glazed　watch…box；　with　a　sliding　panel　in　the　window；　indicating　a
  _loge　de　concierge。_　Before　going　in　we　walked　up　the　street；　turned
  down　an　alley；　and　then；　again　turning；　passed　in　the　rear　of　the
  building　…　Dupin；　meanwhile　examining　the　whole　neighborhood；　as　well
  as　the　house；　with　a　minuteness　of　attention　for　which　I　could　see　no
  possible　object。
  Retracing　our　steps；　we　came　again　to　the　front　of　the　dwelling；
  rang；　and；　having　shown　our　credentials；　were　admitted　by　the　agents
  in　charge。　We　went　up　stairs　…　into　the　chamber　where　the　body　of
  Mademoiselle　L'Espanaye　had　been　found；　and　where　both　the　deceased
  still　lay。　The　disorders　of　the　room　had；　as　usual；　been　suffered　to
  exist。　I　saw　nothing　beyond　what　had　been　stated　in　the　〃Gazette　des
  Tribunaux。〃　Dupin　scrutinized　every　thing　…　not　excepting　the　bodies
  of　the　victims。　We　then　went　into　the　other　rooms；　and　into　the　yard；
  a　_gendarme_　accompanying　us　throughout。　The　examination　occupied　us
  until　dark；　when　we　took　our　departure。　On　our　way　home　my　companion
  stepped　in　for　a　moment　at　the　office　of　one　of　the　daily　papers。
  I　have　said　that　the　whims　of　my　friend　were　manifold；　and　that　_Je
  les　m閚agais_：　…　for　this　phrase　there　is　no　English　equivalent。　It
  was　his　humor；　now；　to　decline　all　conversation　on　the　subject　of　the
  murder；　until　about　noon　the　next　day。　He　then　asked　me；　suddenly；　if
  I　had　observed　any　thing　_peculiar_　at　the　scene　of　the　atrocity。
  There　was　something　in　his　manner　of　emphasizing　the　word　〃peculiar；〃
  which　caused　me　to　shudder；　without　knowing　why。
  〃No；　nothing　_peculiar_；〃　I　said；　〃nothing　more；　at　least；　than　we
  both　saw　stated　in　the　paper。〃
  〃The　'Gazette；'　〃　he　replied；　〃has　not　entered；　I　fear；　into　the
  unusual　horror　of　the　thing。　But　dismiss　the　idle　opinions　of　this
  print。　It　appears　to　me　that　this　mystery　is　considered　insoluble；
  for　the　very　reason　which　should　cause　it　to　be　regarded　as　easy　of
  solution　…　I　mean　for　the　_outr開　character　of　its　features。　The
  police　are　confounded　by　the　seeming　absence　of　motive　…　not　for　the
  murder　itself　…　but　for　the　atrocity　of　the　murder。　They　are　puzzled；
  too；　by　the　seeming　impossibility　of　reconciling　the　voices　heard　in
  contention；　with　the　facts　that　no　one　was　discovered　up　stairs　but
  the　assassinated　Mademoiselle　L'Espanaye；　and　that　there　were　no
  means　of　egress　without　the　notice　of　the　party　ascending。　The　wild
  disorder　of　the　room；　the　corpse　thrust；　with　the　head　downward；　up
  the　chimney；　the　frightful　mutilation　of　the　body　of　the　old　lady；
  these　considerations；　with　those　just　mentioned；　and　others　which　I
  need　not　mention；　have　sufficed　to　paralyze　the　powers；　by　putting
  completely　at　fault　the　boasted　_acumen_；　of　the　government　agents。
  They　have　fallen　into　the　gross　but　common　error　of　confounding　the
  unusual　with　the　abstruse。　But　it　is　by　these　deviations　from　the
  plane　of　the　ordinary；　that　reason　feels　its　way；　if　at　all；　in　its
  search　for　the　true。　In　investigations　such　as　we　are　now　pursuing；
