the works of edgar allan poe-1-第42节

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water　〃not　three　days　merely；　but；　at　least；　five　times　three　days；〃　
because　it　was　so　far　decomposed　that　Beauvais　had　great　difficulty　
in　recognizing　it。　This　latter　point；　however；　was　fully　disproved。　I　
continue　the　translation：　

〃What；　then；　are　the　facts　on　which　M。　Beauvais　says　that　he　has　no　
doubt　the　body　was　that　of　Marie　Rog阾？　He　ripped　up　the　gown　sleeve；　
and　says　he　found　marks　which　satisfied　him　of　the　identity。　The　
public　generally　supposed　those　marks　to　have　consisted　of　some　
description　of　scars。　He　rubbed　the　arm　and　found　hair　upon　it　…　
something　as　indefinite；　we　think；　as　can　readily　be　imagined　…　as　
little　conclusive　as　finding　an　arm　in　the　sleeve。　M。　Beauvais　did　
not　return　that　night；　but　sent　word　to　Madame　Rog阾；　at　seven　
o'clock；　on　Wednesday　evening；　that　an　investigation　was　still　in　
progress　respecting　her　daughter。　If　we　allow　that　Madame　Rog阾；　from　
her　age　and　grief；　could　not　go　over；　（which　is　allowing　a　great　
deal；）　there　certainly　must　have　been　some　one　who　would　have　thought　
it　worth　while　to　go　over　and　attend　the　investigation；　if　they　
thought　the　body　was　that　of　Marie。　Nobody　went　over。　There　was　
nothing　said　or　heard　about　the　matter　in　the　Rue　Pav閑　St。　Andr閑；　
that　reached　even　the　occupants　of　the　same　building。　M。　St。　
Eustache；　the　lover　and　intended　husband　of　Marie；　who　boarded　in　her　
mother's　house；　deposes　that　he　did　not　hear　of　the　discovery　of　the　
body　of　his　intended　until　the　next　morning；　when　M。　Beauvais　came　
into　his　chamber　and　told　him　of　it。　For　an　item　of　news　like　this；　
it　strikes　us　it　was　very　coolly　received。〃　

In　this　way　the　journal　endeavored　to　create　the　impression　of　an　
apathy　on　the　part　of　the　relatives　of　Marie；　inconsistent　with　the　
supposition　that　these　relatives　believed　the　corpse　to　be　hers。　Its　
insinuations　amount　to　this：　…　that　Marie；　with　the　connivance　of　her　
friends；　had　absented　herself　from　the　city　for　reasons　involving　a　
charge　against　her　chastity；　and　that　these　friends；　upon　the　
discovery　of　a　corpse　in　the　Seine；　somewhat　resembling　that　of　the　
girl；　had　availed　themselves　of　the　opportunity　to　impress　press　the　
public　with　the　belief　of　her　death。　But　L'Etoile　was　again　
over…hasty。　It　was　distinctly　proved　that　no　apathy；　such　as　was　
imagined；　existed；　that　the　old　lady　was　exceedingly　feeble；　and　so　
agitated　as　to　be　unable　to　attend　to　any　duty；　that　St。　Eustache；　so　
far　from　receiving　the　news　coolly；　was　distracted　with　grief；　and　
bore　himself　so　frantically；　that　M。　Beauvais　prevailed　upon　a　friend　
and　relative　to　take　charge　of　him；　and　prevent　his　attending　the　
examination　at　the　disinterment。　Moreover；　although　it　was　stated　by　
L'Etoile；　that　the　corpse　was　re…interred　at　the　public　expense　…　
that　an　advantageous　offer　of　private　sculpture　was　absolutely　
declined　by　the　family　…　and　that　no　member　of　the　family　attended　
the　ceremonial：　…　although；　I　say；　all　this　was　asserted　by　L'Etoile　
in　furtherance　of　the　impression　it　designed　to　convey　…　yet　all　this　
was　satisfactorily　disproved。　In　a　subsequent　number　of　the　paper；　an　
attempt　was　made　to　throw　suspicion　upon　Beauvais　himself。　The　editor　
says：　

