Collected Works of Poe | Page 8

the second;
I will therefore guess odd;' - he guesses odd, and wins. Now, with a
simpleton a degree above the first, he would have reasoned thus: 'This
fellow finds that in the first instance I guessed odd, and, in the second,
he will propose to himself, upon the first impulse, a simple variation
from even to odd, as did the first simpleton; but then a second thought
will suggest that this is too simple a variation, and finally he will decide
upon putting it even as before. I will therefore guess even;' - he guesses
even, and wins. Now this mode of reasoning in the schoolboy, whom
his fellows termed 'lucky,' - what, in its last analysis, is it?"
"It is merely," I said, "an identification of the reasoner's intellect with
that of his opponent."
"It is," said Dupin; "and, upon inquiring, of the boy by what means he
effected the thorough identification in which his success consisted, I
received answer as follows: 'When I wish to find out how wise, or how

stupid, or how good, or how wicked is any one, or what are his
thoughts at the moment, I fashion the expression of my face, as
accurately as possible, in accordance with the expression of his, and
then wait to see what thoughts or sentiments arise in my mind or heart,
as if to match or correspond with the expression.' This response of the
schoolboy lies at the bottom of all the spurious profundity which has
been attributed to Rochefoucault, to La Bougive, to Machiavelli, and to
Campanella."
"And the identification," I said, "of the reasoner's intellect with that of
his opponent, depends, if I understand you aright, upon the accuracy
with which the opponent's intellect is admeasured."
"For its practical value it depends upon this," replied Dupin; "and the
Prefect and his cohort fail so frequently, first, by default of this
identification, and, secondly, by ill-admeasurement, or rather through
non-admeasurement, of the intellect with which they are engaged. They
consider only their own ideas of ingenuity; and, in searching for
anything hidden, advert only to the modes in which they would have
hidden it. They are right in this much - that their own ingenuity is a
faithful representative of that of the mass; but when the cunning of the
individual felon is diverse in character from their own, the felon foils
them, of course. This always happens when it is above their own, and
very usually when it is below. They have no variation of principle in
their investigations; at best, when urged by some unusual emergency -
by some extraordinary reward - they extend or exaggerate their old
modes of practice, without touching their principles. What, for example,
in this case of D--, has been done to vary the principle of action? What
is all this boring, and probing, and sounding, and scrutinizing with the
microscope and dividing the surface of the building into registered
square inches - what is it all but an exaggeration of the application of
the one principle or set of principles of search, which are based upon
the one set of notions regarding human ingenuity, to which the Prefect,
in the long routine of his duty, has been accustomed? Do you not see he
has taken it for granted that all men proceed to conceal a letter, - not
exactly in a gimlet hole bored in a chair-leg - but, at least, in some
out-of-the-way hole or corner suggested by the same tenor of thought

which would urge a man to secrete a letter in a gimlet-hole bored in a
chair-leg? And do you not see also, that such recherchés nooks for
concealment are adapted only for ordinary occasions, and would be
adopted only by ordinary intellects; for, in all cases of concealment, a
disposal of the article concealed - a disposal of it in this recherché
manner, - is, in the very first instance, presumable and presumed; and
thus its discovery depends, not at all upon the acumen, but altogether
upon the mere care, patience, and determination of the seekers; and
where the case is of importance - or, what amounts to the same thing in
the policial eyes, when the reward is of magnitude, - the qualities in
question have never been known to fail. You will now understand what
I meant in suggesting that, had the purloined letter been hidden any
where within the limits of the Prefect's examination - in other words,
had the principle of its concealment been comprehended within the
principles of the Prefect - its discovery would have been a matter
altogether beyond question. This functionary, however, has been
thoroughly mystified; and the remote source of his defeat lies in the
supposition that the Minister is a fool, because he has acquired renown