the works of edgar allan poe-2-第19部分

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steadily　at　the　top　of　this　hogshead　for　some　minutes；　and　what　now
caused　me　surprise　was　the　fact　that　I　had　not　sooner　perceived　the
object　thereupon。　I　approached　it；　and　touched　it　with　my　hand。　It
was　a　black　cat　…　a　very　large　one　…　fully　as　large　as　Pluto；　and
closely　resembling　him　in　every　respect　but　one。　Pluto　had　not　a
white　hair　upon　any　portion　of　his　body；　but　this　cat　had　a　large；
although　indefinite　splotch　of　white；　covering　nearly　the　whole
region　of　the　breast。　Upon　my　touching　him；　he　immediately　arose；
purred　loudly；　rubbed　against　my　hand；　and　appeared　delighted　with　my
notice。　This；　then；　was　the　very　creature　of　which　I　was　in　search。　I
at　once　offered　to　purchase　it　of　the　landlord；　but　this　person　made
no　claim　to　it　…　knew　nothing　of　it　…　had　never　seen　it　before。

　　　　I　continued　my　caresses；　and；　when　I　prepared　to　go　home；　the
animal　evinced　a　disposition　to　accompany　me。　I　permitted　it　to　do
so；　occasionally　stooping　and　patting　it　as　I　proceeded。　When　it
reached　the　house　it　domesticated　itself　at　once；　and　became
immediately　a　great　favorite　with　my　wife。

　　　　For　my　own　part；　I　soon　found　a　dislike　to　it　arising　within　me。
This　was　just　the　reverse　of　what　I　had　anticipated；　but　…　I　know　not
how　or　why　it　was　…　its　evident　fondness　for　myself　rather　disgusted
and　annoyed。　By　slow　degrees；　these　feelings　of　disgust　and　annoyance
rose　into　the　bitterness　of　hatred。　I　avoided　the　creature；　a　certain
sense　of　shame；　and　the　remembrance　of　my　former　deed　of　cruelty；
preventing　me　from　physically　abusing　it。　I　did　not；　for　some　weeks；
strike；　or　otherwise　violently　ill　use　it；　but　gradually　…　very
gradually　…　I　came　to　look　upon　it　with　unutterable　loathing；　and　to
flee　silently　from　its　odious　presence；　as　from　the　breath　of　a
pestilence。

What　added；　no　doubt；　to　my　hatred　of　the　beast；　was　the　discovery；
on　the　morning　after　I　brought　it　home；　that；　like　Pluto；　it　also　had
been　deprived　of　one　of　its　eyes。　This　circumstance；　however；　only
endeared　it　to　my　wife；　who；　as　I　have　already　said；　possessed；　in　a
high　degree；　that　humanity　of　feeling　which　had　once　been　my
distinguishing　trait；　and　the　source　of　many　of　my　simplest　and
purest　pleasures。

With　my　aversion　to　this　cat；　however；　its　partiality　for　myself
seemed　to　increase。　It　followed　my　footsteps　with　a　pertinacity　which
it　would　be　difficult　to　make　the　reader　comprehend。　Whenever　I　sat；
it　would　crouch　beneath　my　chair；　or　spring　upon　my　knees；　covering
me　with　its　loathsome　caresses。　If　I　arose　to　walk　it　would　get
between　my　feet　and　thus　nearly　throw　me　down；　or；　fastening　its　long
and　sharp　claws　in　my　dress；　clamber；　in　this　manner；　to　my　breast。
At　such　times；　although　I　longed　to　destroy　it　with　a　blow；　I　was　yet
withheld　from　so　doing；　partly　by　a　memory　of　my　former　crime；　but
chiefly　…　let　me　confess　it　at　once　…　by　absolute　dread　of　the　beast。

