The Purloined Letter by Edgar Allan Poe
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the Purloined letter

by Edgar Allan Poe

Nil sapientiae odiosius acumine nimio .

Seneca .

at Paris, just after dark one gusty evening in_the autumn of 18-, i_was enjoying the twofold luxury of meditation and a meerschaum, in company with my friend C .Auguste Dupin, in_his little back library, or book- closet, au troisime, no .33, rue Dunt, Faubourg St .Germain . for_one hour at_least we had maintained a profound silence; while each, to any casual observer, might_have seemed intently and exclusively occupied with_the curling eddies of smoke that oppressed the atmosphere of_the chamber . for_myself, however, i_was mentally discussing certain topics which had formed matter for conversation between_us at an earlier period of_the evening; I mean the affair of_the rue morgue, and_the mystery attending the murder of Marie Rogt .I looked upon it, therefore, as something of a coincidence, when_the door of_our apartment was thrown open and admitted our old acquaintance, Monsieur G--, the prefect of_the Parisian police .

we gave him a hearty welcome; for there_was nearly half as_much of_the entertaining as of_the contemptible about_the man, and we had_not seen him for several years . we had_been sitting in_the dark, and Dupin now arose for_the_purpose of lighting a lamp, but sat down again, without doing_so, upon G .'s saying that he had called to consult us, or rather to ask_the opinion of_my friend, about some official business which had occasioned a great deal of trouble .

" if_it_is any point requiring reflection," observed Dupin, as he forebore to enkindle the wick, " we_shall examine it to better purpose in_the dark ."

" that_is another of your odd notions," said the prefect, who had a fashion of calling every thing

" odd" that was beyond his comprehension, and thus lived amid an absolute legion of "oddities ."

" very true," said Dupin, as he supplied his visiter with a pipe, and rolled towards him a comfortable chair .

" and what_is the difficulty now ? " I asked ." nothing more in_the assassination way, I_hope ? "

"Oh no; nothing of_that nature . the fact is, the business is very simple indeed, and I make no_doubt that we_can manage it sufficiently well ourselves; but then i_thought Dupin would like to hear the details of it, because it_is so excessively odd ."

" simple and odd," said Dupin .

" why, yes; and not exactly that, either . the fact is, we_have all been a good_deal puzzled because the affair is so simple, and yet baffles us altogether ."

" perhaps it_is_the very simplicity of_the thing which puts you at fault," said my friend .

" what nonsense you_do talk ! " replied the prefect, laughing heartily .

" perhaps the mystery is a little too plain," said Dupin .

"Oh, good heavens ! who ever heard of_such an idea ? "

"A little too self- evident ."

"Ha ! ha ! ha - ha ! ha ! ha ! - ho ! ho ! ho ! " roared our visiter, profoundly amused, "oh, Dupin, you_will_be the death of me yet ! "

" and what, after all, is_the matter on hand ? " I asked .

" why, i_will tell you," replied the prefect, as he_gave a long, steady and contemplative puff, and settled himself in_his chair ." i_will tell you in a few words; but, before I begin, let me caution you that_this_is an affair demanding the greatest secrecy, and_that i_should most probably lose the position I now hold, were it known that I confided it to any_one ."

" proceed," said I .

" or not," said Dupin .

" well, then; I_have received personal information, from a very high quarter, that a certain document of_the last importance, has_been purloined from_the royal apartments . the individual who purloined it_is known; this beyond a doubt; he_was seen to_take it . it_is known, also, that_it still remains in_his possession ."

" how is_this known ? " asked Dupin .

" it_is clearly inferred," replied the prefect, " from_the nature of_the document, and from_the non- appearance of certain results which would at once arise from its passing out_of_the robber's possession; that_is_to_say, from_his employing it as he_must design in_the end to employ it ."

" be a little more explicit," I_said .

" well, I_may venture so_far as to_say that_the paper gives its holder a certain power in a certain quarter where such power is immensely valuable ." the prefect was fond of_the cant of diplomacy .

" still I_do_not quite understand," said Dupin .

" no ? well; the disclosure of_the document to a third person, who shall be nameless, would bring in_question the honor of a personage of most exalted station; and this fact gives the holder of_the document an ascendancy over the illustrious personage whose honor and peace are so jeopardized ."

