the works of edgar allan poe-1-第39章

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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　foreseen　the　chagrin　of　St。　Eustache；　the　
suspicion　of　all。　She　could　not　have　thought　of　returning　to　brave　
this　suspicion；　but　the　suspicion　becomes　a　point　of　trivial　
importance　to　her；　if　we　suppose　her　not　intending　to　return。　

〃We　may　imagine　her　thinking　thus　…　'I　am　to　meet　a　certain　person　
for　the　purpose　of　elopement；　or　for　certain　other　purposes　known　
only　to　myself。　It　is　necessary　that　there　be　no　chance　of　
interruption　…　there　must　be　sufficient　time　given　us　to　elude　
pursuit　…　I　will　give　it　to　be　understood　that　I　shall　visit　and　
spend　the　day　with　my　aunt　at　the　Rue　des　Dr鬽es　…　I　well　tell　St。　
Eustache　not　to　call　for　me　until　dark　…　in　this　way；　my　absence　from　
home　for　the　longest　possible　period；　without　causing　suspicion　or　
anxiety；　will　be　accounted　for；　and　I　shall　gain　more　time　than　in　
any　other　manner。　If　I　bid　St。　Eustache　call　for　me　at　dark；　he　will　
be　sure　not　to　call　before；　but；　if　I　wholly　neglect　to　bid　him　call；　
my　time　for　escape　will　be　diminished；　since　it　will　be　expected　that　
I　return　the　earlier；　and　my　absence　will　the　sooner　excite　anxiety。　
Now；　if　it　were　my　design　to　return　at　all　…　if　I　had　in　
contemplation　merely　a　stroll　with　the　individual　in　question　…　it　
would　not　be　my　policy　to　bid　St。　Eustache　call；　for；　calling；　he　
will　be　sure　to　ascertain　that　I　have　played　him　false　…　a　fact　of　
which　I　might　keep　him　for　ever　in　ignorance；　by　leaving　home　without　
notifying　him　of　my　intention；　by　returning　before　dark；　and　by　then　
stating　that　I　had　been　to　visit　my　aunt　in　the　Rue　des　Dr鬽es。　But；　
as　it　is　my　design　never　to　return　…　or　not　for　some　weeks　…　or　not　
until　certain　concealments　are　effected　…　the　gaining　of　time　is　the　
only　point　about　which　I　need　give　myself　any　concern。'　

〃You　have　observed；　in　your　notes；　that　the　most　general　opinion　in　
relation　to　this　sad　affair　is；　and　was　from　the　first；　that　the　girl　
had　been　the　victim　of　a　gang　of　blackguards。　Now；　the　popular　
opinion；　under　certain　conditions；　is　not　to　be　disregarded。　When　
arising　of　itself　　when　manifesting　itself　in　a　strictly　
spontaneous　manner　　we　should　look　upon　it　as　analogous　with　that　
_intuition_　which　is　the　idiosyncrasy　of　the　individual　man　of　
genius。　In　ninety…nine　cases　from　the　hundred　I　would　abide　by　its　
decision。　But　it　is　important　that　we　find　no　palpable　traces　of　
_suggestion_。　The　opinion　must　be　rigorously　_the　public's　own_；　and　
the　distinction　is　often　exceedingly　difficult　to　perceive　and　to　
maintain。　In　the　present　instance；　it　appears　to　me　that　this　'public　
opinion'　in　respect　to　a　gang；　has　been　superinduced　by　the　
collateral　event　which　is　detailed　in　the　third　of　my　extracts。　All　
Paris　is　excited　by　the　discovered　corpse　of　Marie；　a　girl　young；　
beautiful　and　notorious。　This　corpse　is　found；　bearing　marks　of　
violence；　and　floating　in　the　river。　But　it　is　now　made　known　that；　
at　the　very　period；　or　about　the　very　period；　in　which　it　is　supposed　
that　the　girl　was　assassinated；　an　outrage　similar　in　nature　to　that　
endured　by　the　deceased；　although　less　in　extent；　was　perpetuated；　by　
a　gang　of　young　ruffians；　upon　the　person　of　a　second　young　female。　
Is　it　wonderful　that　the　one　known　atrocity　should　influence　the　
popular　judgment　in　regard　to　the　other　unknown？　This　judgment　
awaited　direction；　and　the　known　outrage　seemed　so　opportunely　to　
afford　it！　Marie；　too；　was　found　in　the　river；　and　upon　this　very　
river　was　this　known　outrage　committed。　The　connexion　of　the　two　
events　had　about　it　so　much　of　the　palpable；　that　the　true　wonder　
would　have　been　a　failure　of　the　populace　to　appreciate　and　to　seize　
it。　But；　in　fact；　the　one　atrocity；　known　to　be　so　committed；　is；　if　
any　thing；　evidence　that　the　other；　committed　at　a　time　nearly　
coincident；　was　not　so　committed。　It　would　have　been　a　miracle　
indeed；　if；　while　a　gang　of　ruffians　were　perpetrating；　at　a　given　
locality；　a　most　unheard…of　wrong；　there　should　have　been　another　
similar　gang；　in　a　similar　locality；　in　the　same　city；　under　the　same　
circumstances；　with　the　same　means　and　appliances；　engaged　in　a　wrong　
of　precisely　the　same　aspect；　at　precisely　the　same　period　of　time！　
Yet　in　what；　if　not　in　this　marvellous　train　of　coincidence；　does　the　
accidentally　suggested　opinion　of　the　populace　call　upon　us　to　
believe？　

〃Before　proceeding　farther；　let　us　consider　the　supposed　scene　of　the　
assassination；　in　the　thicket　at　the　Barri鑢e　du　Roule。　This　thicket；　
although　dense；　was　in　the　close　vicinity　of　a　public　road。　Within　
were　three　or　four　large　stones；　forming　a　kind　of　seat　with　a　back　
and　footstool。　On　the　upper　stone　was　discovered　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　seen　on　the　branches　
around。　The　earth　was　trampled；　the　bushes　were　broken；　and　there　was　
every　evidence　of　a　violent　struggle。　

〃Notwithstanding　the　acclamation　with　which　the　discovery　of　this　
thicket　was　received　by　the　press；　and　the　unanimity　with　which　it　
was　supposed　to　indicate　the　precise　scene　of　the　outrage；　it　must　be　
admitted　that　there　was　some　very　good　reason　for　doubt。　That　it　was　
the　scene；　I　may　or　I　may　not　believe　…　but　there　was　excellent　
reason　for　doubt。　Had　the　true　scene　been；　as　Le　Commerciel　
suggested；　in　the　neighborhood　of　the　Rue　Pav閑　St。　Andr閑；　the　
perpetrators　of　the　crime；　supposing　them　still　resident　in　Paris；　
would　naturally　have　been　stricken　with　terror　at　the　public　
attention　thus　acutely　directed　into　the　proper　channel；　and；　in　
certain　classes　of　minds；　there　would　have　arisen；　at　once；　a　sense　
of　the　necessity　of　some　exertion　to　redivert　this　attention。　And　
thus；　the　thicket　of　the　Barri鑢e　du　Roule　having　been　already　
suspected；　the　idea　of　placing　the　articles　where　they　were　found；　
might　have　been　naturally　entertained。　There　is　no　real　evidence；　
although　Le　Soleil　so　supposes；　that　the　articles　discovered　had　been　
more　than　a　very　few　days　in　th