　　　　This　dread　was　not　exactly　a　dread　of　physical　evil　…　and　yet　I
should　be　at　a　loss　how　otherwise　to　define　it。　I　am　almost　ashamed
to　own　…　yes；　even　in　this　felon's　cell；　I　am　almost　ashamed　to　own　…
that　the　terror　and　horror　with　which　the　animal　inspired　me；　had
been　heightened　by　one　of　the　merest　chimaeras　it　would　be　possible
to　conceive。　My　wife　had　called　my　attention；　more　than　once；　to　the
character　of　the　mark　of　white　hair；　of　which　I　have　spoken；　and
which　constituted　the　sole　visible　difference　between　the　strange
beast　and　the　one　I　had　destroyed。　The　reader　will　remember　that　this
mark；　although　large；　had　been　originally　very　indefinite；　but；　by
slow　degrees　…　degrees　nearly　imperceptible；　and　which　for　a　long
time　my　Reason　struggled　to　reject　as　fanciful　…　it　had；　at　length；
assumed　a　rigorous　distinctness　of　outline。　It　was　now　the
representation　of　an　object　that　I　shudder　to　name　…　and　for　this；
above　all；　I　loathed；　and　dreaded；　and　would　have　rid　myself　of　the
monster　_had　I　dared_　…　it　was　now；　I　say；　the　image　of　a　hideous　…
of　a　ghastly　thing　…　of　the　GALLOWS　！　…　oh；　mournful　and　terrible
engine　of　Horror　and　of　Crime　…　of　Agony　and　of　Death　！

　　　　And　now　was　I　indeed　wretched　beyond　the　wretchedness　of　mere
Humanity。　And　_a　brute　beast　_…　whose　fellow　I　had　contemptuously
destroyed　…　_a　brute　beast_　to　work　out　for　_me_　…　for　me　a　man；
fashioned　in　the　image　of　the　High　God　…　so　much　of　insufferable　wo！
Alas！　neither　by　day　nor　by　night　knew　I　the　blessing　of　Rest　any
more！　During　the　former　the　creature　left　me　no　moment　alone；　and；　in
the　latter；　I　started；　hourly；　from　dreams　of　unutterable　fear；　to
find　the　hot　breath　of　_the　thing_　upon　my　face；　and　its　vast　weight
…　an　incarnate　Night…Mare　that　I　had　no　power　to　shake　off　…
incumbent　eternally　upon　my　_heart　！_

　　　　Beneath　the　pressure　of　torments　such　as　these；　the　feeble
remnant　of　the　good　within　me　succumbed。　Evil　thoughts　became　my　sole
intimates　…　the　darkest　and　most　evil　of　thoughts。　The　moodiness　of
my　usual　temper　increased　to　hatred　of　all　things　and　of　all　mankind；
while；　from　the　sudden；　frequent；　and　ungovernable　outbursts　of　a
fury　to　which　I　now　blindly　abandoned　myself；　my　uncomplaining　wife；
alas！　was　the　most　usual　and　the　most　patient　of　sufferers。

　　　　One　day　she　accompanied　me；　upon　some　household　errand；　into　the
cellar　of　the　old　building　which　our　poverty　compelled　us　to　inhabit。
The　cat　followed　me　down　the　steep　stairs；　and；　nearly　throwing　me
headlong；　exasperated　me　to　madness。　Uplifting　an　axe；　and
forgetting；　in　my　wrath；　the　childish　dread　which　had　hitherto　stayed
my　hand；　I　aimed　a　blow　at　the　animal　which；　of　course；　would　have
proved　instantly　fatal　had　it　descended　as　I　wished。　But　this　blow
was　arrested　by　the　hand　of　my　wife。　Goaded；　by　the　interference；
into　a　rage　more　than　demoniacal；　I　withdrew　my　arm　from　her　grasp
and　buried　the　axe　in　her　brain。　She　fell　dead　upon　the　spot；　without
a　groan。

　　　　This　hideous　murder　accomplished；　I　set　myself　forthwith；　and
with　entire　deliberation；　to　the　task　of　concealing　the　body。　I　knew
that　I　could　not　remove　it　from　the　house；　either　by　day　or　by　night；
without　the　risk　of　being　observed　by　the　neighbors。　Many　projects
entered　my　mind。　At　one　period　I　thought　of　cutting　the　corpse　into
minute　fragments；　and　destroying　them　by　fire。　At　another；　I　resolved
to　dig　a　grave　for　it　in　the　floor　of　the　cellar。　Again；　I
deliberated　about　casting　it　in　the　well　in　the　yard　…　about　packing
it　in　a　box；　as　if　merchandize；　with　the　usual　arrangements；　and　so
getting　a　porter　to　take　it　from　the　house。　Finally　I　hit　upon　what　I
considered　a　far　better　expedient　than　either　of　these。　I　determined
to　wall　it　up　in　the　cellar　…　as　the　monks　of　the　middle　ages　are
recorded　to　have　walled　up　their　victims。

