the works of edgar allan poe-1-第40章

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although　Le　Soleil　so　supposes；　that　the　articles　discovered　had　been　
more　than　a　very　few　days　in　the　thicket；　while　there　is　much　
circumstantial　proof　that　they　could　not　have　remained　there；　without　
attracting　attention；　during　the　twenty　days　elapsing　between　the　
fatal　Sunday　and　the　afternoon　upon　which　they　were　found　by　the　
boys。　'They　were　all　_mildewed_down　hard；'　says　Le　Soleil；　adopting　
the　opinions　of　its　predecessors；　'with　the　action　of　the　rain；　and　
stuck　together　from　_mildew_。　The　grass　had　grown　around　and　over　
some　of　them。　The　silk　of　the　parasol　was　strong；　but　the　threads　of　
it　were　run　together　within。　The　upper　part；　where　it　bad　been　
doubled　and　folded；　was　all　_mildewed_　and　rotten；　and　tore　on　being　
opened。'　In　respect　to　the　grass　having　'。grown　around　and　over　some　
of　them；'　it　is　obvious　that　the　fact　could　only　have　been　
ascertained　from　the　words；　and　thus　from　the　recollections；　of　two　
small　boys；　for　these　boys　removed　the　articles　and　took　them　home　
before　they　had　been　seen　by　a　third　party。　But　grass　will　grow；　
especially　in　warm　and　damp　weather；　（such　as　was　that　of　the　period　
of　the　murder；）　as　much　as　two　or　three　inches　in　a　single　day。　A　
parasol　lying　upon　a　newly　turfed　ground；　might；　in　a　single　week；　be　
entirely　concealed　from　sight　by　the　upspringing　grass。　And　touching　
that　mildew　upon　which　the　editor　of　Le　Soleil　so　pertinaciously　
insists；　that　he　employs　the　word　no　less　than　three　times　in　the　
brief　paragraph　just　quoted；　is　be　really　unaware　of　the　nature　of　
this　mildew？　Is　he　to　be　told　that　it　is　one　of　the　many　classes　of　
fungus；　of　which　the　most　ordinary　feature　is　its　upspringing　and　
decadence　within　twenty…four　hours？　

〃Thus　we　see；　at　a　glance；　that　what　has　been　most　triumphantly　
adduced　in　support　of　the　idea　that　the　articles　bad　been　'for　at　
least　three　or　four　weeks'　in　the　thicket；　is　most　absurdly　null　as　
regards　any　evidence　of　that　fact。　On　the　other　hand；　it　is　
exceedingly　difficult　to　believe　that　these　articles　could　have　
remained　in　the　thicket　specified；　for　a　longer　period　than　a　single　
week　…　for　a　longer　period　than　from　one　Sunday　to　the　next。　Those　
who　know　any　thing　of　the　vicinity　of　Paris；　know　the　extreme　
difficulty　of　finding　seclusion　unless　at　a　great　distance　from　its　
suburbs。　Such　a　thing　as　an　unexplored；　or　even　an　unfrequently　
visited　recess；　amid　its　woods　or　groves；　is　not　for　a　moment　to　be　
imagined。　Let　any　one　who；　being　at　heart　a　lover　of　nature；　is　yet　
chained　by　duty　to　the　dust　and　heat　of　this　great　metropolis　…　let　
any　such　one　attempt；　even　during　the　weekdays；　to　slake　his　thirst　
for　solitude　amid　the　scenes　of　natural　loveliness　which　immediately　
surround　us。　At　every　second　step；　he　will　find　the　growing　charm　
dispelled　by　the　voice　and　personal　intrusion　of　some　ruffian　or　
party　of　carousing　blackguards。　He　will　seek　privacy　amid　the　densest　
foliage；　all　in　vain。　Here　are　the　very　nooks　where　the　unwashed　most　
abound　…　here　are　the　temples　most　desecrate。　With　sickness　of　the　
heart　the　wanderer　will　flee　back　to　the　polluted　Paris　as　to　a　less　
odious　because　less　incongruous　sink　of　pollution。　But　if　the　
vicinity　of　the　city　is　so　beset　during　the　working　days　of　the　week；　
how　much　more　so　on　the　Sabbath！　It　is　now　especially　that；　released　
from　the　claims　of　labor；　or　deprived　of　the　customary　opportunities　
of　crime；　the　town　blackguard　seeks　the　precincts　of　the　town；　not　
through　love　of　the　rural；　which　in　his　heart　he　despises；　but　by　way　
of　escape　from　the　restraints　and　conventionalities　of　society。　He　
desires　less　the　fresh　air　and　the　green　trees；　than　the　utter　
license　of　the　country。　Here；　at　the　road…side　inn；　or　beneath　the　
foliage　of　the　woods；　he　indulges；　unchecked　by　any　eye　except　those　
of　his　boon　companions；　in　all　the　mad　excess　of　a　counterfeit　
hilarity　…　the　joint　offspring　of　liberty　and　of　rum。　I　say　nothing　
more　than　what　must　be　obvious　to　every　dispassionate　observer；　when　
I　repeat　that　the　circumstance　of　the　articles　in　question　having　
remained　undiscovered；　for　a　longer　period　…　than　from　one　Sunday　to　
another；　in　any　thicket　in　the　immediate　neighborhood　of　Paris；　is　to　
be　looked　upon　as　little　less　than　miraculous。　

