The Mystery of Marie Roget by Edgar Allan Poe
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before death . thus it_is evident that we_can assign no period, with any thing like accuracy, at which the corpse shall rise through decomposition . under certain conditions this result would_be brought about within an hour; under others, it might_not take place at all . there_are chemical infusions by_which the animal frame can_be preserved foreverfrom corruption; the Bi- chloride of mercury is one . but, apart from decomposition, there_may_be, and very usually is, a generation of gas within_the stomach, from_the acetous fermentation of vegetable matter ( or within other cavities from other causes) sufficient to induce adistension which will bring the body to_the surface . the effect produced by_the firing of a cannon is_that of simple vibration . this_may either loosen the corpse from_the soft mud or ooze in_which_it_is imbedded, thus permitting it to rise when other agencies have already prepared it for so doing; or it may overcome the tenacity of some putrescent portions of_the cellular tissue; allowing the cavities to distend under the influence of_the gas .

"Having thus before_us the whole philosophy of_this subject, we_can easily test by_it the assertions of L'Etoile .' all experience shows,' says this paper, ' that drowned bodies, or bodies thrown into_the water immediately after death by violence, require from six to ten days for sufficient decomposition to_take place to bring them to_the top of_the water . even when a cannon is fired over a corpse, and it rises before at_least five or six days' immersion, it sinks again if let alone .'

" the whole of_this paragraph must now appear a tissue of inconsequence and incoherence . all experience does_not show that ' drowned bodies' require from six to ten days for sufficient decomposition to_take place to bring them to_the surface . both science and experience show that_the period of_their rising is, and necessarily must_be, indeterminate . if, moreover, a body has risen to_the surface through firing of cannon, it_will_not ' sink again if let alone,' until decomposition has so_far progressed as_to permit the escape of_the generated gas . but i_wish to_call your attention to_the distinction which_is made between ' drowned bodies,' and 'bodies thrown into_the water immediately after death by violence .' although the writer admits the distinction, he yet includes them all in_the same category . I_have shown how it_is that_the body of adrowning man becomes specifically heavier than its bulk of water, and_that he_would_not sink at all, except for_the struggles by_which he elevates his arms above the surface, and_his gasps for breath while beneath the surface - gasps which supply by water the place of_the original air in_the lungs . but these struggles and these gasps would_not occur in_the body ' thrown into_the water immediately after death by violence .' thus, in_the latter instance, the body, as a general rule, would_not sink at all - a fact of_which L'Etoile is evidently ignorant . when decomposition had proceeded to a very great extent - when_the flesh had in a great measure left the bones - then, indeed, but not till then, should we lose sight of_the corpse .

" and now what_are we to_make of_the argument, that_the body found could_not_be that of Marie Rogt, because, three days only having elapsed, this body was found floating ? if drowned, being a woman, she might never have sunk; or having sunk, might_have reappeared in twenty-four hours, or less . but no one supposes her to_have_been drowned; and, dying before being thrown into_the river, she might_have_been found floating at any period afterwards whatever .

" ' but,' says L'Etoile, ' if_the body had_been kept in its mangled state on shore until Tuesday night, some trace would_be found on shore of_the murderers .' here it_is at first difficult to perceive the intention of_the reasoner . he means to anticipate what he imagines would_be an objection to_his theory - viz: that_the body was kept on shore two days, suffering rapid decomposition - morerapid than if immersed in water . he supposes that, had this been the case, it might_have appeared at_the surface on_the Wednesday, and thinks that only under such circumstances it could so have appeared . he_is accordingly in haste to show that_it_was not kept on shore; for, if_so, ' some trace would_be found on shore of_the murderers .' I presume you smile at_the sequitur . you_cannot be made to_see how the mere duration of_the corpse on_the shore could operate to multiply traces of_the assassins . nor can I .

