Le scarabée d'or

A short story published in 1843. The plot follows William Legrand, who discovers an unusual gold-colored bug on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina. When his servant fears he's going insane, a friend visits to help. Legrand draws them into an adventure involving a mysterious cipher that promises buried treasure. The story incorporates cryptography and secret codes, which fascinated nineteenth-century readers. It became Poe's most popular