The Mystery of Marie Roget by Edgar Allan Poe
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gang of low ruffians not far from her mother's door .' it_is impossible,' it urges, ' that a person so_well known to thousands as_this young woman was, should_have passed three blocks without some one having seen her .' this_is_the idea of a man long resident in Paris - a public man - and one whose walks to and fro in_the city, have_been mostly limited to_the vicinity of_the public offices . he_is aware that he seldom passes so_far as a dozen blocks from_his own bureau, without being recognized and accosted . and, knowing the extent of_his personal acquaintance with others, and of others with_him, he compares his notoriety with_that of_the perfumery- girl, finds no great difference between_them, and reaches at once the conclusion that she, in her walks, would_be equally liable to recognition with himself in_his . this could only be the case were her walks of_the same unvarying, methodical character, and within_the same species of limited region as are his own . he passes to and fro, at regular intervals, within a confined periphery, abounding in individuals who_are led to observation of_his person through interest in_the kindred nature of_his occupation with their own . but the walks of Marie may, in general, be supposed discursive . in_this particular instance, it_will_be understood as most probable, that she proceeded upon a route of more than average diversity from her accustomed ones . the parallel which we imagine to_have existed in_the mind of Le Commerciel would only be sustained in_the event of_the two individuals' traversing the whole city . in this_case, granting the personal acquaintances to_be equal, the chances would_be also equal that an equal number of personal rencounters would_be made . for_my own part, i_should hold it not_only as possible, but as very far more than probable, that Marie might_have proceeded, at any given period, by any_one_of_the many routes between her own residence and_that of her aunt, without meeting a single individual whom she knew, or by whom she was known . in viewing this question in its full and proper light, we_must hold steadily in mind the great disproportion between_the personal acquaintances of even the most noted individual in Paris, and_the entire population of Paris itself .

" but whatever force there_may still appear to_be in_the suggestion of Le Commerciel, will_be much diminished when we take into consideration the hour at which the girl went abroad .' it_was when_the streets were full of people,' says Le Commerciel, ' that she went out .' but not so . it_was at nine o'clock in_the morning . now at nine o'clock of every morning in_the week, with_the exception of Sunday_, the streets of_the city are, it_is true, thronged with people . at nine on Sunday, the populace are chiefly within doors preparing for church . no observing person can_have failed to notice the peculiarly deserted air of_the town, from about eight until ten on_the morning of every Sabbath . between ten and eleven the streets are thronged, but not at so early a period as_that designated .

" there_is another point at which there seems a deficiency of observation on_the_part of Le Commerciel .'A piece,' it says, ' of one_of_the unfortunate girl's petticoats, two feet long, and one foot wide, was torn out and tied under her chin, and around the back of her head, probably to_prevent screams . this was_done, by fellows who had no pocket-handkerchiefs .' whether this idea is, or is_not well founded, we_will endeavor to_see hereafter; but by 'fellows who_have no pocket-handkerchiefs' the editor intends the lowest class of ruffians . these, however, are the very description of people who_will always be found to_have handkerchiefs even when destitute of shirts . you_must_have had occasion to observe how absolutely indispensable, of late years, to_the thorough blackguard, has become the pocket- handkerchief ."

" and what_are we to_think," I asked, " of_the article in Le Soleil ? "

" that_it_is a vast pity its inditer was not born a parrot - in_which_case he would_have_been the most illustrious parrot of_his race . he has merely repeated the individual items of_the already published opinion; collecting them, with a laudable industry, from_this paper and from_that .' the things had all evidently been there,' he_says,' at_least, three or four weeks, and there can_be no_doubt that_the spot of_this appalling outrage has_been discovered .' the facts here re- stated by Le Soleil, are very far indeed from removing my own doubts upon_this subject, and we_will examine them more particularly hereafter in connexion with another division of_the theme .