" but this ascendancy," I interposed, " would depend upon_the robber's knowledge of_the loser's knowledge of_the robber . who_would dare -"

" the thief," said G ., " is_the minister D--, who dares all things, those unbecoming as_well as_those becoming a man . the method of_the theft was not less ingenious than bold . the document in_question - a letter, to_be frank - had_been received by_the personage robbed while alone in_the royal boudoir . during its perusal she was suddenly interrupted by_the entrance of_the other exalted personage from whom especially it_was her wish to conceal it . after ahurried and vain endeavor to thrust it in a drawer, she was forced to_place it, open as it_was, upon a table . the address, however, was uppermost, and, the contents thus unexposed, the letter escaped notice . at_this juncture enters the minister D-- . his lynx eye immediately perceives

the paper, recognises the handwriting of_the address, observes the confusion of_the personage addressed, and fathoms her secret . after some business transactions, hurried through in_his ordinary manner, he produces a letter somewhat similar to_the one in_question, opens it, pretends to read it, and then places it in close juxtaposition to_the other . again he converses, for some fifteen minutes, upon_the public affairs . at_length, in taking leave, he takes also from_the table the letter to_which he had no claim . its rightful owner saw, but, of_course, dared not call attention to_the act, in_the presence of_the third personage who stood at her elbow . the minister decamped; leaving his own letter - one of no importance - upon_the table ."

" here, then," said Dupin to_me, " you_have precisely what you demand to make_the ascendancy complete - the robber's knowledge of_the loser's knowledge of_the robber ."

" yes," replied the prefect; " and_the power thus attained has, for some months past, been wielded, for political purposes, to a very dangerous extent . the personage robbed is more thoroughly convinced, every day, of_the necessity of reclaiming her letter . but this, of_course, cannot_be_done openly . in fine, driven to despair, she has committed the matter to_me ."

" than whom," said Dupin, amid a perfect whirlwind of smoke, " no more sagacious agent could, I suppose, be desired, or even imagined ."

" you flatter me," replied the prefect; " but it_is possible that some such opinion may have_been entertained ."

" it_is clear," said I, " as_you observe, that_the letter is still in possession of_the minister; since it is_this possession, and not any employment of_the letter, which bestows the power . with_the employment the power departs ."

" true," said G .; " and upon_this conviction I proceeded . my first care was to_make thorough search of_the minister's hotel; and here my chief embarrassment lay in_the necessity of searching without his knowledge . beyond all things, I_have_been warned of_the danger which would result from giving him reason to suspect our design ."

" but," said I, " you_are quite au fait in_these investigations . the Parisian police have_done this thing often before ."

"O yes; and for_this reason I_did_not despair . the habits of_the minister gave_me, too, a great advantage . he_is frequently absent from home all night . his servants are by no means numerous . they sleep at a distance from their master's apartment, and, being chiefly Neapolitans, are readily made drunk . I_have keys, as_you_know, with_which I_can open any chamber or cabinet in Paris . for three months a night has_not passed, during the greater part of_which I have_not_been engaged, personally, in ransacking the D-- hotel . my honor is interested, and, to mention a great secret, the reward is enormous . so I_did_not abandon the search until I had become fully satisfied that_the thief is a more astute man than myself .I fancy that I_have investigated every nook and corner of_the premises in_which_it_is possible that_the paper can_be concealed ."

" but is_it not possible," I suggested, " that although the letter may_be in possession of_the minister, as it unquestionably is, he_may_have concealed it elsewhere than upon his own premises ? "

" this_is barely possible," said Dupin ." the present peculiar condition of affairs at court, and especially of_those intrigues in_which D-- is known to_be involved, would render the instant availability of_the document - its susceptibility of being produced at a moment's notice - a point of nearly equal importance with its possession ."

" its susceptibility of being produced ? " said I .

" that_is_to_say, of being destroyed," said Dupin .

" true," I observed; " the paper is clearly then upon_the premises . as for its being upon_the person of_the minister, we_may consider that as out_of_the_question ."