  it　should　not　be　so　much　asked　'what　has　occurred；'　as　'what　has
  occurred　that　has　never　occurred　before。'　In　fact；　the　facility　with
  which　I　shall　arrive；　or　have　arrived；　at　the　solution　of　this
  mystery；　is　in　the　direct　ratio　of　its　apparent　insolubility　in　the
  eyes　of　the　police。〃
  I　stared　at　the　speaker　in　mute　astonishment。
  〃I　am　now　awaiting；〃　continued　he；　looking　toward　the　door　of　our
  apartment　…　〃I　am　now　awaiting　a　person　who；　although　perhaps　not　the
  perpetrator　of　these　butcheries；　must　have　been　in　some　measure
  implicated　in　their　perpetration。　Of　the　worst　portion　of　the　crimes
  committed；　it　is　probable　that　he　is　innocent。　I　hope　that　I　am　right
  in　this　supposition；　for　upon　it　I　build　my　expectation　of　reading
  the　entire　riddle。　I　look　for　the　man　here　…　in　this　room　…　every
  moment。　It　is　true　that　he　may　not　arrive；　but　the　probability　is
  that　he　will。　Should　he　come；　it　will　be　necessary　to　detain　him。
  Here　are　pistols；　and　we　both　know　how　to　use　them　when　occasion
  demands　their　use。〃
  I　took　the　pistols；　scarcely　knowing　what　I　did；　or　believing　what　I
  heard；　while　Dupin　went　on；　very　much　as　if　in　a　soliloquy。　I　have
  already　spoken　of　his　abstract　manner　at　such　times。　His　discourse
  was　addressed　to　myself；　but　his　voice；　although　by　no　means　loud；
  had　that　intonation　which　is　commonly　employed　in　speaking　to　some
  one　at　a　great　distance。　His　eyes；　vacant　in　expression；　regarded
  only　the　wall。
  〃That　the　voices　heard　in　contention；〃　he　said；　〃by　the　party　upon
  the　stairs；　were　not　the　voices　of　the　women　themselves；　was　fully
  proved　by　the　evidence。　This　relieves　us　of　all　doubt　upon　the
  question　whether　the　old　lady　could　have　first　destroyed　the　daughter
  and　afterward　have　committed　suicide。　I　speak　of　this　point　chiefly
  for　the　sake　of　method；　for　the　strength　of　Madame　L'Espanaye　would
  have　been　utterly　unequal　to　the　task　of　thrusting　her　daughter's
  corpse　up　the　chimney　as　it　was　found；　and　the　nature　of　the　wounds
  upon　her　own　person　entirely　preclude　the　idea　of　self…destruction。
  Murder；　then；　has　been　committed　by　some　third　party；　and　the　voices
  of　this　third　party　were　those　heard　in　contention。　Let　me　now　advert
  …　not　to　the　whole　testimony　respecting　these　voices　…　but　to　what
  was　_peculiar_　in　that　testimony。　Did　you　observe　any　thing　peculiar
  about　it？〃
  I　remarked　that；　while　all　the　witnesses　agreed　in　supposing　the
  gruff　voice　to　be　that　of　a　Frenchman；　there　was　much　disagreement　in
  regard　to　the　shrill；　or；　as　one　individual　termed　it；　the　harsh
  voice。
  〃That　was　the　evidence　itself；〃　said　Dupin；　〃but　it　was　not　the
  peculiarity　of　the　evidence。　You　have　observed　nothing　distinctive。
  Yet　there　_was_　something　to　be　observed。　The　witnesses；　as　you
  remark；　agreed　about　the　gruff　voice；　they　were　here　unanimous。　But
  in　regard　to　the　shrill　voice；　the　peculiarity　is　…　not　that　they
  disagreed　…　but　that；　while　an　Italian；　an　Englishman；　a　Spaniard；　a
  Hollander；　and　a　Frenchman　attempted　to　describe　it；　each　one　spoke
