Chapter 9 The Murders in the Rue Morgue

The Murders in the Rue Morgue No matter what song the sea-monster sang, no matter what name Achilles used in the crowd of girls, it was a puzzling riddle, and he could always guess it. — Sir Thomas Browne This so-called analytical intelligence is not very reliable.We judge analytical power only by its effects.It is well known that analytical people, if they are gifted in this area, cannot help feeling that this is a source of immense enjoyment.A strongman likes to show off his arm strength, and he loves sports such as exercising his muscles; an analytical person likes to unravel any difficult mental activities.As long as he can give full play to his talents, he will enjoy even trivial matters.He prefers to guess and solve puzzles, pondering the heavenly scriptures; solving a difficult problem all shows his level of intelligence, which seems inconceivable to mediocre people.What he has achieved with the essence of the analytical method does have a somewhat intuitive flavor.

This ability to solve problems may be especially strong if one is proficient in mathematics, and it is better to be proficient in that higher teaching, which is called analysis. .But calculation is not the same as analysis.For example, those who play chess don't work hard on analysis, but only on calculation.Therefore, it is generally wrong to think that playing chess is good for the body and mind.I'm not currently writing a dissertation, but I'm just starting with a rambling opinion piece in front of a somewhat bizarre story; It is more effective and useful in checkers than in chess, which is carefully considered.In the game of chess, each piece has its own strange and eccentric moves, and all have magical effects of changing.Chess is nothing more than complicated, but it is often mistaken for esoteric.You must concentrate on playing chess, if you are a little slack or neglect a step, you will definitely lose your army and lose the battle.Chess moves are not only varied but also intricate, increasing the possibility of such negligence; nine times out of ten, the winner is always the concentrated player, not the smarter one.On the contrary, in the game of checkers, the moves are rigid, there are few changes, and the possibility of omissions is much less, so in contrast, he does not need to concentrate on it. When two players meet, as long as they are smarter, they are guaranteed not to lose.To be more specific, suppose there is a game of checkers.There are only four kings left, so there is no danger of negligence.In this way, if the two sides are evenly matched, it is clear that only if they are good at using their brains and carefully considering their chess skills, can they win.Analytical people encounter situations where they have no countermeasures, and they always concentrate on studying the other party’s thoughts and put themselves in the situation to try to figure it out. In this way, they can often see the only trick at a glance. Sometimes this trick is ridiculously simple; but to lure the other party Make mistakes and miscalculate in a hurry, just rely on this trick.

The game of whist has always been famous for developing the so-called calculation ability.We all know that people with outstanding intelligence obviously indulge in this way and find it a lot of fun, rather than playing chess because they think it is boring.Needless to say, there is absolutely no other game of the same nature that requires such a great use of analytical power.People who are good at chess in the world are at most only good at chess; but if you are proficient in whist, you can win in all the more serious intrigues.When I say proficient, I mean mastery of the game, including knowing all the tricks to gain a legal advantage.This kind of trick is not only varied, but also diverse, and it is often deep in the heart, and ordinary people have no way of understanding it.He who pays attention must have a good memory; therefore he who concentrates on playing chess must be very good at whist; .Usually people think that those who are proficient in this way must have two conditions, one is to have a photographic memory, and the other is to act according to "books".However, when encountering situations that are not within the scope of the rules, it is precisely the card skills of people with analytical skills.He quietly made a lot of observations and inferences.Maybe his poker buddies are doing the same thing; the difference between the two sides' understanding of the enemy's situation is not so much determined by the correctness of the inference, but rather by the level of observation ability.It is necessary to master how to observe this knowledge.People who play cards are definitely not just playing cards for themselves, nor are they distracted and inferring things outside the game because they only want to win the cards.He looked at his partner's face and carefully compared it with that of his opponent.He estimated the order of each person's cards, and based on the different winks of the people who were assigned trump cards and high cards, he calculated one trump card and one high card.While playing cards, you can judge by appearance and color, to see whether people are confident or surprised, proud or upset.From various expressions, collect thinking data, and according to the way the opponent puts away the won trick, guess whether the person who won the trick can win another flush.According to the expression of the other party's showdown, it is recognized that the other party is bluffing and deceiving.Whenever the opponent mentions a word casually, blurts out a sentence, accidentally drops a card, accidentally turns over a card, and quickly conceals the anxious or careless expression; The layout of the tricks, whether people are embarrassed or hesitant, whether they are anxious or frightened—all these things cannot escape his intuitive observation, and provide him with clues to the truth of the situation.After two or three rounds of poker, he had a good grasp of the cards in each player's hands. From then on, he was confident and played each deck accurately, as if all the cards in the same hand were lined up on the table.

Analytical ability must not be confused with mere resourcefulness; for the analytical man is necessarily multi-witted, but the multi-witted man is often exceptionally inanalytic.Resourcefulness is usually manifested in the presumed or inductive powers, which phrenologists ascribe to a separate organ as primitive, which, in my opinion, is fundamentally wrong; This primordial ability is often seen in people who are no different from idiots, and it has attracted the general attention of psychological writers.The difference between resourcefulness and analytical ability is, of course, greater than that between fantasy and imagination, but the nature of the two is clearly very similar.In fact, it is not difficult to see that intelligent people are often good at fantasizing, while really imaginative people must love analysis.

The following story, how much the reader has read, can be used as a commentary on the above discussion. During the spring and summer of 18XX, I lived in Paris; there I met a young French man named C. Auguste Dupin.This young man was born in a wealthy family—he was indeed a son of a famous family. Unexpectedly, he fell into poverty after a long life, so that his will was depressed, and he didn't want to work hard, and he didn't want to reorganize the family business.Thanks to the mercy of his creditors, he still inherited a small fortune from his ancestors.Relying on this to make a fortune, he calculated carefully and managed to maintain food and clothing with great difficulty, but he did not have extravagant expectations.To tell the truth, reading was his only enjoyment, and in Paris, it was the most convenient thing to do.

We first met in a lonely library on the Rue Montmartre.The two happened to be looking for the same precious and strange book, and their relationship gradually became closer.Once raw, twice cooked.He told me a family history in detail from the bottom of his heart, and I was very interested to hear it. When a Frenchman talks about himself, he always tells the truth.I was also amazed at his extensive reading.In particular, his broad and vivid imagination is even more touching.I was in Paris at the time in search of something to explore day and night, and I could not help feeling that the association of such a man was invaluable to me;At last it was agreed that I should stay with him during my stay in Paris; I was somewhat better off financially than he was, and he agreed to rent at my expense a dilapidated mansion in the Saint-Germain suburb of the city.Ignoring the superstitions of this remote, quaint, crumbling house, rumored to be a haunted house, and long abandoned, we arranged it to suit the queer depression shared by both of us.

