Убийство на улице Морг

           Hisdiscoursewasaddressedtomyself;buthisvoice,althoughbynomeansloud,hadthatintonationwhichiscommonlyemployedinspeakingtosomeoneatagreatdistance.Hiseyes,vacantinexpression,regardedonlythewall. 

           “Thatthevoicesheardincontention,”hesaid,“bythepartyuponthestairs,werenotthevoicesofthewomenthemselves,wasfullyprovedbytheevidence.Thisrelievesusofalldoubtuponthequestionwhethertheoldladycouldhavefirstdestroyedthedaughter,andafterwardhavecommittedsuicide.Ispeakofthispointchieflyforthesakeofmethod;forthestrengthofMadameL’Espanayewouldhavebeenutterlyunequaltothetaskofthrustingherdaughter’scorpseupthechimneyasitwasfound;andthenatureofthewoundsuponherownpersonentirelyprecludetheideaofself-destruction.Murder,then,hasbeencommittedbysomethirdparty;andthevoicesofthisthirdpartywerethoseheardincontention.Letmenowadvert—nottothewholetestimonyrespectingthesevoices—buttowhatwaspeculiarinthattestimony.Didyouobserveanythingpeculiaraboutit?” 

           Iremarkedthat,whileallthewitnessesagreedinsupposingthegruffvoicetobethatofaFrenchman,therewasmuchdisagreementinregardtotheshrill,or,asoneindividualtermedit,theharshvoice. 

           “Thatwastheevidenceitself,”saidDupin,“butitwasnotthepeculiarityoftheevidence.Youhaveobservednothingdistinctive.Yettherewassomethingtobeobserved.