It　was　soon　after　dark；　upon　this　same　evening；　that　Madame　Deluc；　as
  well　as　her　eldest　son；　heard　the　screams　of　a　female　in　the　vicinity
  of　the　inn。　The　screams　were　violent　but　brief。　Madame　D。　recognized
  not　only　the　scarf　which　was　found　in　the　thicket；　but　the　dress
  which　was　discovered　upon　the　corpse。　An　omnibus　driver；　Valence；
  ｛*13｝　now　also　testified　that　he　saw　Marie　Rog阾　cross　a　ferry　on　the
  Seine；　on　the　Sunday　in　question；　in　company　with　a　young　man　of　dark
  complexion。　He；　Valence；　knew　Marie；　and　could　not　be　mistaken　in　her
  identity。　The　articles　found　in　the　thicket　were　fully　identified　by
  the　relatives　of　Marie。
  The　items　of　evidence　and　information　thus　collected　by　myself；　from
  the　newspapers；　at　the　suggestion　of　Dupin；　embraced　only　one　more
  point　　but　this　was　a　point　of　seemingly　vast　consequence。　It
  appears　that；　immediately　after　the　discovery　of　the　clothes　as　above
  described；　the　lifeless；　or　nearly　lifeless　body　of　St。　Eustache；
  Marie's　betrothed；　was　found　in　the　vicinity　of　what　all　now　supposed
  the　scene　of　the　outrage。　A　phial　labelled　〃laudanum；〃　and　emptied；
  was　found　near　him。　His　breath　gave　evidence　of　the　poison。　He　died
  without　speaking。　Upon　his　person　was　found　a　letter；　briefly　stating
  his　love　for　Marie；　with　his　design　of　self…　destruction。
  〃I　need　scarcely　tell　you；〃　said　Dupin；　as　he　finished　the　perusal　of
  my　notes；　〃that　this　is　a　far　more　intricate　case　than　that　of　the
  Rue　Morgue；　from　which　it　differs　in　one　important　respect。　This　is
  an　ordinary；　although　an　atrocious　instance　of　crime。　There　is
  nothing　peculiarly　outr？about　it。　You　will　observe　that；　for　this
  reason；　the　mystery　has　been　considered　easy；　when；　for　this　reason；
  it　should　have　been　considered　difficult；　of　solution。　Thus；　at
  first；　it　was　thought　unnecessary　to　offer　a　reward。　The　myrmidons　of
  G…　were　able　at　once　to　comprehend　how　and　why　such　an　atrocity
  might　have　been　committed。　They　could　picture　to　their　imaginations　a
  mode　…　many　modes　…　and　a　motive　…　many　motives；　and　because　it　was
  not　impossible　that　either　of　these　numerous　modes　and　motives　could
  have　been　the　actual　one；　they　have　taken　it　for　granted　that　one　of
  them　must。　But　the　case　with　which　these　variable　fancies　were
  entertained；　and　the　very　plausibility　which　each　assumed；　should
  have　been　understood　as　indicative　rather　of　the　difficulties　than　of
  the　facilities　which　must　attend　elucidation。　I　have　before　observed
  that　it　is　by　prominences　above　the　plane　of　the　ordinary；　that
  reason　feels　her　way；　if　at　all；　in　her　search　for　the　true；　and　that
  the　proper　question　in　cases　such　as　this；　is　not　so　much　'what　has
  occurred？'　as　'what　has　occurred　that　has　never　occurred　before？'　In
  the　investigations　at　the　house　of　Madame　L'Espanaye；　｛*14｝　the
  agents　of　G　were　discouraged　and　confounded　by　that　very
  unusualness　which；　to　a　properly　regulated　intellect；　would　have
  afforded　the　surest　omen　of　success；　while　this　same　intellect　might
  have　been　plunged　in　despair　at　the　ordinary　character　of　all　that
  met　the　eye　in　the　case　of　the　perfumery…girl；　and　yet　told　of
  nothing　but　easy　triumph　to　the　functionaries　of　the　Prefecture。
  〃In　the　case　of　Madame　L'Espanaye　and　her　daughter　there　was；　even　at
  the　beginning　of　our　investigation；　no　doubt　that　murder　had　been
  committed。　The　idea　of　suicide　was　excluded　at　once。　Here；　too；　we
  are　freed；　at　the　commencement；　from　all　supposition　of　self…　murder。
  The　body　found　at　the　Barri鑢e　du　Roule；　was　found　under　such
  circumstances　as　to　leave　us　no　room　for　embarrassment　upon　this
  important　point。　But　it　has　been　suggested　that　the　corpse
  discovered；　is　not　that　of　the　Marie　Rog阾　for　the　conviction　of
  whose　assassin；　or　assassins；　the　reward　is　offered；　and　respecting
  whom；　solely；　our　agreement　has　been　arranged　with　the　Prefect。　We
  both　know　this　gentleman　well。　It　will　not　do　to　trust　him　too　far。
  If；　dating　our　inquiries　from　the　body　found；　and　thence　tracing　a
  murderer；　we　yet　discover　this　body　to　be　that　of　some　other
  individual　than　Marie；　or；　if　starting　from　the　living　Marie；　we　find
  her；　yet　find　her　unassassinated　　in　either　case　we　lose　our　labor；
  since　it　is　Monsieur　G　with　whom　we　have　to　deal。　For　our　own
  purpose；　therefore；　if　not　for　the　purpose　of　justice；　it　is
  indispensable　that　our　first　step　should　be　the　determination　of　the
  identity　of　the　corpse　with　the　Marie　Rog阾　who　is　missing。
  〃With　the　public　the　arguments　of　L'Etoile　have　had　weight；　and　that
  the　journal　itself　is　convinced　of　their　importance　would　appear　from