" at present we_must occupy ourselves with other investigations you_cannot fail to_have remarked the extreme laxity of_the examination of_the corpse . to_be_sure, the question of identity was readily determined, or should_have_been; but there were other points to_be ascertained . had the body been in any respect despoiled ? had the deceased any articles of jewelry about her person upon leaving home ? if_so, had she any when found ? these are important questions utterly untouched by_the evidence; and there_are others of equal moment, which_have met with no attention . we_must endeavor to satisfy ourselves by personal inquiry . the case of St .Eustache must_be re- examined . I_have no suspicion of_this person; but let_us proceed methodically . we_will ascertain beyond a doubt the validity of_the affidavits in regard to_his whereabouts on_the Sunday .Affidavits of_this character are readily made matter of mystification . should there be nothing wrong here, however, we_will dismiss St .Eustache from_our investigations . his suicide, however corroborative of suspicion, were there found to_be deceit in_the affidavits, is, without such deceit, in no respect an unaccountable circumstance, or one which need cause us to deflect from_the line of ordinary analysis .

" in_that which I now propose, we_will discard the interior points of_this tragedy, and concentrate our attention upon its outskirts . not the least usual error, in investigations such as_this, is_the limiting of inquiry to_the immediate, with total disregard of_the collateral or circumstantial events . it_is_the mal- practice of_the courts to confine evidence and discussion to_the bounds of apparent relevancy . yet experience has shown, and a true philosophy will always show, that a vast, perhaps the larger portion of truth, arises from_the seemingly irrelevant . it_is through_the spirit of_this principle, if_not precisely through_its letter, that modern science has resolved to calculate upon_the unforeseen . but perhaps you_do_not comprehend me . the history of human knowledge has so uninterruptedly shown that to collateral, or incidental, or accidental events we_are indebted for_the most numerous and most valuable discoveries, that_it has at_length become necessary, in any prospective view of improvement, to_make not_only large, but the largest allowances for inventions that shall arise by chance, and quite out_of_the range of ordinary expectation . it_is no longer philosophical to base, upon what_has_been, a vision of what is_to_be . accident is admitted as a portion of_the substructure . we_make chance a matter of absolute calculation . we subject the unlooked for and unimagined, to_the mathematical formulae of_the schools .

"I repeat that_it_is no more than fact, that_the larger portion of all truth has sprung from_the collateral; and it_is but in accordance with_the spirit of_the principle involved in_this fact, that i_would divert inquiry, in_the present case, from_the trodden and hitherto unfruitful ground of_the event itself, to_the contemporary circumstances which surround it . while you ascertain the validity of_the affidavits, i_will examine the newspapers more generally than you_have as_yet done . so_far, we_have only reconnoitred the field of investigation; but it_will_be strange indeed if a comprehensive survey, such as I propose, of_the public prints, will not afford us some minute points which shall establish a direction for inquiry ."

in pursuance of Dupin's suggestion, I_made scrupulous examination of_the affair of_the affidavits . the result was a firm conviction of_their validity, and of_the consequent innocence of St .Eustache . in_the mean time my friend occupied himself, with what seemed to_me a minuteness altogether objectless, in a scrutiny of_the various newspaper files . at_the end of a week he placed before me the following extracts:

" about three years and a half ago, a disturbance very similar to_the present, was caused by_the disappearance of_this same Marie Rogt, from_the parfumerie of Monsieur Le Blanc, in_the Palais royal . at_the end of a week, however, she re- appeared at her customary comptoir, as_well as ever, with_the exception of a slight paleness not altogether usual . it_was given out by Monsieur Le Blanc and her mother, that she had merely been on a visit to some friend in_the country; and_the affair was speedily hushed up . we presume that_the present absence is a freak of_the same nature, and_that, at_the expiration of a week, or perhaps of a month, we_shall_have her among us again ." - evening paper - Monday June 23 .{*17}

" an evening journal of yesterday, refers to a former mysterious disappearance of Mademoiselle Rogt . it_is well known that, during the week of her absence from Le Blanc's parfumerie, she was in_the company of a young naval officer, much noted for_his debaucheries .a quarrel, it_is supposed, providentially led to her return home . we_have the name of_the Lothario in_question, who_is, at present, stationed in Paris, but, for obvious reasons, forbear to_make it public ." - Le Mercurie - Tuesday morning, June 24 .{*18}

