第5章 黑猫〔5〕

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nedaysheaccomaniedme,uonsomehouseholderrand,intothecellaroftheoldbuildingwhichourovertycomelledustoinhabit.Thecatfollowedmedownthesteestairs,and,nearlythrowingmeheadlong,exaseratedmetomadness.Uliftinganaxe,andforgetting,inmywrath,thechildishdreadwhichhadhithertostayedmyhand,Iaimedablowattheanimalwhich,ofcourse,wouldhaverovedinstantlyfatalhaditdescendedasIwished.Butthisblowwasarrestedbythehandofmywife.Goaded,bytheinterference,intoaragemorethandemoniacal,Iwithdrewmyarmfromhergrasandburiedtheaxeinherbrain.Shefelldeaduonthesot,withoutagroan.

Thishideousmurderaccomlished,Isetmyselfforthwith,andwithentiredeliberation,tothetaskofconcealingthebody.IknewthatIcouldnotremoveitfromthehouse,eitherbydayorbynight,withouttheriskofbeingobservedbytheneighbors.Manyrojectsenteredmymind.AtoneeriodIthoughtofcuttingthecorseintominutefragments,anddestroyingthembyfire.Atanother,Iresolvedtodigagraveforitinthefloorofthecellar.Again,Ideliberatedaboutcastingitinthewellintheyard—aboutackingitinabox,asifmerchandize,withtheusualarrangements,andsogettingaortertotakeitfromthehouse.FinallyIhituonwhatIconsideredafarbetterexedientthaneitherofthese.Ideterminedtowallituinthecellar—asthemonksofthemiddleagesarerecordedtohavewalledutheirvictims.

Foraurosesuchasthisthecellarwaswelladated.Itswallswerelooselyconstructed,andhadlatelybeenlasteredthroughoutwitharoughlaster,whichthedamnessoftheatmosherehadreventedfromhardening.Moreover,inoneofthewallswasarojection,causedbyafalsechimney,orfirelace,thathadbeenfilledu,andmadetoresembletherestofthecellar.ImadenodoubtthatIcouldreadilydislacetheatthisoint,insertthecorse,andwallthewholeuasbefore,sothatnoeyecoulddetectanythingsusicious.

AndinthiscalculationIwasnotdeceived.Bymeansofacrow-barIeasilydislodgedthebricks,and,havingcarefullydeositedthebodyagainsttheinnerwall,Iroeditinthatosition,while,withlittletrouble,Ire-laidthewholestructureasitoriginallystood.Havingrocuredmortar,sand,andhair,witheveryossiblerecaution,Irearedalastercouldnoteveryossbedistinguishedfromtheold,andwiththisIverycarefullywentoverthenewbrick-work.WhenIhadfinished,Ifeltsatisfiedthatallwasright.Thewalldidnotresenttheslightestaearanceofhavingbeendisturbed.Therubbishonthefloorwasickeduwiththeminutestcare.Ilookedaroundtriumhantly,andsaidtomyself—

"Hereatleast,then,mylaborhasnotbeeninvain.

"

Mynextstewastolookforthebeastwhichhadbeenthecauseofsomuchwretchedness;forIhad,atlength,firmlyresolvedtoutittodeath.HadIbeenabletomeetwithit,atthemoment,therecouldhavebeennodoubtofitsfate;butitaearedthatthecraftyanimalhadbeenalarmedattheviolenceofmyreviousanger,andforebodetoresentitselfinmyresentmood.Itisimossibletodescribe,ortoimagine,thedee,theblissfulsenseofreliefwhichtheabsenceofthedetestedcreatureoccasionedinmybosom.Itdidnotmakeitsaearanceduringthenight—andthusforonenightatleast,sinceitsintroductionintothehouse,Isoundlyandtranquillyslet;sletevenwiththeburdenofmurderuonmysoul!

Thesecondandthethirddayassed,andstillmytormentorcamenot.OnceagainIbreathedasafree-man.Themonster,interror,hadfledtheremisesforever!Ishouldbeholditnomore!Myhainesswassureme!Theguiltofmydarkdeeddisturbedmebutlittle.Somefewinquirieshadbeenmade,butthesehadbeenreadilyanswered.Evenasearchhadbeeninstituted—butofcoursenothingwastobediscovered.Ilookeduonmyfuturefelicityassecured.

Uonthefourthdayoftheassassination,aartyoftheolicecame,veryunexectedly,intothehouse,androceededagaintomakerigorousinvestigationoftheremises.Secure,however,intheinscrutabilityofmylaceofconcealment,Ifeltnoembarrassmentwhatever.Theofficersbademeaccomanythemintheirsearch.Theyleftnonookorcornerunexlored.Atlength,forthethirdorfourthtime,theydescendedintothecellar.Iquiverednotinamuscle.Myheartbeatcalmlyasthatofonewhoslumbersininnocence.Iwalkedthecellarfromendtoend.Ifoldedmyarmsuonmybosom,androamedeasilytoandfro.Theolicewerethoroughlysatisfiedandrearedtodeart.Thegleeatmyheartwastoostrongtoberestrained.Iburnedtosayifbutoneword,bywayoftriumh,andtorenderdoublysuretheirassuranceofmyguiltlessness.

"Gentlemen,

"Isaidatlast,astheartyascendedthestes,

"Idelighttohaveallayedyoursusicions.Iwishyouallhealth,andalittlemorecourtesy.Bytheway,gentlemen,this—thisisaverywellconstructedhouse.

"(Intherabiddesiretosaysomethingeasily,IscarcelyknewwhatIutteredatall.)—

"Imaysayanexcellentlywellconstructedhouse.Thesewalls—areyougoing,gentlemen?—thesewallsaresolidlyuttogether

";andhere,throughthemerehreneticofbravado,Iraedheavily,withacanewhichIheldinmyhand,uonthatveryortionofthebrick-workbehindwhichstoodthecorseofthewifeofmybosom.

ButmayGodshieldanddelivermefromthefangsoftheArch-Fiend!NosoonerhadthereverberationofmyblowssunkintosilencethanIwasansweredbyavoicefromwithinthetomb!—byacry,atfirstmuffledandbroken,likethesobbingofachild,andthenquicklyswellingintoonelong,loud,andcontinuousscream,utterlyanomalousandinhuman—ahowl—awailingshriek,halfofhorrorandhalfoftriumh,suchasmighthavearisenonlyoutofhell,conjointlyfromthethroatsofthedamnedintheiragonyandofthedemonsthatexultinthedamnation.

Ofmyownthoughtsitisfollytoseak.Swooning,Istaggeredtotheoositewall.Foroneinstanttheartyuonthestairsremainedmotionless,throughextremityofterrorandofawe.Inthenext,adozenstoutarmsweretollingatthewall.Itfellbodily.Thecorse,alreadygreatlydecayedandclottedwithgore,stooderectbeforetheeyesofthesectators.Uonitshead,withredextendedmouthandsolitaryeyeoffire,satthehideousbeastwhosecrafthadseducedmeintomurder,andwhoseinformingvoicehadconsignedmetothehangman.Ihadwalledthemonsteruwithinthetomb!