Убийство на улице Морг

           Now,howstrangelyunusualmustthatvoicehavereallybeen,aboutwhichsuchtestimonyasthiscouldhavebeenelicited!—inwhosetones,even,denizensofthefivegreatdivisionsofEuropecouldrecognisenothingfamiliar!YouwillsaythatitmighthavebeenthevoiceofanAsiatic—ofanAfrican.NeitherAsiaticsnorAfricansaboundinParis;but,withoutdenyingtheinference,Iwillnowmerelycallyourattentiontothreepoints.Thevoiceistermedbyonewitness‘harshratherthanshrill.’Itisrepresentedbytwootherstohavebeen‘quickandunequal’Nowords—nosoundsresemblingwords—werebyanywitnessmentionedasdistinguishable. 

           “Iknownot,”continuedDupin,“whatimpressionImayhavemade,sofar,uponyourownunderstanding;butIdonothesitatetosaythatlegitimatedeductionsevenfromthisportionofthetestimony—theportionrespectingthegruffandshrillvoices—areinthemselvessufficienttoengenderasuspicionwhichshouldgivedirectiontoallfartherprogressintheinvestigationofthemystery.Isaid‘legitimatedeductions;’butmymeaningisnotthusfullyexpressed.Idesignedtoimplythatthedeductionsarethesoleproperones,andthatthesuspicionarisesinevitablyfromthemasthesingleresult.Whatthesuspicionis,however,Iwillnotsayjustyet.Imerelywishyoutobearinmindthat,withmyself,itwassufficientlyforcibletogiveadefiniteform—acertaintendency—tomyinquiriesinthechamber.