If the world knew our daily life in this place, it would regard us as lunatics--perhaps only as innocuous lunatics.We live in complete seclusion and receive no visitors.Naturally, I kept a secret from my former friends, and I did not tell them where I was hiding; Dupin was unknown and unknown in Paris.We live alone like this. My friend's preference for late nights for their late-night charms is a quirk of his, what else could it be called?I can't help but secretly pick up this eccentricity.Like all his other eccentricities; I indulged wildly in his whims.The night god will not be with us forever; but we have a way to invite the night god into the house.As soon as dawn broke, we closed the great shutters of the ancient mansion, and lit a pair of small candles, richly spiced, which cast only a gloomy gleam.With these twilights, we indulge in our dreams—reading, writing, talking.We waited until the clock predicted the arrival of the real night, then we slipped arm in arm into the streets and alleys, or continued the topic of the day, or wandered around, walking far and wide, wandering until midnight, in the densely populated city, shining In the lights and shadows, seek endless spiritual stimulation, which can only be appreciated by silent observation.

Although I have long seen from Dupin's rich imagination that he has special analytical abilities, but at this time.I still can't help but admire his analytical ability, and I am completely convinced.He looked as if he would have liked to play with it - if it wasn't all show-off - and he admitted in no uncertain terms that there was some fun in it.He giggled softly, and boasted to me that most people are glass-hearted compared to him, and he can see through it at a glance. It's true.At this moment, his attitude was indifferent, dazed, and his eyes were expressionless; his voice had always been a sonorous tenor, but he actually raised the highest note. If he hadn't pronounced it in an orderly manner and pronounced the words clearly, it would have sounded like he was angry. .Seeing him in such a state of mind, I can't help but often meditate on the ancient theory about the double heart, and I keep thinking about Dupin, who has both rich imagination and solving ability.

After reading this paragraph, please don't think that I am telling some mysterious stories in detail, or writing some legendary novels.All the real things I have described in my pen are just the result of emotional excitement, and may also be the result of morbid psychology.But to illustrate the character of his conversation at this period, it is best to give an example. one night.We wandered down a long, dirty street near the Royal Palace.Both of them were obviously thinking about something, neither of them said a word, at least fifteen minutes.Unpredictably, Dubin opened his mouth and said:

"He's a very small fellow, that's true, but he's not bad for a circus." "Does it need to be said?" I replied without thinking. I was engrossed in my thoughts, so I didn't notice that Dupin would coincide with me so strangely at first, and he hit me right away. thoughts.In a blink of an eye, I collected myself, and I couldn't help being surprised. "Dubin," I said sternly, "this confuses me. To tell you the truth, I was so astonished that I couldn't believe my ears. How did you know that I was thinking--" At this point I stopped Let's see if he really knows who I'm thinking of.

"... thinking of Santilly," he said, "why don't you go on? Didn't you just think that he's too short for a tragedy?" This is exactly a question that was on my mind just now.Santilly was originally a cobbler in the Rue Saint-Denis. He became a fan of the theater. He once played the role of Zexis in the tragedy of Crébiron. "Please don't be tricky," I cried out, "Tell me what kind of clever plan you have, so that you can see what I'm thinking about." To be honest, I tried my best to cover it up, but I still couldn't help showing a look of surprise. "See the fruit seller," and you can't help but think that this cobbler is too short for Zexis and all that stuff. ’ replied my friend. "Fruit sellers!--what a strange thing to say--I don't know any fruit sellers." "We came down this street just now, and there was a man coming towards you--about fifteen minutes ago." I just remembered that there was indeed a fruit seller on the main street from West Street just now, with a big basket of apples on his head, who almost knocked me down unexpectedly, but I really don't understand , what does this have to do with Santilly. There was nothing bragging about Dupin's face.He said: "I will tell you about it later, and you will fully understand it once I talk about it. Let's look back at the time I talked to you until I met the fruit seller. What were you thinking in your mind? Your series of thoughts The main parts of the event are like this - Santilly, Orion, Dr Nicholas, Epicurus, stone cutting, stones in the street, the fruit seller." Sometimes in life, people can't help pondering their own thoughts carefully, how could they think of this