　　　　For　a　purpose　such　as　this　the　cellar　was　well　adapted。　Its　walls
were　loosely　constructed；　and　had　lately　been　plastered　throughout
with　a　rough　plaster；　which　the　dampness　of　the　atmosphere　had
prevented　from　hardening。　Moreover；　in　one　of　the　walls　was　a
projection；　caused　by　a　false　chimney；　or　fireplace；　that　had　been
filled　up；　and　made　to　resemble　the　red　of　the　cellar。　I　made　no
doubt　that　I　could　readily　displace　the　bricks　at　this　point；　insert
the　corpse；　and　wall　the　whole　up　as　before；　so　that　no　eye　could
detect　any　thing　suspicious。　And　in　this　calculation　I　was　not
deceived。　By　means　of　a　crow…bar　I　easily　dislodged　the　bricks；　and；
having　carefully　deposited　the　body　against　the　inner　wall；　I　propped
it　in　that　position；　while；　with　little　trouble；　I　re…laid　the　whole
structure　as　it　originally　stood。　Having　procured　mortar；　sand；　and
hair；　with　every　possible　precaution；　I　prepared　a　plaster　which
could　not　be　distinguished　from　the　old；　and　with　this　I　very
carefully　went　over　the　new　brickwork。　When　I　had　finished；　I　felt
satisfied　that　all　was　right。　The　wall　did　not　present　the　slightest
appearance　of　having　been　disturbed。　The　rubbish　on　the　floor　was
picked　up　with　the　minutest　care。　I　looked　around　triumphantly；　and
said　to　myself　…　〃Here　at　least；　then；　my　labor　has　not　been　in
vain。〃

　　　　My　next　step　was　to　look　for　the　beast　which　had　been　the　cause
of　so　much　wretchedness；　for　I　had；　at　length；　firmly　resolved　to　put
it　to　death。　Had　I　been　able　to　meet　with　it；　at　the　moment；　there
could　have　been　no　doubt　of　its　fate；　but　it　appeared　that　the　crafty
animal　had　been　alarmed　at　the　violence　of　my　previous　anger；　and
forebore　to　present　itself　in　my　present　mood。　It　is　impossible　to
describe；　or　to　imagine；　the　deep；　the　blissful　sense　of　relief　which
the　absence　of　the　detested　creature　occasioned　in　my　bosom。　It　did
not　make　its　appearance　during　the　night　…　and　thus　for　one　night　at
least；　since　its　introduction　into　the　house；　I　soundly　and
tranquilly　slept；　aye；　slept　even　with　the　burden　of　murder　upon　my
soul！

　　　　The　second　and　the　third　day　passed；　and　still　my　tormentor　came
not。　Once　again　I　breathed　as　a　freeman。　The　monster；　in　terror；　had
fled　the　premises　forever！　I　should　behold　it　no　more！　My　happiness
was　supreme！　The　guilt　of　my　dark　deed　disturbed　me　but　little。　Some
few　inquiries　had　been　made；　but　these　had　been　readily　answered。
Even　a　search　had　been　instituted　…　but　of　course　nothing　was　to　be
discovered。　I　looked　upon　my　future　felicity　as　secured。

　　　　Upon　the　fourth　day　of　the　assassination；　a　party　of　the　police
came；　very　unexpectedly；　into　the　house；　and　proceeded　again　to　make
rigorous　investigation　of　the　premises。　Secure；　however；　in　the
inscrutability　of　my　place　of　concealment；　I　felt　no　embarrassment
whatever。　The　officers　bade　me　accompany　them　in　their　search。　They
left　no　nook　or　corner　unexplored。　At　length；　for　the　third　or　fourth
time；　they　descended　into　the　cellar。　I　quivered　not　in　a　muscle。　My
heart　beat　calmly　as　that　of　one　who　slumbers　in　innocence。　I　walked
the　cellar　from　end　to　end。　I　folded　my　arms　upon　my　bosom；　and
roamed　easily　to　and　fro。　The　police　were　thoroughly　satisfied　and
prepared　to　depart。　The　glee　at　my　heart　was　too　strong　to　be
restrained。　I　burned　to　say　if　but　one　word；　by　way　of　triumph；　and
to　render　doubly　sure　their　assurance　of　my　guiltlessness。

　　　　〃Gentlem