the works of edgar allan poe-1-第40节

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！


depicting　of　character　constituted　my　design；　and　this　design　was　
thoroughly　fulfilled　in　the　wild　train　of　circumstances　brought　to　
instance　Dupin's　idiosyncrasy。　I　might　have　adduced　other　examples；　
but　I　should　have　proven　no　more。　Late　events；　however；　in　their　
surprising　development；　have　startled　me　into　some　farther　details；　
which　will　carry　with　them　the　air　of　extorted　confession。　Hearing　
what　I　have　lately　heard；　it　would　be　indeed　strange　should　I　remain　
silent　in　regard　to　what　I　both　heard　and　saw　so　long　ago。　

Upon　the　winding　up　of　the　tragedy　involved　in　the　deaths　of　Madame　
L'Espanaye　and　her　daughter；　the　Chevalier　dismissed　the　affair　at　
once　from　his　attention；　and　relapsed　into　his　old　habits　of　moody　
reverie。　Prone；　at　all　times；　to　abstraction；　I　readily　fell　in　with　
his　humor；　and；　continuing　to　occupy　our　chambers　in　the　Faubourg　
Saint　Germain；　we　gave　the　Future　to　the　winds；　and　slumbered　
tranquilly　in　the　Present；　weaving　the　dull　world　around　us　into　
dreams。　

But　these　dreams　were　not　altogether　uninterrupted。　It　may　readily　be　
supposed　that　the　part　played　by　my　friend；　in　the　drama　at　the　Rue　
Morgue；　had　not　failed　of　its　impression　upon　the　fancies　of　the　
Parisian　police。　With　its　emissaries；　the　name　of　Dupin　had　grown　
into　a　household　word。　The　simple　character　of　those　inductions　by　
which　he　had　disentangled　the　mystery　never　having　been　explained　
even　to　the　Prefect；　or　to　any　other　individual　than　myself；　of　
course　it　is　not　surprising　that　the　affair　was　regarded　as　little　
less　than　miraculous；　or　that　the　Chevalier's　analytical　abilities　
acquired　for　him　the　credit　of　intuition。　His　frankness　would　have　
led　him　to　disabuse　every　inquirer　of　such　prejudice；　but　his　
indolent　humor　forbade　all　farther　agitation　of　a　topic　whose　
interest　to　himself　had　long　ceased。　It　thus　happened　that　he　found　
himself　the　cynosure　of　the　policial　eyes；　and　the　cases　were　not　few　
in　which　attempt　was　made　to　engage　his　services　at　the　Prefecture。　
One　of　the　most　remarkable　instances　was　that　of　the　murder　of　a　
young　girl　named　Marie　Rog阾。　

This　event　occurred　about　two　years　after　the　atrocity　in　the　Rue　
Morgue。　Marie；　whose　Christian　and　family　name　will　at　once　arrest　
attention　from　their　resemblance　to　those　of　the　unfortunate　〃cigar…　
girl；〃　was　the　only　daughter　of　the　widow　Estelle　Rog阾。　The　father　
had　died　during　the　child's　infancy；　and　from　the　period　of　his　
death；　until　within　eighteen　months　before　the　assassination　which　
forms　the　subject　of　our　narrative；　the　mother　and　daughter　had　dwelt　
together　in　the　Rue　Pav閑　Saint　Andr閑；　｛*3｝　Madame　there　keeping　a　
pension；　assisted　by　Marie。　Affairs　went　on　thus　until　the　latter　had　
attained　her　twenty…second　year；　when　her　great　beauty　attracted　the　
notice　of　a　perfumer；　who　occupied　one　of　the　shops　in　the　basement　
of　the　Palais　Royal；　and　whose　custom　lay　chiefly　among　the　desperate　
adventurers　infesting　that　neighborhood。　Monsieur　Le　Blanc　｛*4｝　was　
not　unaware　of　the　advantages　to　be　derived　from　the　attendance　of　
the　fair　Marie　in　his　perfumery；　and　his　liberal　proposals　were　
accepted　eagerly　by　the　girl；　although　with　somewhat　more　of　
hesitation　by　Madame。　

The　anticipations　of　the　shopkeeper　were　realized；　and　his　rooms　soon　
became　notorious　through　the　charms　of　the　sprightly　grisette。　She　
had　been　in　his　employ　about　a　year；　when　her　admirers　were　thrown　
info　confusion　by　her　sudden　disappearance　from　the　shop。　Monsieur　Le　
Blanc　was　unable　to　account　for　her　absence；　and　Madame　Rog阾　was　
distracted　with　anxiety　and　terror。　The　public　papers　immediately　
took　up　the　theme；　and　the　police　were　upon　the　point　of　making　
serious　investigations；　when；　one　fine　morning；　after　the　lapse　of　a　
week；　Marie；　in　good　health；　but　with　a　somewhat　saddened　air；　made　
her　re…appearance　at　her　usual　counter　in　the　perfumery。　All　inquiry；　
except　that　of　a　private　character；　was　of　course　immediately　hushed。　
Monsieur　Le　Blanc　professed　total　ignorance；　as　before。　Marie；　with　
Madame；　replied　to　all　questions；　that　the　last　week　had　been　spent　
at　the　house　of　a　relation　in　the　country。　Thus　the　affair　died　away；　
and　was　generally　forgotten；　for　the　girl；　ostensibly　to　relieve　
herself　from　the　impertinence　of　curiosity；　soon　bade　a　final　adieu　
to　the　perfumer；　and　sought　the　shelter　of　her　mother's　residence　in　
the　Rue　Pav閑　Saint　Andr閑。　

