Retracingoursteps，wecameagaintothefrontofthedwelling，rang，and，havingshownourcredentials，wereadmittedbytheagentsincharge。Wewentupstairs-intothechamberwherethebodyofMademoiselleL’Espanayehadbeenfound，andwhereboththedeceasedstilllay。Thedisordersoftheroomhad，asusual，beensufferedtoexist。Isawnothingbeyondwhathadbeenstatedinthe“GazettedesTribunaux。”Dupinscrutinizedeverything-notexceptingthebodiesofthevictims。Wethenwentintotheotherrooms，andintotheyard；
　　a_gendarme_accompanyingusthroughout。Theexaminationoccupiedusuntildark，whenwetookourdeparture。Onourwayhomemycompanionsteppedinforamomentattheofficeofoneofthedailypapers。
　　Ihavesaidthatthewhimsofmyfriendweremanifold，andthat_Jelesm閚agais_：-forthisphrasethereisnoEnglishequivalent。Itwashishumor，now，todeclineallconversationonthesubjectofthemurder，untilaboutnoonthenextday。Hethenaskedme，suddenly，ifIhadobservedanything_peculiar_atthesceneoftheatrocity。
　　Therewassomethinginhismannerofemphasizingtheword“peculiar。”
　　whichcausedmetoshudder，withoutknowingwhy。
　　“No，nothing_peculiar_。”Isaid；“nothingmore，atleast，thanwebothsawstatedinthepaper。”
　　“The’Gazette，’“hereplied，“hasnotentered，Ifear，intotheunusualhorrorofthething。Butdismisstheidleopinionsofthisprint。Itappearstomethatthismysteryisconsideredinsoluble，fortheveryreasonwhichshouldcauseittoberegardedaseasyofsolution-Imeanforthe_outr開characterofitsfeatures。Thepoliceareconfoundedbytheseemingabsenceofmotive-notforthemurderitself-butfortheatrocityofthemurder。Theyarepuzzled，too，bytheseemingimpossibilityofreconcilingthevoicesheardincontention，withthefactsthatnoonewasdiscoveredupstairsbuttheassassinatedMademoiselleL’Espanaye，andthattherewerenomeansofegresswithoutthenoticeofthepartyascending。Thewilddisorderoftheroom；thecorpsethrust，withtheheaddownward，upthechimney；thefrightfulmutilationofthebodyoftheoldlady；
　　theseconsiderations，withthosejustmentioned，andotherswhichI
　　neednotmention，havesufficedtoparalyzethepowers，byputtingcompletelyatfaulttheboasted_acumen_，ofthegovernmentagents。
　　Theyhavefallenintothegrossbutcommonerrorofconfoundingtheunusualwiththeabstruse。Butitisbythesedeviationsfromtheplaneoftheordinary，thatreasonfeelsitsway，ifatall，initssearchforthetrue。Ininvestigationssuchaswearenowpursuing，itshouldnotbesomuchasked’whathasoccurred，’as’whathasoccurredthathasneveroccurredbefore。’Infact，thefacilitywithwhichIshallarrive，orhavearrived，atthesolutionofthismystery，isinthedirectratioofitsapparentinsolubilityintheeyesofthepolice。”
　　Istaredatthespeakerinmuteastonishment。
　　“Iamnowawaiting。”continuedhe，lookingtowardthedoorofourapartment-“Iamnowawaitingapersonwho，althoughperhapsnottheperpetratorofthesebutcheries，musthavebeeninsomemeasureimplicatedintheirperpetration。Oftheworstportionofthecrimescommitted，itisprobablethatheisinnocent。IhopethatIamrightinthissupposition；foruponitIbuildmyexpectationofreadingtheentireriddle。Ilookforthemanhere-inthisroom-everymoment。Itistruethathemaynotarrive；buttheprobabilityisthathewill。Shouldhecome，itwillbenecessarytodetainhim。
　　Herearepistols；andwebothknowhowtousethemwhenoccasiondemandstheiruse。”
　　Itookthepistols，scarcelyknowingwhatIdid，orbelievingwhatI
　　heard，whileDupinwenton，verymuchasifinasoliloquy。Ihavealreadyspokenofhisabstractmanneratsuchtimes。Hisdiscoursewasaddressedtomyself；buthisvoice，althoughbynomeansloud，hadthatintonationwhichiscommonlyemployedinspeakingtosomeoneatagreatdistance。Hiseyes，vacantinexpression，regardedonlythewall。