all of a sudden.Thinking about it carefully often has endless aftertaste; people who try it for the first time will be surprised to see that the things that come to mind at the beginning and the things that come to mind at the end are completely irrelevant.I heard what Dupin had just said, and had to admit that he was telling the truth, and I couldn't be more surprised than I was.He continued what he just said: "If I remember correctly, we were talking about horses just before we walked out of West Street. This was the last topic we talked about. As soon as we turned into this street, there happened to be a fruit seller with a big basket on his head , hurried past us, where the sidewalk was being repaired, and there was a pile of rocks, and he bumped you into the rocks. You stepped on a loose rock, stumbled, twisted your ankle a little bit, look You got angry, made a sullen face, muttered a few words in your mouth, looked back at the stone, and walked away without a sound. I didn't pay much attention to your behavior; but recently, in my life Always observe. "You kept your eyes on the ground--eyes blazing at the potholes and car marks in the pavement, so I know you're still thinking about the rocks. When you come to that little alley called Lamartine, you don't Smile. I saw your lips move, so I am convinced that you are muttering about stone cutting, this word, because the alley has long tried to pave the stones stacked firmly, this word is used for this kind of paving It's awkward legally. I know you say the word 'stone cutting' to yourself without thinking of atoms, so Epicurus' theory comes to mind. Besides, we discussed this not too long ago. I'm sorry. You mentioned how strange the vague speculations of that famous Greek were, who would have coincided with the nebula theory that later generations confirmed the evolution of the universe. Looking at the great nebula in the constellation of Orion, I really wish you would do so. You really looked up; I am sure that I have not missed a single step of your train of thought. An article was published in "Museum Gazette" yesterday. Malicious satire of Santilly's tirade, in which the author used shameful sarcasm to ridicule the cobbler, saying that he changed his name when he put on platform boots, and quoted a Latin verse we often refer to .What I said is this- The first letter does not pronounce the original sound. I once told you that this verse is about the constellation of Orion, and it used to be written as Orion's Constellation;Therefore, you will never fail to associate Orion with Santilly.When you see that smile on your lips, you know you must be thinking of it.You think of the hapless cobbler's knife.You have been walking with your waist bent, but now you see your back standing upright.So presumably you thought Santilly was short.That's when I interrupt your train of thought by saying that Santilly is a very small fellow, but he's all right for a circus. " Not long afterward, we were leafing through the evening issue of the Tribune, and we were fascinated by the following news item. "Strange Murder——At about three o'clock this morning, residents of San Roque were awakened from their dreams by a shrill scream. It seemed that the sound came from the fourth floor of a house in Rue Maugue, which was allegedly owned by Mrs. Lesparnet and her daughter, Mademoiselle Camille Lesparnet, lived alone. Everyone planned to open the door and go in, but it was a waste of time. After a moment of delay, they had to pry open the door with a sledge, and eight or nine The neighbors, accompanied by two policemen, went in together. The shouting stopped at this time; but just as everyone was rushing to the top of the stairs on the first floor, the rough voices of two or three people arguing and arguing came from upstairs. At the head of the stairs on the second floor, the voice was also muted, and everything was silent. Everyone searched separately, and quickly checked each room. They found a large back room on the fourth floor, and saw that the door was locked, so they broke in. The scene before them was really It was too horrible to see, and all the people present turned pale with fright, and their souls flew out of their wits. "The room was in disarray, with all the furniture smashed and scattered all over the floor. There was only one bed frame in the room, and the mattress had been pulled away and thrown on the middle floor. There was a bloodstained razor lying on a chair. On the mantelpiece were two or three handfuls of long gray hair, also spattered with blood, as if it had been uprooted. Four Napoleon coins, a topaz earring, three large silver spoons, and three small cupronickel teaspoons were found on the floor. , two purses, containing about four thousand francs in gold, and a chest of drawers in one corner of the room, with all the drawers open, evidently looted, but many things kept there. Under the mattress ( Not under the bed frame) Found a small iron box. The iron box was open, the key was still in the door. There were only a few old letters in it, and