the works of edgar allan poe-1-第26节

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the　parchment　in　my　own　pocket。

　　　　〃You　remember　that　when　I　went　to　the　table；　for　the　purpose　of　
making　a　sketch　of　the　beetle；　I　found　no　paper　where　it　was　usually　
kept。　I　looked　in　the　drawer；　and　found　none　there。　I　searched　my　
pockets；　hoping　to　find　an　old　letter；　when　my　hand　fell　upon　the　
parchment。　I　thus　detail　the　precise　mode　in　which　it　came　into　my　
possession；　for　the　circumstances　impressed　me　with　peculiar　force。

　　　　〃No　doubt　you　will　think　me　fanciful　…　but　I　had　already　
established　a　kind　of　connexion。　I　had　put　together　two　links　of　a　
great　chain。　There　was　a　boat　lying　upon　a　sea…coast；　and　not　far　
from　the　boat　was　a　parchment　…　not　a　paper　…　with　a　skull　depicted　
upon　it。　You　will；　of　course；　ask　'where　is　the　connexion？'　I　reply　
that　the　skull；　or　death's…head；　is　the　well…known　emblem　of　the　
pirate。　The　flag　of　the　death's　head　is　hoisted　in　all　engagements。

　　　　〃I　have　said　that　the　scrap　was　parchment；　and　not　paper。　
Parchment　is　durable　…　almost　imperishable。　Matters　of　little　moment　
are　rarely　consigned　to　parchment；　since；　for　the　mere　ordinary　
purposes　of　drawing　or　writing；　it　is　not　nearly　so　well　adapted　as　
paper。　This　reflection　suggested　some　meaning　…　some　relevancy　…　in　
the　death's…head。　I　did　not　fail　to　observe；　also；　the　form　of　the　
parchment。　Although　one　of　its　corners　had　been；　by　some　accident；　
destroyed；　it　could　be　seen　that　the　original　form　was　oblong。　It　was　
just　such　a　slip；　indeed；　as　might　have　been　chosen　for　a　memorandum　
…　for　a　record　of　something　to　be　long　remembered　and　carefully　
preserved。〃

　　　　〃But；〃　I　interposed；　〃you　say　that　the　skull　was　not　upon　the　
parchment　when　you　made　the　drawing　of　the　beetle。　How　then　do　you　
trace　any　connexion　between　the　boat　and　the　skull　…　since　this　
latter；　according　to　your　own　admission；　must　have　been　designed　（God　
only　knows　how　or　by　whom）　at　some　period　subsequent　to　your　
sketching　the　scarab鎢s？〃