　　“Thatthevoicesheardincontention。”hesaid，“bythepartyuponthestairs，werenotthevoicesofthewomenthemselves，wasfullyprovedbytheevidence。Thisrelievesusofalldoubtuponthequestionwhethertheoldladycouldhavefirstdestroyedthedaughterandafterwardhavecommittedsuicide。Ispeakofthispointchieflyforthesakeofmethod；forthestrengthofMadameL’Espanayewouldhavebeenutterlyunequaltothetaskofthrustingherdaughter’scorpseupthechimneyasitwasfound；andthenatureofthewoundsuponherownpersonentirelyprecludetheideaofself-destruction。
　　Murder，then，hasbeencommittedbysomethirdparty；andthevoicesofthisthirdpartywerethoseheardincontention。Letmenowadvert-nottothewholetestimonyrespectingthesevoices-buttowhatwas_peculiar_inthattestimony。Didyouobserveanythingpeculiaraboutit？”
　　Iremarkedthat，whileallthewitnessesagreedinsupposingthegruffvoicetobethatofaFrenchman，therewasmuchdisagreementinregardtotheshrill，or，asoneindividualtermedit，theharshvoice。
　　“Thatwastheevidenceitself。”saidDupin，“butitwasnotthepeculiarityoftheevidence。Youhaveobservednothingdistinctive。
　　Yetthere_was_somethingtobeobserved。Thewitnesses，asyouremark，agreedaboutthegruffvoice；theywerehereunanimous。Butinregardtotheshrillvoice，thepeculiarityis-notthattheydisagreed-butthat，whileanItalian，anEnglishman，aSpaniard，aHollander，andaFrenchmanattemptedtodescribeit，eachonespokeofitasthat_ofaforeigner_。Eachissurethatitwasnotthevoiceofoneofhisowncountrymen。Eachlikensit-nottothevoiceofanindividualofanynationwithwhoselanguageheisconversant-
　　buttheconverse。TheFrenchmansupposesitthevoiceofaSpaniard，and’mighthavedistinguishedsomewords_hadhebeenacquaintedwiththeSpanish。_’TheDutchmanmaintainsittohavebeenthatofaFrenchman；butwefinditstatedthat’_notunderstandingFrenchthiswitnesswasexaminedthroughaninterpreter。_’TheEnglishmanthinksitthevoiceofaGerman，and’_doesnotunderstandGerman。_’TheSpaniard’issure’thatitwasthatofanEnglishman，but’judgesbytheintonation’altogether，’_ashehasnoknowledgeoftheEnglish。_’TheItalianbelievesitthevoiceofaRussian，but’_hasneverconversedwithanativeofRussia。_’AsecondFrenchmandiffers，moreover，withthefirst，andispositivethatthevoicewasthatofanItalian；but，_notbeingcognizantofthattongue_，is，liketheSpaniard，’convincedbytheintonation。’Now，howstrangelyunusualmustthatvoicehavereallybeen，aboutwhichsuchtestimonyasthis_could_havebeenelicited！-inwhose_tones_，even，denizensofthefivegreatdivisionsofEuropecouldrecognisenothingfamiliar！YouwillsaythatitmighthavebeenthevoiceofanAsiatic-ofanAfrican。NeitherAsiaticsnorAfricansaboundinParis；but，withoutdenyingtheinference，Iwillnowmerelycallyourattentiontothreepoints。Thevoiceistermedbyonewitness’harshratherthanshrill。’Itisrepresentedbytwootherstohavebeen’quickand_unequal。_’Nowords-nosoundsresemblingwords-
　　werebyanywitnessmentionedasdistinguishable。
　　“Iknownot。”continuedDupin，“whatimpressionImayhavemade，sofar，uponyourownunderstanding；butIdonothesitatetosaythatlegitimatedeductionsevenfromthisportionofthetestimony-theportionrespectingthegruffandshrillvoices-areinthemselvessufficienttoengenderasuspicionwhichshouldgivedirectiontoallfartherprogressintheinvestigationofthemystery。Isaid’legitimatedeductions；’butmymeaningisnotthusfullyexpressed。
　　Idesignedtoimplythatthedeductionsarethe_sole_properones，andthatthesuspicionarises_inevitably_fromthemasthesingleresult。Whatthesuspicionis，however，Iwillnotsayjustyet。I
　　merelywishyoutobearinmindthat，withmyself，itwassufficientlyforcibletogiveadefiniteform-acertaintendency-
　　tomyinquiriesinthechamber。
