the works of edgar allan poe-1-第41节

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with　long　comments　upon　the　evidence；　of　which　latter　we　were　not　yet　
in　possession。　He　discoursed　much；　and　beyond　doubt；　learnedly；　while　
I　hazarded　an　occasional　suggestion　as　the　night　wore　drowsily　away。　
Dupin；　sitting　steadily　in　his　accustomed　arm…chair；　was　the　
embodiment　of　respectful　attention。　He　wore　spectacles；　during　the　
whole　interview；　and　an　occasional　signal　glance　beneath　their　green　
glasses；　sufficed　to　convince　me　that　he　slept　not　the　less　soundly；　
because　silently；　throughout　the　seven　or　eight　leaden…footed　hours　
which　immediately　preceded　the　departure　of　the　Prefect。　

In　the　morning；　I　procured；　at　the　Prefecture；　a　full　report　of　all　
the　evidence　elicited；　and；　at　the　various　newspaper　offices；　a　copy　
of　every　paper　in　which；　from　first　to　last；　had　been　published　any　
decisive　information　in　regard　to　this　sad　affair。　Freed　from　all　
that　was　positively　disproved；　this　mass　of　information　stood　thus：　

Marie　Rog阾　left　the　residence　of　her　mother；　in　the　Rue　Pav閑　St。　
Andr閑；　about　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning　of　Sunday　June　the　
twenty…second；　18。　In　going　out；　she　gave　notice　to　a　Monsieur　
Jacques　St。　Eustache；　｛*7｝　and　to　him　only；　of　her　intent　intention　
to　spend　the　day　with　an　aunt　who　resided　in　the　Rue　des　Dr鬽es。　The　
Rue　des　Dr鬽es　is　a　short　and　narrow　but　populous　thoroughfare；　not　
far　from　the　banks　of　the　river；　and　at　a　distance　of　some　two　miles；　
in　the　most　direct　course　possible；　from　the　pension　of　Madame　Rog阾。　
St。　Eustache　was　the　accepted　suitor　of　Marie；　and　lodged；　as　well　as　
took　his　meals；　at　the　pension。　He　was　to　have　gone　for　his　betrothed　
at　dusk；　and　to　have　escorted　her　home。　In　the　afternoon；　however；　it　
came　on　to　rain　heavily；　and；　supposing　that　she　would　remain　all　
night　at　her　aunt's；　（as　she　had　done　under　similar　circumstances　
before；）　he　did　not　think　it　necessary　to　keep　his　promise。　As　night　
drew　on；　Madame　Rog阾　（who　was　an　infirm　old　lady；　seventy　years　of　
age；）　was　heard　to　express　a　fear　〃that　she　should　never　see　Marie　
again；〃　but　this　observation　attracted　little　attention　at　the　time。　

On　Monday；　it　was　ascertained　that　the　girl　had　not　been　to　the　Rue　
des　Dr鬽es；　and　when　the　day　elapsed　without　tidings　of　her；　a　tardy　
search　was　instituted　at　several　points　in　the　city；　and　its　
environs。　It　was　not；　however　until　the　fourth　day　from　the　period　of　
disappearance　that　any　thing　satisfactory　was　ascertained　respecting　
her。　On　this　day；　（Wednesday；　the　twenty…fifth　of　June；）　a　Monsieur　
Beauvais；　｛*8｝　who；　with　a　friend；　had　been　making　inquiries　for　
Marie　near　the　Barri鑢e　du　Roule；　on　the　shore　of　the　Seine　which　is　
opposite　the　Rue　Pav閑　St。　Andr閑；　was　informed　that　a　corpse　had　
just　been　towed　ashore　by　some　fishermen；　who　had　found　it　floating　
in　the　river。　Upon　seeing　the　body；　Beauvais；　after　some　hesitation；　
identified　it　as　that　of　the　perfumery…girl。　His　friend　recognized　it　
more　promptly。　