some irrelevant papers. "There was not even a sign of Mrs. Lesparney in the room. Only a large amount of soot was found in the fireplace. They searched the chimney. It was terrible to say that they dragged out the body of their daughter. It turned out that someone had been thrown upside down from this narrow place." A large part of the body was forced up the chimney pipe of the chimney, and the body was not yet cold. On closer inspection, there were many scratches on the body, no doubt the flesh was scratched when it was forced into the chimney. There were many serious bruises on the face. Scratched, deep black bruises on the throat, and deep nail prints that looked strangled. "Everyone searched the whole house up and down carefully, and found nothing more, so they went to a small brick-paved yard behind the house, and saw the dead body of the old lady lying in the yard, with her throat completely cut off. As soon as everyone tried to lift the corpse up, the head fell off. The body and the head were all cut into a bloody mess—the corpse was especially horrific, and it was almost beyond human shape. "This newspaper believes that as of now, there are still no clues to this heinous mystery." The next day's newspaper published this detailed report: "The Tragedy in the Rue Maugue--Persons alleged to have been arraigned in connection with this mysterious and appalling incident." (In France, the word "incident" is not so flippant as we seem to imply.) "However, As a result of the interrogation, no clues have been provided for this case. All important confessions are quoted below. "Polan Dibble. The washerwoman confessed that she had known the mother and daughter of the deceased for three years, and had been washing clothes for them during the three years. The old lady and her daughter seemed to be in harmony, and she could be called a loving mother and daughter. She paid a lot of money. I can't tell their lifestyle and source. Mrs. Lie probably lives by fortune-telling. It is said that she has the right to save. Every time she picks up and sends clothes, there is no one in the house. It is certain that their family does not employ people. It seems that the whole house is only on the fourth floor Set out the furniture. "Pierre Moreau, a tobacco merchant, testified that for nearly four years Mrs. Leigh had been buying tobacco and snuff from him on a pocket basis. Born in this part of the country and had always lived there. The deceased and her daughter were in the building where the body was found. I have lived in the house for more than six years. It used to be inhabited by a jeweler who let the upper rooms to various people. The house was originally the property of Mrs. Lesparney. The tenant was very dissatisfied with the way the house was being spoiled. I moved in personally and refused to rent out again. The old lady is full of childishness. In the past six years, the witness has only seen her daughter five or six times. The mother and daughter live a completely isolated life-it is said that they are rich. I heard from the neighbors that Lies Mrs. Barney was a fortune-teller—but he didn't believe it. Except for the old lady and her daughter, only the porter came once or twice, and the doctor came eight or nine times, and never saw anyone enter the house. "A lot of other people are neighbors, and their testimonies are roughly similar. It is said that none of them often come in and out of their gate. I don't know if Mrs. Lie and her daughter have any relatives or friends alive. The shutters on the front of the house are rarely opened. The shutters on the back are always closed. The large back room on the fourth floor had windows open. It was a fine house--not very old. "Isidore Miser, the policeman, testified that he was invited to the house about three o'clock in the morning, and saw twenty or thirty persons before the door, trying to push the door open. At last he pried the door open with a bayonet —not with a crowbar. The door was opened without much effort, for it was a double door or a folding door, with no bolts at the top and bottom. The shouts came out in bursts. When the door was pried open, there was a sudden silence. Somebody, maybe more than one, was crying out in agony—loud and long, not short and urgent. The witness led the way up the stairs. At the top of the stairs, two people were heard arguing loudly. The voices—one gruff, the other high-pitched—a very strange voice. The gruff one was French, and he could still hear a few words. It was definitely not a woman's voice. The words 'Damn' and 'Damn' were clearly heard. The one with the high-pitched voice was a foreigner. Not sure if it was a man or a woman. Can't make out what was being said, but I thought it was Spanish. As for the witnesses in the room The confession of the situation and the tragic state of the corpse is the same as that contained in this newspaper yesterday. "Henri Duval, a neighbor, a silversmith by profession, testifies that he entered the house with the first group of people. The account roughly agrees with Misé. As