the works of edgar allan poe-1-第50节

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violator；　we　can　conceive；　and　thus　only　conceive；　the　struggle　of　so　
violent　and　so　obstinate　a　nature　as　to　have　left　the　'traces'　
apparent。　

〃And　again。　I　have　already　mentioned　the　suspicion　to　be　excited　by　
the　fact　that　the　articles　in　question　were　suffered　to　remain　at　all　
in　the　thicket　where　discovered。　It　seems　almost　impossible　that　
these　evidences　of　guilt　should　have　been　accidentally　left　where　
found。　There　was　sufficient　presence　of　mind　（it　is　supposed）　to　
remove　the　corpse；　and　yet　a　more　positive　evidence　than　the　corpse　
itself　（whose　features　might　have　been　quickly　obliterated　by　decay；）　
is　allowed　to　lie　conspicuously　in　the　scene　of　the　outrage　…　I　
allude　to　the　handkerchief　with　the　name　of　the　deceased。　If　this　was　
accident；　it　was　not　the　accident　of　a　gang。　We　can　imagine　it　only　
the　accident　of　an　individual。　Let　us　see。　An　individual　has　
committed　the　murder。　He　is　alone　with　the　ghost　of　the　departed。　He　
is　appalled　by　what　lies　motionless　before　him。　The　fury　of　his　
passion　is　over；　and　there　is　abundant　room　in　his　heart　for　the　
natural　awe　of　the　deed。　His　is　none　of　that　confidence　which　the　
presence　of　numbers　inevitably　inspires。　He　is　alone　with　the　dead。　
He　trembles　and　is　bewildered。　Yet　there　is　a　necessity　for　disposing　
of　the　corpse。　He　bears　it　to　the　river；　but　leaves　behind　him　the　
other　evidences　of　guilt；　for　it　is　difficult；　if　not　impossible　to　
carry　all　the　burthen　at　once；　and　it　will　be　easy　to　return　for　what　
is　left。　But　in　his　toilsome　journey　to　the　water　his　fears　redouble　
within　him。　The　sounds　of　life　encompass　his　path。　A　dozen　times　he　
hears　or　fancies　the　step　of　an　observer。　Even　the　very　lights　from　
the　city　bewilder　him。　Yet；　in　time　and　by　long　and　frequent　pauses　
of　deep　agony；　he　reaches　the　river's　brink；　and　disposes　of　his　
ghastly　charge　…　perhaps　through　the　medium　of　a　boat。　But　now　what　
treasure　does　the　world　hold　…　what　threat　of　vengeance　could　it　hold　
out　…　which　would　have　power　to　urge　the　return　of　that　lonely　
murderer　over　that　toilsome　and　perilous　path；　to　the　thicket　and　its　
blood　chilling　recollections？　He　returns　not；　let　the　consequences　be　
what　they　may。　He　could　not　return　if　he　would。　His　sole　thought　is　
immediate　escape。　He　turns　his　back　forever　upon　those　dreadful　
shrubberies　and　flees　as　from　the　wrath　to　come。　

〃But　how　with　a　gang？　Their　number　would　have　inspired　them　with　
confidence；　if；　indeed　confidence　is　ever　wanting　in　the　breast　of　
the　arrant　blackguard；　and　of　arrant　blackguards　alone　are　the　
supposed　gangs　ever　constituted。　Their　number；　I　say；　would　have　
prevented　the　bewildering　and　unreasoning　terror　which　I　have　
imagined　to　paralyze　the　single　man。　Could　we　suppose　an　oversight　in　
one；　or　two；　or　three；　this　oversight　would　have　been　remedied　by　a　
fourth。　They　would　have　left　nothing　behind　them；　for　their　number　
would　have　enabled　them　to　carry　all　at　once。　There　would　have　been　
no　need　of　return。　

〃Consider　now　the　circumstance　that　in　the　outer　garment　of　the　
corpse　when　found；　'a　slip；　about　a　foot　wide　had　been　torn　upward　
from　the　bottom　hem　to　the　waist　wound　three　times　round　the　waist；　
and　secured　by　a　sort　of　hitch　in　the　back。'　This　was　done　with　the　
obvious　design　of　affording　a　handle　by　which　to　carry　the　body。　But　
would　any　number　of　men　hare　dreamed　of　resorting　to　such　an　
expedient？　To　three　or　four；　the　limbs　of　the　corpse　would　have　
afforded　not　only　a　sufficient；　but　the　best　possible　hold。　The　
device　is　that　of　a　single　individual；　and　this　brings　us　to　the　fact　
that　'between　the　thicket　and　the　river；　the　rails　of　the　fences　were　
found　taken　down；　and　the　ground　bore　evident　traces　of　some　heavy　
burden　having　been　dragged　along　it！'　But　would　a　number　of　men　have　
put　themselves　to　the　superfluous　trouble　of　taking　down　a　fence；　for　
the　purpose　of　dragging　through　it　a　corpse　which　they　might　have　
lifted　over　any　fence　in　an　instant？　Would　a　number　of　men　have　so　
dragged　a　corpse　at　all　as　to　have　left　evident　traces　of　the　
dragging？　

〃And　here　we　must　refer　to　an　observation　of　Le　Commerciel；　an　
observation　upon　which　I　have　already；　in　some　measure；　commented。　'A　
piece；'　says　this　journal；　'of　one　of　the　unfortunate　girl's　
petticoats　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。'　

