the works of edgar allan poe-1-第42部分

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the　streets　of　the　city　are；　it　is　true；　thronged　with　people。　At　
nine　on　Sunday；　the　populace　are　chiefly　within　doors　_preparing　for　
church_。　No　observing　person　can　have　failed　to　notice　the　peculiarly　
deserted　air　of　the　town；　from　about　eight　until　ten　on　the　morning　
of　every　Sabbath。　Between　ten　and　eleven　the　streets　are　thronged；　
but　not　at　so　early　a　period　as　that　designated。　

〃There　is　another　point　at　which　there　seems　a　deficiency　of　
observation　on　the　part　of　Le　Commerciel。　'A　piece；'　it　says；　'of　one　
of　the　unfortunate　girl's　petticoats；　two　feet　long；　and　one　foot　
wide；　was　torn　out　and　tied　under　her　chin；　and　around　the　back　of　
her　head；　probably　to　prevent　screams。　This　was　done；　by　fellows　who　
had　no　pocket…handkerchiefs。'　Whether　this　idea　is；　or　is　not　well　
founded；　we　will　endeavor　to　see　hereafter；　but　by　'fellows　who　have　
no　pocket…handkerchiefs'　the　editor　intends　the　lowest　class　of　
ruffians。　These；　however；　are　the　very　description　of　people　who　will　
always　be　found　to　have　handkerchiefs　even　when　destitute　of　shirts。　
You　must　have　had　occasion　to　observe　how　absolutely　indispensable；　
of　late　years；　to　the　thorough　blackguard；　has　become　the　
pocket…handkerchief。〃　

〃And　what　are　we　to　think；〃　I　asked；　〃of　the　article　in　Le　Soleil？〃　

〃That　it　is　a　vast　pity　its　inditer　was　not　born　a　parrot　…　in　which　
case　he　would　have　been　the　most　illustrious　parrot　of　his　race。　He　
has　merely　repeated　the　individual　items　of　the　already　published　
opinion；　collecting　them；　with　a　laudable　industry；　from　this　paper　
and　from　that。　'The　things　had　all　evidently　been　there；'　he　says；'at　
least；　three　or　four　weeks；　and　there　can　be　_no　doubt_　that　the　spot　
of　this　appalling　outrage　has　been　discovered。'　The　facts　here　
re…stated　by　Le　Soleil；　are　very　far　indeed　from　removing　my　own　
doubts　upon　this　subject；　and　we　will　examine　them　more　particularly　
hereafter　in　connexion　with　another　division　of　the　theme。　

〃At　present　we　must　occupy　ourselves　with　other　investigations　You　
cannot　fail　to　have　remarked　the　extreme　laxity　of　the　examination　of　
the　corpse。　To　be　sure；　the　question　of　identity　was　readily　
determined；　or　should　have　been；　but　there　were　other　points　to　be　
ascertained。　Had　the　body　been　in　any　respect　despoiled？　Had　the　
deceased　any　articles　of　jewelry　about　her　person　upon　leaving　home？　
if　so；　had　she　any　when　found？　These　are　important　questions　utterly　
untouched　by　the　evidence；　and　there　are　others　of　equal　moment；　
which　have　met　with　no　attention。　We　must　endeavor　to　satisfy　
ourselves　by　personal　inquiry。　The　case　of　St。　Eustache　must　be　
re…examined。　I　have　no　suspicion　of　this　person；　but　let　us　proceed　
methodically。　We　will　ascertain　beyond　a　doubt　the　validity　of　the　
affidavits　in　regard　to　his　whereabouts　on　the　Sunday。　Affidavits　of　
this　character　are　readily　made　matter　of　mystification。　Should　there　
be　nothing　wrong　here；　however；　we　will　dismiss　St。　Eustache　from　our　
investigations。　His　suicide；　however　corroborative　of　suspicion；　were　
there　found　to　be　deceit　in　the　affidavits；　is；　without　such　deceit；　
in　no　respect　an　unaccountable　circumstance；　or　one　which　need　cause　
us　to　deflect　from　the　line　of　ordinary　analysis。　

