the works of edgar allan poe-1-第42章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


and　to　God。　

〃Let　us　sum　up　now　the　meagre　yet　certain　fruits　of　our　long　
analysis。　We　have　attained　the　idea　either　of　a　fatal　accident　under　
the　roof　of　Madame　Deluc；　or　of　a　murder　perpetrated；　in　the　thicket　
at　the　Barri鑢e　du　Roule；　by　a　lover；　or　at　least　by　an　intimate　and　
secret　associate　of　the　deceased。　This　associate　is　of　swarthy　
complexion。　This　complexion；　the　'hitch'　in　the　bandage；　and　the　
'sailor's　knot；'　with　which　the　bonnet…ribbon　is　tied；　point　to　a　
seaman。　His　companionship　with　the　deceased；　a　gay；　but　not　an　abject　
young　girl；　designates　him　as　above　the　grade　of　the　common　sailor。　
Here　the　well　written　and　urgent　communications　to　the　journals　are　
much　in　the　way　of　corroboration。　The　circumstance　of　the　first　
elopement；　as　mentioned　by　Le　Mercurie；　tends　to　blend　the　idea　of　
this　seaman　with　that　of　the　'naval　officer'　who　is　first　known　to　
have　led　the　unfortunate　into　crime。　

〃And　here；　most　fitly；　comes　the　consideration　of　the　continued　
absence　of　him　of　the　dark　complexion。　Let　me　pause　to　observe　that　
the　complexion　of　this　man　is　dark　and　swarthy；　it　was　no　common　
swarthiness　which　constituted　the　sole　point　of　remembrance；　both　as　
regards　Valence　and　Madame　Deluc。　But　why　is　this　man　absent？　Was　he　
murdered　by　the　gang？　If　so；　why　are　there　only　traces　of　the　
assassinated　girl？　The　scene　of　the　two　outrages　will　naturally　be　
supposed　identical。　And　where　is　his　corpse？　The　assassins　would　most　
probably　have　disposed　of　both　in　the　same　way。　But　it　may　be　said　
that　this　man　lives；　and　is　deterred　from　making　himself　known；　
through　dread　of　being　charged　with　the　murder。　This　consideration　
might　be　supposed　to　operate　upon　him　now　…　at　this　late　period　…　
since　it　has　been　given　in　evidence　that　he　was　seen　with　Marie　…　but　
it　would　have　had　no　force　at　the　period　of　the　deed。　The　first　
impulse　of　an　innocent　man　would　have　been　to　announce　the　outrage；　
and　to　aid　in　identifying　the　ruffians。　This　policy　would　have　
suggested。　He　had　been　seen　with　the　girl。　He　had　crossed　the　river　
with　her　in　an　open　ferry…boat。　The　denouncing　of　the　assassins　would　
have　appeared；　even　to　an　idiot；　the　surest　and　sole　means　of　
relieving　himself　from　suspicion。　We　cannot　suppose　him；　on　the　night　
of　the　fatal　Sunday；　both　innocent　himself　and　incognizant　of　an　
outrage　committed。　Yet　only　under　such　circumstances　is　it　possible　
to　imagine　that　he　would　have　failed；　if　alive；　in　the　denouncement　
of　the　assassins。　

〃And　what　means　are　ours；　of　attaining　the　truth？　We　shall　find　these　
means　multiplying　and　gathering　distinctness　as　we　proceed。　Let　us　
sift　to　the　bottom　this　affair　of　the　first　elopement。　Let　us　know　
the　full　history　of　'the　officer；'　with　his　present　circumstances；　
and　his　whereabouts　at　the　precise　period　of　the　murder。　Let　us　
carefully　compare　with　each　other　the　various　communications　sent　to　
the　evening　paper；　in　which　the　object　was　to　inculpate　a　gang。　This　
done；　let　us　compare　these　communications；　both　as　regards　style　and　
MS。；　with　those　sent　to　the　morning　paper；　at　a　previous　period；　and　
insisting　so　vehemently　upon　the　guilt　of　Mennais。　And；　all　this　
done；　let　us　again　compare　these　various　communications　with　the　
known　MSS。　of　the　officer。　Let　us　endeavor　to　ascertain；　by　repeated　
questionings　of　Madame　Deluc　and　her　boys；　as　well　as　of　the　omnibus　
driver；　Valence；　something　more　of　the　personal　appearance　and　
bearing　of　the　'man　of　dark　complexion。'　Queries；　skilfully　directed；　
will　not　fail　to　elicit；　from　some　of　these　parties；　information　on　
this　particular　point　（or　upon　others）　…　information　which　the　
parties　themselves　may　not　even　be　aware　of　possessing。　And　let　us　
now　trace　the　boatpicked　up　by　the　bargeman　on　the　morning　of　Monday　
the　twenty…third　of　June；　and　which　was　removed　from　the　
barge…office；　without　the　cognizance　of　the　officer　in　attendance；　
and　without　the　rudder；　at　some　period　prior　to　the　discovery　of　the　
corpse。　With　a　proper　caution　and　perseverance　we　shall　infallibly　
trace　this　boat；　for　not　only　can　the　bargeman　who　picked　it　up　
identify　it；　but　the　rudder　is　at　hand。　The　rudder　of　a　sail…boat　
would　not　have　been　abandoned；　without　inquiry；　by　one　altogether　at　
ease　in　heart。　And　here　let　me　pause　to　insinuate　a　question。　There　
was　no　advertisement　of　the　picking　up　of　this　boat。　It　was　silently　
taken　to　the　barge…office；　and　as　silently　removed。　But　its　owner　or　
employer　…　how　happened　he；　at　so　early　a　period　as　Tuesday　morning；　
to　be　informed；　without　the　agency　of　advertisement；　of　the　locality　
of　the　boat　taken　up　on　Monday；　unless　we　imagine　some　connexion　with　
the　navy　…　some　personal　permanent　connexion　leading　to　cognizance　of　
its　minute　in　interests　…　its　petty　local　news？　