" ' and furthermore it_is exceedingly improbable,' continues our journal, ' that any villains who had committed such a murder as is here supposed, would_have thrown the body in without weight to sink it, when such a precaution could_have so easily been taken .' observe, here, the laughable confusion of thought ! no one - not even L'Etoile - disputes the murder committed on_the body found . the marks of violence are too obvious . it_is our reasoner's object merely to show that_this body is_not Marie's . he wishes to_prove that Marie is_not assassinated - not that_the corpse was not . yet his observation proves only the latter point . here_is a corpse without weight attached .Murderers, casting it in, would_not have failed to attach a weight . therefore it_was not thrown in by murderers . this_is all which_is proved, if any thing is . the question of identity is_not even approached, and L'Etoile has_been at great pains merely to gainsay now what it has admitted only a moment before .' we_are perfectly convinced,' it says, ' that_the body found was_that of a murdered female .'

" nor is_this the sole instance, even in_this division of_his subject, where our reasoner unwittingly reasons against himself . his evident object, I_have already said, is to reduce, us much as possible, the interval between Marie's disappearance and_the finding of_the corpse . yet we_find him urging the point that no person saw the girl from_the moment of her leaving her mother's house .' we_have no evidence,' he_says, ' that Marie Rogt was in_the land of_the living after nine o'clock on Sunday, June the twenty- second .' as his argument is obviously an ex parte one, he_should, at_least, have left this_matter out of sight; for had any_one been known to_see Marie, say on Monday, or on Tuesday, the interval in_question would_have_been much reduced, and, by his own ratiocination, the probability much diminished of_the corpse being that of_the grisette . it_is, nevertheless, amusing to observe that L'Etoile insists upon its point in_the full belief of_its furthering its general argument .

"Reperuse now that portion of_this argument which_has reference to_the identification of_the corpse by Beauvais . in regard to_the hair upon_the arm, L'Etoile has_been obviously disingenuous .M .Beauvais, not being an idiot, could never have urged, in identification of_the corpse, simply hair upon its arm . no arm is without hair . the generality of_the expression of L'Etoile is amere perversion of_the witness' phraseology . he_must_have spoken of some peculiarity in_this hair . it must_have been a peculiarity of color, of quantity, of length, or of situation .

" ' her foot,' says the journal, ' was small - so are thousands of feet . her garter is no proof whatever - nor is her shoe - for shoes and garters are sold in packages . the same may_be said of_the flowers in her hat . one_thing upon_which M .Beauvais strongly insists is, that_the clasp on_the garter found, had_been set back to_take it in . this amounts to nothing; for most women find it proper to_take a pair of garters home and fit them to_the size of_the limbs they_are to encircle, rather than to_try them in_the store where they purchase .' here it_is difficult to suppose the reasoner in earnest . had M .Beauvais, in_his search for_the body of Marie, discovered a corpse corresponding in general size and appearance to_the missing girl, he would_have_been warranted ( without reference to_the question of habiliment at all) in forming an opinion that his search had_been successful . if, in_addition_to_the point of general size and contour, he had found upon_the arm a peculiar hairy appearance which he had observed upon_the living Marie, his opinion might_have_been justly strengthened; and_the increase of positiveness might well have_been in_the ratio of_the peculiarity, or unusualness, of_the hairy mark . if, the feet of Marie being small, those of_the corpse were also small, the increase of probability that_the body was_that of Marie would_not_be an increase in a ratio merely arithmetical, but in one highly geometrical, or accumulative . add to all this shoes such as she had_been known to wear upon_the day of her disappearance, and, although these shoes may_be ' sold in packages,' you so_far augment the probability as_to verge upon_the certain . what, of itself, would_be no evidence of identity, becomes through_its corroborative position, proof most sure . give_us, then, flowers in_the hat corresponding to_those worn by_the missing girl, and we seek for nothing farther . if only_one flower, we seek for nothing farther - what then if two_or_three, or more ? each successive one is multiple evidence - proof not added to proof, but multiplied by hundreds or thousands . let_us now discover, upon_the deceased, garters such as_the living used, and it_is almost folly to_proceed . but these garters are found to_be tightened, by_the setting back of a clasp, in just such a manner as her own had_been tightened by Marie, shortly previous to her leaving home . it_is now madness or hypocrisy to doubt . what L'Etoile says in respect to_this abbreviation of_the garter's being an usual occurrence, shows nothing beyond its own pertinacity in error . the elastic nature of_the clasp- garter is self- demonstration of_the unusualness of_the abbreviation . what_is made to adjust itself, must of necessity require foreign adjustment but rarely . it must_have been by an accident, in its strictest sense, that_these garters of Marie needed the tightening described . they alone would_have amply established her identity . but it_is_not that_the corpse was found to_have the garters of_the missing girl, or found to_have her shoes, or her bonnet, or the flowers of her bonnet, or her feet, or a peculiar mark upon_the arm, or her general size and appearance - it_is that_the corpse had each, and all collectively . could it be proved that_the editor of L'Etoile really entertained a doubt, under the circumstances, there would_be no need, in_his case, of a commission de lunatico inquirendo . he has thought it sagacious to echo the small talk of_the lawyers, who, for_the most part, content themselves with echoing the rectangular precepts of_the courts . i_would here observe that very_much of what_is rejected as evidence by a court, is_the best of evidence to_the intellect . for_the court, guiding itself by_the general principles of evidence - the recognized and booked principles - is averse from swerving at particular instances . and this steadfast adherence to principle, with rigorous disregard of_the conflicting exception, is a sure mode of attaining the maximum of attainable truth, in any long sequence of_time . the practice, in mass, is therefore philosophical; but it_is_not the less certain that_it engenders vast individual error .{*16}