　　　　〃Ah；　hereupon　turns　the　whole　mystery；　although　the　secret；　at　
this　point；　I　had　comparatively　little　difficulty　in　solving。　My　
steps　were　sure；　and　could　afford　but　a　single　result。　I　reasoned；　
for　example；　thus：　When　I　drew　the　scarab鎢s；　there　was　no　skull　
apparent　upon　the　parchment。　When　I　had　completed　the　drawing　I　gave　
it　to　you；　and　observed　you　narrowly　until　you　returned　it。　You；　
therefore；　did　not　design　the　skull；　and　no　one　else　was　present　to　
do　it。　Then　it　was　not　done　by　human　agency。　And　nevertheless　it　was　
done。　〃At　this　stage　of　my　reflections　I　endeavored　to　remember；　and　
did　remember；　with　entire　distinctness；　every　incident　which　occurred　
about　the　period　in　question。　The　weather　was　chilly　（oh　rare　and　
happy　accident！）；　and　a　fire　was　blazing　upon　the　hearth。　I　was　
heated　with　exercise　and　sat　near　the　table。　You；　however；　had　drawn　
a　chair　close　to　the　chimney。　Just　as　I　placed　the　parchment　in　your　
hand；　and　as　you　were　in　the　act　of　in。　inspecting　it；　Wolf；　the　
Newfoundland；　entered；　and　leaped　upon　your　shoulders。　With　your　left　
hand　you　caressed　him　and　kept　him　off；　while　your　right；　holding　the　
parchment；　was　permitted　to　fall　listlessly　between　your　knees；　and　
in　close　proximity　to　the　fire。　At　one　moment　I　thought　the　blaze　had　
caught　it；　and　was　about　to　caution　you；　but；　before　I　could　speak；　
you　had　withdrawn　it；　and　were　engaged　in　its　examination。　When　I　
considered　all　these　particulars；　I　doubted　not　for　a　moment　that　
heat　had　been　the　agent　in　bringing　to　light；　upon　the　parchment；　the　
skull　which　I　saw　designed　upon　it。　You　are　well　aware　that　chemical　
preparations　exist；　and　have　existed　time　out　of　mind；　by　means　of　
which　it　is　possible　to　write　upon　either　paper　or　vellum；　so　that　
the　characters　shall　become　visible　only　when　subjected　to　the　action　
of　fire。　Zaffre；　digested　in　aqua　regia；　and　diluted　with　four　times　
its　weight　of　water；　is　sometimes　employed；　a　green　tint　results。　The　
regulus　of　cobalt；　dissolved　in　spirit　of　nitre；　gives　a　red。　These　
colors　disappear　at　longer　or　shorter　intervals　after　the　material　
written　upon　cools；　but　again　become　apparent　upon　the　
re…application　of　heat。

　　　　〃I　now　scrutinized　the　death's…head　with　care。　Its　outer　edges　…　
the　edges　of　the　drawing　nearest　the　edge　of　the　vellum　…　were　far　
more　distinct　than　the　others。　It　was　clear　that　the　action　of　the　
caloric　had　been　imperfect　or　unequal。　I　immediately　kindled　a　fire；　
and　subjected　every　portion　of　the　parchment　to　a　glowing　heat。　At　
first；　the　only　effect　was　the　strengthening　of　the　faint　lines　in　
the　skull；　but；　upon　persevering　in　the　experiment；　there　became　
visible；　at　the　corner　of　the　slip；　diagonally　opposite　to　the　spot　
in　which　the　death's…head　was　delineated；　the　figure　of　what　I　at　
first　supposed　to　be　a　goat。　A　closer　scrutiny；　however；　satisfied　me　
that　it　was　intended　for　a　kid。〃

　　　　〃Ha！　ha！〃　said　I；　〃to　be　sure　I　have　no　right　to　laugh　at　you　…　a　
million　and　a　half　of　money　is　too　serious　a　matter　for　mirth　…　but　
you　are　not　about　to　establish　a　third　link　in　your　chain　…　you　will　
not　find　any　especial　connexion　between　your　pirates　and　a　goat　…　
pirates；　you　know；　have　nothing　to　do　with　goats；　they　appertain　to　
the　farming　interest。〃

　　　　〃But　I　have　just　said　that　the　figure　was　not　that　of　a　goat。〃

　　　　〃Well；　a　kid　then　…　pretty　much　the　same　thing。〃

　　　　〃Pretty　much；　but　not　altogether；〃　said　Legrand。　〃You　may　have　
heard　of　one　Captain　Kidd。　I　at　once　looked　upon　the　figure　of　the　
animal　as　a　kind　of　punning　or　hieroglyphical　signature。　I　say　
signature；　because　its　position　upon　the　vellum　suggested　this　idea。　
The　death's…head　at　the　corner　diagonally　opposite；　had；　in　the　same　
manner；　the　air　of　a　stamp；　or　seal。　But　I　was　sorely　put　out　by　the　
absence　of　all　else　…　of　the　body　to　my　imagined　instrument　…　of　the　
text　for　my　context。〃