〃In　speaking　of　the　lonely　assassin　dragging　his　burden　to　the　shore；　
I　have　already　suggested　the　probability　of　his　availing　himself　of　a　
boat。　Now　we　are　to　understand　that　Marie　Rog阾　was　precipitated　from　
a　boat。　This　would　naturally　have　been　the　case。　The　corpse　could　not　
have　been　trusted　to　the　shallow　waters　of　the　shore。　The　peculiar　
marks　on　the　back　and　shoulders　of　the　victim　tell　of　the　bottom　ribs　
of　a　boat。　That　the　body　was　found　without　weight　is　also　
corroborative　of　the　idea。　If　thrown　from　the　shore　a　weight　would　
have　been　attached。　We　can　only　account　for　its　absence　by　supposing　
the　murderer　to　have　neglected　the　precaution　of　supplying　himself　
with　it　before　pushing　off。　In　the　act　of　consigning　the　corpse　to　
the　water；　he　would　unquestionably　have　noticed　his　oversight；　but　
then　no　remedy　would　have　been　at　hand。　Any　risk　would　have　been　
preferred　to　a　return　to　that　accursed　shore。　Having　rid　himself　of　
his　ghastly　charge；　the　murderer　would　have　hastened　to　the　city。　
There；　at　some　obscure　wharf；　he　would　have　leaped　on　land。　But　the　
boat　…　would　he　have　secured　it？　He　would　have　been　in　too　great　
haste　for　such　things　as　securing　a　boat。　Moreover；　in　fastening　it　
to　the　wharf；　he　would　have　felt　as　if　securing　evidence　against　
himself。　His　natural　thought　would　have　been　to　cast　from　him；　as　far　
as　possible；　all　that　had　held　connection　with　his　crime。　He　would　
not　only　have　fled　from　the　wharf；　but　he　would　not　have　permitted　
the　boat　to　remain。　Assuredly　he　would　have　cast　it　adrift。　Let　us　
pursue　our　fancies。　…　In　the　morning；　the　wretch　is　stricken　with　
unutterable　horror　at　finding　that　the　boat　has　been　picked　up　and　
detained　at　a　locality　which　he　is　in　the　daily　habit　of　frequenting　
…　at　a　locality；　perhaps；　which　his　duty　compels　him　to　frequent。　The　
next　night；　without　daring　to　ask　for　the　rudder；　he　removes　it。　Now　
where　is　that　rudderless　boat？　Let　it　be　one　of　our　first　purposes　to　
discover。　With　the　first　glimpse　we　obtain　of　it；　the　dawn　of　our　
success　shall　begin。　This　boat　shall　guide　us；　with　a　rapidity　which　
will　surprise　even　ourselves；　to　him　who　employed　it　in　the　midnight　
of　the　fatal　Sabbath。　Corroboration　will　rise　upon　corroboration；　and　
the　murderer　will　be　traced。〃　

＇For　reasons　which　we　shall　not　specify；　but　which　to　many　readers　
will　appear　obvious；　we　have　taken　the　liberty　of　here　omitting；　from　
the　MSS。　placed　in　our　hands；　such　portion　as　details　the　following　
up　of　the　apparently　slight　clew　obtained　by　Dupin。　We　feel　it　
advisable　only　to　state；　in　brief；　that　the　result　desired　was　
brought　to　pass；　and　that　the　Prefect　fulfilled　punctually；　although　
with　reluctance；　the　terms　of　his　compact　with　the　Chevalier。　Mr。　
Poe's　article　concludes　with　the　following　words。　…　Eds。　｛*23｝＇　

