Emendata

“Here are the only details,” the morning’s anonymous (writer/editor) wrote, “we have been able to get (about/around) the crime at Le Glandier’s castle.

The state of distress in which Professor Stangerson is and our impossibility to gather any information coming from the victim’s mouth have made both the justice’s and our investigations so difficult that, at this moment, we would not be able to have the least idea of what has occurred in the Yellow Chamber, where Mademoiselle Stangerson was found, in night’s clothes, gasping on the floor.

We have managed, at least, to interview Old Jacques, as he is called in the region, an old servant of the Stangerson family.

“Old Jacques entered the Yellow Chamber at the same time as the professor did.

This chamber is adjacent to the laboratory.

Both the laboratory and the Yellow Chamber are located in a (pavilion/detached house) at the end of the park, around three hundred meters away from the castle.

“‘It was half past midnight,’ said this good man, ‘and I was in the laboratory where Monsieur Stangerson was still working when the incident (took place/happened).

I had been tiding up and cleaning the instruments all (the evening/night long), and I was waiting for Monsieur Stangerson to leave so I could go to bed.

Mademoiselle Mathilde had been working with his father until midnight.

When the laboratory’s cuckoo clock stroke midnight, she stood up and kissed Monsieur Stangerson goodbye.

She told me “Good evening, Old Jacques!” and (opened/pushed) the door of the Yellow Chamber.

We heard her locking (up) the door and shooting the bolt so (well/clearly) I was unable to keep myself from laughing about it and told Monsieur: “There is Mademoiselle, double-locking herself in.

She is for sure afraid of la Bête du Bon Dieu!” Monsieur was so engrossed he did not even hear me.

But an abominable wailing replied from the outside, and I recognized indeed the cry of la Bête du Bon Dieu!...

It made you shiver… “Is it going to [(keep/prevent) us from sleeping/keep us awake] again tonight?” I asked myself, because I have to tell you, sir, that, until the end of october, I will be staying in the attic of the pavilion, above the Yellow Chamber, with the sole purpose of preventing Mademoiselle Stangerson from staying alone all night long down at the ends of the park.

It is her idea to spend the good season in the pavilion.

She certainly finds it more joyful than the castle and, ever since it was built four years ago, she has never missed an opportunity to lodge there as soon as the spring begins.

When the winter is back, she returns to the castle for there is (not a single/no) fireplace in the Yellow Room.