Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
wellourselves;butthenIthoughtDupinwouldliketohearthedetails
ofit,becauseitissoexcessivelyodd.”
“Simpleandodd,”saidDupin.
“Why,yes;andnotexactlythat,either.Thefactis,wehaveallbeen
agooddealpuzzledbecausetheaffairissosimple,andyetbaffles
usaltogether.”
“Perhapsitistheverysimplicityofthethingwhichputsyou
atfault,”saidmyfriend.
“Whatnonsenseyoudotalk!”repliedthePrefect,laughingheartily.
“Perhapsthemysteryisalittletooplain,”saidDupin.
“Oh,goodheavens!whoeverheardofsuchanidea?”
“Alittletooself-evident.”
“Ha!ha!ha—ha!ha!ha!—ho!ho!ho!”roaredourvisitor,
profoundlyamused,“oh,Dupin,youwillbethedeathofmeyet!”
“Andwhat,afterall,isthematteronhand?”Iasked.
“Why,Iwilltellyou,”repliedthePrefect,ashegavealong,steady
andcontemplativepuff,andsettledhimselfinhischair.“Iwilltellyou
inafewwords;but,beforeIbegin,letmecautionyouthatthis
isanaffairdemandingthegreatestsecrecy,andthatIshouldmost
probablylosethepositionInowhold,wereitknownthatIconfided
ittoanyone.”
“Proceed,”saidI.
“Ornot,”saidDupin.
“Well,then;Ihavereceivedpersonalinformation,fromaveryhigh
quarter,thatacertaindocumentofthelastimportancehasbeen
purloinedfromtheroyalapartments.Theindividualwhopurloined
itisknown;thisbeyondadoubt;hewasseentotakeit.Itisknown,
also,thatitstillremainsinhispossession.”
“Howisthisknown?”askedDupin.
“Itisclearlyinferred,”repliedthePrefect,“fromthenatureofthe
document,andfromthenon-appearanceofcertainresultswhichwould
atoncearisefromitspassingoutoftherobber’spossession;that
istosay,fromhisemployingitashemustdesignintheendtoemploy
it.”
