the works of edgar allan poe-1-第32节

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presence。　At　the　first　dawn　of　the　morning　we　closed　all　the　messy　
shutters　of　our　old　building；　lighting　a　couple　of　tapers　which；　
strongly　perfumed；　threw　out　only　the　ghastliest　and　feeblest　of　
rays。　By　the　aid　of　these　we　then　busied　our　souls　in　dreams　…　
reading；　writing；　or　conversing；　until　warned　by　the　clock　of　the　
advent　of　the　true　Darkness。　Then　we　sallied　forth　into　the　streets　
arm　in　arm；　continuing　the　topics　of　the　day；　or　roaming　far　and　wide　
until　a　late　hour；　seeking；　amid　the　wild　lights　and　shadows　of　the　
populous　city；　that　infinity　of　mental　excitement　which　quiet　
observation　can　afford。

At　such　times　I　could　not　help　remarking　and　admiring　（although　from　
his　rich　ideality　I　had　been　prepared　to　expect　it）　a　peculiar　
analytic　ability　in　Dupin。　He　seemed；　too；　to　take　an　eager　delight　
in　its　exercise　…　if　not　exactly　in　its　display　…　and　did　not　
hesitate　to　confess　the　pleasure　thus　derived。　He　boastedto　me；　with　
a　low　chuckling　laugh；　that　most　men；　in　respect　to　himself；　wore　
windows　in　their　bosoms；　and　was　wont　to　follow　up　such　assertions　by　
direct　and　very　startling　proofs　of　his　intimate　knowledge　of　my　own。　
His　manner　at　these　moments　was　frigid　and　abstract；　his　eyes　were　
vacant　in　expression；　while　his　voice；　usually　a　rich　tenor；　rose　
into　a　treble　which　would　have　sounded　petulantly　but　for　the　
deliberateness　and　entire　distinctness　of　the　enunciation。　Observing　
him　in　these　moods；　I　often　dwelt　meditatively　upon　the　old　
philosophy　of　the　Bi…Part　Soul；　and　amused　myself　with　the　fancy　of　a　
double　Dupin　…　the　creative　and　the　resolvent。

Let　it　not　be　supposed；　from　what　I　have　just　said；　that　I　am　
detailing　any　mystery；　or　penning　any　romance。　What　I　have　described　
in　the　Frenchman；　was　merely　the　result　of　an　excited；　or　perhaps　of　
a　diseased　intelligence。　But　of　the　character　of　his　remarks　at　the　
periods　in　question　an　example　will　best　convey　the　idea。

We　were　strolling　one　night　down　a　long　dirty　street　in　the　vicinity　
of　the　Palais　Royal。　Being　both；　apparently；　occupied　with　thought；　
neither　of　us　had　spoken　a　syllable　for　fifteen　minutes　at　least。　All　
at　once　Dupin　broke　forth　with　these　words：

〃He　is　a　very　little　fellow；　that's　true；　and　would　do　better　for　the　
_Th殁tre　des　Vari閠閟_。〃

〃There　can　be　no　doubt　of　that；〃　I　replied　unwittingly；　and　not　at　
first　observing　（so　much　had　I　been　absorbed　in　reflection）　the　
extraordinary　manner　in　which　the　speaker　had　chimed　in　with　my　
meditations。　In　an　instant　afterward　I　recollected　myself；　and　my　
astonishment　was　profound。

〃Dupin；〃　said　I；　gravely；　〃this　is　beyond　my　comprehension。　I　do　not　
hesitate　to　say　that　I　am　amazed；　and　can　scarcely　credit　my　senses。　
How　was　it　possible　you　should　know　I　was　thinking　of　…　？〃　Here　I　
paused；　to　ascertain　beyond　a　doubt　whether　he　really　knew　of　whom　I　
thought。

　〃of　Chantilly；〃　said　he；　〃why　do　you　pause？　You　were　remarking　to　
yourself　that　his　diminutive　figure　unfitted　him　for　tragedy。〃

