Убийство на улице Морг

           “Readnow,”repliedDupin,“thispassagefromCuvier.”ItwasaminuteanatomicalandgenerallydescriptiveaccountofthelargefulvousOurang-OutangoftheEastIndianIslands.Thegiganticstature,theprodigiousstrengthandactivity,thewildferocity,andtheimitativepropensitiesofthesemammaliaaresufficientlywellknowntoall.Iunderstoodthefullhorrorsofthemurderatonce. 

           “Thedescriptionofthedigits,”saidI,asImadeanendofreading,“isinexactaccordancewiththisdrawing,IseethatnoanimalbutanOurang-Outang,ofthespeciesherementioned,couldhaveimpressedtheindentationsasyouhavetracedthem.Thistuftoftawnyhair,too,isidenticalincharacterwiththatofthebeastofCuvier.ButIcannotpossiblycomprehendtheparticularsofthisfrightfulmystery.Besides,thereweretwovoicesheardincontention,andoneofthemwasunquestionablythevoiceofaFrenchman.” 

           True;andyouwillrememberanexpressionattributedalmostunanimously,bytheevidence,tothisvoice—theexpression,‘monDieu!’This,underthecircumstances,hasbeenjustlycharacterizedbyoneofthewitnesses(Montani,theconfectioner,)asanexpressionofremonstranceorexpostulation.Uponthesetwowords,therefore,Ihavemainlybuiltmyhopesofafullsolutionoftheriddle.AFrenchmanwascognizantofthemurder.Itispossible—indeeditisfarmorethanprobable—thathewasinnocentofallparticipationinthebloodytransactionswhichtookplace.