　　　　〃I　presume　you　expected　to　find　a　letter　between　the　stamp　and　
the　signature。〃

　　　　〃Something　of　that　kind。　The　fact　is；　I　felt　irresistibly　
impressed　with　a　presentiment　of　some　vast　good　fortune　impending。　I　
can　scarcely　say　why。　Perhaps；　after　all；　it　was　rather　a　desire　than　
an　actual　belief；　…　but　do　you　know　that　Jupiter's　silly　words；　about　
the　bug　being　of　solid　gold；　had　a　remarkable　effect　upon　my　fancy？　
And　then　the　series　of　accidents　and　coincidences　…　these　were　so　
very　extraordinary。　Do　you　observe　how　mere　an　accident　it　was　that　
these　events　should　have　occurred　upon　the　sole　day　of　all　the　year　
in　which　it　has　been；　or　may　be；　sufficiently　cool　for　fire；　and　that　
without　the　fire；　or　without　the　intervention　of　the　dog　at　the　
precise　moment　in　which　he　appeared；　I　should　never　have　become　aware　
of　the　death's…head；　and　so　never　the　possessor　of　the　treasure？〃

　　　　〃But　proceed　…　I　am　all　impatience。〃

　　　　〃Well；　you　have　heard；　of　course；　the　many　stories　current　…　the　
thousand　vague　rumors　afloat　about　money　buried；　somewhere　upon　the　
Atlantic　coast；　by　Kidd　and　his　associates。　These　rumors　must　have　
had　some　foundation　in　fact。　And　that　the　rumors　have　existed　so　long　
and　so　continuous；　could　have　resulted；　it　appeared　to　me；　only　from　
the　circumstance　of　the　buried　treasure　still　remaining　entombed。　Had　
Kidd　concealed　his　plunder　for　a　time；　and　afterwards　reclaimed　it；　
the　rumors　would　scarcely　have　reached　us　in　their　present　unvarying　
form。　You　will　observe　that　the　stories　told　are　all　about　
money…seekers；　not　about　money…finders。　Had　the　pirate　recovered　his　
money；　there　the　affair　would　have　dropped。　It　seemed　to　me　that　some　
accident　…　say　the　loss　of　a　memorandum　indicating　its　locality　…　had　
deprived　him　of　the　means　of　recovering　it；　and　that　this　accident　
had　become　known　to　his　followers；　who　otherwise　might　never　have　
heard　that　treasure　had　been　concealed　at　all；　and　who；　busying　
themselves　in　vain；　because　unguided　attempts；　to　regain　it；　had　
given　first　birth；　and　then　universal　currency；　to　the　reports　which　
are　now　so　common。　Have　you　ever　heard　of　any　important　treasure　
being　unearthed　along　the　coast？〃

　　　　〃Never。〃

　　　　〃But　that　Kidd's　accumulations　were　immense；　is　well　known。　I　
took　it　for　granted；　therefore；　that　the　earth　still　held　them；　and　
you　will　scarcely　be　surprised　when　I　tell　you　that　I　felt　a　hope；　
nearly　amounting　to　certainty；　that　the　parchment　so　strangely　found；　
involved　a　lost　record　of　the　place　of　deposit。〃

　　　　〃But　how　did　you　proceed？〃

　　　　〃I　held　the　vellum　again　to　the　fire；　after　increasing　the　heat；　
but　nothing　appeared。　I　now　thought　it　possible　that　the　coating　of　
dirt　might　have　something　to　do　with　the　failure；　so　I　carefully　
rinsed　the　parchment　by　pouring　warm　water　over　it；　and；　
having　done　this；　I　placed　it　in　a　tin　pan；　with　the　skull　downwards；　
and　put　the　pan　upon　a　furnace　of　lighted　charcoal。　In　a　few　minutes；　
the　pan　having　become　thoroughly　heated；　I　removed　the　slip；　and；　to　
my　inexpressible　joy；　found　it　spotted；　in　several　places；　with　what　
appeared　to　be　figures　arranged　in　lines。　Again　I　placed　it　in　the　
pan；　and　suffered　it　to　remain　another　minute。　Upon　taking　it　of