This　was　precisely　what　had　formed　the　subject　of　my　reflections。　
Chantilly　was　a　_quondam_　cobbler　of　the　Rue　St。　Denis；　who；　becoming　
stage…mad；　had　attempted　the　_r鬺e_　of　Xerxes；　in　Cr閎illon's　tragedy　
so　called；　and　been　notoriously　Pasquinaded　for　his　pains。

〃Tell　me；　for　Heaven's　sake；〃　I　exclaimed；　〃the　method　…　if　method　
there　is　…　by　which　you　have　been　enabled　to　fathom　my　soul　in　this　
matter。〃　In　fact　I　was　even　more　startled　than　I　would　have　been　
willing　to　express。

〃It　was　the　fruiterer；〃　replied　my　friend；　〃who　brought　you　to　the　
conclusion　that　the　mender　of　soles　was　not　of　sufficient　height　for　
Xerxes　_et　id　genus　omne_。〃

〃The　fruiterer！　…　you　astonish　me　…　I　know　no　fruiterer　whomsoever。〃

〃The　man　who　ran　up　against　you　as　we　entered　the　street　…　it　may　
have　been　fifteen　minutes　ago。〃

I　now　remembered　that；　in　fact；　a　fruiterer；　carrying　upon　his　head　a　
large　basket　of　apples；　had　nearly　thrown　me　down；　by　accident；　as　we　
passed　from　the　Rue　C　　into　the　thoroughfare　where　we　stood；　but　
what　this　had　to　do　with　Chantilly　I　could　not　possibly　understand。

There　was　not　a　particle　of　_charl鈚anerie_　about　Dupin。　〃I　will　
explain；〃　he　said；　〃and　that　you　may　comprehend　all　clearly；　we　will　
first　retrace　the　course　of　your　meditations；　from　the　moment　in　
which　I　spoke　to　you　until　that　of　the　_rencontre_　with　the　fruiterer　
in　question。　The　larger　links　of　the　chain　run　thus　…　Chantilly；　
Orion；　Dr。　Nichols；　Epicurus；　Stereotomy；　the　street　stones；　the　
fruiterer。〃

There　are　few　persons　who　have　not；　at　some　period　of　their　lives；　
amused　themselves　in　retracing　the　steps　by　which　particular　
conclusions　of　their　own　minds　have　been　attained。　The　occupation　is　
often　full　of　interest　and　he　who　attempts　it　for　the　first　time　is　
astonished　by　the　apparently　illimitable　distance　and　incoherence　
between　the　starting…point　and　the　goal。　What；　then；　must　have　been　
my　amazement　when　I　heard　the　Frenchman　speak　what　he　had　just　
spoken；　and　when　I　could　not　help　acknowledging　that　he　had　spoken　
the　truth。　He　continued：

〃We　had　been　talking　of　horses；　if　I　remember　aright；　just　before　
leaving　the　Rue　C　　。　This　was　the　last　subject　we　discussed。　As　
we　crossed　into　this　street；　a　fruiterer；　with　a　large　basket　upon　
his　head；　brushing　quickly　past　us；　thrust　you　upon　a　pile　of　paving　
stones　collected　at　a　spot　where　the　causeway　is　undergoing　repair。　
You　stepped　upon　one　of　the　loose　fragments；　slipped；　slightly　
strained　your　ankle；　appeared　vexed　or　sulky；　muttered　a　few　words；　
turned　to　look　at　the　pile；　and　then　proceeded　in　silence。　I　was　not　
particularly　attentive　to　what　you　did；　but　observation　has　become　
with　me；　of　late；　a　species　of　necessity。

