# We Shall Have to Eat Red Meat—Now explained — The Mystery of the Yellow Room

> Chapter companion for The Mystery of the Yellow Room by Gaston Leroux.

## What happens

Rouletabille and Sainclair arrive at the Donjon Inn, where the hostile innkeeper Daddy Mathieu initially refuses them service. Rouletabille utters a cryptic phrase that instantly changes the innkeeper's demeanor, securing food. They observe the Green Man, the château's forest-keeper, who is universally disliked. The chapter introduces local tensions and the arrival of the Chief of the Sûreté and reporters at the park gate.

## Themes in this chapter

### Secrecy and Silence

Rouletabille uses a cryptic phrase to gain cooperation, and Daddy Mathieu refuses to share his opinions about the murder, highlighting withheld information.

### The Outsider as Detective

Rouletabille, a young reporter, navigates local hostility and uses unconventional methods to gather information, embodying the outsider detective.

## Character check-ins

### Joseph Rouletabille

Uses a cryptic phrase to gain entry and service at the inn; keenly observes the Green Man and the arrival of the Chief of the Sûreté.

### Sainclair

Narrates the chapter; accompanies Rouletabille and notes his friend's mysterious methods.

### Daddy Mathieu

The surly innkeeper who initially refuses service but capitulates after Rouletabille's phrase; shows intense hatred for the Green Man.

### The Green Man

The château's forest-keeper, dressed in green velvet; described as handsome but arrogant and universally disliked; enters the inn after Mother Angenoux.

### Mother Angenoux

An old woman in rags who enters the inn with a large cat; she has been ill and asks for scraps.

### Frédéric Larsan

Mentioned as the Chief of the Sûreté arriving at the park gate; Rouletabille anticipates his involvement.

## Key lines

> We shall have to eat red meat—now.

We will need to eat red meat from now on.

_Rouletabille's cryptic phrase that instantly changes Daddy Mathieu's behavior, similar to his earlier remark to Darzac._

> The presbytery has lost nothing of its charm, nor the garden its brightness.

The presbytery remains as charming as ever, and the garden is still bright.

_Sainclair recalls Rouletabille's earlier prophetic sentence to Darzac, drawing a parallel to the current situation._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/chapters/x-we-shall-have-to-eat-red-meat-now
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/chapters