It
was just such a slip, indeed, as might have been chosen for a
memorandum --for a record of something to be long remembered and
carefully preserved."
"But," I interposed, "you say that the skull was not upon the
parchment when you made the drawing of the beetle. How then do you
trace any connexion between the boat and the skull --since this
latter, according to your own admission, must have been designed
(God only knows how or by whom) at some period subsequent to your
sketching the scarabaeus?"
"Ah, hereupon turns the whole mystery; although the secret, at
this point, I had comparatively little difficulty in solving. My steps
were sure, and could afford but a single result. I reasoned, for
example, thus: When I drew the scarabaeus, there was no skull apparent
on the parchment. When I had completed the drawing, I gave it to
you, and observed you narrowly until you returned it. You,
therefore, did not design the skull, and no one else was present to do
it. Then it was not done by human agency. And nevertheless it was
done.
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