〃But　there　are　not　wanting　other　grounds　for　the　suspicion　that　the　
articles　were　placed　in　the　thicket　with　the　view　of　diverting　
attention　from　the　real　scene　of　the　outrage。　And；　first；　let　me　
direct　your　notice　to　the　date　of　the　discovery　of　the　articles。　
Collate　this　with　the　date　of　the　fifth　extract　made　by　myself　from　
the　newspapers。　You　will　find　that　the　discovery　followed；　almost　
immediately；　the　urgent　communications　sent　to　the　evening　paper。　
These　communications；　although　various　and　apparently　from　various　
sources；　tended　all　to　the　same　point　…　viz。；　the　directing　of　
attention　to　a　gang　as　the　perpetrators　of　the　outrage；　and　to　the　
neighborhood　of　the　Barri鑢e　du　Roule　as　its　scene。　Now　here；　of　
course；　the　suspicion　is　not　that；　in　consequence　of　these　
communications；　or　of　the　public　attention　by　them　directed；　the　
articles　were　found　by　the　boys；　but　the　suspicion　might　and　may　well　
have　been；　that　the　articles　were　not　before　found　by　the　boys；　for　
the　reason　that　the　articles　had　not　before　been　in　the　thicket；　
having　been　deposited　there　only　at　so　late　a　period　as　at　the　date；　
or　shortly　prior　to　the　date　of　the　communications　by　the　guilty　
authors　of　these　communications　themselves。　

〃This　thicket　was　a　singular　…　an　exceedingly　singular　one。　It　was　
unusually　dense。　Within　its　naturally　walled　enclosure　were　three　
extraordinary　stones；　forming　a　seat　with　a　back　and　footstool。　And　
this　thicket；　so　full　of　a　natural　art；　was　in　the　immediate　
vicinity；　within　a　few　rods；　of　the　dwelling　of　Madame　Deluc；　whose　
boys　were　in　the　habit　of　closely　examining　the　shrubberies　about　
them　in　search　of　the　bark　of　the　sassafras。　Would　it　be　a　rash　wager　
…　a　wager　of　one　thousand　to　one　　that　a　day　never　passed　over　the　
heads　of　these　boys　without　finding　at　least　one　of　them　ensconced　in　
the　umbrageous　hall；　and　enthroned　upon　its　natural　throne？　Those　who　
would　hesitate　at　such　a　wager；　have　either　never　been　boys　
themselves；　or　have　forgotten　the　boyish　nature。　I　repeat　　it　is　
exceedingly　hard　to　comprehend　how　the　articles　could　have　remained　
in　this　thicket　undiscovered；　for　a　longer　period　than　one　or　two　
days；　and　that　thus　there　is　good　ground　for　suspicion；　in　spite　of　
the　dogmatic　ignorance　of　Le　Soleil；　that　they　were；　at　a　
comparatively　late　date；　deposited　where　found。　

