67 One might even consider that he is the only one "to speak" in the tale. His is the dominant discourse which, with a loquacious and didactic braggadocio that is magisterial in truth, dispenses directives, controls directions, redresses wrongs, and gives lessons to everyone. He spends his time, and everyone else's, inflicting punishments and recalling the rules. He posts himself and addresses himself. Only the address counts, the right and authentic one. Which comes back, according to the law, to its rightful owner. Thanks to the man of law, the guide and rector of the proper way. The entire ''Purloined Letter" is written in order for him to bring it back, finally, while giving a lecture. And since he shows himself more clever than all the others, the letter plays one more trick on him at the moment when he recognizes its place and true destination. It escapes and entraps him (literature stage-left) at the moment when, at his most authoritatively arrogant, he hears himself say that he entraps while explaining the trap, at the moment when he strikes his blow and returns the letter. Unwittingly he gives in to all the demands, and doubles, that is replaces the minister and the police: if there were only one, a hypothesis to be dismissed, he would be the greatest dupe of the "story." It remains to be seen-what about the lady. He addresses-her-the-Queen-the-address-dupes-her. [ . . s'il n'y en avait qu'une, hypothèse en congé, ce serait la plus belle dupe de l' "histoire." Reste à savoir-quoi de la belle. Il-l'adresse-la-Reine-l'adresse-la-dupe. ]