Убийство на улице Морг

           Passingmyhanddownbehindtheboard,Ireadilydiscoveredandpressedthespring,whichwas,asIhadsupposed,identicalincharacterwithitsneighbor.Inowlookedatthenail.Itwasasstoutastheother,andapparentlyfittedinthesamemanner—driveninnearlyuptothehead. 

           “YouwillsaythatIwaspuzzled;but,ifyouthinkso,youmusthavemisunderstoodthenatureoftheinductions.Touseasportingphrase,Ihadnotbeenonce‘atfault.’Thescenthadneverforaninstantbeenlost.Therewasnoflawinanylinkofthechain.Ihadtracedthesecrettoitsultimateresult—andthatresultwasthenail.Ithad,Isay,ineveryrespect,theappearanceofitsfellowintheotherwindow;butthisfactwasanabsolutenullity(conclusiveasitmightseemtobe)whencomparedwiththeconsiderationthathere,atthispoint,terminatedtheclew.‘Theremustbesomethingwrong,’Isaid,‘aboutthenail.’Itouchedit;andthehead,withaboutaquarterofaninchoftheshank,cameoffinmyfingers.Therestoftheshankwasinthegimlet-hole,whereithadbeenbrokenoff.Thefracturewasanoldone(foritsedgeswereincrustedwithrust),andhadapparentlybeenaccomplishedbytheblowofahammer,whichhadpartiallyimbedded,inthetopofthebottomsash,theheadportionofthenail.nowcarefullyreplacedthisheadportionintheindentationwhenceIhadtakenit,andtheresemblancetoaperfectnailwascomplete-thefissurewasinvisible.