〃I　have　before　suggested　that　a　genuine　blackguard　is　never　without　a　
pocket…handkerchief。　But　it　is　not　to　this　fact　that　I　now　especially　
advert。　That　it　was　not　through　want　of　a　handkerchief　for　the　
purpose　imagined　by　Le　Commerciel；　that　this　bandage　was　employed；　is　
rendered　apparent　by　the　handkerchief　left　in　the　thicket；　and　that　
the　object　was　not　'to　prevent　screams'　appears；　also；　from　the　
bandage　having　been　employed　in　preference　to　what　would　so　much　
better　have　answered　the　purpose。　But　the　language　of　the　evidence　
speaks　of　the　strip　in　question　as　'found　around　the　neck；　fitting　
loosely；　and　secured　with　a　hard　knot。'　These　words　are　sufficiently　
vague；　but　differ　materially　from　those　of　Le　Commerciel。　The　slip　
was　eighteen　inches　wide；　and　therefore；　although　of　muslin；　would　
form　a　strong　band　when　folded　or　rumpled　longitudinally。　And　thus　
rumpled　it　was　discovered。　My　inference　is　this。　The　solitary　
murderer；　having　borne　the　corpse；　for　some　distance；　（whether　from　
the　thicket　or　elsewhere）　by　means　of　the　bandage　hitched　around　its　
middle；　found　the　weight；　in　this　mode　of　procedure；　too　much　for　his　
strength。　He　resolved　to　drag　the　burthen　…　the　evidence　goes　to　show　
that　it　wasdragged。　With　this　object　in　view；　it　became　necessary　to　
attach　something　like　a　rope　to　one　of　the　extremities。　It　could　be　
best　attached　about　the　neck；　where　the　head　would　prevent　its　
slipping　off。　And；　now；　the　murderer　bethought　him；　unquestionably；　
of　the　bandage　about　the　loins。　He　would　have　used　this；　but　for　its　
volution　about　the　corpse；　the　hitch　which　embarrassed　it；　and　the　
reflection　that　it　had　not　been　'torn　off'　from　the　garment。　It　was　
easier　to　tear　a　new　slip　from　the　petticoat。　He　tore　it；　made　it　
fast　about　the　neck；　and　so　dragged　his　victim　to　the　brink　of　the　
river。　That　this　'bandage；'　only　attainable　with　trouble　and　delay；　
and　but　imperfectly　answering　its　purpose　…　that　this　bandage　was　
employed　at　all；　demonstrates　that　the　necessity　for　its　employment　
sprang　from　circumstances　arising　at　a　period　when　the　handkerchief　
was　no　longer　attainable　　that　is　to　say；　arising；　as　we　have　
imagined；　after　quitting　the　thicket；　（if　the　thicket　it　was）；　and　on　
the　road　between　the　thicket　and　the　river。　

〃But　the　evidence；　you　will　say；　of　Madame　Deluc；　（！）　points　
especially　to　the　presence　of　a　gang；　in　the　vicinity　of　the　thicket；　
at　or　about　the　epoch　of　the　murder。　This　I　grant。　I　doubt　if　there　
were　not　a　dozen　gangs；　such　as　described　by　Madame　Deluc；　in　and　
about　the　vicinity　of　the　Barri鑢e　du　Roule　at　or　about　the　period　of　
this　tragedy。　But　the　gang　which　has　drawn　upon　itself　the　pointed　
animadversion；　although　the　somewhat　tardy　and　very　suspicious　
evidence　of　Madame　Deluc；　is　the　only　gang　which　is　represented　by　
that　honest　and　scrupulous　old　lady　as　having　eaten　her　cakes　and　
swallowed　her　brandy；　without　putting　themselves　to　the　trouble　of　
making　her　payment。　Et　hinc　ill？ir？　

〃But　what　is　the　precise　evidence　of　Madame　Deluc？　'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　recrossed　the　river　as　if　
in　great　haste。'　

〃Now　this　'great　haste'　very　possibly　seemed　greater　haste　in　the　
eyes　of　Madame　Deluc；　since　she　dwelt　lingeringly　and　lamentingly　
upon　her　violated　cakes　and　ale　…　cakes　and　ale　for　which　she　might　
still　have　entertained　a　faint　hope　of　compensation。　Why；　otherwise；　
since　it　was　about　dusk；　should　she　make　a　point　of　the　haste？　It　is　
no　cause　for　wonder；　surely；　that　even　a　gang　of　blackguards　should　
make　haste　to　get　home；　when　a　wide　river　is　to　be　crossed　in　small　
boats；　when　storm　impends；　and　when　night　approaches。　

〃I　say　approaches；　for　the　night　had　not　yet　arrived。　It　was　only　
about　dusk　that　the　indecent　haste　of　these　'miscreants'　offended　the　
sober　eyes　of　Madame　Deluc。　But　we　are　told　that　it　was　upon　this　
very　evening　that　Madame　Deluc；　as　well　as　her　eldest　son；　'heard　the　
screams　of　a　female　in　the　vicinity　of　the　inn。'　And　in　what　words　
does　Madame　Deluc　designate　the　period　of　the　evening　at　which　these　
screams　were　heard？　'It　was　soon　after　dark；'　she　says。　But　'soon　
after　dark；'　is；　at　least；　dark；　and'about　dusk'　is　as　certainly　
daylight。　Thus　it　is　abundantly　clear　that　the　gang　quitted　the　
Barri鑢e　du　Roule　prior　to　the　screams　overheard　（？）　by　Madame　Deluc。　
And　although；　in　all　the　many　reports　of　the　evidence；　the　relative　
expressions　in　question　are　distinctly　and　invariably　employed　just　
as　I　have　employed　them　in　this　con