The　face　was　suffused　with　dark　blood；　some　of　which　issued　from　the　
mouth。　No　foam　was　seen；　as　in　the　case　of　the　merely　drowned。　There　
was　no　discoloration　in　the　cellular　tissue。　About　the　throat　were　
bruises　and　impressions　of　fingers。　The　arms　were　bent　over　on　the　
chest　and　were　rigid。　The　right　hand　was　clenched；　the　left　partially　
open。　On　the　left　wrist　were　two　circular　excoriations；　apparently　
the　effect　of　ropes；　or　of　a　rope　in　more　than　one　volution。　A　part　
of　the　right　wrist；　also；　was　much　chafed；　as　well　as　the　back　
throughout　its　extent；　but　more　especially　at　the　shoulder…blades。　In　
bringing　the　body　to　the　shore　the　fishermen　had　attached　to　it　a　
rope；　but　none　of　the　excoriations　had　been　effected　by　this。　The　
flesh　of　the　neck　was　much　swollen。　There　were　no　cuts　apparent；　or　
bruises　which　appeared　the　effect　of　blows。　A　piece　of　lace　was　found　
tied　so　tightly　around　the　neck　as　to　be　hidden　from　sight；　it　was　
completely　buried　in　the　flesh；　and　was　fasted　by　a　knot　which　lay　
just　under　the　left　ear。　This　alone　would　have　sufficed　to　produce　
death。　The　medical　testimony　spoke　confidently　of　the　virtuous　
character　of　the　deceased。　She　had　been　subjected；　it　said；　to　brutal　
violence。　The　corpse　was　in　such　condition　when　found；　that　there　
could　have　been　no　difficulty　in　its　recognition　by　friends。　

The　dress　was　much　torn　and　otherwise　disordered。　In　the　outer　
garment；　a　slip；　about　a　foot　wide；　had　been　torn　upward　from　the　
bottom　hem　to　the　waist；　but　not　torn　off。　It　was　wound　three　times　
around　the　waist；　and　secured　by　a　sort　of　hitch　in　the　back。　The　
dress　immediately　beneath　the　frock　was　of　fine　muslin；　and　from　this　
a　slip　eighteen　inches　wide　had　been　torn　entirely　out　…　torn　very　
evenly　and　with　great　care。　It　was　found　around　her　neck；　fitting　
loosely；　and　secured　with　a　hard　knot。　Over　this　muslin　slip　and　the　
slip　of　lace；　the　strings　of　a　bonnet　were　attached；　the　bonnet　being　
appended。　The　knot　by　which　the　strings　of　the　bonnet　were　fastened；　
was　not　a　lady's；　but　a　slip　or　sailor's　knot。　

After　the　recognition　of　the　corpse；　it　was　not；　as　usual；　taken　to　
the　Morgue；　（this　formality　being　superfluous；）　but　hastily　interred　
not　far　front　the　spot　at　which　it　was　brought　ashore。　Through　the　
exertions　of　Beauvais；　the　matter　was　industriously　hushed　up；　as　far　
as　possible；　and　several　days　had　elapsed　before　any　public　emotion　
resulted。　A　weekly　paper；　｛*9｝　however；　at　length　took　up　the　theme；　
the　corpse　was　disinterred；　and　a　re…examination　instituted；　but　
nothing　was　elicited　beyond　what　has　been　already　noted。　The　clothes；　
however；　were　now　submitted　to　the　mother　and　friends　of　the　
deceased；　and　fully　identified　as　those　worn　by　the　girl　upon　leaving　
home。　

