the works of edgar allan poe-1-第46节

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give　a　circumstance；　in　addition　to　those　which　we　have　commented　
upon；　to　make　others　believe。'　Now；　without　re…adverting　to　the　fact　
that　stronger　evidence　'to　make　others　believe；'　could　never　have　
been　adduced；　it　may　be　remarked　that　a　man　may　very　well　be　
understood　to　believe；　in　a　case　of　this　kind；　without　the　ability　to　
advance　a　single　reason　for　the　belief　of　a　second　party。　Nothing　is　
more　vague　than　impressions　of　individual　identity。　Each　man　
recognizes　his　neighbor；　yet　there　are　few　instances　in　which　any　one　
is　prepared　to　give　a　reason　for　his　recognition。　The　editor　of　
L'Etoile　had　no　right　to　be　offended　at　M。　Beauvais'　unreasoning　
belief。　

〃The　suspicious　circumstances　which　invest　him；　will　be　found　to　
tally　much　better　with　my　hypothesis　of　romantic　busy…bodyism；　than　
with　the　reasoner's　suggestion　of　guilt。　Once　adopting　the　more　
charitable　interpretation；　we　shall　find　no　difficulty　in　
comprehending　the　rose　in　the　key…hole；　the　'Marie'　upon　the　slate；　
the　'elbowing　the　male　relatives　out　of　the　way；'　the　'aversion　to　
permitting　them　to　see　the　body；'　the　caution　given　to　Madame　B；　
that　she　must　hold　no　conversation　with　the　gendarmeuntil　his　return　
（Beauvais'）；　and；　lastly；　his　apparent　determination　'that　nobody　
should　have　anything　to　do　with　the　proceedings　except　himself。'　It　
seems　to　me　unquestionable　that　Beauvais　was　a　suitor　of　Marie's；　
that　she　coquetted　with　him；　and　that　he　was　ambitious　of　being　
thought　to　enjoy　her　fullest　intimacy　and　confidence。　I　shall　say　
nothing　more　upon　this　point；　and；　as　the　evidence　fully　rebuts　the　
assertion　of　L'Etoile；　touching　the　matter　of　apathy　on　the　part　of　
the　mother　and　other　relatives　…　an　apathy　inconsistent　with　the　
supposition　of　their　believing　the　corpse　to　be　that　of　the　
perfumery…　girl　…　we　shall　now　proceed　as　if　the　question　of　identity　
were　settled　to　our　perfect　satisfaction。〃　

〃And　what；〃　I　here　demanded；　〃do　you　think　of　the　opinions　of　Le　
Commerciel？〃　

〃That；　in　spirit；　they　are　far　more　worthy　of　attention　than　any　
which　have　been　promulgated　upon　the　subject。　The　deductions　from　the　
premises　are　philosophical　and　acute；　but　the　premises；　in　two　
instances；　at　least；　are　founded　in　imperfect　observation。　Le　
Commerciel　wishes　to　intimate　that　Marie　was　seized　by　some　gang　of　
low　ruffians　not　far　from　her　mother's　door。　'It　is　impossible；'　it　
urges；　'that　a　person　so　well　known　to　thousands　as　this　young　woman　
was；　should　have　passed　three　blocks　without　some　one　having　seen　
her。'　This　is　the　idea　of　a　man　long　resident　in　Paris　…　a　public　man　
…　and　one　whose　walks　to　and　fro　in　the　city；　have　been　mostly　
limited　to　the　vicinity　of　the　public　offices。　He　is　aware　that　he　
seldom　passes　so　far　as　a　dozen　blocks　from　his　own　bureau；　without　
being　recognized　and　accosted。　And；　knowing　the　extent　of　his　
personal　acquaintance　with　others；　and　of　others　with　him；　he　
compares　his　notoriety　with　that　of　the　perfumery…girl；　finds　no　
great　difference　between　them；　and　reaches　at　once　the　conclusion　
that　she；　in　her　walks；　would　be　equally　liable　to　recognition　with　
himself　in　his。　This　could　only　be　the　case　were　her　walks　of　the　
same　unvarying；　methodical　character；　and　within　the　same　species　of　
limited　region　as　are　his　own。　He　passes　to　and　fro；　at　regular　
intervals；　within　a　confined　periphery；　abounding　in　individuals　who　
are　led　to　observation　of　his　person　through　interest　in　the　kindred　
nature　of　his　occupation　with　their　own。　But　the　walks　of　Marie　may；　
in　general；　be　supposed　discursive。　In　this　particular　instance；　it　
will　be　understood　as　most　probable；　that　she　proceeded　upon　a　route　
of　more　than　average　diversity　from　her　accustomed　ones。　The　parallel　
which　we　imagine　to　have　existed　in　the　mind　of　Le　Commerciel　would　
only　be　sustained　in　the　event　of　the　two　individuals'　traversing　the　
whole　city。　In　this　case；　granting　the　personal　acquaintances　to　be　
equal；　the　chances　would　be　also　equal　that　an　equal　number　of　
personal　rencounters　would　be　made。　For　my　own　part；　I　should　hold　it　
not　only　as　possible；　but　as　very　far　more　than　probable；　that　Marie　
might　have　proceeded；　at　any　given　period；　by　any　one　of　the　many　
routes　between　her　own　residence　and　that　of　her　aunt；　without　
meeting　a　single　individual　whom　she　knew；　or　by　whom　she　was　known。　
In　viewing　this　question　in　its　full　and　proper　light；　we　must　hold　
steadily　in　mind　the　great　disproportion　between　the　personal　
acquaintances　of　even　the　most　noted　individual　in　Paris；　and　the　
entire　population　of　Paris　itself。　