〃Now；　then；　a　change　comes　over　the　matter。　We　are　told　that　on　one　
occasion；　while　a　Madame　B　was　at　Madame　Rog阾's　house；　M。　
Beauvais；　who　was　going　out；　told　her　that　a　gendarme　was　expected　
there；　and　she；　Madame　B。；　must　not　say　anything　to　the　gendarme　
until　he　returned；　but　let　the　matter　be　for　him。　。　。　。　In　the　
present　posture　of　affairs；　M。　Beauvais　appears　to　have　the　whole　
matter　looked　up　in　his　head。　A　single　step　cannot　be　taken　without　
M。　Beauvais；　for；　go　which　way　you　will；　you　run　against　him。　。　。　。　
For　some　reason；　he　determined　that　nobody　shall　have　any　thing　to　do　
with　the　proceedings　but　himself；　and　he　has　elbowed　the　male　
relatives　out　of　the　way；　according　to　their　representations；　in　a　
very　singular　manner。　He　seems　to　have　been　very　much　averse　to　
permitting　the　relatives　to　see　the　body。〃　

By　the　following　fact；　some　color　was　given　to　the　suspicion　thus　
thrown　upon　Beauvais。　A　visiter　at　his　office；　a　few　days　prior　to　
the　girl's　disappearance；　and　during　the　absence　of　its　occupant；　had　
observed　a　rose　in　the　key…hole　of　the　door；　and　the　name　〃Marie〃　
inscribed　upon　a　slate　which　hung　near　at　hand。　

The　general　impression；　so　far　as　we　were　enabled　to　glean　it　from　
the　newspapers；　seemed　to　be；　that　Marie　had　been　the　victim　of　a　
gang　of　desperadoes　…　that　by　these　she　had　been　borne　across　the　
river；　maltreated　and　murdered。　Le　Commerciel；　｛*11｝　however；　a　print　
of　extensive　influence；　was　earnest　in　combating　this　popular　idea。　I　
quote　a　passage　or　two　from　its　columns：　

〃We　are　persuaded　that　pursuit　has　hitherto　been　on　a　false　scent；　so　
far　as　it　has　been　directed　to　the　Barri鑢e　du　Roule。　It　is　
impossible　that　a　person　so　well　known　to　thousands　as　this　young　
woman　was；　should　have　passed　three　blocks　without　some　one　having　
seen　her；　and　any　one　who　saw　her　would　have　remembered　it；　for　she　
interested　all　who　knew　her。　It　was　when　the　streets　were　full　of　
people；　when　she　went　out。　。　。　。　It　is　impossible　that　she　could　have　
gone　to　the　Barri鑢e　du　Roule；　or　to　the　Rue　des　Dr鬽es；　without　
being　recognized　by　a　dozen　persons；　yet　no　one　has　come　forward　who　
saw　her　outside　of　her　mother's　door；　and　there　is　no　evidence；　
except　the　testimony　concerning　her　expressed　intentions；　that　she　
did　go　out　at　all。　Her　gown　was　torn；　bound　round　her；　and　tied；　and　
by　that　the　body　was　carried　as　a　bundle。　If　the　murder　had　been　
committed　at　the　Barri鑢e　du　Roule；　there　would　have　been　no　
necessity　for　any　such　arrangement。　The　fact　that　the　body　was　found　
floating　near　the　Barri鑢e；　is　no　proof　as　to　where　it　was　thrown　
into　the　water。　。　。　。　。　A　piece　of　one　of　the　unfortunate　girl's　
petticoats；　two　feet　long　and　one　foot　wide；　was　torn　out　and　tied　
under　her　chin　around　the　back　of　her　head；　probably　to　prevent　
screams。　This　was　done　by　fellows　who　had　no　pocket…handkerchief。〃　