〃You　kept　your　eyes　upon　the　ground　…　glancing；　with　a　petulant　
expression；　at　the　holes　and　ruts　in　the　pavement；　（so　that　I　saw　you　
were　still　thinking　of　the　stones；）　until　we　reached　the　little　alley　
called　Lamartine；　which　has　been　paved；　by　way　of　experiment；　with　
the　overlapping　and　riveted　blocks。　Here　your　countenance　brightened　
up；　and；　perceiving　your　lips　move；　I　could　not　doubt　that　you　
murmured　the　word　'stereotomy；'　a　term　very　affectedly　applied　to　
this　species　of　pavement。　I　knew　that　you　could　not　say　to　yourself　
'stereotomy'　without　being　brought　to　think　of　atomies；　and　thus　of　
the　theories　of　Epicurus；　and　since；　when　we　discussed　this　subject　
not　very　long　ago；　I　mentioned　to　you　how　singularly；　yet　with　how　
little　notice；　the　vague　guesses　of　that　noble　Greek　had　met　with　
confirmation　in　the　late　nebular　cosmogony；　I　felt　that　you　could　not　
avoid　casting　your　eyes　upward　to　the　great　_nebula_　in　Orion；　and　I　
certainly　expected　that　you　would　do　so。　You　did　look　up；　and　I　was　
now　assured　that　I　had　correctly　followed　your　steps。　But　in　that　
bitter　_tirade_　upon　Chantilly；　which　appeared　in　yesterday's　
'_Mus閑_；'　the　satirist；　making　some　disgraceful　allusions　to　the　
cobbler　s　change　of　name　upon　assuming　the　buskin；　quoted　a　Latin　
line　about　which　we　have　often　conversed。　I　mean　the　line

Perdidit　antiquum　litera　sonum。

I　had　told　you　that　this　was　in　reference　to　Orion；　formerly　written　
Urion；　and；　from　certain　pungencies　connected　with　this　explanation；　
I　was　aware　that　you　could　not　have　forgotten　it。　It　was　clear；　
therefore；　that　you　would　not　fail　to　combine　the　two　ideas　of　Orion　
and　Chantilly。　That　you　did　combine　them　I　saw　by　the　character　of　
the　smile　which　passed　over　your　lips。　You　thought　of　the　poor　
cobbler's　immolation。　So　far；　you　had　been　stooping　in　your　gait；　but　
now　I　saw　you　draw　yourself　up　to　your　full　height。　I　was　then　sure　
that　you　reflected　upon　the　diminutive　figure　of　Chantilly。　At　this　
point　I　interrupted　your　meditations　to　remark　that　as；　in　fact；　be　
was　a　very　little　fellow　…　that　Chantilly　…　he　would　do　better　at　the　
_Th殁tre　des　Vari閠閟_。〃

Not　long　after　this；　we　were　looking　over　an　evening　edition　of　the　
〃Gazette　des　Tribunaux；〃　when　the　following　paragraphs　arrested　our　
attention。

〃EXTRAORDINARY　MURDERS。　…　This　morning；　about　three　o'clock；　the　
inhabitants　of　the　Quartier　St。　Roch　were　aroused　from　sleep　by　a　
succession　of　terrific　shrieks；　issuing；　apparently；　from　the　fourth　
story　of　a　house　in　the　Rue　Morgue；　known　to　be　in　the　sole　occupancy　
of　one　Madame　L'Espanaye；　and　her　daughter　Mademoiselle　Camille　
L'Espanaye。　After　some　delay；　occasioned　by　a　fruitless　attempt　to　
procure　admission　in　the　usual　manner；　the　gateway　was　broken　in　with　
a　crowbar；　and　eight　or　ten　of　the　neighbors　entered　accompanied　by　
two　_gendarmes_。　By　this　time　the　cries　had　ceased；　but；　as　the　party　
rushed　up　the　first　flight　of　stairs；　two　or　more　rough　voices　in　
angry　contention　were　distinguished　and　seemed　to　proceed　from　the　
upper　part　of　the　house。　As　the　second　landing　was　reached；　these　
sounds；　also；　had　ceased　and　everything　remained　perfectly　quiet。　The　
party　spread　themselves　and　hurried　from　room　to　room。　Upon　arriving　
at　a　large　back　chamber　in　the　fourth　story；　（the　door　of　which；　
being　found　locked；　with　the　key　inside；　was　forced