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Icommittedtomemoryitsexternalappearanceandarrangementinthe
rack;andalsofell,atlength,uponadiscoverywhichsetatrest
whatevertrivialdoubtImighthaveentertained.Inscrutinizingthe
edgesofthepaper,Iobservedthemtobemorechafedthanseemed
necessary.Theypresentedthebrokenappearancewhichismanifested
whenastiffpaper,havingbeenoncefoldedandpressedwithafolder,
isrefoldedinareverseddirection,inthesamecreasesoredgeswhich
hadformedtheoriginalfold.Thisdiscoverywassufficient.Itwasclear
tomethattheletterhadbeenturned,asaglove,insideout,re-directed,
andre-sealed.IbadetheMinistergoodmorning,andtook
mydepartureatonce,leavingagoldsnuff-boxuponthetable.
“ThenextmorningIcalledforthesnuff-box,whenweresumed,
quiteeagerly,theconversationoftheprecedingday.Whilethus
engaged,however,aloudreport,asifofapistol,washeard
immediatelybeneaththewindowsofthehotel,andwassucceeded
byaseriesoffearfulscreams,andtheshoutingsofaterrifiedmob.D
——rushedtoacasement,threwitopen,andlookedout.Inthe
meantime,Isteppedtothecard-rack,tooktheletter,put
itinmypocket,andreplaceditbyafac-simile,(sofarasregards
externals,)whichIhadcarefullypreparedatmylodgings—imitating
theD——cipher,veryreadily,bymeansofasealformedofbread.
“Thedisturbanceinthestreethadbeenoccasionedbythefrantic
behaviorofamanwithamusket.Hehadfireditamongacrowd
ofwomenandchildren.Itproved,however,tohavebeenwithoutball,
andthefellowwassufferedtogohiswayasalunaticoradrunkard.
Whenhehadgone,D——camefromthewindow,whitherIhad
followedhimimmediatelyuponsecuringtheobjectinview.Soon
afterwardsIbadehimfarewell.Thepretendedlunaticwasaman
inmyownpay.”
“Butwhatpurposehadyou,”Iasked,“inreplacingtheletter
byafac-simile?Woulditnothavebeenbetter,atthefirstvisit,tohave
seizeditopenly,anddeparted?”
“D——,”repliedDupin,“isadesperateman,andamanofnerve.
Hishotel,too,isnotwithoutattendantsdevotedtohisinterests.Had
Imadethewildattemptyousuggest,Imightneverhaveleftthe
Ministerialpresencealive.ThegoodpeopleofParismighthaveheard
ofmenomore.ButIhadanobjectapartfromtheseconsiderations.
Youknowmypoliticalprepossessions.Inthismatter,Iact
