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"Come in," said Dupin, in a cheerful and hearty tone.
A man entered. He was a sailor, evidently,--a tall, stout, and
muscular-looking person, with a certain dare-devil expression of
countenance, not altogether unprepossessing. His face, greatly sunburnt,
was more than half hidden by whisker and mustachio. He had with him
a huge oaken cudgel, but appeared to be otherwise unarmed. He bowed
awkwardly, and bade us "good evening," in French accents, which,
although somewhat Neufchatelish, were still sufficiently indicative of a
Parisian origin.
"Sit down, my friend," said Dupin. "I suppose you have called about the
Ourang-Outang. Upon my word, I almost envy you the possession of him;
a remarkably fine, and no doubt a very valuable animal. How old do you
suppose him to be?"
The sailor drew a long breath, with the air of a man relieved of some
intolerable burden, and then replied, in an assured tone:
"I have no way of telling--but he can't be more than four or five years
old. Have you got him here?"
"Oh no, we had no conveniences for keeping him here. He is at a livery
stable in the Rue Dubourg, just by. You can get him in the morning. Of
course you are prepared to identify the property?"
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