A　day　or　two　before　the　Prefect　called　upon　us；　however；　some　
important　information　reached　the　police；　which　seemed　to　overthrow；　
at　least；　the　chief　portion　of　Le　Commerciel's　argument。　Two　small　
boys；　sons　of　a　Madame　Deluc；　while　roaming　among　the　woods　near　the　
Barri鑢e　du　Roule；　chanced　to　penetrate　a　close　thicket；　within　which　
were　three　or　four　large　stones；　forming　a　kind　of　seat；　with　a　back　
and　footstool。　On　the　upper　stone　lay　a　white　petticoat；　on　the　
second　a　silk　scarf。　A　parasol；　gloves；　and　a　pocket…handkerchief　
were　also　here　found。　The　handkerchief　bore　the　name　〃Marie　Rog阾。〃　
Fragments　of　dress　were　discovered　on　the　brambles　around。　The　earth　
was　trampled；　the　bushes　were　broken；　and　there　was　every　evidence　of　
a　struggle。　Between　the　thicket　and　the　river；　the　fences　were　found　
taken　down；　and　the　ground　bore　evidence　of　some　heavy　burthen　having　
been　dragged　along　it。　

A　weekly　paper；　Le　Soleil；｛*12｝　had　the　following　comments　upon　this　
discovery　　comments　which　merely　echoed　the　sentiment　of　the　whole　
Parisian　press：　

〃The　things　had　all　evidently　been　there　at　least　three　or　four　
weeks；　they　were　all　mildewed　down　hard　with　the　action　of　the　rain　
and　stuck　together　from　mildew。　The　grass　had　grown　around　and　over　
some　of　them。　The　silk　on　the　parasol　was　strong；　but　the　threads　of　
it　were　run　together　within。　The　upper　part；　where　it　had　been　
doubled　and　folded；　was　all　mildewed　and　rotten；　and　tore　on　its　
being　opened。　。　。　。　。　The　pieces　of　her　frock　torn　out　by　the　bushes　
were　about　three　inches　wide　and　six　inches　long。　One　part　was　the　
hem　of　the　frock；　and　it　had　been　mended；　the　other　piece　was　part　of　
the　skirt；　not　the　hem。　They　looked　like　strips　torn　off；　and　were　on　
the　thorn　bush；　about　a　foot　from　the　ground。　。　。　。　。　There　can　be　no　
doubt；　therefore；　that　the　spot　of　this　appalling　outrage　has　been　
discovered。〃　

Consequent　upon　this　discovery；　new　evidence　appeared。　Madame　Deluc　
testified　that　she　keeps　a　roadside　inn　not　far　from　the　bank　of　the　
river；　opposite　the　Barri鑢e　du　Roule。　The　neighborhood　is　secluded　
　particularly　so。　It　is　the　usual　Sunday　resort　of　blackguards　from　
the　city；　who　cross　the　river　in　boats。　About　three　o'clock；　in　the　
afternoon　of　the　Sunday　in　question；　a　young　girl　arrived　at　the　inn；　
accompanied　by　a　young　man　of　dark　complexion。　The　two　remained　here　
for　some　time。　On　their　departure；　they　took　the　road　to　some　thick　
woods　in　the　vicinity。　Madame　Deluc's　attention　was　called　to　the　
dress　worn　by　the　girl；　on　account　of　its　resemblance　to　one　worn　by　
a　deceased　relative。　A　scarf　was　particularly　noticed。　Soon　after　the　
departure　of　the　couple；　a　gang　of　miscreants　made　their　appearance；　
behaved　boisterously；　ate　and　drank　without　making　payment；　followed　
in　the　route　of　the　young　man　and　girl；　returned　to　the　inn　about　
dusk；　and　re…crossed　the　river　as　if　in　great　haste。　

It　was　soon　after　dark；　upon　this　same　evening；　that　Madame　Deluc；　as　
well　as　her　eldest　son；　heard　the　scream