the works of edgar allan poe-1-第47节

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comprehend　me。　The　history　of　human　knowledge　has　so　uninterruptedly　
shown　that　to　collateral；　or　incidental；　or　accidental　events　we　are　
indebted　for　the　most　numerous　and　most　valuable　discoveries；　that　it　
has　at　length　become　necessary；　in　any　prospective　view　of　
improvement；　to　make　not　only　large；　but　the　largest　allowances　for　
inventions　that　shall　arise　by　chance；　and　quite　out　of　the　range　of　
ordinary　expectation。　It　is　no　longer　philosophical　to　base；　upon　
what　has　been；　a　vision　of　what　is　to　be。　Accident　is　admitted　as　a　
portion　of　the　substructure。　We　make　chance　a　matter　of　absolute　
calculation。　We　subject　the　unlooked　for　and　unimagined；　to　the　
mathematical　_formulae_　of　the　schools。　

〃I　repeat　that　it　is　no　more　than　fact；　that　the　larger　portion　of　
all　truth　has　sprung　from　the　collateral；　and　it　is　but　in　accordance　
with　the　spirit　of　the　principle　involved　in　this　fact；　that　I　would　
divert　inquiry；　in　the　present　case；　from　the　trodden　and　hitherto　
unfruitful　ground　of　the　event　itself；　to　the　contemporary　
circumstances　which　surround　it。　While　you　ascertain　the　validity　of　
the　affidavits；　I　will　examine　the　newspapers　more　generally　than　you　
have　as　yet　done。　So　far；　we　have　only　reconnoitred　the　field　of　
investigation；　but　it　will　be　strange　indeed　if　a　comprehensive　
survey；　such　as　I　propose；　of　the　public　prints；　will　not　afford　us　
some　minute　points　which　shall　establish　a　direction　for　inquiry。〃　

In　pursuance　of　Dupin's　suggestion；　I　made　scrupulous　examination　of　
the　affair　of　the　affidavits。　The　result　was　a　firm　conviction　of　
their　validity；　and　of　the　consequent　innocence　of　St。　Eustache。　In　
the　mean　time　my　friend　occupied　himself；　with　what　seemed　to　me　a　
minuteness　altogether　objectless；　in　a　scrutiny　of　the　various　
newspaper　files。　At　the　end　of　a　week　he　placed　before　me　the　
following　extracts：　

〃About　three　years　and　a　half　ago；　a　disturbance　very　similar　to　the　
present；　was　caused　by　the　disappearance　of　this　same　Marie　Rog阾；　
from　the　parfumerie　of　Monsieur　Le　Blanc；　in　the　Palais　Royal。　At　the　
end　of　a　week；　however；　she　re…appeared　at　her　customary　comptoir；　as　
well　as　ever；　with　the　exception　of　a　slight　paleness　not　altogether　
usual。　It　was　given　out　by　Monsieur　Le　Blanc　and　her　mother；　that　she　
had　merely　been　on　a　visit　to　some　friend　in　the　country；　and　the　
affair　was　speedily　hushed　up。　We　presume　that　the　present　absence　is　
a　freak　of　the　same　nature；　and　that；　at　the　expiration　of　a　week；　or　
perhaps　of　a　month；　we　shall　have　her　among　us　again。〃　…　Evening　
Paper　…　Monday　June　23。　｛*17｝　

〃An　evening　journal　of　yesterday；　refers　to　a　former　mysterious　
disappearance　of　Mademoiselle　Rog阾。　It　is　well　known　that；　during　
the　week　of　her　absence　from　Le　Blanc's　parfumerie；　she　was　in　the　
company　of　a　young　naval　officer；　much　noted　for　his　debaucheries。　A　
quarrel；　it　is　supposed；　providentially　led　to　her　return　home。　We　
have　the　name　of　the　Lothario　in　question；　who　is；　at　present；　
stationed　in　Paris；　but；　for　obvious　reasons；　forbear　to　make　it　
public。〃　…　Le　Mercurie　…　Tuesday　Morning；　June　24。　｛*18｝　