soon as they broke through the gate, they immediately locked the door again, and no one was allowed to enter, even though it was late at night. The door was suddenly crowded with idlers as before. The witness thought the shrill voice was Italian. Certainly not French. I can't say it was a man's voice. I'm afraid it was a woman's voice. The witness didn't know Italian. Listen I don't know the words, but from the accent, I believe the speaker is an Italian. I know Mrs. Leigh and her daughter. I often talk to their mother and daughter. I am sure that the high-pitched voice does not belong to the deceased at all. "... Odenheimer, restaurant owner. This witness came to testify voluntarily. He did not speak French, and was interrogated through an interpreter. He was originally from Amsterdam. When he passed the house, there was a cry for help. It lasted for several minutes— - about ten minutes. The voice was long and loud - eerie and horrific. It is said that everyone entered the room together. The points of the testimonials are consistent with the testimony of the above-mentioned witnesses, with one difference. The one who lost his voice and screamed must be The man—French. Can't make out the words. The voice is loud and urgent—rambly—distinctly angry and frightened as he speaks. The voice is harsh—squeaky, rather It's harsh. It can't be called high-pitched. The man with the gruff voice kept saying the words 'damn' and 'hell' over and over again and said 'oh my god'. "Jours Miniard, banker, proprietor of the Mignars & Sons Bank, rue de Lorena. It's old Miniard. Madame Lesparnay has some property. Eight years ago, in the spring of a certain year, Madame Lesparnet Opened an account in his bank. Often kept small sums of money. Never withdrawn. Three days before his death, he personally withdrew the four thousand francs. The money was paid in gold coins and sent by a clerk. to her house. "Adolphe Le Bon, clerk of the Minard & Sons bank, testified that on that day, around noon, he took four thousand francs of gold, packed them in two bags, and accompanied Madame Lesparnay to her house. As soon as the gate opened, Miss Lie came out, took a bag of gold coins from him, and the old lady took the other bag. He bowed and took his leave. There was no one in the street at that time. This is a small street. Street - very deserted. "William Byrd, tailor, testifies that he entered the house with the others. Englishman. Lived in Paris for two years. Run upstairs with the first group. Heard a quarrel. The gruff one was French. I can hear a few words, but I can't remember them all now. I heard the words 'Damn' and 'My God' clearly. At that moment, I heard a sound, as if several people were fighting - a kind of scratching Sounds of digging and scuffling. Loud, squeaky voices—louder than gruff. Definitely not English. Sounds German. Probably woman's. Witnesses don't understand German. "The above-mentioned four witnesses were arraigned again and testified that when the group searched the bedroom where Miss Lesparney's body was found, they found the door locked. Everything was silent—no groans were heard, and no sound was heard. When I entered the door, there was no one there. The front and rear windows of the bedroom were all closed, and they were tightly fastened inside. The door between the front room and the back room was also closed, but not locked. The door of the front room leading to the corridor Locked, with the key in. On the fourth floor, at the front of the house, at the end of the corridor, there is a small room with the door ajar. It is full of old beds, boxes, baskets, etc. These things have been carefully moved and searched No inch of the house has not been searched. All the chimneys have been swept up and down. The house has four stories with a garret (or attic) above it. There is a skylight in the roof, well nailed Secret—it looks like it hasn’t been opened for many years. The four witnesses each have their own accounts of how long it took from hearing the noise of arguing to breaking into the door. Some say three minutes, some say five minutes. The door It took a lot of effort to open it. "Afonso Garcio, owner of the undertaker, who claims to live in Rue Mauger. His origin is Spanish. He entered the house with everyone. He did not go upstairs. He was born timid, afraid of being frightened. He heard the sound of a quarrel. The gruff one was French. Couldn't make out what was being said. The squeaky one was English--surely right. Don't know English, judging by the tone of voice. "Alberto Montagni, confectioner, testifies that he went upstairs with the first group. Heard several voices. The rough one was French. He could make out some words. Speaker. Sounds like exhortation. Can't make out what the shrill one is saying. Speaks fast and garbled. Thinks it's a Russian voice. Confession is as usual. Witness is Italian. Never talked to a Russian. Excuse me. "Several witnesses have been interrogated, and they all testify unanimously that the chimneys of the rooms on the fourth floor are very narrow and cannot