〃But　there　are　still　other　and　stronger　reasons　for　believing　them　so　
deposited；　than　any　which　I　have　as　yet　urged。　And；　now；　let　me　beg　
your　notice　to　the　highly　artificial　arrangement　of　the　articles。　On　
the　upper　stone　lay　a　white　petticoat；　on　the　second　a　silk　scarf；　
scattered　around；　were　a　parasol；　gloves；　and　a　pocket…handkerchief　
bearing　the　name；　'Marie　Rog阾。'　Here　is　just　such　an　arrangement　as　
would　naturally　be　made　by　a　not　over…acute　person　wishing　to　dispose　
the　articles　naturally。　But　it　is　by　no　means　a　really　natural　
arrangement。　I　should　rather　have　looked　to　see　the　things　all　lying　
on　the　ground　and　trampled　under　foot。　In　the　narrow　limits　of　that　
bower；　it　would　have　been　scarcely　possible　that　the　petticoat　and　
scarf　should　have　retained　a　position　upon　the　stones；　when　subjected　
to　the　brushing　to　and　fro　of　many　struggling　persons。　'There　was　
evidence；'　it　is　said；　'of　a　struggle；　and　the　earth　was　trampled；　
the　bushes　were　broken；'　…　but　the　petticoat　and　the　scarf　are　found　
deposited　as　if　upon　shelves。　'The　pieces　of　the　frock　torn　out　by　
the　bushes　were　about　three　inches　wide　and　six　inches　long。　One　part　
was　the　hem　of　the　frock　and　it　had　been　mended。　They　looked　like　
strips　torn　off。'　Here；　inadvertently；　Le　Soleil　has　employed　an　
exceedingly　suspicious　phrase。　The　pieces；　as　described；　do　indeed　
'look　like　strips　torn　off；'　but　purposely　and　by　hand。　It　is　one　of　
the　rarest　of　accidents　that　a　piece　is　'torn　off；'　from　any　garment　
such　as　is　now　in　question；　by　the　agency　of　a　thorn。　From　the　very　
nature　of　such　fabrics；　a　thorn　or　nail　becoming　entangled　in　them；　
tears　them　rectangularly　…　divides　them　into　two　longitudinal　rents；　
at　right　angles　with　each　other；　and　meeting　at　an　apex　where　the　
thorn　enters　…　but　it　is　scarcely　possible　to　conceive　the　piece　
'torn　off。'　I　never　so　knew　it；　nor　did　you。　To　tear　a　piece　off　from　
such　fabric；　two　distinct　forces；　in　different　directions；　will　be；　
in　almost　every　case；　required。　If　there　be　two　edges　to　the　fabric　…　
if；　for　example；　it　be　a　pocket…　handkerchief；　and　it　is　desired　to　
tear　from　it　a　slip；　then；　and　then　only；　will　the　one　force　serve　
the　purpose。　But　in　the　present　case　the　question　is　of　a　dress；　
presenting　but　one　edge。　To　tear　a　piece　from　the　interior；　where　no　
edge　is　presented；　could　only　be　effected　by　a　miracle　through　the　
agency　of　thorns；　and　no　one　thorn　could　accomplish　it。　But；　even　
where　an　edge　is　presented；　two　thorns　will　be　necessary；　operating；　
the　one　in　two　distinct　directions；　and　the　other　in　one。　And　this　in　
the　supposition　that　the　edge　is　unhemmed。　If　hemmed；　the　matter　is　
nearly　out　of　the　question。　We　thus　see　the　numerous　and　great　
obstacles　in　the　way　of　pieces　being　'torn　off'　through　the　simple　
agency　of　'thorns；'　yet　we　are　required　to　believe　not　only　that　one　
piece　but　that　many　have　been　so　torn。　'And　one　part；'　too；　'was　the　
hem　of　the　frock！'　Another　piece　was　'part　of　the　skirt；　not　the　
hem；'　…　that　is　to　say；　was　torn　completely　out　through　the　agency　of　
thorns；　from　the　uncaged　interior　of　the　dress！　These；　I　say；　are　
things　which　one　may　well　be　pardoned　for　disbelieving；　yet；　taken　
collectedly；　they　form；　perhaps；　less　of　reasonable　ground　for　
suspicion；　than　the　one　startling　circumstance　of　the　articles'　
having　been　left　in　this　thicket　at　all；　by　any　murderers　who　had　
enough　precaution　to　think　of　removing　the　corpse。　You　will　not　have　
apprehended　me　rightly；　however；　if　you　suppose　it　my　design　to　deny　
this　thicket　as　the　scene　of　the　outrage。　There　might　have　been　a　
wrong　here；　or；　more　possibly；　an　accident　at　Madame　Deluc's。　But；　in　
fact；　this　is　a　point　of　minor　importance。　We　are　not　engaged　in　an　
attempt　to　discover　the　scene；　but　to　produce　the　perpetrators　of　the　
murder。　What　I　have　adduced；　notwithstanding　the　minuteness　with　
which　I　have　adduced　it；　has　been　with　the　view；　first；　to　show　the　
folly　of　the　positive　and　headlong　assertions　of　Le　Soleil；　but　
secondly　and　chiefly；　to　bring　you；　by　the　most　natural　route；　to　a　
further　contemplation　of　the　doubt　whether　this　assassination　has；　or　
has　not　been；　the　work　of　a　gang。　

〃We　will　resume　this　question　by　mere　allusion　to　the　revolting　
details　of　the　surgeon　examined　at　the　inquest。　It　is　only　necessary　
to　say　that　is　published　inferences；　in　regard　to　the　number　of　
ruffians；　have　been　properly　ridiculed　as　unjust　and　totally　
baseless；　by　all　the　reputable　anatomists　o