the works of edgar allan poe-1-第31部分

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bodies　about　day…break。　They　were　both　then　lying　on　the　sacking　of　
the　bedstead　in　the　chamber　where　Mademoiselle　L。　was　found。　The　
corpse　of　the　young　lady　was　much　bruised　and　excoriated。　The　fact　
that　it　had　been　thrust　up　the　chimney　would　sufficiently　account　for　
these　appearances。　The　throat　was　greatly　chafed。　There　were　several　
deep　scratches　just　below　the　chin；　together　with　a　series　of　livid　
spots　which　were　evidently　the　impression　of　fingers。　The　face　was　
fearfully　discolored；　and　the　eye…balls　protruded。　The　tongue　had　
been　partially　bitten　through。　A　large　bruise　was　discovered　upon　the　
pit　of　the　stomach；　produced；　apparently；　by　the　pressure　of　a　knee。　
In　the　opinion　of　M。　Dumas；　Mademoiselle　L'Espanaye　had　been　
throttled　to　death　by　some　person　or　persons　unknown。　The　corpse　of　
the　mother　was　horribly　mutilated。　All　the　bones　of　the　right　leg　and　
arm　were　more　or　less　shattered。　The　left　_tibia_　much　splintered；　as　
well　as　all　the　ribs　of　the　left　side。　Whole　body　dreadfully　bruised　
and　discolored。　It　was　not　possible　to　say　how　the　injuries　had　been　
inflicted。　A　heavy　club　of　wood；　or　a　broad　bar　of　iron　…　a　chair　…　
any　large；　heavy；　and　obtuse　weapon　would　have　produced　such　results；　
if　wielded　by　the　hands　of　a　very　powerful　man。　No　woman　could　have　
inflicted　the　blows　with　any　weapon。　The　head　of　the　deceased；　when　
seen　by　witness；　was　entirely　separated　from　the　body；　and　was　also　
greatly　shattered。　The　throat　had　evidently　been　cut　with　some　very　
sharp　instrument　…　probably　with　a　razor。

〃_Alexandre　Etienne_；　surgeon；　was　called　with　M。　Dumas　to　view　the　
bodies。　Corroborated　the　testimony；　and　the　opinions　of　M。　Dumas。

〃Nothing　farther　of　importance　was　elicited；　although　several　other　
persons　were　examined。　A　murder　so　mysterious；　and　so　perplexing　in　
all　its　particulars；　was　never　before　committed　in　Paris　…　if　indeed　
a　murder　has　been　committed　at　all。　The　police　are　entirely　at　fault　
…　an　unusual　occurrence　in　affairs　of　this　nature。　There　is　not；　
however；　the　shadow　of　a　clew　apparent。〃

The　evening　edition　of　the　paper　stated　that　the　greatest　excitement　
still　continued　in　the　Quartier　St。　Roch　…　that　the　premises　in　
question　had　been　carefully　re…searched；　and　fresh　examinations　of　
witnesses　instituted；　but　all　to　no　purpose。　A　postscript；　however；　
mentioned　that　Adolphe　Le　Bon　had　been　arrested　and　imprisoned　…　
although　nothing　appeared　to　criminate　him；　beyond　the　facts　already　
detailed。

Dupin　seemed　singularly　interested　in　the　progress　of　this　affair　　
at　least　so　I　judged　from　his　manner；　for　he　made　no　comments。　It　was　
only　after　the　announcement　that　Le　Bon　had　been　imprisoned；　that　he　
asked　me　my　opinion　respecting　the　murders。

I　could　merely　agree　with　all　Paris　in　considering　them　an　insoluble　
mystery。　I　saw　no　means　by　which　it　would　be　possible　to　trace　the　
murderer。

