Убийство на улице Морг

           Thisyounggentlemanwasofanexcellent—indeedofanillustriousfamily,but,byavarietyofuntowardevents,hadbeenreducedtosuchpovertythattheenergyofhischaractersuccumbedbeneathit,andheceasedtobestirhimselfintheworld,ortocarefortheretrievalofhisfortunes. Bycourtesyofhiscreditors,therestillremainedinhispossessionasmallremnantofhispatrimony;and,upontheincomearisingfromthis,hemanaged,bymeansofarigorouseconomy,toprocurethenecessariesoflife,withouttroublinghimselfaboutitssuperfluities. Books,indeed,werehissoleluxuries,andinParistheseareeasilyobtained. 

           OurfirstmeetingwasatanobscurelibraryintheRueMontmartre,wheretheaccidentofourbothbeinginsearchofthesameveryrareandveryremarkablevolume,broughtusintoclosercommunion. Wesaweachotheragainandagain. IwasdeeplyinterestedinthelittlefamilyhistorywhichhedetailedtomewithallthatcandorwhichaFrenchmanindulgeswhenevermereselfisthetheme. Iwasastonished,too,atthevastextentofhisreading;and,aboveall,Ifeltmysoulenkindledwithinmebythewildfervor,andthevividfreshnessofhisimagination. SeekinginParistheobjectsIthensought,Ifeltthatthesocietyofsuchamanwouldbetomeatreasurebeyondprice;andthisfeelingIfranklyconfidedtohim.