Meantime；　the　excitement　increased　hourly。　Several　individuals　were　
arrested　and　discharged。　St。　Eustache　fell　especially　under　
suspicion；　and　he　failed；　at　first；　to　give　an　intelligible　account　
of　his　whereabouts　during　the　Sunday　on　which　Marie　left　home。　
Subsequently；　however；　he　submitted　to　Monsieur　G；　affidavits；　
accounting　satisfactorily　for　every　hour　of　the　day　in　question。　As　
time　passed　and　no　discovery　ensued；　a　thousand　contradictory　rumors　
were　circulated；　and　journalists　busied　themselves　in　suggestions。　
Among　these；　the　one　which　attracted　the　most　notice；　was　the　idea　
that　Marie　Rog阾　still　lived　…　that　the　corpse　found　in　the　Seine　was　
that　of　some　other　unfortunate。　It　will　be　proper　that　I　submit　to　
the　reader　some　passages　which　embody　the　suggestion　alluded　to。　
These　passages　are　literal　translations　from　L'Etoile；　｛*10｝　a　paper　
conducted；　in　general；　with　much　ability。　

〃Mademoiselle　Rog阾　left　her　mother's　house　on　Sunday　morning；　June　
the　twenty…second；　18；　with　the　ostensible　purpose　of　going　to　see　
her　aunt；　or　some　other　connexion；　in　the　Rue　des　Dr鬽es。　From　that　
hour；　nobody　is　proved　to　have　seen　her。　There　is　no　trace　or　tidings　
of　her　at　all。　。　。　。　There　has　no　person；　whatever；　come　forward；　so　
far；　who　saw　her　at　all；　on　that　day；　after　she　left　her　mother's　
door。　。　。　。　Now；　though　we　have　no　evidence　that　Marie　Rog阾　was　in　
the　land　of　the　living　after　nine　o'clock　on　Sunday；　June　the　
twenty…second；　we　have　proof　that；　up　to　that　hour；　she　was　alive。　On　
Wednesday　noon；　at　twelve；　a　female　body　was　discovered　afloat　on　the　
shore　of　the　Barri鑢e　de　Roule。　This　was；　even　if　we　presume　that　
Marie　Rog阾　was　thrown　into　the　river　within　three　hours　after　she　
left　her　mother's　house；　only　three　days　from　the　time　she　left　her　
home　…　three　days　to　an　hour。　But　it　is　folly　to　suppose　that　the　
murder；　if　murder　was　committed　on　her　body；　could　have　been　
consummated　soon　enough　to　have　enabled　her　murderers　to　throw　the　
body　into　the　river　before　midnight。　Those　who　are　guilty　of　such　
horrid　crimes；　choose　darkness　rather　the；　light　。　。　。　。　Thus　we　see　
that　if　the　body　found　in　the　river　was　that　of　Marie　Rog阾；　it　could　
only　have　been　in　the　water　two　and　a　half　days；　or　three　at　the　
outside。　All　experience　has　shown　that　drowned　bodies；　or　bodies　
thrown　into　the　water　immediately　after　death　by　violence；　require　
from　six　to　ten　days　for　decomposition　to　take　place　to　bring　them　to　
the　top　of　the　water。　Even　where　a　cannon　is　fired　over　a　corpse；　and　
it　rises　before　at　least　five　or　six　days'　immersion；　it　sinks　again；　
if　let　alone。　Now；　we　ask；　what　was　there　in　this　cave　to　cause　a　
departure　from　the　ordinary　course　of　nature？　。　。　。　If　the　body　had　
been　kept　in　its　mangled　state　on　shore　until　Tuesday　night；　some　
trace　would　be　found　on　shore　of　the　murderers。　It　is　a　doubtful　
point；　also；　whether　the　body　would　be　so　soon　afloat；　even　were　it　
thrown　in　after　having　been　dead　two　days。　And；　furthermore；　it　is　
exceedingly　improbable　that　any　villains　who　had　committed　such　a　
murder　as　is　here　supposed；　would　have　throw　the　body　in　without　
weight　to　sink　it；　when　such　a　precaution　could　have　so　easily　been　
taken。〃　

The　editor　here　proceeds　to　argue　that　the　body　must　have　been　in　the　
water　〃not　three　days　merely；　but；　at　least；　five　times　three　days；〃　
because　it　was　so　far　dec