Убийство на улице Морг

           “Dupin!”Isaid,completelyunnerved;“thishairismostunusual—thisisnohumanhair.” 

           “Ihavenotassertedthatitis,”saidhe;“but,beforewedecidethispoint,IwishyoutoglanceatthelittlesketchIhaveheretraceduponthispaper.Itisafac-similedrawingofwhathasbeendescribedinoneportionofthetestimonyas‘darkbruises,anddeepindentationsoffingernails,’uponthethroatofMademoiselleL’Espanaye,andinanother,(byMessrs.DumasandEtienne,)asa‘seriesoflividspots,evidentlytheimpressionoffingers.’ 

           “Youwillperceive,”continuedmyfriend,spreadingoutthepaperuponthetablebeforeus,“thatthisdrawinggivestheideaofafirmandfixedhold.Thereisnoslippingapparent.Eachfingerhasretained—possiblyuntilthedeathofthevictim—thefearfulgraspbywhichitoriginallyimbeddeditself.Attempt,now,toplaceallyourfingers,atthesametime,intherespectiveimpressionsasyouseethem.” 

           Imadetheattemptinvain. 

           “Wearepossiblynotgivingthismatterafairtrial,”hesaid.“Thepaperisspreadoutuponaplanesurface;butthehumanthroatiscylindrical.Hereisabilletofwood,thecircumferenceofwhichisaboutthatofthethroat.Wrapthedrawingaroundit,andtrytheexperimentagain.” 

           Ididso;butthedifficultywasevenmoreobviousthanbefore. 

           “This,”Isaid,“isthemarkofnohumanhand.”