the works of edgar allan poe-2-第18部分

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beneath　my　hands。　Upon　the　bed；　before　that　whole　company；　there　lay
a　nearly　liquid　mass　of　loathsome　　of　detestable　putridity。

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THE　BLACK　CAT。

　　　　FOR　the　most　wild；　yet　most　homely　narrative　which　I　am　about　to
pen；　I　neither　expect　nor　solicit　belief。　Mad　indeed　would　I　be　to
expect　it；　in　a　case　where　my　very　senses　reject　their　own　evidence。
Yet；　mad　am　I　not　…　and　very　surely　do　I　not　dream。　But　to…morrow　I
die；　and　to…day　I　would　unburthen　my　soul。　My　immediate　purpose　is　to
place　before　the　world；　plainly；　succinctly；　and　without　comment；　a
series　of　mere　household　events。　In　their　consequences；　these　events
have　terrified　…　have　tortured　…　have　destroyed　me。　Yet　I　will　not
attempt　to　expound　them。　To　me；　they　have　presented　little　but　Horror
…　to　many　they　will　seem　less　terrible　than　_barroques_。　Hereafter；
perhaps；　some　intellect　may　be　found　which　will　reduce　my　phantasm　to
the　common…place　…　some　intellect　more　calm；　more　logical；　and　far
less　excitable　than　my　own；　which　will　perceive；　in　the　circumstances
I　detail　with　awe；　nothing　more　than　an　ordinary　succession　of　very
natural　causes　and　effects。

　　　　From　my　infancy　I　was　noted　for　the　docility　and　humanity　of　my
disposition。　My　tenderness　of　heart　was　even　so　conspicuous　as　to
make　me　the　jest　of　my　companions。　I　was　especially　fond　of　animals；
and　was　indulged　by　my　parents　with　a　great　variety　of　pets。　With
these　I　spent　most　of　my　time；　and　never　was　so　happy　as　when　feeding
and　caressing　them。　This　peculiarity　of　character　grew　with　my
growth；　and　in　my　manhood；　I　derived　from　it　one　of　my　principal
sources　of　pleasure。　To　those　who　have　cherished　an　affection　for　a
faithful　and　sagacious　dog；　I　need　hardly　be　at　the　trouble　of
explaining　the　nature　or　the　intensity　of　the　gratification　thus
derivable。　There　is　something　in　the　unselfish　and　self…sacrificing
love　of　a　brute；　which　goes　directly　to　the　heart　of　him　who　has　had
frequent　occasion　to　test　the　paltry　friendship　and　gossamer　fidelity
of　mere　_Man_。

　　　　I　married　early；　and　was　happy　to　find　in　my　wife　a　disposition
not　uncongenial　with　my　own。　Observing　my　partiality　for　domestic
pets；　she　lost　no　opportunity　of　procuring　those　of　the　most
agreeable　kind。　We　had　birds；　gold…fish；　a　fine　dog；　rabbits；　a　small
monkey；　and　_a　cat_。

　　　　This　latter　was　a　remarkably　large　and　beautiful　animal；　entirely
black；　and　sagacious　to　an　astonishing　degree。　In　speaking　of　his
intelligence；　my　wife；　who　at　heart　was　not　a　little　tinctured　with
superstition；　made　frequent　allusion　to　the　ancient　popular　notion；
which　regarded　all　black　cats　as　witches　in　disguise。　Not　that　she
was　ever　_serious_　upon　this　point　…　and　I　mention　the　matter　at　all
for　no　better　reason　than　that　it　happens；　just　now；　to　be
remembered。

　　　　Pluto　…　this　was　the　cat's　name　…　was　my　favorite　pet　and
playmate。　I　alone　fed　him；　and　he　attended　me　wherever　I　went　about
the　house。　It　was　even　with　difficulty　that　I　could　prevent　him　from
following　me　through　the　streets。

