Випадок Чарльза Декстера Варда

           WhippleledthemobwhoburnttherevenueshipGaspee,andinthisboldactwemaytraceonestepintheblottingoutofunwholesomeimages.

           TherewasdeliveredtothewidowofJosephCurwenasealedleadencoffinofcuriousdesign,obviouslyfoundreadyonthespotwhenneeded,inwhichshewastoldherhusband’sbodylay.Hehad,itwasexplained,beenkilledinacustomsbattleaboutwhichitwasnotpolitictogivedetails.MorethanthisnotongueeverutteredofJosephCurwen’send,andCharlesWardhadonlyasinglehintwherewithtoconstructatheory.Thishintwasthemerestthread—ashakyunderscoringofapassageinJedediahOrne’sconfiscatedlettertoCurwen,aspartlycopiedinEzraWeeden’shandwriting.ThecopywasfoundinthepossessionofSmith’sdescendants;andwearelefttodecidewhetherWeedengaveittohiscompanionaftertheend,asamutecluetotheabnormalitywhichhadoccurred,orwhether,asismoreprobable,Smithhaditbefore,andaddedtheunderscoringhimselffromwhathehadmanagedtoextractfromhisfriendbyshrewdguessingandadroitcross-questioning.Theunderlinedpassageismerelythis:

           Isaytoyouagaine,doenotcallupAnythatyoucannotputdowne;bytheWhichImeane,AnythatcaninTurnecallupSomewhatagainstyou,wherebyyourPowerfullestDevicesmaynotbeofuse.AskoftheLesser,lesttheGreatershalnotwishtoAnswer,andshalcommandemorethanyou.