Убийство на улице Морг

           Therearefewpersonswhohavenot,atsomeperiodoftheirlives,amusedthemselvesinretracingthestepsbywhichparticularconclusionsoftheirownmindshavebeenattained. Theoccupationisoftenfullofinterest;andhewhoattemptsitforthefirsttimeisastonishedbytheapparentlyillimitabledistanceandincoherencebetweenthestarting-pointandthegoal. What,then,musthavebeenmyamazementwhenIheardtheFrenchmanspeakwhathehadjustspoken,andwhenIcouldnothelpacknowledgingthathehadspokenthetruth. Hecontinued: 

           “Wehadbeentalkingofhorses,ifIrememberaright,justbeforeleavingtheRueC—. Thiswasthelastsubjectwediscussed. Aswecrossedintothisstreet,afruiterer,withalargebasketuponhishead,brushingquicklypastus,thrustyouuponapileofpaving-stonescollectedataspotwherethecausewayisundergoingrepair. Yousteppedupononeoftheloosefragments)slipped,slightlystrainedyourankle,appearedvexedorsulky,mutteredafewwords,turnedtolookatthepile,andthenproceededinsilence. Iwasnotparticularlyattentivetowhatyoudid;butobservationhasbecomewithme,oflate,aspeciesofnecessity.