〃We　must　not　judge　of　the　means；〃　said　Dupin；　〃by　this　shell　of　an　
examination。　The　Parisian　police；　so　much　extolled　for　_acumen_；　are　
cunning；　but　no　more。　There　is　no　method　in　their　proceedings；　beyond　
the　method　of　the　moment。　They　make　a　vast　parade　of　measures；　but；　
not　unfrequently；　these　are　so　ill　adapted　to　the　objects　proposed；　
as　to　put　us　in　mind　of　Monsieur　Jourdain's　calling　for　his　
_robe…de…chambre　…　pour　mieux　entendre　la　musique。_　The　results　
attained　by　them　are　not　unfrequently　surprising；　but；　for　the　most　
part；　are　brought　about　by　simple　diligence　and　activity。　When　these　
qualities　are　unavailing；　their　schemes　fail。　Vidocq；　for　example；　
was　a　good　guesser　and　a　persevering　man。　But；　without　educated　
thought；　he　erred　continually　by　the　very　intensity　of　his　
investigations。　He　impaired　his　vision　by　holding　the　object　too　
close。　He　might　see；　perhaps；　one　or　two　points　with　unusual　
clearness；　but　in　so　doing　he；　necessarily；　lost　sight　of　the　matter　
as　a　whole。　Thus　there　is　such　a　thing　as　being　too　profound。　Truth　
is　not　always　in　a　well。　In　fact；　as　regards　the　more　important　
knowledge；　I　do　believe　that　she　is　invariably　superficial。　The　depth　
lies　in　the　valleys　where　we　seek　her；　and　not　upon　the　mountain…tops　
where　she　is　found。　The　modes　and　sources　of　this　kind　of　error　are　
well　typified　in　the　contemplation　of　the　heavenly　bodies。　To　look　at　
a　star　by　glances　…　to　view　it　in　a　side…long　way；　by　turning　toward　
it　the　exterior　portions　of　the　_retina_　（more　susceptible　of　feeble　
impressions　of　light　than　the　interior）；　is　to　behold　the　star　
distinctly　…　is　to　have　the　best　appreciation　of　its　lustre　…　a　
lustre　which　grows　dim　just　in　proportion　as　we　turn　our　vision　
_fully_　upon　it。　A　greater　number　of　rays　actually　fall　upon　the　eye　
in　the　latter　case；　but；　in　the　former；　there　is　the　more　refined　
capacity　for　comprehension。　By　undue　profundity　we　perplex　and　
enfeeble　thought；　and　it　is　possible　to　make　even　Venus　herself　
vanish　from　the　firmanent　by　a　scrutiny　too　sustained；　too　
concentrated；　or　too　direct。

〃As　for　these　murders；　let　us　enter　into　some　examinations　for　
ourselves；　before　we　make　up　an　opinion　respecting　them。　An　inquiry　
will　afford　us　amusement；〃　＇I　thought　this　an　odd　term；　so　applied；　
but　said　nothing＇　〃and；　besides；　Le　Bon　once　rendered　me　a　service　
for　which　I　am　not　ungrateful。　We　will　go　and　see　the　premises　with　
our　own　eyes。　I　know　G；　the　Prefect　of　Police；　and　shall　have　no　
difficulty　in　obtaining　the　necessary　permission。〃

The　permission　was　obtained；　and　we　proceeded　at　once　to　the　Rue　
Morgue。　This　is　one　of　those　miserable　thoroughfares　which　intervene　
between　the　Rue　Richelieu　and　the　Rue　St。　Roch。　It　was　late　in　the　
afternoon　when　we　reached　it；　as　this　quarter　is　at　a　great　distance　
from　that　in　which　we　resided。　The　house　was　readily　found；　for　there　
were　still　many　persons　gazing　up　at　the　closed　shutters；　with　an　
objectless　curiosity；　from　the　opposite　side　of　the　way。　It　was　an　
ordinary　Parisian　house；　with　a　gateway；　on　one　side　of　which　was　a　
glazed　watch…box；　with　a　sliding　panel　in　the　window；　indicating　a　
_loge　de　concierge。_　Before　going　in　we　walked　up　the　street；　turned　
down　an　alley；　and　then；　again　turning；　passed　in　the　rear　of　the　
building　…　Dupin；　meanwhile　examining　the　whole　neighborhood；　as　well　
as　the　house；　with　a　minuteness　of　attention　for　which　I　could　see　no　
possible　object。

Retracing　our　steps；　we　came　again　to　the　front　of　the　dwelling；　
rang；　and；　having　shown　our　credentials；　were　admitted　by　the　agents　
in　charge。　We　went　up　stairs　…　into　the　chamber　where　the　body　of　
Mademoiselle　L'Espanaye　had　been　found；　and　where　both　the　deceased　
still　lay。　The　disorders　of　the　room　had；　as　usual；　been　suffered　to　
exist。　I　saw　nothing　beyond　what　had　been　stated　in　the　〃Gazette　des　
Tribunaux。〃　Dupin　scrutinized　every　thing　…　not　excepting　the　bodies　
of　the　victims。　We　then　went　into　the　other　rooms；　and　into　the　yard；　
a　_gendarme_　accompanying　us　throughout。　The　examination　occupied　us　
until　dark；　when　we　took　our　departure。　On　our　way　home　my　companion　
stepped　in　for　a　moment　at　the　office　of　one　of　the　daily　papers。