〃But　whatever　force　there　may　still　appear　to　be　in　the　suggestion　of　
Le　Commerciel；　will　be　much　diminished　when　we　take　into　
consideration　the　hour　at　which　the　girl　went　abroad。　'It　was　when　
the　streets　were　full　of　people；'　says　Le　Commerciel；　'that　she　went　
out。'　But　not　so。　It　was　at　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning。　Now　at　nine　
o'clock　of　every　morning　in　the　week；　_with　the　exception　of　Sunday_；　
the　streets　of　the　city　are；　it　is　true；　thronged　with　people。　At　
nine　on　Sunday；　the　populace　are　chiefly　within　doors　_preparing　for　
church_。　No　observing　person　can　have　failed　to　notice　the　peculiarly　
deserted　air　of　the　town；　from　about　eight　until　ten　on　the　morning　
of　every　Sabbath。　Between　ten　and　eleven　the　streets　are　thronged；　
but　not　at　so　early　a　period　as　that　designated。　

〃There　is　another　point　at　which　there　seems　a　deficiency　of　
observation　on　the　part　of　Le　Commerciel。　'A　piece；'　it　says；　'of　one　
of　the　unfortunate　girl's　petticoats；　two　feet　long；　and　one　foot　
wide；　was　torn　out　and　tied　under　her　chin；　and　around　the　back　of　
her　head；　probably　to　prevent　screams。　This　was　done；　by　fellows　who　
had　no　pocket…handkerchiefs。'　Whether　this　idea　is；　or　is　not　well　
founded；　we　will　endeavor　to　see　hereafter；　but　by　'fellows　who　have　
no　pocket…handkerchiefs'　the　editor　intends　the　lowest　class　of　
ruffians。　These；　however；　are　the　very　description　of　people　who　will　
always　be　found　to　have　handkerchiefs　even　when　destitute　of　shirts。　
You　must　have　had　occasion　to　observe　how　absolutely　indispensable；　
of　late　years；　to　the　thorough　blackguard；　has　become　the　
pocket…handkerchief。〃　

〃And　what　are　we　to　think；〃　I　asked；　〃of　the　article　in　Le　Soleil？〃　

〃That　it　is　a　vast　pity　its　inditer　was　not　born　a　parrot　…　in　which　
case　he　would　have　been　the　most　illustrious　parrot　of　his　race。　He　
has　merely　repeated　the　individual　items　of　the　already　published　
opinion；　collecting　them；　with　a　laudable　industry；　from　this　paper　
and　from　that。　'The　things　had　all　evidently　been　there；'　he　says；'at　
least；　three　or　four　weeks；　and　there　can　be　_no　doubt_　that　the　spot　
of　this　appalling　outrage　has　been　discovered。'　The　facts　here　
re…stated　by　Le　Soleil；　are　very　far　indeed　from　removing　my　own　
doubts　upon　this　subject；　and　we　will　examine　them　more　particularly　
hereafter　in　connexion　with　another　division　of　the　theme。　

〃At　present　we　must　occupy　ourselves　with　other　investigations　You　
cannot　fail　to　have　remarked　the　extreme　laxity　of　the　examination　of　
the　corpse。　To　be　sure；　the　question　of　identity　was　readily　
determined；　or　should　have　been；　but　there　were　other　points　to　be　
ascertained。　Had　the　body　been　in　any　respect　despoiled？　Had　the　
deceased　any　articles　of　jewelry　about　her　person　upon　leaving　home？　
if　so；　had　she　any　when　found？　These　are　important　questions　utterly　
untouched　by　the　evidence；　and　there　are　others　of　equal　moment；　
which　have　met　with　no　attention。　We　must　endeavor　to　satisfy　
ourselves　by　personal　inquiry。　The　case　of　St。　Eustache　must　be　
re…examined。　I　have　no　suspicion　of　this　person；　but　let　us　proceed　
methodically。　We　will　ascertain　beyond　a　doubt　the　validity　of　the　
affidavits　in　regard　to　his　whereabouts　on　the　Sunday。　Affidavits　of　
this　character　are　readily　made　matter　of　mystification。　Should　there　
be　nothing　wrong　here；　however；　we　will　dismiss　St。　Eustache　from　our　
investigations。　His　suicide；　however　corroborative　of　suspicion；　were　
there　found　to　be　deceit　in　the　affidavits；　is；　without　such　deceit；　
in　no　respect　an　unaccountable　circumstance；　or　one　which　need　cause　
us　to　deflect　from　the　line　of　ordinary　analysis。　

〃In　that　which　I　now　propose；　we　will　discard　the　interior　points　of　
this　tragedy；　and　concentrate　our　attention　upon　its　outskirts。　Not　
the　least　usual　error；　in　investigations　such　as　this；　is　the　
limiting　of　inquiry　to　the　immediate；　with　total　disregard　of　the　
collateral　or　circumstantial　events。　It　is　the　mal…practice　of　the　
courts　to　confine　evidence　and　discussion　to　the　bounds　of　apparent　
relevancy。　Yet　experience　has　shown；　and　a　true　philosophy　will　
always　show；　that　a　vast；　perhaps　the　larger　portion　of　truth；　arises　
from　the　seemingly　irrelevant。　It　is　through　the　spirit　of　this　
principle；　if　not　precisely　through　its　letter；　that　modern　science　
has　resolved　to　calculate　upon　the　unforeseen。　But　perhaps　you　do　not　
comprehend　me。　The　history　of　human　knowledge　has　so　uninterruptedly　
shown　that　to　collateral；　or　incidental；　or　accidental　events　w