Убийство на улице Морг

           WhatIhavedescribedintheFrenchman,wasmerelytheresultofanexcited,orperhapsofadiseasedintelligence. Butofthecharacterofhisremarksattheperiodsinquestionanexamplewillbestconveytheidea. 

           Wewerestrollingonenightdownalongdirtystreet,inthevicinityofthePalaisRoyal. Beingboth,apparently,occupiedwiththought,neitherofushadspokenasyllableforfifteenminutesatleast. AllatonceDupinbrokeforthwiththesewords:— 

           “Heisaverylittlefellow,that’strue,andwoulddobetterfortheTheatredesVarietes.” 

           “Therecanbenodoubtofthat,”Irepliedunwittingly, andnotatfirstobserving(somuchhadIbeenabsorbedinreflection)theextraordinarymannerinwhichthespeakerhadchimedinwithmymeditations. InaninstantafterwardIrecollectedmyself,andmyastonishmentwasprofound. 

           “Dupin,”saidI,gravely,“thisisbeyondmycomprehension. IdonothesitatetosaythatIamamazed,andcanscarcelycreditmysenses. HowwasitpossibleyoushouldknowIwasthinkingof—?” HereIpaused,toascertainbeyondadoubtwhetherhereallyknewofwhomIthought. 

           —“ofChantilly,”saidhe,“whydoyoupause? Youwereremarkingtoyourselfthathisdiminutivefigureunfittedhimfortragedy.” 

           Thiswaspreciselywhathadformedthesubjectofmyreflections. ChantillywasaquondamcobbleroftheRueSt.Denis,who,becomingstage-mad,hadattemptedtheroleofXerxes,inCrebillon’stragedysocalled,andbeennotoriouslyPasquinadedforhispains.