I　have　said　that　the　whims　of　my　friend　were　manifold；　and　that　_Je　
les　m閚agais_：　…　for　this　phrase　there　is　no　English　equivalent。　It　
was　his　humor；　now；　to　decline　all　conversation　on　the　subject　of　the　
murder；　until　about　noon　the　next　day。　He　then　asked　me；　suddenly；　if　
I　had　observed　any　thing　_peculiar_　at　the　scene　of　the　atrocity。

There　was　something　in　his　manner　of　emphasizing　the　word　〃peculiar；〃　
which　caused　me　to　shudder；　without　knowing　why。

〃No；　nothing　_peculiar_；〃　I　said；　〃nothing　more；　at　least；　than　we　
both　saw　stated　in　the　paper。〃

〃The　'Gazette；'　〃　he　replied；　〃has　not　entered；　I　fear；　into　the　
unusual　horror　of　the　thing。　But　dismiss　the　idle　opinions　of　this　
print。　It　appears　to　me　that　this　mystery　is　considered　insoluble；　
for　the　very　reason　which　should　cause　it　to　be　regarded　as　easy　of　
solution　…　I　mean　for　the　_outr開　character　of　its　features。　The　
police　are　confounded　by　the　seeming　absence　of　motive　…　not　for　the　
murder　itself　…　but　for　the　atrocity　of　the　murder。　They　are　puzzled；　
too；　by　the　seeming　impossibility　of　reconciling　the　voices　heard　in　
contention；　with　the　facts　that　no　one　was　discovered　up　stairs　but　
the　assassinated　Mademoiselle　L'Espanaye；　and　that　there　were　no　
means　of　egress　without　the　notice　of　the　party　ascending。　The　wild　
disorder　of　the　room；　the　corpse　thrust；　with　the　head　downward；　up　
the　chimney；　the　frightful　mutilation　of　the　body　of　the　old　lady；　
these　considerations；　with　those　just　mentioned；　and　others　which　I　
need　not　mention；　have　sufficed　to　paralyze　the　powers；　by　putting　
completely　at　fault　the　boasted　_acumen_；　of　the　government　agents。　
They　have　fallen　into　the　gross　but　common　error　of　confounding　the　
unusual　with　the　abstruse。　But　it　is　by　these　deviations　from　the　
plane　of　the　ordinary；　that　reason　feels　its　way；　if　at　all；　in　its　
search　for　the　true。　In　investigations　such　as　we　are　now　pursuing；　
it　should　not　be　so　much　asked　'what　has　occurred；'　as　'what　has　
occurred　that　has　never　occurred　before。'　In　fact；　the　facility　with　
which　I　shall　arrive；　or　have　arrived；　at　the　solution　of　this　
mystery；　is　in　the　direct　ratio　of　its　apparent　insolubility　in　the　
eyes　of　the　police。〃

I　stared　at　the　speaker　in　mute　astonishment。

〃I　am　now　awaiting；〃　continued　he；　looking　toward　the　door　of　our　
apartment　…　〃I　am　now　awaiting　a　person　who；　although　perhaps　not　the　
perpetrator　of　these　butcheries；　must　have　been　in　some　measure　
implicated　in　their　perpetration。　Of　the　worst　portion　of　the　crimes　
committed；　it　is　probable　that　he　is　innocent。　I　hope　that　I　am　right　
in　this　supposition；　for　upon　it　I　build　my　expectation　of　reading　
the　entire　riddle。　I　look　for　the　man　here　…　in　this　room　…　every　
moment。　It　is　true　that　he　may　not　arrive；　but　the　probability　is　
that　he　will。　Should　he　come；　it　will　be　necessary　to　detain　him。　
Here　are　pistols；　and　we　both　know　how　to　use　them　when　occasion　
demands　their　use。〃

I　took　the　pistols；　scarcely　knowing　what　I　did；