〃In　that　which　I　now　propose；　we　will　discard　the　interior　points　of　
this　tragedy；　and　concentrate　our　attention　upon　its　outskirts。　Not　
the　least　usual　error；　in　investigations　such　as　this；　is　the　
limiting　of　inquiry　to　the　immediate；　with　total　disregard　of　the　
collateral　or　circumstantial　events。　It　is　the　mal…practice　of　the　
courts　to　confine　evidence　and　discussion　to　the　bounds　of　apparent　
relevancy。　Yet　experience　has　shown；　and　a　true　philosophy　will　
always　show；　that　a　vast；　perhaps　the　larger　portion　of　truth；　arises　
from　the　seemingly　irrelevant。　It　is　through　the　spirit　of　this　
principle；　if　not　precisely　through　its　letter；　that　modern　science　
has　resolved　to　calculate　upon　the　unforeseen。　But　perhaps　you　do　not　
comprehend　me。　The　history　of　human　knowledge　has　so　uninterruptedly　
shown　that　to　collateral；　or　incidental；　or　accidental　events　we　are　
indebted　for　the　most　numerous　and　most　valuable　discoveries；　that　it　
has　at　length　become　necessary；　in　any　prospective　view　of　
improvement；　to　make　not　only　large；　but　the　largest　allowances　for　
inventions　that　shall　arise　by　chance；　and　quite　out　of　the　range　of　
ordinary　expectation。　It　is　no　longer　philosophical　to　base；　upon　
what　has　been；　a　vision　of　what　is　to　be。　Accident　is　admitted　as　a　
portion　of　the　substructure。　We　make　chance　a　matter　of　absolute　
calculation。　We　subject　the　unlooked　for　and　unimagined；　to　the　
mathematical　_formulae_　of　the　schools。　

〃I　repeat　that　it　is　no　more　than　fact；　that　the　larger　portion　of　
all　truth　has　sprung　from　the　collateral；　and　it　is　but　in　accordance　
with　the　spirit　of　the　principle　involved　in　this　fact；　that　I　would　
divert　inquiry；　in　the　present　case；　from　the　trodden　and　hitherto　
unfruitful　ground　of　the　event　itself；　to　the　contemporary　
circumstances　which　surround　it。　While　you　ascertain　the　validity　of　
the　affidavits；　I　will　examine　the　newspapers　more　generally　than　you　
have　as　yet　done。　So　far；　we　have　only　reconnoitred　the　field　of　
investigation；　but　it　will　be　strange　indeed　if　a　comprehensive　
survey；　such　as　I　propose；　of　the　public　prints；　will　not　afford　us　
some　minute　points　which　shall　establish　a　direction　for　inquiry。〃　

In　pursuance　of　Dupin's　suggestion；　I　made　scrupulous　examination　of　
the　affair　of　the　affidavits。　The　result　was　a　firm　conviction　of　
their　validity；　and　of　the　consequent　innocence　of　St。　Eustache。　In　
the　mean　time　my　friend　occupied　himself；　with　what　seemed　to　me　a　
minuteness　altogether　objectless；　in　a　scrutiny　of　the　various　
newspaper　files。　At　the　end　of　a　week　he　placed　before　me　the　
following　extracts：　

〃About　three　years　and　a　half　ago；　a　disturbance　very　similar　to　the　
present；　was　caused　by　the　disappearance　of　this　same　Marie　Rog阾；　
from　the　parfumerie　of　Monsieur　Le　Blanc；　in　the　Palais　Royal。　At　the　
end　of　a　week；　however；　she　re…appeared　at　her　customary　comptoir；　as　
well　as　ever；　with　the　exception　of　a　slight　paleness　not　altogether　
usual。　It　was　given　out　by　Monsieur　Le　Blanc　and　her　mother；　that　she　
had　merely　been　on　a　visit　to　some　friend　in　the　country；　and　the　
affair　was　speedily　hushed　up。　We　presume　that　the　present　absence　is　
a　freak　of　the　same　nature；　and　that；　at　the　expiration　of　a　week；　or　
perhaps　of　a　month；　we　shall　have　her　among　us　again。〃　…　Evening　
Paper　…　Monday　June　23。　｛*17｝　