〃An　outrage　of　the　most　atrocious　character　was　perpetrated　near　this　
city　the　day　before　yesterday。　A　gentleman；　with　his　wife　and　
daughter；　engaged；　about　dusk；　the　services　of　six　young　men；　who　
were　idly　rowing　a　boat　to　and　fro　near　the　banks　of　the　Seine；　to　
convey　him　across　the　river。　Upon　reaching　the　opposite　shore；　the　
three　passengers　stepped　out；　and　had　proceeded　so　far　as　to　be　
beyond　the　view　of　the　boat；　when　the　daughter　discovered　that　she　
had　left　in　it　her　parasol。　She　returned　for　it；　was　seized　by　the　
gang；　carried　out　into　the　stream；　gagged；　brutally　treated；　and　
finally　taken　to　the　shore　at　a　point　not　far　from　that　at　which　she　
had　originally　entered　the　boat　with　her　parents。　The　villains　have　
escaped　for　the　time；　but　the　police　are　upon　their　trail；　and　some　
of　them　will　soon　be　taken。〃　…　Morning　Paper　…　June　25。　｛*19｝　

〃We　have　received　one　or　two　communications；　the　object　of　which　is　
to　fasten　the　crime　of　the　late　atrocity　upon　Mennais；　｛*20｝　but　as　
this　gentleman　has　been　fully　exonerated　by　a　loyal　inquiry；　and　as　
the　arguments　of　our　several　correspondents　appear　to　be　more　zealous　
than　profound；　we　do　not　think　it　advisable　to　make　them　public。〃　…　
Morning　Paper　…　June　28。　｛*21｝　

〃We　have　received　several　forcibly　written　communications；　apparently　
from　various　sources；　and　which　go　far　to　render　it　a　matter　of　
certainty　that　the　unfortunate　Marie　Rog阾　has　become　a　victim　of　one　
of　the　numerous　bands　of　blackguards　which　infest　the　vicinity　of　the　
city　upon　Sunday。　Our　own　opinion　is　decidedly　in　favor　of　this　
supposition。　We　shall　endeavor　to　make　room　for　some　of　these　
arguments　hereafter。〃　…　Evening　Paper　…　Tuesday；　June　31。　｛*22｝　

〃On　Monday；　one　of　the　bargemen　connected　with　the　revenue　service；　
saw　a　empty　boat　floating　down　the　Seine。　Sails　were　lying　in　the　
bottom　of　the　boat。　The　bargeman　towed　it　under　the　barge　office。　The　
next　morning　it　was　taken　from　thence；　without　the　knowledge　of　any　
of　the　officers。　The　rudder　is　now　at　the　barge　office。〃　…　Le　
Diligence　…　Thursday；　June　26。　§；　

Upon　reading　these　various　extracts；　they　not　only　seemed　to　me　
irrelevant；　but　I　could　perceive　no　mode　in　which　any　one　of　them　
could　be　brought　to　bear　upon　the　matter　in　hand。　I　waited　for　some　
explanation　from　Dupin。　