" entirely," said the prefect ." he has_been twice waylaid, as_if by footpads, and_his person rigorously searched under my own inspection ."

" you might_have spared yourself this trouble," said Dupin ."D--, I presume, is_not altogether a fool, and, if_not, must_have anticipated these waylayings, as a matter of_course ."

" not altogether a fool," said G ., " but then he's a poet, which I take to_be only_one remove from a fool ."

" true," said Dupin, after a long and thoughtful whiff from

his meerschaum, " although I_have_been guilty of certain doggrel myself ."

" suppose you detail," said I, " the particulars of your search ."

" why the fact is, we took our time, and we searched every where . I_have_had long experience in_these affairs . i_took the entire building, room by room; devoting the nights of a whole week to each . we examined, first, the furniture of each apartment . we opened every possible drawer; and I presume you_know that, to a properly trained police agent, such a thing as a secret drawer is impossible . any man is a dolt who permits a' secret' drawer to escape him in a search of_this kind . the thing is so plain . there_is a certain amount of bulk - of space - to_be accounted for in every cabinet . then we_have accurate rules . the fiftieth part of a line could_not escape us . after_the cabinets we took the chairs . the cushions we probed with_the fine long needles you_have seen me employ . from_the tables we removed the tops ."

" why so ? "

"Sometimes the top of a table, or other similarly arranged piece of furniture, is removed by_the person wishing to conceal an article; then the leg is excavated, the article deposited within_the cavity, and_the top replaced . the bottoms and tops of bedposts are employed in_the same way ."

" but could_not the cavity be detected by sounding ? " I asked .

" by no means, if, when_the article is deposited, a sufficient wadding of cotton be placed around it . besides, in_our case, we were obliged to_proceed without noise ."

" but you_could_not_have removed - you_could_not_have taken to pieces all articles of furniture in_which it would_have_been possible to_make a deposit in_the manner you mention .a letter may_be compressed into a thin spiral roll, not differing much in shape or bulk from a large knitting- needle, and in_this form it might_be inserted into_the rung of a chair, for example . you_did_not take to pieces all the chairs ? "

" certainly not; but we_did better - we examined the rungs of every chair in_the hotel, and, indeed the jointings of every description of furniture, by_the aid of a most powerful microscope . had there been any traces of recent disturbance we should_not

have failed to detect it instantly .a single grain of gimlet- dust, for example, would_have_been as obvious as an apple . any disorder in_the glueing - any unusual gaping in_the joints - would_have sufficed to insure detection ."

"I presume you looked to_the mirrors, between_the boards and_the plates, and you probed the beds and_the bed- clothes, as_well as_the curtains and carpets ."

" that of_course; and when we had absolutely completed every particle of_the furniture in_this_way, then we examined the house itself . we divided its entire surface into compartments, which we numbered, so_that none might_be missed; then we scrutinized each individual square inch throughout_the premises, including the two houses immediately adjoining, with_the microscope, as before ."

" the two houses adjoining ! " I exclaimed; " you_must_have had a great deal of trouble ."

" we had; but the reward offered is prodigious ! "

" you include the grounds about_the houses ? "

" all the grounds are paved with brick . they gave_us comparatively little trouble . we examined the moss between_the bricks, and found it undisturbed ."

" you looked among D--'s papers, of_course, and into_the books of_the library ? "

" certainly; we opened every package and parcel; we not_only opened every book, but we turned over every leaf in each volume, not contenting ourselves with amere shake, according to_the fashion of some_of_our police officers . we also measured the thickness of every book- cover, with_the most accurate admeasurement, and applied to each the most jealous scrutiny of_the microscope . had any of_the bindings been recently meddled with, it would_have_been utterly impossible that_the fact should_have escaped observation . some five or six volumes, just from_the hands of_the binder, we carefully probed, longitudinally, with_the needles ."

" you explored the floors beneath the carpets ? "

" beyond doubt . we removed every carpet, and examined the boards with_the microscope ."

" and_the paper on_the walls ? "

" yes ."

" you looked into_the cellars ? "

" we_did ."

" then," I_said, " you_have_been making amiscalculation, and_the letter is_not upon_the premises, as_you suppose ."

"

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