" an outrage of_the most atrocious character was perpetrated near this city the day before yesterday .a gentleman, with_his wife and daughter, engaged, about dusk, the services of six young men, who were idly rowing a boat to and fro near the banks of_the seine, to convey him across the river . upon reaching the opposite shore, the three passengers stepped out, and had proceeded so_far as to_be beyond the view of_the boat, when_the daughter discovered that she had left in_it her parasol . she returned for_it, was seized by_the gang, carried out into_the stream, gagged, brutally treated, and finally taken to_the shore at a point not far from_that at which she had originally entered the boat with her parents . the villains have escaped for_the_time, but the police are upon their trail, and some_of_them will soon be taken ." - morning paper - June 25 .{*19}

" we_have received one_or_two communications, the object of which_is to fasten the crime of_the late atrocity upon Mennais; {*20} but as_this gentleman has_been fully exonerated by a loyal inquiry, and as_the arguments of_our several correspondents appear to_be more zealous than profound, we_do_not_think it advisable to_make them public ." - morning paper - June 28 .{*21}

" we_have received several forcibly written communications, apparently from various sources, and which go far to render it a matter of certainty that_the unfortunate Marie Rogt has become a victim of one_of_the numerous bands of blackguards which infest the vicinity of_the city upon Sunday . our own opinion is decidedly in favor of_this supposition . we_shall endeavor to_make room for some_of_these arguments hereafter ." - evening paper - Tuesday, June 31 .{*22}

" on Monday, one_of_the bargemen connected with_the revenue service, saw a empty boat floating down the seine .Sails were lying in_the bottom of_the boat . the bargeman towed it under the barge office . the next morning it_was taken from thence, without the knowledge of any of_the officers . the rudder is now at_the barge office ." - Le diligence - Thursday, June 26 .& sect;

upon reading these various extracts, they not_only seemed to_me irrelevant, but I_could perceive no mode in_which any_one_of_them could_be brought to bear upon_the matter in hand .I waited for some explanation from Dupin .

" it_is_not my present design," he_said, " to dwell upon_the first and second of_those extracts . I_have copied them chiefly to show you the extreme remissness of_the police, who, as far as I_can understand from_the prefect, have_not troubled themselves, in any respect, with an examination of_the naval officer alluded to . yet it_is mere folly to_say that between_the first and second disappearance of Marie, there_is no supposable connection . let_us admit the first elopement to_have resulted in a quarrel between_the lovers, and_the return home of_the betrayed . we_are now prepared to view a second elopement ( if we_know that an elopement has again taken place) as indicating a renewal of_the betrayer's advances, rather than as_the result of new proposals by a second individual - we_are prepared to regard it as a'making up' of_the old amour, rather than as_the commencement of a new one . the chances are ten to one, that he who had once eloped with Marie, would again propose an elopement, rather than that she to_whom proposals of elopement had_been made by one individual, should_have them made to her by another . and here let me call your attention to_the fact, that_the time elapsing between_the first ascertained, and_the second supposed elopement, is a few_months more than_the general period of_the cruises of_our men- of- war . had the lover been interrupted in_his first villany by_the necessity of departure to sea, and had he seized the first moment of_his return to renew the base designs not yet altogether accomplished - or not yet altogether accomplished by him ? of all these things we_know nothing .

" you_will say, however, that, in_the second instance, there_was no elopement as imagined . certainly not - but are we prepared to_say that there_was not the frustrated design ? beyond St .Eustache, and perhaps Beauvais, we_find no recognized, no open, no honorable suitors of Marie . of none other is_there any thing said . who, then, is_the secret lover, of whom the relatives ( at_least most of_them) know nothing, but whom Marie meets upon_the morning of Sunday, and who_is so deeply in her confidence, that she hesitates not to remain with_him until the shades of_the evening descend, amid the solitary groves of_the Barrire du Roule ? who is_that secret lover, I ask, of whom, at_least, most of_the relatives know nothing ? and what means the singular prophecy of Madame Rogt on_the morning of Marie's departure ? -- ' I_fear that I_shall never see Marie again .'

" but if_we_cannot imagine Madame Rogt privy to_the design of elopement, may we

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