the works of edgar allan poe-1-第29章

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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；　or　believing　what　I　
heard；　while　Dupin　went　on；　very　much　as　if　in　a　soliloquy。　I　have　
already　spoken　of　his　abstract　manner　at　such　times。　His　discourse　
was　addressed　to　myself；　but　his　voice；　although　by　no　means　loud；　
had　that　intonation　which　is　commonly　employed　in　speaking　to　some　
one　at　a　great　distance。　His　eyes；　vacant　in　expression；　regarded　
only　the　wall。

〃That　the　voices　heard　in　contention；〃　he　said；　〃by　the　party　upon　
the　stairs；　were　not　the　voices　of　the　women　themselves；　was　fully　
proved　by　the　evidence。　This　relieves　us　of　all　doubt　upon　the　
question　whether　the　old　lady　could　have　first　destroyed　the　daughter　
and　afterward　have　committed　suicide。　I　speak　of　this　point　chiefly　
for　the　sake　of　method；　for　the　strength　of　Madame　L'Espanaye　would　
have　been　utterly　unequal　to　the　task　of　thrusting　her　daughter's　
corpse　up　the　chimney　as　it　was　found；　and　the　nature　of　the　wounds　
upon　her　own　person　entirely　preclude　the　idea　of　self…destruction。　
Murder；　then；　has　been　committed　by　some　third　party；　and　the　voices　
of　this　third　party　were　those　heard　in　contention。　Let　me　now　advert　
…　not　to　the　whole　testimony　respecting　these　voices　…　but　to　what　
was　_peculiar_　in　that　testimony。　Did　you　observe　any　thing　peculiar　
about　it？〃

I　remarked　that；　while　all　the　witnesses　agreed　in　supposing　the　
gruff　voice　to　be　that　of　a　Frenchman；　there　was　much　disagreement　in　
regard　to　the　shrill；　or；　as　one　individual　termed　it；　the　harsh　
voice。

〃That　was　the　evidence　itself；〃　said　Dupin；　〃but　it　was　not　the　
peculiarity　of　the　evidence。　You　have　observed　nothing　distinctive。　
Yet　there　_was_　something　to　be　observed。　The　witnesses；　as　you　
remark；　agreed　about　the　gruff　voice；　they　were　here　unanimous。　But　
in　regard　to　the　shrill　voice；　the　peculiarity　is　…　not　that　they　
disagreed　…　but　that；　while　an　Italian；　an　Englishman；　a　Spaniard；　a　
Hollander；　and　a　Frenchman　attempted　to　describe　it；　each　one　spoke　
of　it　as　that　_of　a　foreigner_。　Each　is　sure　that　it　was　not　the　
voice　of　one　of　his　own　countrymen。　Each　likens　it　…　not　to　the　voice　
of　an　individual　of　any　nation　with　whose　language　he　is　conversant　…　
but　the　converse。　The　Frenchman　supposes　it　the　voice　of　a　Spaniard；　
and　'might　have　distinguished　some　words　_had　he　been　acquainted　with　
the　Spanish。_'　The　Dutchman　maintains　it　to　have　been　that　of　a　
Frenchman；　but　we　find　it　stated　that　'_not　understanding　French　this　
witness　was　examined　through　an　interpreter。_'　The　Englishman　thinks　
it　the　voice　of　a　German；　and　'_does　not　understand　German。_'　The　
Spaniard　'is　sure'　that　it　was　that　of　an　Englishman；　but　'judges　by　
the　intonation'　altogether；　'_as　he　has　no　knowledge　of　the　
English。_'　The　Italian　believes　it　the　voice　of　a　Russian；　but　'_has　
never　conversed　with　a　native　of　Russia。_'　A　second　Frenchman　
differs；　moreover；　with　the　first；　and　is　positive　that　the　voice　was　
that　of　an　Italian；　but；　_not　being　cognizant　of　that　tongue_；　is；　
like　the　Spaniard；　'convinced　by　the　intonation。'　Now；　how　strangely　
unusual　must　that　voice　have　really　been；　about　which　such　testimony　
as　this　_could_　have　been　elicited！　…　in　whose　_tones_；　even；　
denizens　of　the　five　great　divisions　of　Europe　could　recognise　
nothing　familiar！　You　will　say　that　it　might　have　been　the　voice　of　
an　Asiatic　…　of　an　African。　Neither　Asiatics　nor　Africans　abound　in　
Paris；　but；　without　denying　the　inference；　I　will　now　merely　call　
your　attention　to　three　points。　The　voice　is　termed　by　one　witness　
'harsh　rather　than　shrill。'　It　is　represented　by　two　others　to　have　
been　'quick　and　_unequal。_'　No　words　…　no　sounds　resembling　words　…　
were　by　any　witness　mentioned　as　distinguishable。

〃I　know　not；〃　continued　Dupin；　〃what　impression　I　may　have　made；　so　
far；　upon　your　own　understanding；　but　I　do　not　hesitate　to　say　that　
legitimate　deductions　even　from　this　portion　of　the　testimony　…　the　
portion　respecting　the　gruff　and　shrill　voices　…　are　in　themselves　
sufficient　to　engender　a　suspicion　which　should　give　direction　to　all　
farther　progress　in　the　investigation　of　the　mystery。　I　said　
'legitimate　deductions；'　but　my　meaning　is　not　thus　fully　expressed。　
I　designed　to　imply　that　the　deductions　are　the　_sole_　proper　ones；　
and　that　the　suspicion　arises　_inevitably_　from　them　as　the　single　
result。　What　the　suspicion　is；　however；　I　will　not　say　just　yet。　I　
merely　wish　you　to　bear　in　mind　that；　with　myself；　it　was　
sufficiently　forcible　to　give　a　definite　form　…　a　certain　tendency　…　
to　my　inquiries　in　the　chamber。