　　　　Our　friendship　lasted；　in　this　manner；　for　several　years；　during
which　my　general　temperament　and　character　…　through　the
instrumentality　of　the　Fiend　Intemperance　…　had　（I　blush　to　confess
it）　experienced　a　radical　alteration　for　the　worse。　I　grew；　day　by
day；　more　moody；　more　irritable；　more　regardless　of　the　feelings　of
others。　I　suffered　myself　to　use　intemperate　language　to　my　wife。　At
length；　I　even　offered　her　personal　violence。　My　pets；　of　course；
were　made　to　feel　the　change　in　my　disposition。　I　not　only　neglected；
but　ill…used　them。　For　Pluto；　however；　I　still　retained　sufficient
regard　to　restrain　me　from　maltreating　him；　as　I　made　no　scruple　of
maltreating　the　rabbits；　the　monkey；　or　even　the　dog；　when　by
accident；　or　through　affection；　they　came　in　my　way。　But　my　disease
grew　upon　me　…　for　what　disease　is　like　Alcohol！　…　and　at　length　even
Pluto；　who　was　now　becoming　old；　and　consequently　somewhat　peevish　…
even　Pluto　began　to　experience　the　effects　of　my　ill　temper。

　　　　One　night；　returning　home；　much　intoxicated；　from　one　of　my
haunts　about　town；　I　fancied　that　the　cat　avoided　my　presence。　I
seized　him；　when；　in　his　fright　at　my　violence；　he　inflicted　a　slight
wound　upon　my　hand　with　his　teeth。　The　fury　of　a　demon　instantly
possessed　me。　I　knew　myself　no　longer。　My　original　soul　seemed；　at
once；　to　take　its　flight　from　my　body　and　a　more　than　fiendish
malevolence；　gin…nurtured；　thrilled　every　fibre　of　my　frame。　I　took
from　my　waistcoat…pocket　a　pen…knife；　opened　it；　grasped　the　poor
beast　by　the　throat；　and　deliberately　cut　one　of　its　eyes　from　the
socket！　I　blush；　I　burn；　I　shudder；　while　I　pen　the　damnable
atrocity。

　　　　When　reason　returned　with　the　morning　…　when　I　had　slept　off　the
fumes　of　the　night's　debauch　…　I　experienced　a　sentiment　half　of
horror；　half　of　remorse；　for　the　crime　of　which　I　had　been　guilty；
but　it　was；　at　best；　a　feeble　and　equivocal　feeling；　and　the　soul
remained　untouched。　I　again　plunged　into　excess；　and　soon　drowned　in
wine　all　memory　of　the　deed。

　　　　In　the　meantime　the　cat　slowly　recovered。　The　socket　of　the　lost
eye　presented；　it　is　true；　a　frightful　appearance；　but　he　no　longer
appeared　to　suffer　any　pain。　He　went　about　the　house　as　usual；　but；
as　might　be　expected；　fled　in　extreme　terror　at　my　approach。　I　had　so
much　of　my　old　heart　left；　as　to　be　at　first　grieved　by　this　evident
dislike　on　the　part　of　a　creature　which　had　once　so　loved　me。　But
this　feeling　soon　gave　place　to　irritation。　And　then　came；　as　if　to
my　final　and　irrevocable　overthrow；　the　spirit　of　PERVERSENESS。　Of
this　spirit　philosophy　takes　no　account。　Yet　I　am　not　more　sure　that
my　soul　lives；　than　I　am　that　perverseness　is　one　of　the　primitive
impulses　of　the　human　heart　…　one　of　the　indivisible　primary
faculties；　or　sentiments；　which　give　direction　to　the　character　of
Man。　Who　has　not；　a　hundred　times；　found　himself　committing　a　vile　or
a　silly　action；　for　no　other　reason　than　because　he　knows　he　should
not？　Have　we　not　a　perpetual　inclination；　in　the　teeth　of　our　best
judgment；　to　violate　that　which　is　_Law_；　merely　because　we
understand　it　to　be　such？　This　spirit　of　perverseness；　I　say；　came　to
my　final　overthrow。　It　was　this　unfathomable　longing　of　the　soul　_to
vex　itself_　…　to　offer　violence　to　its　own　nature　…　to　do　wrong　for
the　wrong's　sake　only　…　that　urged　me　to　continue　and　finally　to
consummate　the　injury　I　had　inflicted　upon　the　unoffending　brute。　One
morning；　in　cool　blood；　I　slipped　a　noose　about　its　neck　and　hung　it
to　the　limb　of　a　tree；　…　hung　it　with　the　tears　streaming　from　my
eyes；　and　with　the　bitterest　remorse　at　my　heart；　…　hung　it　_because_
I　knew　that　it　had　loved　me；　and　_because_　I　felt　it　had　given　me　no
reason　of　offence；　…　hung　it　_because_　I　knew　that　in　so　doing　I　was
committing　a　sin　…　a　deadly　sin　that　would　so　jeopardize　my　immortal
soul　as　to　place　it　…　if　such　a　thing　wore　possible　…　even　beyond　the
reach　of　the　infinite　mercy　of　the　Most　Merciful　and　Most　Terrible
God。