It　will　be　understood　that　I　speak　of　coincidences　and　no　more。　What　
I　have　said　above　upon　this　topic　must　suffice。　In　my　own　heart　there　
dwells　no　faith　in　pr鎡er…nature。　That　Nature　and　its　God　are　two；　no　
man　who　thinks；　will　deny。　That　the　latter；　creating　the　former；　can；　
at　will；　control　or　modify　it；　is　also　unquestionable。　I　say　〃at　
will；〃　for　the　question　is　of　will；　and　not；　as　the　insanity　of　logic　
has　assumed；　of　power。　It　is　not　that　the　Deity　cannot　modify　his　
laws；　but　that　we　insult　him　in　imagining　a　possible　necessity　for　
modification。　In　their　origin　these　laws　were　fashioned　to　embrace　
all　contingencies　which　could　lie　in　the　Future。　With　God　all　is　Now。　

I　repeat；　then；　that　I　speak　of　these　things　only　as　of　coincidences。　
And　farther：　in　what　I　relate　it　will　be　seen　that　between　the　fate　
of　the　unhappy　Mary　Cecilia　Rogers；　so　far　as　that　fate　is　known；　and　
the　fate　of　one　Marie　Rog阾　up　to　a　certain　epoch　in　her　history；　
there　has　existed　a　parallel　in　the　contemplation　of　whose　wonderful　
exactitude　the　reason　becomes　embarrassed。　I　say　all　this　will　be　
seen。　But　let　it　not　for　a　moment　be　supposed　that；　in　proceeding　
with　the　sad　narrative　of　Marie　from　the　epoch　just　mentioned；　and　in　
tracing　to　its　d閚ouement　the　mystery　which　enshrouded　her；　it　is　my　
covert　design　to　hint　at　an　extension　of　the　parallel；　or　even　to　
suggest　that　the　measures　adopted　in　Paris　for　the　discovery　of　the　
assassin　of　a　grisette；　or　measures　founded　in　any　similar　
ratiocination；　would　produce　any　similar　result。　

For；　in　respect　to　the　latter　branch　of　the　supposition；　it　should　be　
considered　that　the　most　trifling　variation　in　the　facts　of　the　two　
cases　might　give　rise　to　the　most　important　miscalculations；　by　
diverting　thoroughly　the　two　courses　of　events；　very　much　as；　in　
arithmetic；　an　error　which；　in　its　own　individuality；　may　be　
inappreciable；　produces；　at　length；　by　dint　of　multiplication　at　all　
points　of　the　process；　a　result　enormously　at　variance　with　truth。　
And；　in　regard　to　the　former　branch；　we　must　not　fail　to　hold　in　view　
that　the　very　Calculus　of　Probabilities　to　which　I　have　referred；　
forbids　all　idea　of　the　extension　of　the　parallel：　…　forbids　it　with　
a　positiveness　strong　and　decided　just　in　proportion　as　this　parallel　
has　already　been　long…drawn　and　exact。　This　is　one　of　those　anomalous　
propositions　which；　seemingly　appealing　to　thought　altogether　apart　
from　the　mathematical；　is　yet　one　which　only　the　mathematician　can　
fully　entertain。　Nothing；　for　example；　is　more　difficult　than　to　
convince　the　merely　general　reader　that　the　fact　of　sixes　having　been　
thrown　twice　in　succession　by　a　player　at　dice；　is　sufficient　cause　
for　betting　the　largest　odds　that　sixes　will　not　be　thrown　in　the　
third　attempt。　A　suggestion　to　this　effect　is　usually　rejected　by　the　
intellect　at　once。　It　does　not　appear　that　the　two　throws　which　have　
been　completed；　and　which　lie　now　absolutely　in　the　Past；　can　have　
influence　upon　the　throw　which　exists　only　in　the　Future。　The　chance　
for　throwing　sixes　seems　to　be　precisely　as　it　was　at　any　ordinary　
time　…　that　is　to　say；　subject　only　to　the　influence　of　the　various　
other　throws　which　may　be　made　by　the　dice。　And　this　is　a　reflection　
which　appears　so　exceedingly　obvious　that　attempts　to　controvert　it　
are　received　more　frequently　with　a　derisive　smile　than　with　anything　
like　respectful　attention。　The　error　here　involved　…　a　gross　error　
redolent　of　mischief　…　I　cannot　pretend　to　expose