〃It　is　not　my　present　design；〃　he　said；　〃to　dwell　upon　the　first　and　
second　of　those　extracts。　I　have　copied　them　chiefly　to　show　you　the　
extreme　remissness　of　the　police；　who；　as　far　as　I　can　understand　
from　the　Prefect；　have　not　troubled　themselves；　in　any　respect；　with　
an　examination　of　the　naval　officer　alluded　to。　Yet　it　is　mere　folly　
to　say　that　between　the　first　and　second　disappearance　of　Marie；　
there　is　no　_supposable_　connection。　Let　us　admit　the　first　elopement　
to　have　resulted　in　a　quarrel　between　the　lovers；　and　the　return　home　
of　the　betrayed。　We　are　now　prepared　to　view　a　second　elopement　（if　
we　know　that　an　elopement　has　again　taken　place）　as　indicating　a　
renewal　of　the　betrayer's　advances；　rather　than　as　the　result　of　new　
proposals　by　a　second　individual　…　we　are　prepared　to　regard　it　as　a　
'making　up'　of　the　old　amour；　rather　than　as　the　commencement　of　a　
new　one。　The　chances　are　ten　to　one；　that　he　who　had　once　eloped　with　
Marie；　would　again　propose　an　elopement；　rather　than　that　she　to　whom　
proposals　of　elopement　had　been　made　by　one　individual；　should　have　
them　made　to　her　by　another。　And　here　let　me　call　your　attention　to　
the　fact；　that　the　time　elapsing　between　the　first　ascertained；　and　
the　second　supposed　elopement；　is　a　few　months　more　than　the　general　
period　of　the　cruises　of　our　men…of…war。　Had　the　lover　been　
interrupted　in　his　first　villany　by　the　necessity　of　departure　to　
sea；　and　had　he　seized　the　first　moment　of　his　return　to　renew　the　
base　designs　not　yet　altogether　accomplished　…　or　not　yet　altogether　
accomplished　by　_him？_　Of　all　these　things　we　know　nothing。　

〃You　will　say；　however；　that；　in　the　second　instance；　there　was　no　
elopement　as　imagined。　Certainly　not　…　but　are　we　prepared　to　say　
that　there　was　not　the　frustrated　design？　Beyond　St。　Eustache；　and　
perhaps　Beauvais；　we　find　no　recognized；　no　open；　no　honorable　
suitors　of　Marie。　Of　none　other　is　there　any　thing　said。　Who；　then；　
is　the　secret　lover；　of　whom　the　relatives　（at　least　most　of　them）　
know　nothing；　but　whom　Marie　meets　upon　the　morning　of　Sunday；　and　
who　is　so　deeply　in　her　confidence；　that　she　hesitates　not　to　remain　
with　him　until　the　shades　of　the　evening　descend；　amid　the　solitary　
groves　of　the　Barri鑢e　du　Roule？　Who　is　that　secret　lover；　I　ask；　of　
whom；　at　least；　most　of　the　relatives　know　nothing？　And　what　means　
the　singular　prophecy　of　Madame　Rog阾　on　the　morning　of　Marie's　
departure？　　'I　fear　that　I　shall　never　see　Marie　again。'　

〃But　if　we　cannot　imagine　Madame　Rog阾　privy　to　the　design　of　
elopement；　may　we　not　at　least　suppose　this　design　entertained　by　the　
girl？　Upon　quitting　home；　she　gave　it　to　be　understood　that　she　was　
about　to　visit　her　aunt　in　the　Rue　des　Dr鬽es　and　St。　Eustache　was　
requested　to　call　for　her　at　dark。　Now；　at　first　glance；　this　fact　
strongly　militates　against　my　suggestion；　…　but　let　us　reflect。　That　
she　did　meet　some　companion；　and　proceed　with　him　across　the　river；　
reaching　the　Barri鑢e　du　Roule　at　so　late　an　hour　as　three　o'clock　in　
the　afternoon；　is　known。　But　in　consenting　so　to　accompany　this　
individual；　（_for　whatever　purpose　　to　her　mother　known　or　
unknown；_）　she　must　have　thought　of　her　expressed　intention　when　
leaving　home；　and　of　the　surprise　and　suspicion　aroused　in　the　bosom　
of　her　affianced　suitor；　St。　Eustache；　when；　calling　for　her；　at　the　
hour　appointed；　in　the　Rue　des　Dr鬽es；　he　should　find　that　she　had　
not　been　there；　and　when；　moreover；　upon　returning　to　the　pension　
with　this　alarming　intelligence；　he　should　become　aware　of　her　
continued　absence　from　home。　She　must　have　thought　of　these　things；　I　
say。　She　must　have