Chapter 117

110 MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE 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 Rochefoucauld, to La Bruyere, to Machiavelli, and the 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 illadmeasurement, 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