“All that is not reasonable,” I remarked almost mechanically.
“To tell the truth, Sainclair, your nonsense prevents me from reasoning.”
But I had launched out, and, forgetting that I had promised Mme. Edith to defend Old Bob, I started in to attack him for the pleasure of proving Rouletabille in the wrong—and, besides, I felt, Edith would not bear rancor against me for very long.
“Old Bob,” I began, in the clearest and most assured tones that I could command, “was also at that luncheon on the terrace and you take him entirely out of your calculations on account of this little ruby pin. But of what use is this little pin to prove to us that Old Bob was rowed away by Tullio, who waited for him at the orifice of a gallery leading from the shaft to the sea, if we cannot discover how Old Bob could, as he said, have gone by way of the shaft which we found closed from above and on the outside?”
“Which you found closed, you mean,” returned Rouletabille, fixing his eyes upon me with a strange expression which somehow embarrassed me. “I, on the contrary, found the shaft open. I had sent you after Mattoni and Pere Jacques. When you came back, you found me in the same place in the Court of the Bold, but I had had time to run to the shaft and find out that it had been opened.”
“And to close it again!” I cried. “And why did you close it? Whom did you wish to deceive?”
“You, monsieur!”
He pronounced these two words with a contempt so crushing that the blood rushed to my face. I arose. Every eye was turned upon me and as I remembered the rudeness with which Rouletabille had treated me a little while ago before M. Darzac, I had the horrible feeling that every eye was suspecting me—accusing me! Yes! I felt myself entirely wrapped around by the atrocious fancy in the mind of each and all that I might be Larsan!
I! Larsan!
I looked at each one in turn. Rouletabille did not lower his eyes while my own were seeking to make him feel the fierce protestation of my whole being and my indignation against such a monstrous supposition. Anger ran through my veins like a flame.