untied the rope. They descended the slope into the valley and followed the cliff to the gap that Saint-Quentin had climbed the night before. "Climb up," said Dorothy, "let the rope down slowly, and help me climb up too." Climbing up is not particularly difficult.The kitchen window was open.They sneaked into the kitchen, and Dorotai turned on the flashlight. "Take the little ladder in the corner," she said. But St. Quentin argued again: "Absurd. We are mad. We are falling into the jaws of a tiger." "Just do as I say." "But, Dorothy..." He was punched in the stomach. "Stop it. Tell me, are you sure that the last room on the left in the corridor is de Estreche's room?" "Sure. According to your instructions, after dinner yesterday, I asked the servant quietly." "Did you pour the powder I gave him into his coffee?" "fall down." "Then, de Estreche must be dead asleep, so let us go. Don't talk any more." Halfway there, they stopped at a small gate.This is the storage room attached to the Countess's small drawing room. St. Quentin fixed the ladder and climbed in through the transom. Three minutes later, he crawled out. "Have you found the carton?" Dorothy asked him. "Found it, it's on the table. I took out the earrings and put the box back in place with a rubber band." They kept going. Each room has its own washroom and storage room for hanging clothes.They came to the last transom.Saint-Quentin climbed in and opened the bathroom door for Dorothee. There is a door between the washroom and the room.Dorotai opened the door slightly, and carefully scanned the inside with a flashlight. "He fell asleep," she said. She took out a large towel from the cloth bag, opened a small bottle, and sprinkled a few drops of chloroform on the towel. De Estreche was lying on the bed with his clothes on, as if he had suddenly collapsed from sleepiness. He was sound asleep, and the girl boldly switched on the light.Then she gently covered his face with a chloroform-soaked towel. The sleeping person sighed, moved a few times, and then stopped moving. Saint-Quentin and Dorothet carefully put a slipknot on each of his arms, and fastened the ends of the rope to the two bedposts.Then, they let go of their hands and feet, quickly wrapped his legs and body with sheets and quilts, and tied him firmly with tablecloths and curtain ropes. De Estreche woke up at last.He wants to rebel.But it was too late: Dorothy wrapped a towel around the lower half of his face. The next morning, while the de Chanys and Raoul d'Avernoy were having coffee in the hall of the chateau, the porter came to report that the manager of the Circus Dorothee had called to open it just before dawn. Gate, their caravan is gone.Before leaving, the manager left a letter to Count de Chagny.The three of them went upstairs together to the countess's small drawing room.This is what the letter said: Cousin (the Count trembled involuntarily in displeasure, and continued to read): Cousin, I made an oath, and I will keep my oath.The man who dug in the castle and stole the earring last night is the same man who stole the medal and poisoned my father five years ago. I put him at your disposal.May justice be done... Dorothei, the Princess de Argonne, Mrs. de Chany, and their guests looked at each other.What does it mean?Who is the criminal?Where did she leave him?How to communicate? "It's a pity that de Estrechet is not out of the house yet," said M. de Charny. "He must have a good idea." The Countess took down from the fireplace the box de Estrechet had given her, and opened it without thinking.The box contained exactly what Dorotai said: some white stones and shells.De Estreche seemed to attach great importance to this discovery. What was the reason? Someone knocked softly on the door of the small parlour.It turned out to be the steward of the castle, the confidant of M. de Charny. "What's the matter, Dominic?" "Mr. Earl, someone sneaked into the castle last night..." "Impossible!" insisted M. de Charny. "All the doors are closed. Where can I get in?" "I don't know. However, I saw a ladder in the corridor, facing M. de Estreche's room, and the transom window in the store room showed signs of damage. The villain entered the bathroom, and after finishing his work It came out of the corridor door." "What did you do?" "I don't know, Monsieur Earl. I didn't venture to go any further. I put everything back." M. de Chagny drew a hundred-franc note from his pocket. "Don't tell anyone about it, Dominic. Keep an eye on the corridor and don't let anyone bother us." He went in front, followed by Madame and Raoul.The door between the bathroom and de Estreche's room was also open.The room smelled of chloroform. The Count gave a cry. De Estreche was lying on the bed, gagged and bound.His eyeballs rolled round and round, full of anger, and he kept humming in his mouth. Beside him was a large scarf, exactly the same as that worn by the man who carried out the excavation, as described by Dorothy. A pair of earrings placed on the table are very eye-catching. But something terrible, something shocking, appeared to all three of them at the same time, the same evidence that would confirm the murder of Jean de Argonne and the theft of the medal.The naked right arm hangs by the bed, and the wrist is tied to the foot of the column.They saw a tattoo on their arm: In Robert Fortuna.