〃Let　us　now　transport　ourselves；　in　fancy；　to　this　chamber。　What　
shall　we　first　seek　here？　The　means　of　egress　employed　by　the　
murderers。　It　is　not　too　much　to　say　that　neither　of　us　believe　in　
pr鎡ernatural　events。　Madame　and　Mademoiselle　L'Espanaye　were　not　
destroyed　by　spirits。　The　doers　of　the　deed　were　material；　and　
escaped　materially。　Then　how？　Fortunately；　there　is　but　one　mode　of　
reasoning　upon　the　point；　and　that　mode　_must_　lead　us　to　a　definite　
decision。　…　Let　us　examine；　each　by　each；　the　possible　means　of　
egress。　It　is　clear　that　the　assassins　were　in　the　room　where　
Mademoiselle　L'Espanaye　was　found；　or　at　least　in　the　room　adjoining；　
when　the　party　ascended　the　stairs。　It　is　then　only　from　these　two　
apartments　that　we　have　to　seek　issues。　The　police　have　laid　bare　the　
floors；　the　ceilings；　and　the　masonry　of　the　walls；　in　every　
direction。　No　_secret_　issues　could　have　escaped　their　vigilance。　
But；　not　trusting　to　_their_　eyes；　I　examined　with　my　own。　There　
were；　then；　no　secret　issues。　Both　doors　leading　from　the　rooms　into　
the　passage　were　securely　locked；　with　the　keys　inside。　Let　us　turn　
to　the　chimneys。　These；　although　of　ordinary　width　for　some　eight　or　
ten　feet　above　the　hearths；　will　not　admit；　throughout　their　extent；　
the　body　of　a　large　cat。　The　impossibility　of　egress；　by　means　
already　stated；　being　thus　absolute；　we　are　reduced　to　the　windows。　
Through　those　of　the　front　room　no　one　could　have　escaped　without　
notice　from　the　crowd　in　the　street。　The　murderers　_must_　have　
passed；　then；　through　those　of　the　back　room。　Now；　brought　to　this　
conclusion　in　so　unequivocal　a　manner　as　we　are；　it　is　not　our　part；　
as　reasoners；　to　reject　it　on　account　of　apparent　impossibilities。　It　
is　only　left　for　us　to　prove　that　these　apparent　'impossibilities'　
are；　in　reality；　not　such。

〃There　are　two　windows　in　the　chamber。　One　of　them　is　unobstructed　by　
furniture；　and　is　wholly　visible。　The　lower　portion　of　the　other　is　
hidden　from　view　by　the　head　of　the　unwieldy　bedstead　which　is　thrust　
close　up　against　it。　The　former　was　found　securely　fastened　from　
within。　It　resisted　the　utmost　force　of　those　who　endeavored　to　raise　
it。　A　large　gimlet…hole　had　been　pierced　in　its　frame　to　the　left；　
and　a　very　stout　nail　was　found　fitted　therein；　nearly　to　the　head。　
Upon　examining　the　other　window；　a　similar　nail　was　seen　similarly　
fitted　in　it；　and　a　vigorous　attempt　to　raise　this　sash；　failed　also。　
The　police　were　now　entirely　satisfied　that　egress　had　not　been　in　
these　directions。　And；　_therefore_；　it　was　thought　a　matter　of　
supererogation　to　withdraw　the　nails　and　open　the　windows。

〃My　own　examination　was　somewhat　more　particular；　and　was　so　for　the　
reason　I　have　just　given　…　because　here　it　was；　I　knew；　that　all　
apparent　impossibilities　_must_　be　proved　to　be　not　such　in　reality。

〃I　proceeded　to　think　thus　…　_？posteriori_。　The　murderers　did　escape　
from　one　of　these　windows。　This　being　so；　they　could　not　have　
refastened　the　sashes　from　the　inside；　as　they　were　found　fastened；　…　
the　consideration　which　put　a　stop；　through　its　obviousness；　to　the　
scrutiny　of　the　police　in　this　quarter。　Yet　the　sashes　_were_　
fastened。　They　_must_；　then；　have　the　power　of　fastening　themselves。　
There　was　no　escape　from　this　conclusion。　I　stepped　to　the　
unobstructed　casement；　withdrew　the　nail　with　some　difficulty　and　
attempted　to　raise　the　sash。　It　resisted　all　my　efforts；　as　I　had　
anticipated。　A　concealed　spring　must；　I　now　know；　exist；　and　this　
corroboration　of　my　idea　convinced　me　that　my　premises　at　least；　were　
correct；　however　mysterious　still　appeared　the　circumstances　
attending　the　nails。　A　careful　search　soon　brought　to　light　the　
hidden　spring。　I　pressed　it；　and；　satisfied　with　the　discovery；　
forbore　to　upraise　the　sash。

〃I　now　replaced　the　nail　and　regarded　it　attentively。　A　person　
passing　out　through　this　window　might　have　reclosed　it；　and　the　
spring　would　have　caught　…　but　the　nail　could　not　have　been　replaced。　
The　conclusion　was　plain；　and　again　narrowed　in　the　field　of　my　
investigations。　The　assassins　_must_　have　escaped　through　the　other　
window。　Supposing；　then；　the　springs　upon　each　sash　to　be　the　same；　
as　was　probable；　there　_must_　be　found　a　difference　between　the　
nails；　or　at　least　between　the　modes　of　their　fixture。　Getting　upon　
the　sacking　of　the　bedstead；　I　looked　over　the　head…board　minutely　at　
the　second　casement。　Passing　my　hand　down　behind　the　board；