　　　　On　the　night　of　the　day　on　which　this　cruel　deed　was　done；　I　was
aroused　from　sleep　by　the　cry　of　fire。　The　curtains　of　my　bed　were　in
flames。　The　whole　house　was　blazing。　It　was　with　great　difficulty
that　my　wife；　a　servant；　and　myself；　made　our　escape　from　the
conflagration。　The　destruction　was　complete。　My　entire　worldly　wealth
was　swallowed　up；　and　I　resigned　myself　thenceforward　to　despair。

　　　　I　am　above　the　weakness　of　seeking　to　establish　a　sequence　of
cause　and　effect；　between　the　disaster　and　the　atrocity。　But　I　am
detailing　a　chain　of　facts　…　and　wish　not　to　leave　even　a　possible
link　imperfect。　On　the　day　succeeding　the　fire；　I　visited　the　ruins。
The　walls；　with　one　exception；　had　fallen　in。　This　exception　was
found　in　a　compartment　wall；　not　very　thick；　which　stood　about　the
middle　of　the　house；　and　against　which　had　rested　the　head　of　my　bed。
The　plastering　had　here；　in　great　measure；　resisted　the　action　of　the
fire　…　a　fact　which　I　attributed　to　its　having　been　recently　spread。
About　this　wall　a　dense　crowd　were　collected；　and　many　persons　seemed
to　be　examining　a　particular　portion　of　it　with　very　minute　and　eager
attention。　The　words　〃strange！〃　〃singular！〃　and　other　similar
expressions；　excited　my　curiosity。　I　approached　and　saw；　as　if　graven
in　_bas　relief_　upon　the　white　surface；　the　figure　of　a　gigantic
_cat_。　The　impression　was　given　with　an　accuracy　truly　marvellous。
There　was　a　rope　about　the　animal's　neck。

　　　　When　I　first　beheld　this　apparition　…　for　I　could　scarcely　regard
it　as　less　…　my　wonder　and　my　terror　were　extreme。　But　at　length
reflection　came　to　my　aid。　The　cat；　I　remembered；　had　been　hung　in　a
garden　adjacent　to　the　house。　Upon　the　alarm　of　fire；　this　garden　had
been　immediately　filled　by　the　crowd　…　by　some　one　of　whom　the　animal
must　have　been　cut　from　the　tree　and　thrown；　through　an　open　window；
into　my　chamber。　This　had　probably　been　done　with　the　view　of
arousing　me　from　sleep。　The　falling　of　other　walls　had　compressed　the
victim　of　my　cruelty　into　the　substance　of　the　freshly…spread
plaster；　the　lime　of　which；　with　the　flames；　and　the　_ammonia_　from
the　carcass；　had　then　accomplished　the　portraiture　as　I　saw　it。

　　　　Although　I　thus　readily　accounted　to　my　reason；　if　not　altogether
to　my　conscience；　for　the　startling　fact　just　detailed；　it　did　not
the　less　fail　to　make　a　deep　impression　upon　my　fancy。　For　months　I
could　not　rid　myself　of　the　phantasm　of　the　cat；　and；　during　this
period；　there　came　back　into　my　spirit　a　half…sentiment　that　seemed；
but　was　not；　remorse。　I　went　so　far　as　to　regret　the　loss　of　the
animal；　and　to　look　about　me；　among　the　vile　haunts　which　I　now
habitually　frequented；　for　another　pet　of　the　same　species；　and　of
somewhat　similar　appearance；　with　which　to　supply　its　place。

　　　　One　night　as　I　sat；　half　stupified；　in　a　den　of　more　than　infamy；
my　attention　was　suddenly　drawn　to　some　black　object；　reposing　upon
the　head　of　one　of　the　immense　hogsheads　of　Gin；　or　of　Rum；　which
constituted　the　chief　furniture　of　the　apartment。　I　had　been　looking
steadily　at　the　top　of　this　hogshead　for　som