  the　manner　in　which　it　commences　one　of　its　essays　upon　the　subject　…
  'Several　of　the　morning　papers　of　the　day；'　it　says；　'speak　of　the
  _conclusive_　article　in　Monday's　Etoile。'　To　me；　this　article　appears
  conclusive　of　little　beyond　the　zeal　of　its　inditer。　We　should　bear
  in　mind　that；　in　general；　it　is　the　object　of　our　newspapers　rather
  to　create　a　sensation　　to　make　a　point　…　than　to　further　the　cause
  of　truth。　The　latter　end　is　only　pursued　when　it　seems　coincident
  with　the　former。　The　print　which　merely　falls　in　with　ordinary
  opinion　（however　well　founded　this　opinion　may　be）　earns　for　itself
  no　credit　with　the　mob。　The　mass　of　the　people　regard　as　profound
  only　him　who　suggests　_pungent　contradictions_　of　the　general　idea。
  In　ratiocination；　not　less　than　in　literature；　it　is　the　epigram
  which　is　the　most　immediately　and　the　most　universally　appreciated。
  In　both；　it　is　of　the　lowest　order　of　merit。
  〃What　I　mean　to　say　is；　that　it　is　the　mingled　epigram　and　melodrame
  of　the　idea；　that　Marie　Rog阾　still　lives；　rather　than　any　true
  plausibility　in　this　idea；　which　have　suggested　it　to　L'Etoile；　and
  secured　it　a　favorable　reception　with　the　public。　Let　us　examine　the
  heads　of　this　journal's　argument；　endeavoring　to　avoid　the
  incoherence　with　which　it　is　originally　set　forth。
  〃The　first　aim　of　the　writer　is　to　show；　from　the　brevity　of　the
  interval　between　Marie's　disappearance　and　the　finding　of　the
  floating　corpse；　that　this　corpse　cannot　be　that　of　Marie。　The
  reduction　of　this　interval　to　its　smallest　possible　dimension；
  becomes　thus；　at　once；　an　object　with　the　reasoner。　In　the　rash
  pursuit　of　this　object；　he　rushes　into　mere　assumption　at　the　outset。
  'It　is　folly　to　suppose；'　he　says；　'that　the　murder；　if　murder　was
  committed　on　her　body；　could　have　been　consummated　soon　enough　to
  have　enabled　her　murderers　to　throw　the　body　into　the　river　before
  midnight。'　We　demand　at　once；　and　very　naturally；　why？　Why　is　it
  folly　to　suppose　that　the　murder　was　committed　_within　five　minutes_
  after　the　girl's　quitting　her　mother's　house？　Why　is　it　folly　to
  suppose　that　the　murder　was　committed　at　any　given　period　of　the　day？
  There　have　been　assassinations　at　all　hours。　But；　had　the　murder
  taken　place　at　any　moment　between　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning　of
  Sunday；　and　a　quarter　before　midnight；　there　would　still　have　been
  time　enough　''to　throw　the　body　into　the　river　before　midnight。'　This
  assumption；　then；　amounts　precisely　to　this　…　that　the　murder　was　not
  committed　on　Sunday　at　all　…　and；　if　we　allow　L'Etoile　to　assume
  this；　we　may　permit　it　any　liberties　whatever。　The　paragraph
  beginning　'It　is　folly　to　suppose　that　the　murder；　etc。；'　however　it
  appears　as　printed　in　L'Etoile；　may　be　imagined　to　have　existed
  actually　thus　in　the　brain　of　its　inditer　…　'It　is　folly　to　suppose
  that　the　murder；　if　murder　was　committed　on　the　body；　could　have　been
  committed　soon　enough　to　have　enabled　her　murderers　to　throw　the　body
  into　the　river　before　midnight；　it　is　folly；　we　say；　to　suppose　all
  this；　and　to　suppose　at　the　same　time；　（as　we　are　resolved　to
  suppose；）　that　the　body　was　not　thrown　in　until　after　midnight'　　a
  sentence　sufficiently　inconsequential　in　itself；　but　not　so　utterly
  preposterous　as　the　one　printed。
  〃Were　it　my　purpose；〃　continued　Dupin；　〃merely　to　_make　out　a　case_
  against　this　passage　of　L'Etoile's　argument；　I　might　safely　leave　it
  where　it　is。　It　is　not；　however；　with　L'Etoile　that　we　have　to　do；
  but　with　the　truth。　The　sentence　in　question　has　but　one　meaning；　as
  it　stands；　and　this　meaning　I　have　fairly　stated：　but　it　is　material
  that　we　go　behind　the　mere　words；　for　an　idea　which　these　words　have
  obviously　intended；　and　failed　to　convey。　It　was　the　design　of　the
  journalist　to　say　that；　at　whatever　period　of　the　day　or　night　of
  Sunday　this　murder　was　committed；　it　was　improbable　that　the
  assassins　would　have　ventured　to　bear　the　corpse　to　the　river　before
  midnight。　And　herein　lies；　really；　the　assumption　of　which　I
  complain。　It　is　assumed　that　the　murder　was　committed　at　such　a
  position；　and　under　such　circumstances；　that　the　bearing　it　to　the
  river　became　necessary。　Now；　the　assassination　might　have　taken　place
  upon　the　river's　brink；　or　on　the　river　itself；　and；　thus；　the
  throwing　the　corpse　in　the　water　might　have　been　resorted　to；　at　any
  period　of　the　day　or　night；　as　the　most　obvious　and　most　immediate
  mode　of　disposal。　You　will　understand　that　I　suggest　nothing　here　as
  prob