  of　it　as　that　_of　a　foreigner_。　Each　is　sure　that　it　was　not　the
  voice　of　one　of　his　own　countrymen。　Each　likens　it　…　not　to　the　voice
  of　an　individual　of　any　nation　with　whose　language　he　is　conversant　…
  but　the　converse。　The　Frenchman　supposes　it　the　voice　of　a　Spaniard；
  and　'might　have　distinguished　some　words　_had　he　been　acquainted　with
  the　Spanish。_'　The　Dutchman　maintains　it　to　have　been　that　of　a
  Frenchman；　but　we　find　it　stated　that　'_not　understanding　French　this
  witness　was　examined　through　an　interpreter。_'　The　Englishman　thinks
  it　the　voice　of　a　German；　and　'_does　not　understand　German。_'　The
  Spaniard　'is　sure'　that　it　was　that　of　an　Englishman；　but　'judges　by
  the　intonation'　altogether；　'_as　he　has　no　knowledge　of　the
  English。_'　The　Italian　believes　it　the　voice　of　a　Russian；　but　'_has
  never　conversed　with　a　native　of　Russia。_'　A　second　Frenchman
  differs；　moreover；　with　the　first；　and　is　positive　that　the　voice　was
  that　of　an　Italian；　but；　_not　being　cognizant　of　that　tongue_；　is；
  like　the　Spaniard；　'convinced　by　the　intonation。'　Now；　how　strangely
  unusual　must　that　voice　have　really　been；　about　which　such　testimony
  as　this　_could_　have　been　elicited！　…　in　whose　_tones_；　even；
  denizens　of　the　five　great　divisions　of　Europe　could　recognise
  nothing　familiar！　You　will　say　that　it　might　have　been　the　voice　of
  an　Asiatic　…　of　an　African。　Neither　Asiatics　nor　Africans　abound　in
  Paris；　but；　without　denying　the　inference；　I　will　now　merely　call
  your　attention　to　three　points。　The　voice　is　termed　by　one　witness
  'harsh　rather　than　shrill。'　It　is　represented　by　two　others　to　have
  been　'quick　and　_unequal。_'　No　words　…　no　sounds　resembling　words　…
  were　by　any　witness　mentioned　as　distinguishable。
  〃I　know　not；〃　continued　Dupin；　〃what　impression　I　may　have　made；　so
  far；　upon　your　own　understanding；　but　I　do　not　hesitate　to　say　that
  legitimate　deductions　even　from　this　portion　of　the　testimony　…　the
  portion　respecting　the　gruff　and　shrill　voices　…　are　in　themselves
  sufficient　to　engender　a　suspicion　which　should　give　direction　to　all
  farther　progress　in　the　investigation　of　the　mystery。　I　said
  'legitimate　deductions；'　but　my　meaning　is　not　thus　fully　expressed。
  I　designed　to　imply　that　the　deductions　are　the　_sole_　proper　ones；
  and　that　the　suspicion　arises　_inevitably_　from　them　as　the　single
  result。　What　the　suspicion　is；　however；　I　will　not　say　just　yet。　I
  merely　wish　you　to　bear　in　mind　that；　with　myself；　it　was
  sufficiently　forcible　to　give　a　definite　form　…　a　certain　tendency　…
  to　my　inquiries　in　the　chamber。
  〃Let　us　now　transport　ourselves；　in　fancy；　to　this　chamber。　What
  shall　we　first　seek　here？　The　means　of　egress　employed　by　the
  murderers。　It　is　not　too　much　to　say　that　neither　of　us　believe　in
  pr鎡ernatural　events。　Madame　and　Mademoiselle　L'Espanaye　were　not
  destroyed　by　spirits。　The　doers　of　the　deed　were　material；　and
  escaped　materially。　Then　how？　Fortunately；　there　is　but　one　mode　of
  reasoning　upon　the　point；　and　that　mode　_must_　lead