〃An　evening　journal　of　yesterday；　refers　to　a　former　mysterious　
disappearance　of　Mademoiselle　Rog阾。　It　is　well　known　that；　during　
the　week　of　her　absence　from　Le　Blanc's　parfumerie；　she　was　in　the　
company　of　a　young　naval　officer；　much　noted　for　his　debaucheries。　A　
quarrel；　it　is　supposed；　providentially　led　to　her　return　home。　We　
have　the　name　of　the　Lothario　in　question；　who　is；　at　present；　
stationed　in　Paris；　but；　for　obvious　reasons；　forbear　to　make　it　
public。〃　…　Le　Mercurie　…　Tuesday　Morning；　June　24。　｛*18｝　

〃An　outrage　of　the　most　atrocious　character　was　perpetrated　near　this　
city　the　day　before　yesterday。　A　gentleman；　with　his　wife　and　
daughter；　engaged；　about　dusk；　the　services　of　six　young　men；　who　
were　idly　rowing　a　boat　to　and　fro　near　the　banks　of　the　Seine；　to　
convey　him　across　the　river。　Upon　reaching　the　opposite　shore；　the　
three　passengers　stepped　out；　and　had　proceeded　so　far　as　to　be　
beyond　the　view　of　the　boat；　when　the　daughter　discovered　that　she　
had　left　in　it　her　parasol。　She　returned　for　it；　was　seized　by　the　
gang；　carried　out　into　the　stream；　gagged；　brutally　treated；　and　
finally　taken　to　the　shore　at　a　point　not　far　from　that　at　which　she　
had　originally　entered　the　boat　with　her　parents。　The　villains　have　
escaped　for　the　time；　but　the　police　are　upon　their　trail；　and　some　
of　them　will　soon　be　taken。〃　…　Morning　Paper　…　June　25。　｛*19｝　

〃We　have　received　one　or　two　communications；　the　object　of　which　is　
to　fasten　the　crime　of　the　late　atrocity　upon　Mennais；　｛*20｝　but　as　
this　gentleman　has　been　fully　exonerated　by　a　loyal　inquiry；　and　as　
the　arguments　of　our　several　correspondents　appear　to　be　more　zealous　
than　profound；　we　do　not　think　it　advisable　to　make　them　public。〃　…　
Morning　Paper　…　June　28。　｛*21｝　

〃We　have　received　several　forcibly　written　communications；　apparently　
from　various　sources；　and　which　go　far　to　render　it　a　matter　of　
certainty　that　the　unfortunate　Marie　Rog阾　has　become　a　victim　of　one　
of　the　numerous　bands　of　blackguards　which　infest　the　vicinity　of　the　
city　upon　Sunday。　Our　own　opinion　is　decidedly　in　favor　of　this　
supposition。　We　shall　endeavor　to　make　room　for　some　of　these　
arguments　hereafter。〃　…　Evening　Paper　…　Tuesday；　June　31。　｛*22｝　

〃On　Monday；　one　of　the　bargemen　connected　with　the　revenue　service；　
saw　a　empty　boat　floating　down　the　Seine。　Sails　were　lying　in　the　
bottom　of　the　boat。　The　bargeman　towed　it　under　the　barge　office。　The　
next　morning　it　was　taken　from　thence；　without　the　knowledge　of　any　
of　the　officers。　The　rudder　is　now　at　the　barge　office。〃　…　Le　
Diligence　…　Thursday；　June　26。　§；　

Upon　reading　these　various　extracts；　they　not　only　seemed　to　me　
irrelevant；　but　I　could　perceive　no　mode　in　which　any　one　of　them　
could　be　brought　to　bear　upon　the　matter　in　hand。　I　waited　for　some　
explanation　from　Dupin。　

〃It　is　not　my　present　design；〃　he　said；　〃to　dwell　upon　the　first　and　
second　of　those　extracts。　I　have　copied　them　chiefly　to　show　you　the　
extreme　remissness　of　the　police；　who；　as　far　as　I　can　understand　
from　the　Prefect；　have　not　troubled　themselves；　in　any　respect；　with　
an　examination　of　the　naval　officer　alluded　to。　Yet　it　is　mere　folly　
to　say　that　between　the　first　and　second　disappearance　of　Marie；　
there　is　no　_supposable_　connection。　Let　us　admit　the　first　elopement　
to　have　resulted　in　a　quarrel　between　the　lovers；　and　the　return　home　
of　the　betrayed。　We　are　now　prepared　to　view　a　second　elopement　（if　
we　know　that　an　elopement　has　again　taken　place）　as　indicating