　　“Letusnowtransportourselves，infancy，tothischamber。Whatshallwefirstseekhere？Themeansofegressemployedbythemurderers。Itisnottoomuchtosaythatneitherofusbelieveinpr鎡ernaturalevents。MadameandMademoiselleL’Espanayewerenotdestroyedbyspirits。Thedoersofthedeedwerematerial，andescapedmaterially。Thenhow？Fortunately，thereisbutonemodeofreasoninguponthepoint，andthatmode_must_leadustoadefinitedecision-Letusexamine，eachbyeach，thepossiblemeansofegress。ItisclearthattheassassinswereintheroomwhereMademoiselleL’Espanayewasfound，oratleastintheroomadjoining，whenthepartyascendedthestairs。Itisthenonlyfromthesetwoapartmentsthatwehavetoseekissues。Thepolicehavelaidbarethefloors，theceilings，andthemasonryofthewalls，ineverydirection。No_secret_issuescouldhaveescapedtheirvigilance。
　　But，nottrustingto_their_eyes，Iexaminedwithmyown。Therewere，then，nosecretissues。Bothdoorsleadingfromtheroomsintothepassageweresecurelylocked，withthekeysinside。Letusturntothechimneys。These，althoughofordinarywidthforsomeeightortenfeetabovethehearths，willnotadmit，throughouttheirextent，thebodyofalargecat。Theimpossibilityofegress，bymeansalreadystated，beingthusabsolute，wearereducedtothewindows。
　　Throughthoseofthefrontroomnoonecouldhaveescapedwithoutnoticefromthecrowdinthestreet。Themurderers_must_havepassed，then，throughthoseofthebackroom。Now，broughttothisconclusioninsounequivocalamannerasweare，itisnotourpart，asreasoners，torejectitonaccountofapparentimpossibilities。Itisonlyleftforustoprovethattheseapparent’impossibilities’
　　are，inreality，notsuch。
　　“Therearetwowindowsinthechamber。Oneofthemisunobstructedbyfurniture，andiswhollyvisible。Thelowerportionoftheotherishiddenfromviewbytheheadoftheunwieldybedsteadwhichisthrustcloseupagainstit。Theformerwasfoundsecurelyfastenedfromwithin。Itresistedtheutmostforceofthosewhoendeavoredtoraiseit。Alargegimlet-holehadbeenpiercedinitsframetotheleft，andaverystoutnailwasfoundfittedtherein，nearlytothehead。
　　Uponexaminingtheotherwindow，asimilarnailwasseensimilarlyfittedinit；andavigorousattempttoraisethissash，failedalso。
　　Thepolicewerenowentirelysatisfiedthategresshadnotbeeninthesedirections。And，_therefore_，itwasthoughtamatterofsupererogationtowithdrawthenailsandopenthewindows。
　　“Myownexaminationwassomewhatmoreparticular，andwassoforthereasonIhavejustgiven-becausehereitwas，Iknew，thatallapparentimpossibilities_must_beprovedtobenotsuchinreality。
　　“Iproceededtothinkthus-_？posteriori_。Themurderersdidescapefromoneofthesewindows。Thisbeingso，theycouldnothaverefastenedthesashesfromtheinside，astheywerefoundfastened；-
　　theconsiderationwhichputastop，throughitsobviousness，tothescrutinyofthepoliceinthisquarter。Yetthesashes_were_
　　fastened。They_must_，then，havethepoweroffasteningthemselves。
　　Therewasnoescapefromthisconclusion。Isteppedtotheunobstructedcasement，withdrewthenailwithsomedifficultyandattemptedtoraisethesash。Itresistedallmyefforts，asIhadanticipated。Aconcealedspringmust，Inowknow，exist；andthiscorroborationofmyideaconvincedmethatmypremisesatleast，werecorrect，howevermysteriousstillappearedthecircumstancesattendingthenails。Acarefulsearchsoonbroughttolightthehiddenspring。Ipressedit，and，satisfiedwiththediscovery，forboretoupraisethesash。
　　“Inowreplacedthenailandregardeditattentively。Apersonpassingoutthroughthiswindowmighthavereclosedit，andthespringwouldhavecaught-butthenailcouldnothavebeenreplaced。
　　Theconclusionwasplain，andagainnarrowedinthefieldofmyinvestigations。Theassassins_must_haveescapedthroughtheotherwindow。Supposing，then，thespringsuponeachsashtobethesame，aswasprobable，there_must_befoundadifferencebetweenthenails，oratleastbetweenthemodesoftheirfixture。Gettinguponthesackingofthebedstead，Ilookedoverthehead-boardminutelyatthesecondcasement。Passingmyhanddownbehindtheboard，Ireadilydiscoveredandpressedthespring，whichwas，asIhadsupposed，identicalincharacterwithitsneighbor。Inowlookedatthenail。
　　Itwasasstoutastheother，andapparentlyfittedinthesamemanner-driveninnearlyuptothehead。