Вбивство на вулиці 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.”
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