| 225 | 226 | 227 | 228 | 229 |
| 1 | 90 | 180 | 269 | 359 |
|
whose nationality no two persons could be found to agree, and in whose
utterance no syllabification could be detected."
At these words a vague and half-formed conception of the meaning
of Dupin flitted over my mind. I seemed to be upon the verge of
comprehension without power to comprehend--men, at times, find
themselves upon the brink of remembrance without being able, in the end,
to remember. My friend went on with his discourse.
"You will see," he said, "that I have shifted the question from the mode
of egress to that of ingress. It was my design to convey the idea that
both were effected in the same manner, at the same point. Let us now
revert to the interior of the room. Let us survey the appearances here.
The drawers of the bureau, it is said, had been rifled, although many
articles of apparel still remained within them. The conclusion here is
absurd. It is a mere guess--a very silly one--and no more. How are
we to know that the articles found in the drawers were not all these
drawers had originally contained? Madame L'Espanaye and her daughter
lived an exceedingly retired life--saw no company--seldom went out--had
little use for numerous changes of habiliment. Those found were at least
of as good quality as any likely to be possessed by these ladies. If a
thief had taken any, why did he not take the best--why did he not take
all? In a word, why did he abandon four thousand francs in gold to
encumber himself with a bundle of linen? The gold was abandoned.
Nearly the whole sum mentioned by Monsieur Mignaud, the banker, was
227
Page
Quick Jump
|