accommodate a single person. The chimneys are cleared with a cylindrical broom, the kind used by chimney sweeps. This kind of broom passed all the chimney pipes in the house up and down. There was no back staircase in the house, and no one could slip down when everyone went up. Miss Lesparney's body was firmly embedded in the chimney, and four or five people They worked hard together to pull it out. "Paul Dima, the doctor, confessed that it was dawn, please go to the autopsy. At that time, the two corpses were parked in the bedroom where Miss Lie's body was found, on the cloth shed on the bed frame. The lady's body was bruised and wiped. There are many wounds. These phenomena are enough to show that the deceased was actually forced into it. The throat injury is serious. There are several deep scratch marks under the jaw, and there are several blue marks in a row, which are obviously finger marks. The deceased The abdomen was completely discolored, the eyeballs protruded. The tongue was partly bitten through. A large bruise was found on the socket of the heart, evidently from the pressure of the knee. According to Mr. Dumas, Miss Lesparnay had apparently been strangled to death by an unknown number. The old lady's body was mutilated and broken. The bones of the right leg and arm were somewhat crushed. The left shin was badly shattered, as was the left rib. The body was badly bruised and completely discolored. Don't know Where do the scars come from. Only when you encounter a strong man of great strength, swinging a big wooden club or a thick iron rod with great force, or swinging a chair or any big, heavy and blunt weapon. It was beaten like this. No woman could have used any weapon to inflict such serious wounds. The witness saw the dead man decapitated, and the head was badly broken. The throat was clearly severed by a sharp weapon-probably a razor. "Alexandre Etienne, the surgeon, and Dr. Dumas were sent for an autopsy. The statement is in accordance with the statement and opinion of M. Dumas. "Although several other witnesses have been interrogated, no important clues have been obtained. This murder case, in terms of its various details, is really confusing and intricate. If it is really a murder case, it is still unprecedented in Paris. Well. The police have no clue at all--this kind of case is rare. There is not even a trace of this case." The newspaper's evening edition reported that there was still a lot of panic and commotion in the San Roque district—the house was searched again and the witnesses were all questioned again, but to no avail.The supplement mentioned the news that Adolphe Le Ben had been arrested and imprisoned-although apart from the facts already reported in the newspaper, there was no evidence to convict him. Dupin was particularly interested in the progress of the case, though he said nothing, or so it seemed.It was after the news of Le Bon's imprisonment that he asked me what I thought of the case. I can only agree with the Parisians that this is a no-nonsense case.There was no way to see the murderer. "We must not look at any solution to the case based on the result of one subpoena." Dubin said. "The Paris police have always been known for their cleverness, but they are really nothing more than cunning. They only use this method in handling cases. Although they boast of having a variety of methods, they often use the words of the donkey in the wrong way. Mr. Erdan wanted to take his pajamas so that he could enjoy the music more comfortably. Although their success in handling cases was often amazing, it was mostly due to hard-working cursiveness. When these advantages did not work, the plan fell through. For example Vidoc (French detective) is good at guessing, and he is always perseverant in doing things. However, his mind is not cultivated, and he tends to concentrate too much on investigations, so he makes mistakes again and again. He sees things too close, and distorts them The truth. Perhaps one or two points can be seen very clearly, but in this way, it is bound to fail to see the whole issue. There is a kind of thing that is very mysterious. The truth will not always be at the bottom of the well. In fact, I think that the real comparison Important knowledge must be superficial. The truth is not in the corners of our eyes, but in places we can see when we raise our eyes. The way and source of this kind of error can be explained by observing celestial bodies. You blink and look at the stars—— Just by squinting and aiming the outer part of the retina at the stars, you can see the stars clearly, and you can also have the most accurate estimation of the starlight. The outer part of the retina is more sensitive to faint light than the inner part, so the sight Concentrate all on the stars, but the starlight will be weaker. Concentrate all the eyes on the stars, and most of the starlight actually shines on the eyes, but if you squint, you can see more correctly. If you think too much about mystery, your thoughts will Indistinct; if the stare at the firmament is too