It　was　about　five　months　after　this　return　home；　that　her　friends　
were　alarmed　by　her　sudden　disappearance　for　the　second　time。　Three　
days　elapsed；　and　nothing　was　heard　of　her。　On　the　fourth　her　corpse　
was　found　floating　in　the　Seine；　*　near　the　shore　which　is　opposite　
the　Quartier　of　the　Rue　Saint　Andree；　and　at　a　point　not　very　far　
distant　from　the　secluded　neighborhood　of　the　Barri鑢e　du　Roule。　｛*6｝　

The　atrocity　of　this　murder；　（for　it　was　at　once　evident　that　murder　
had　been　committed；）　the　youth　and　beauty　of　the　victim；　and；　above　
all；　her　previous　notoriety；　conspired　to　produce　intense　excitement　
in　the　minds　of　the　sensitive　Parisians。　I　can　call　to　mind　no　
similar　occurrence　producing　so　general　and　so　intense　an　effect。　For　
several　weeks；　in　the　discussion　of　this　one　absorbing　theme；　even　
the　momentous　political　topics　of　the　day　were　forgotten。　The　Prefect　
made　unusual　exertions；　and　the　powers　of　the　whole　Parisian　police　
were；　of　course；　tasked　to　the　utmost　extent。　

Upon　the　first　discovery　of　the　corpse；　it　was　not　supposed　that　the　
murderer　would　be　able　to　elude；　for　more　than　a　very　brief　period；　
the　inquisition　which　was　immediately　set　on　foot。　It　was　not　until　
the　expiration　of　a　week　that　it　was　deemed　necessary　to　offer　a　
reward；　and　even　then　this　reward　was　limited　to　a　thousand　francs。　
In　the　mean　time　the　investigation　proceeded　with　vigor；　if　not　
always　with　judgment；　and　numerous　individuals　were　examined　to　no　
purpose；　while；　owing　to　the　continual　absence　of　all　clue　to　the　
mystery；　the　popular　excitement　greatly　increased。　At　the　end　of　the　
tenth　day　it　was　thought　advisable　to　double　the　sum　originally　
proposed；　and；　at　length；　the　second　week　having　elapsed　without　
leading　to　any　discoveries；　and　the　prejudice　which　always　exists　in　
Paris　against　the　Police　having　given　vent　to　itself　in　several　
serious　閙eutes；　the　Prefect　took　it　upon　himself　to　offer　the　sum　of　
twenty　thousand　francs　〃for　the　conviction　of　the　assassin；〃　or；　if　
more　than　one　should　prove　to　have　been　implicated；　〃for　the　
conviction　of　any　one　of　the　assassins。〃　In　the　proclamation　setting　
forth　this　reward；　a　full　pardon　was　promised　to　any　accomplice　who　
should　come　forward　in　evidence　against　his　fellow；　and　to　the　whole　
was　appended；　wherever　it　appeared；　the　private　placard　of　a　
committee　of　citizens；　offering　ten　thousand　francs；　in　addition　to　
the　amount　proposed　by　the　Prefecture。　The　entire　reward　thus　stood　
at　no　less　than　thirty　thousand　francs；　which　will　be　regarded　as　an　
extraordinary　sum　when　we　consider　the　humble　condition　of　the　girl；　
and　the　great　frequency；　in　large　cities；　of　such　atrocities　as　the　
one　described。　

No　one　doubted　now　that　the　mystery　of　this　murder　would　be　
immediately　brought　to　light。　But　although；　in　one　or　two　instances；　
arrests　were　made　which　promised　elucidation；　yet　nothing　was　
elicited　which　could　implicate　the　parties　suspected；　and　they　were　
discharged　forthwith。　Strange　as　it　may　appear；　the　third　week　from　
the　discovery　of　the　body　had　passed；　and　passed　without　any　light　
being　thrown　upon　the　subject；　before　even　a　rumor　of　the　events　
which　had　so　agitated　the　public　mind；　reached　the　ears　of　Dupin　and　
myself。　Engaged　in　researches　which　absorbed　our　whole　attention；　it　
had　been　nearly　a　month　since　either　of　us　had　gone　abroad；　or　
received　a　visiter；　or　more　than　glanced　at　the　leading　political　
articles　in　one　of　the　daily　papers。　The　first　intelligence　of　the　
murder　was　brought　us　by　G　；　in　person。　He　called　upon　us　early　
in　the　afternoon　of　the　thirteenth　of　July；　18；　and　remained　with　
us　until　late　in　the　night。　He　had　been　piqued　by　the　failure　of　all　
his　endeavors　to　ferret　out　the　assassins。　His　reputation　…　so　he　
said　with　a　peculiarly　Parisian　air　…　was　at　stake。　Even　his　honor　
was　concerned。　The　eyes　of　the　public　were　upon　him；　and　there　was　
really　no　sacrifice　which　he　would　not　be　willing　to　make　for　the　
development　of　the　mystery。　He　concluded　a　somewhat　droll　speech　with　
a　compliment　upon　what　he　was　pleased　to　term　the　tact　of　Dupin；　and　
made　him　a　direct；　and　certainly　a　liberal　proposition；　the　precise　
nature　of　which　I　do　not　feel　myself　at　liberty　to　disclose；　but　
which　has　no　bearing　upon　the　proper　subject　of　my　narrative。　

The　compliment　my　friend　rebutted　as　best　he　could；　but　the　
proposition　he　accepted　at　once；　although　its　advantages　were　
altogether　provisional。　This　point　being　settled；　the　Prefect　broke　
forth　at　once　into　explanations　of　his　own　views；　interspersing　them　
with　long　comments　upon　the　evidence；　of　which　latter　we　were　not　yet　
in　possession。　He　discoursed　much；　and　be