博炮作文网

第5章 黑猫5（第1页）

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!