long, too concentrated, too direct, even Venus will be dimmed. "Speaking of these two homicide cases, we need to conduct in-depth investigation first before we can come up with an idea. I would be happy to have a private interview." ) "Besides, Le Bon did my service, and I'm not forgetting it. Let's go and see the scene for ourselves. I know the Chief of Police, Mr. Ge, and he won't let us in." We obtained permission, and went at once to the Rue Maug.This street, between the Rue Richelieu and the Rue Saint-Roch, was filthy.Our apartment is a long way from this area, so it was nearly dusk when we got there.The house was found at once; for there were still a number of people standing across the street looking up at the closed shutters with aimless curiosity.This is an ordinary Parisian-style house, with a porter's room on one side of the gate, and a movable glass on the window, marked with the word "porter's house".Before entering the door, we walked to the end of the street, turned into an alley, turned a corner, and walked to the back of the house—During this time, Dupin concentrated on detailing the house and the front and rear sides of the street. After careful investigation, I can't see any tricks. We turned back the way we came, went back to the front of the house, rang the doorbell, showed our IDs, and the guards let us through.We went up—into the bedroom where Mademoiselle Lesparney's body was found, where the dead mother and daughter were still lying.The chaos in the room, as usual, did not change at all.What I saw did not differ from what the Tribune recorded.杜宾把一切东西都仔细查过——连被害人的尸体都没放过。接着就走到别的房间里，后来又到院子里；有个警察从头到尾陪着我们。查到天黑，才离开现场。回家途中，我这位朋友顺便到一家日报馆里去了一会儿。 上文说到过，我这位朋友的怪念头真是无奇不有，而且我对这些任念头一向听之任之——因为在英文里找不出恰当的同义词。当时他对我可绝口不提这件人命案子，他生性如此。直到第二天中午时分，他才突然问我，在惨案现场有没有看到什么特别情况。 他口气里着重“特别”这个字眼，不知怎的，竟教我暗吃一惊。 “没，，没什么特别的，”我说道，“至少，跟报上看到的记载没什么两样。” “报上恐怕并没涉及本案那种惨绝人寰的恐怖性。”他答道。“不过，别去管那张报纸的无稽之谈吧。我看，这件疑案大家认为破不了，其理由倒应该看成容易破案——我说的是本案的特点中那种超越常轨的性质。由于表面上找不到动机——不是杀人的动机——而是杀人手段这么毒辣的动机，警察局竟弄得一筹莫展。楼上只有被害的列士巴奈小姐，并没旁人，再说没有一条出路逃得过上楼那伙人的眼睛，这而件事眼明明听到了争吵声音，表面上看来完全矛盾，这点警察局也弄得莫名其妙。房里乱七八糟，死尸倒塞进烟囱里；老太太的尸首残缺不全，惨不忍睹；官府办案的碰到这些情形，加上刚才提到过的原因，以及种种不必多提的情形，他们吹嘘的聪明自然施展不出，无能为力。他们犯了个大错误，可这倒也寻常，他们把难得看见的事错当做奥妙透项的事了。不过，如果要探求事实真相，只须打破常规，就可以摸索出一条道理来。象咱们目前进行的查访工作，与其问'出了什么事'，还不如问'出了什么从没出过的事'。老实说，这件疑案，我一下子就能解决，或者说，已经解决了，我看作容易，警察看作破不了，这恰恰成为正比。” 我暗吃一惊，默不作声地盯着他。 “我正在等着，”他望着房门，接下去说，“我正在等着一个人，这人也许不是这两件惨案的凶犯，可是跟这次行凶一定有几分关系。这些罪行中惨无人道的一节恐怕跟他丝毫无关。但愿这个猜测不错，因为全部破案的希望都寄托在这上面了。我在这间房里，无时无刻不在盼望那人光临。不错，他或许不会来；可是多半会来。要是来了，就少不得把他留下。这是手枪；咱们两个都知道到时候怎么样使枪。” 我拿了手枪，简直不知道自己在干什么，也信不了自己的耳朵，杜宾却径自说下去，八成象在自言自语。我早就交代过了，碰到这种时候，他总是心不在焉。他那番话是对我说的；声音虽然不高，那副腔调却是一般用来跟老远的人说话的。眼睛光是茫然望着墙上。 “大伙在楼梯上听到的吵架声音，不是那两个女人的，这点完全由证人证实了，”他说道。“咱们可以放心，不必怀疑老太太是不是先害死女儿，事后再自杀。我说到这件事，主要是为了说明凶杀的方法；因为列士巴来太太的力气不会那么大，要把她女儿的尸体塞在事后发现尸体的烟囱里，可绝对办不到；再说她自已遍体鳞伤，人家决不会认为她是自杀。因此，凶杀这件事是第三者干的；第三者的声音呢，也就是大家所听见的吵架声。我现在来谈谈证人的供词吧，不谈有关这些声音的全部供词，单谈那种供词中的特殊点。你看到有什么特殊的吗？” 我就说，证人一致认为粗声粗气的那个是法国人，可是说到尖声尖气的那个，或者，照其中一人说是刺耳的声音，那就各有各的说法。 “那是证据，”杜宾道，“可不是证据的特殊点。你没看出什么特殊的地方。但这里头有一点得注意。正如你所说，证人都认为粗声粗气的那个是法国人；在这问题上意见都一致。可是说到尖声尖气的那个，特殊点就来了，特殊点倒不在于意见不一致，而在于这些证人，无论是意大利人、英国人、西班牙人、荷兰人、法国人，一形容到那个声音，人人都说是外国人的声音。人人都肯定不是他们本国人的声音。没一个把这声音比做他通晓的任何国家的语言——恰恰相反，法国人认为是西班牙人的声音，'要是他懂西班牙话，就听得懂几个字眼。'荷兰人硬说是法国人的声音，可是在他的供词里却说：'不懂法国话，证人是通过翻译受讯的。'英国人认为这是德国人的声音，但'并不懂得德国活'。西班牙人'肯定'这是英国人的声音，可是他完全'根据说话腔调判断的'，'因为他一点英国话都不懂。'意大利人却以为是俄国人的声音，但'从未跟俄国人谈过话'。此外，还有一个法国人跟头一个法国人说法又不同，他肯定那是意大利人的声音；可是，并不通晓那种语言，就象那个西班牙人一样，'根据说话腔调'。瞧，当时那声音真是多么希奇啊，看这种供词，能够证实那是哪种声音呢！——这种声调，连欧洲五大区域的公民都没听惯！你会说那大概是亚洲人的声音——是非洲人的声音吧。在巴黎，亚洲人可没几个，非洲人也数得清；不过，先不去否定这种推论，现在只提出三点，请你注意。一个证人说这声音'与其说是尖声尖气，不如说是刺耳'。还有两个证人说是'又快又乱'。没一个证人提到他听得出什么字——象什么字眼的声音。 “我不知道。”杜宾接着说，“你听了我这番话，心里有什么谱；可是不瞒你说，就凭供词上谈到粗声粗气和尖声尖气的这一部分，便可以作出合理的推论，这种推论完全足以令人产生疑问。根据这个疑问顺藤摸瓜，就可以进一步调查这件疑案。我刚才说'合理的推论'，可我的意思并没全部表达出来。我原想说这种推论是唯一合适的推论，这种推论的唯一结果必然产生疑问。不过是什么疑问暂时还不说。只要你记住，我心里这个疑团完全有根有据，足以使我在搜查那间寝室时，对搜查方式和大致目标心里有个谱。 “现在咱们就算到那间寝室去了吧。先找什么呢？凶手逃走的方法。咱们俩谁都不信不可思议的怪事，这是不消说的。列士巴奈太太母女俩不会给妖怪杀害。行凶的是个有血有肉的，逃走时也不能化为一缕轻烟。那么怎么逃的呢？幸亏这问题只有一种推论的方式，靠了这方式一定能得到个明确的判断。咱们把凶手可能采取的逃走方法，一一加以研究吧。大伙上楼的当儿，凶手明明就在发现列士巴奈小姐尸体的房里，至少可以说是在隔壁房里。因此只要在这两间房里找出口就行了。警察已经把四处地板、天花板和砖墙全都查看得一清二楚。没什么秘密出口逃得过他们的法眼。可是，我信不过他们的眼力，亲自查了一下。查过了，果然没有秘密出口。通过道的两扇房门全都锁得严严密密，钥匙也都插在里面。回头去看看烟囱吧。这些烟囱虽然都跟普通烟囱一样宽，离开炉边有八九尺高，可是从头到尾连只大猫的身子都容不下。以上说的两个地方，既然都绝对不可能作为逃走的出路，那就只好从窗子着手了。打前房窗口逃走，那可逃不过街上一伙人的眼睛。因此，凶手一定是从后房窗口逃跑的。好了，既然得出了这么明显的结论，那么，作为推论的人，就不能因为看来不通而予以否定。咱们只有去证明这些看来'不通'的理由实际上是通的。 “寝室里有两扇窗子。一扇窗子没给家具堵住，完全看得见。另一扇窗子的下半扇，给笨重的床架一头紧紧抵住，遮得看不见。没遮住的那扇窗子里面是紧紧拴住的。就是使尽浑身力气也休想拉得动。左面窗框上钻了个大钉眼，钉眼里钉着一枚挺结实的钉子，快钉到了头。再看着另一扇窗子，也有同样一枚钉子，同样钉着；哪怕用尽九牛二虎之力，也休想拉得起这扇窗。警察看了就完全相信出路不在这两个窗口上。因此，他们认为拔掉钉子，打开窗子是多此一举。 “我进行的调查比较严格，这样做，理由就是刚才所说的——因为，我知道，凡是看来不通的事物，证明的结果实际上未必如此。 “我就这样着手琢磨了——从结果推溯原因。凶手准是从这两扇窗子的一扇逃走的。就算这样，凶手出去了可没法再从里边挂上窗框，要知道大家看见的窗框就是拴着的——这事非常明显，警察才不在这方面追根究底。可是窗框是拴紧的。那么，一定能够自动拴上。这个结论绝对错不了，我走到那个没堵上的窗口，花了番手脚才拔去钉子，打算把窗框推上。不出我所料，果然是怎么推都推不上。我这才知道，准是暗装一道弹簧；我的想法证实了。就此相信不管这钉子的情况看来依然多么玄妙，我的前提至少是对的。仔细找了一下，马上就找出这个机关来了。我一按，心里对这个发现挺满意，就忍住了，没去推上窗框。 “当下重新放好钉子，留神打量一通。一个人跳出这个窗子，窗子会重新关上，弹簧也会碰上；可是钉子不会重新钉好。这个结论很清楚，我的侦查范围就此缩小了。凶手一定从另一个窗子逃走。两个窗子的弹簧大概是相同的，假定这样的话，钉子上一定有个不同的地方，至少钉法上不同。踏上床架的棚子，我探出头，仔细朝床头后面另一个窗子端详一番。伸手到床头后面一摸，一下子就摸到弹簧，一按，果真不出所料，就跟那扇窗子一模一样。于是看看钉子。