" in respect to_the insinuations levelled at Beauvais, you_will_be willing to dismiss them in a breath . you_have already fathomed the true character of_this good gentleman . he_is a busy- body, with much of romance and little of wit . any_one so constituted will readily so conduct himself, upon occasion of real excitement, as_to render himself liable to suspicion on_the_part of_the over acute, or the ill- disposed .M .Beauvais ( as it appears from your notes) had some personal interviews with_the editor of L'Etoile, and offended him by venturing an opinion that_the corpse, notwithstanding the theory of_the editor, was, in sober fact, that of Marie .' he persists,' says the paper, ' in asserting the corpse to_be that of Marie, but cannot give a circumstance, in_addition to_those which we_have commented upon, to_make others believe .' now, without re-adverting to_the fact that stronger evidence ' to_make others believe,' could never have_been adduced, it may_be remarked that a man may very_well be understood to_believe, in a case of_this kind, without the ability to advance a single reason for_the belief of a second party . nothing is more vague than impressions of individual identity . each man recognizes his neighbor, yet there_are few instances in_which any_one is prepared to_give a reason for_his recognition . the editor of L'Etoile had no right to_be offended at M .Beauvais' unreasoning belief .

" the suspicious circumstances which invest him, will_be found to tally much better with my hypothesis of romantic busy-bodyism, than with_the reasoner's suggestion of guilt . once adopting the more charitable interpretation, we_shall find no difficulty in comprehending the rose in_the key- hole; the 'Marie' upon_the slate; the 'elbowing the male relatives out_of_the way;' the ' aversion to permitting them to_see the body;' the caution given to Madame B----, that she_must hold no conversation with_the gendarme until his return (Beauvais'); and, lastly, his apparent determination ' that nobody should_have anything to_do with_the proceedings except himself .' it seems to_me unquestionable that Beauvais was a suitor of Marie's; that she coquetted with_him; and_that he_was ambitious of being thought to enjoy her fullest intimacy and confidence . I_shall say nothing more upon_this point; and, as_the evidence fully rebuts the assertion of L'Etoile, touching the matter of apathy on_the_part of_the mother and other relatives - an apathy inconsistent with_the supposition of_their believing the corpse to_be that of_the perfumery- girl - we_shall now proceed as if_the question of identity were settled to our perfect satisfaction ."

" and what," I here demanded, " do_you_think of_the opinions of Le Commerciel ? "

" that, in spirit, they_are far more worthy of attention than any which_have been promulgated upon_the_subject . the deductions from_the premises are philosophical and acute; but the premises, in two instances, at_least, are founded in imperfect observation .Le Commerciel wishes to intimate that Marie was seized by some gang

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