正跟另一枚钉子一样结实，而且分明是一样钉法，也快钉到了头。 “你会说我给难住了；真这样想的话，一定是弄错了归纳法的道理。套句运动界的行活，我可是'百发百中'。线索始终没断过。任何一个环节都没脱掉。我已经追到这个秘密的底了；那个底就是钉子。我刚说，外表上看来，这钉子跟另一扇窗子上的钉子丝毫不差；尽管看起来这是真凭实据，可是眼看线索马上就要解开，比起来，这凭据根本毫无价值了。我说；'这钉子一定有什么不对头的地方。'伸手一摸，手指头就箝出了钉头，外加二三分长的钉身。钉身的其他部分还在钉眼里，就是在那儿断掉的。断口是老的，因为边上全生了锈，分明是锤子捶断的，一捶就将钉头多少捶进下边窗框的顶上。当下我就把针头重新放在刚才取出的缺口里，果然活象一枚钉子——一点缝都看不出。按了下弹簧，我轻轻把窗框推上见时；钉头还牢牢嵌在窗框的钉眼里，一齐推上去了。我关上窗，钉子又成了整整一枚了。 “说到这儿，闷葫芦总算打破了。凶手是打床头上那扇窗口逃掉的。凶手一逃，窗就自动关上了，或者是凶手故意关上的也说不定，窗也就给弹簧挂上了；警察把弹簧的那股力错当做钉子的力——就此认为不必再追究了。 “第二个问题要研究的就是逃下去的方式。这一点，我跟你绕着屋子兜了一圈，就胸有成竹了。隔开那扇窗子五尺半左右的地方，有根避雷针。谁也没法从这根避雷针上够着窗口，别说是跳进窗里了。可是我看到四楼的百叶窗是别的一种，巴黎的木匠师傅称做'铁格窗'——这种款式目前很少来用，在里昂和波尔多某些古老的府邸上，倒还时常看得见。样子象普通的门，是单扇，不是双扇，只是下半扇是格子窗，或者铸成镂空铁栏，这就可以给人当作绝妙的把手。列士巴奈太太家的百叶窗足足有三尺半宽。咱们当时从房子后面望上去，看到两扇百叶窗全都半开半闭——就是说，百叶窗跟墙面恰正成个直角。警察大概也象我一样，查过那幢楼房的后面；要是检查过的话，不会不看这两扇铁格窗的宽度，但他们没看出窗子有这么宽，就算看到了，反正也没当做一回事。其实，他们既然深信这地方不能当做逃的出路，自然在这儿检查得马马虎虎了。可是，我看清楚了，床头窗口那扇百叶窗如果完全推开到挨着墙，离开进窗外还不到两尺呢。还有一点也很清楚，只有身手异常矫捷，胆大包天，浑身使劲，才可能从避雷针爬进窗里。现在假定这扇百叶窗完全敞开，只有二尺半的距离；强盗大可以紧紧抓住百叶窗上的铁格。然后松开避雷针，两脚牢牢顶住墙，大胆从上面纵身一跳，他就可以把百叶窗顺势一推关上了。如果假定当时开着窗，连他的人都可以趁势跳进屋里。 “希望你特别记住一点，刚才说过，要干那么危险，那么困难的绝技，必须身手异常矫捷，才能马到成功。我的用意，首先就是让你知道，跳窗这件事可能办得到；——不过，其次，也是主要一点，请你记住，必须具有特别灵活的身手，简在是不可思议的身手，才跳得成。 “不消说，你会用上一句法律辙儿说'把事实证明一下'，我与其强调充分估计凶手跳窗必须具备的矫捷身手，倒不如低估一些的好。这在法律上也许用得上，在推论上却行不通。我最终目的只是搞清事实真相。眼前的用意，就是要你把我刚才说的联想一下：异常矫捷的身手和那种特别尖锐或者刺耳的喊声，乱七八糟的声音，那声音是哪国口音，可没有一个人说的相同，而且发些什么音也听不清。” 听了这番话，我心里一下子似懂非模的，隐约懂得了杜宾的意思。似乎快要领会了，却又无法理会，恰如有时候，人们心里快要回想起来，想到头来，偏偏又记不起一样。我朋友接着又大发宏论。 “不说你也明白，”他说道，“我已经把话题从溜出去的方式扯到溜进来的方式了。我的用意无非提醒你，出去进来都用同一方式，都在同一地方。现在回过头来讲讲室内情况吧。看看这儿的现象吧。五斗橱的抽屉，据说给人搜劫过，可里头还有不少衣物。因此这种结论实在荒唐。这不过是个猜测——非常愚蠢的猜测——仅此而且。怎么知道抽屉里发现的这些东西不是完整无缺的呢？列士巴奈太太母女过着与世隔绝的生活——没看见有什么人来往——难得出门——用不着好多会替换衣服。抽屉里的这些衣物，至少是母女俩手头所有的最好衣物。要是有贼偷走什么的话，干吗不偷最好的——干吗不全偷走？一句话，干吗不拿四千法郎的金币，反而拿衣服添麻烦呢？金币没拿走。银行老板米尼亚尔先生说的那笔钱。几乎原封不动放在地板上两个袋子里。警察单凭一部分供词说把钱送到门口这一点，就对谋杀的动机，产生错误看法，希望你心里可别存这种看法。送去一笔款子，不到三天，收款人就遭谋杀，象这种巧合的事，人生中随时随地都碰得到，而且蹊跷何止十倍于此，可又何尝有人注意过呢。一般说来，巧合的事是思想家之流的绊脚石，凭他们的那种学问，可不懂得或然性的理论——要知道人类科学研究的重大课题取得极为辉煌的成就应当归功于这种理论。在目前这件事上，要是金币丢了，那么三天前送款子的事。就不仅仅是巧合了。那一来，倒证实了关于动机的看法了。不过，根据本案的实际情况，要假定这个暴行的动机是为了钱，那势必认为凶手是三心两意的白痴，竟然现成金币不拿，而且连原来的动机也忘了。 “现在可别忘了我提请你注意的几点——特别的声音，异常矫健的身手，以及那样惨无人道的离奇凶杀案竟然毫无动机——咱们回过头来看看凶杀的惨状吧。房里这个女人给人用手扼死，然后给人倒栽葱塞进烟囱里。普通凶手可不用这种杀人方式。尤其不用这种方法藏尸灭迹。照尸首给塞进烟囱的情况看来，你就会承认那里头有点离奇古怪——一般看来，人们决不会做出这种事，哪怕凶手是最最狠毒的人。你还想想看，把尸体硬塞进这么狭的洞里，几个人一齐使尽力气都拖不下来，那股子劲该有多猛啊！ “好了，回过头再看看凶手使出那股神力的其他形迹吧。壁炉上有几大把花白的头发。这是连根拔起来的。你总也知道，哪怕从头上一把拔下二三十根头发，都得使出好大的力气。你我都看到那几把发丝，发根上还连皮带肉呢，真叫人看得心里发毛——由此可见那份力气大得要命，说不定一气儿拔得下五十万根头发呢。老太太不单喉管给割开，而且脑袋完全跟身体分了家——凶器不过是把剃刀罢了。我希望你对这些兽性般残酷的罪行也注意一下。至于列土巴奈太太身上的瘀伤，我暂且不说什么。迪马先生和他那位可敬的助手艾蒂安先生，全声明这些伤痕是钝器所伤；这两位先生在这方面说得很对。钝器明明就是院子里铺的石头，被害人就是从床头那扇窗里给扔下来的。这个看法现在看来尽管简单，警察却忽略了，忽略的原因正是他们忽略百叶窗的宽度一样——因为那两枚钉子的关系，他们的脑子就给堵死了，想不到窗子可能开过。 “如果现在，除了以上说的这些情况之外，你再好好回顾一下室内凌乱异常的情况，就有利于咱们综合这几点。惊人的矫捷身手，超人的力气，残酷的兽性，毫无动机的惨杀，完全违反人道的恐怖行径，在不少国籍的人耳朵里，听来都象外国口音的声音，而且没有清楚明了的音节。请问你得出什么结论来呢？听了我这番话，你心里有了什么话？” 听到杜宾问我这话，我顿时浑身发毛，说道：“这是疯子干的勾当，是附近疗养院里逃出来的武疯干的。” 他答道：“你的看法倒也有些道理，但疯子即使神经病大大发作，声音跟楼梯上听到的那种怪声也根本不一样。疯子总有个国籍吧，尽管说的话前言不对后语，可是发音总首尾一贯吧。再说，疯子的毛发也不是象我现在手里捏着的这种。这一小撮毛，我是从列士巴奈太太捏紧的手指缝里拉出来的。你倒说说这是什么？” “杜宾！”我吓得浑身一点气力都没有了，说道。“这毛真是非常少见——这不是人的毛发啊。” “我也没说是啊，”他道，“不过，在没肯定这点之前，我要你看看描在这张纸上的一小幅草图。这张画画的就是一部分供词所说的列士巴奈小姐喉部有'深黑的瘀伤和深深的指甲印'，另外，迪马先生和艾蒂安先生的供词里，却说是'几块青痕，显然是指痕'。 “你就会看出，”我朋友接着说道，一边把那张纸摊在我们面前的桌上，“这张草图说明扼得多么有力，多牢。一点都看不出松过手。个个指头都保持原来狠狠嵌在肉里的样子，可能是扼到死者断气才放手的。你倒试试看，把手指头同时放在这几个指印上。” 我试了一下，可是不成。 “这样试验可能不够好，”他说道。“纸头摊成了平面；可是人的脖子是圆筒形。这儿有根木柴，跟死者的脖子差不多粗细。把这张草图包在上面，再试试看。” 我照做了；可是这回显然比上回更加费劲。 我道：“这不是人手的指印。” 杜宾答道。“那就看看居维易（法国动物学家和古生物学家）的这节文章吧。” 这是一段有关东印度群岛的茶色大猩猩的详细解剖和一般描写。这种哺乳类动物。尽人皆知体格魁伟，力大无穷，灵活非凡，生性残酷，爱好模仿。我看了顿时明白这件恐怖透顶的血案是怎么回事了。 我看完那段文章，就说；“这上面关于猩猩瓜子的描写，恰恰和这张草图上的一模一样。我看除了这儿提到的猩猩之外，没其他动物的指印跟你描下那种一样。这撮茶色毛发也跟居维易说的那种野兽的毛发一样无异。不过我对这件恐怖疑案的细节还是不能了解，再说人家都听见有两个人吵架的声音，其中一个确实是法国人的声音。” “说得对；你总记得，那些证人几乎异口同声说这人说过一句话，说的是'天哪'。证人之一，糖果铺老板蒙塔尼说得好，他说这句话在当时的情形下，听来表示规劝和忠告。因此，我就将打破闷葫芦的希望寄托在这两个字上了。一个法国人知道这件血案。可能他跟这件血腥罪行丝毫没有关系，当然十之八九是这样。猩猩也许从他那儿逃走了。他也许追到寝室里来过；可是在当时那种混乱的情况下，他始终没法重新抓住猩猩。猩猩至今还没给抓住。我不再猜测下去了——我可没权利称做别的——因为这些猜测所依据的一点看法简直根据不足，连我自己心里都分不出是对是错，再说我也不敢妄想解释得别人听懂。那么咱们就把这称做猜测，就当猜测一样谈谈吧。如果这个法国人确实象我所假定的，跟这件惨案无关，那么昨天咱们回家时，半路上我到《世界报》报馆登的这段广告，就会把他招到咱们寓所里来，这份报纸是专为航运界办的，最受水手欢迎了。” 他递给我一张报纸，我看到了下面一段广告： “招领——某日清晨（按即发生凶杀案当天早晨）在布伦林中，寻得婆罗洲种茶色巨型猩猩一头。据悉该猩猩系马耳他商船上一名水手所有，失主一经说明失物情况，核对无误，并偿付少许俘获资及留养费，当可领回。失主请驾临市郊圣杰曼区某某路某某号三楼洽取为荷。” “你怎么知道这人是个水手，”我问道，“还知道他是马耳他商船上的人？” “这我不知道，”杜宾道。“不敢肯定。可是，这儿有一小根缎带，看缎带的样子，油腻腻的那副脏相，可见这是水手系头发用的，水手不是喜欢梳长辫子吗。再说，这缎带上打的结除了水手，没什么人会打，而且只有马耳他商船上的水手会打。我是从避雷针柱脚下捡来的。这不见得是死者的东西。我从这根缎带得出结论，认为这法国人是条马耳他商船上的水手，要是说到头来，推论得不对，那么我在报上登这么段广告，也没坏处。如果错了，他也只会当我看了某些表面现象搞错了，决不耐烦来盘问我。可要是对了，我就达到目的啦。这法国人虽然跟这件人命案子无关，却知道这件案子，他见了广告，势必再三犹疑，不敢就来认领猩猩。他心里会这样想：——'我可没罪；我人穷；猩猩可值一大笔钱——对我这种处境的人来说，这确是件宝贝——何必庸人自扰，因担心出事而把猩猩白白送掉呢？猩猩就在眼前，一伸手就可抓到。这是在布伦林里找到的——离开惨案现场老远老远呢。怎会给人疑心这勾当是头凶兽干出来的呢？警察都束手无策——连一点线索都找不到。就算他们追到了这头畜生，也无法证明我知道这件人命案子，也不会因为我知情，加我罪名啊。尤其是人家已经知道了我，登广告的指出我是这头野兽的原主。真不知他到底摸了我几分底。要是白白放弃值这么一大笔钱的宝贝，人家又知道是我的，岂不叫人对这头畜生起疑。要我引人注意，那可不行，要我引人注意那头畜生，也不行。我要去应这广告，领回猩猩，好生看管，等到事过境迁再说。” 这工夫，我们忽然听得楼梯上传来一阵脚步声。 “准备好手枪，”杜宾道，“不过没我的暗号，可别开枪，也别露馅儿。” 屋子大门原本开着，来人没按铃就走了进来，走上几级楼梯。谁知，这时竟踌躇不决了。不久听得他下了楼。杜宾赶紧奔到房门口，倒听得他上楼来了。他没再往回走，下定决心一步步走上来敲敲我们房门。 “请进来，”杜宾说，声调又高兴又热情。 进来一个汉子。一看就知道是个水手——长得魁梧结实，孔武有力，一脸天不怕地不怕的样子，给人印象不坏。他脸上给太阳晒得黎黑，倒有一大半给络腮胡子和八字胡须遮掉。手里拿着根。