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第4章 黑猫4（第1页）

nightasIsat，halfstuefied，inadenofmorethaninfamy，myattentionwassuddenlydrawntosomeblackobject，reosinguontheheadofoneoftheimmensehogsheadsofGin，orofRum，whichconstitutedthechieffurnitureoftheaartment。Ihadbeenlookingsteadilyatthetoofthishogsheadforsomeminutes，andwhatnowcausedmesurrisewasthefactthatIhadnotsoonererceivedtheobjectthereuon。Iaroachedit，andtoucheditwithmyhand。Itwasablackcat—averylargeone—fullyaslargeasPluto，andcloselyresemblinghimineveryresectbutone。Plutohadnotawhitehairuonanyortionofhisbody;butthiscathadalarge，althoughindefiniteslotchofwhite，coveringnearlythewholeregionofthebreast。

Uonmytouchinghim，heimmediatelyarose，urredloudly，rubbedagainstmyhand，andaeareddelightedwithmynotice。This，then，wastheverycreatureofwhichIwasinsearch。Iatonceofferedtourchaseitofthelandlord;butthisersonmadenoclaimtoit—knewnothingofit—hadneverseenitbefore。

Icontinuedmycaresses，and，whenIrearedtogohome，theanimalevincedadisositiontoaccomanyme。Iermittedittodoso;occasionallystooingandattingitasIroceeded。Whenitreachedthehouseitdomesticateditselfatonce，andbecameimmediatelyagreatfavoritewithmywife。

Formyownart，Isoonfoundadisliketoitarisingwithinme。ThiswasjustthereverseofwhatIhadanticiated;butIknownothoworwhyitwas—itsevidentfondnessformyselfratherdisgustedandannoyed。Byslowdegrees，thesefeelingsofdisgustandannoyanceroseintothebitternessofhatred。Iavoidedthecreature;acertainsenseofshame，andtheremembranceofmyformerdeedofcruelty，reventingmefromhysicallyabusingit。Ididnot，forsomeweeks，strike，orotherwiseviolentlyilluseit;butgradually—verygradually—Icametolookuonitwithunutterableloathing，andtofleesilentlyfromitsodiousresence，asfromthebreathofaestilence。

Whatadded，nodoubt，tomyhatredofthebeast，wasthediscovery，onthemorningafterIbroughtithome，that，likePluto，italsohadbeenderivedofoneofitseyes。Thiscircumstance，however，onlyendearedittomywife，who，asIhavealreadysaid，ossessed，inahighdegree，thathumanityoffeelingwhichhadoncebeenmydistinguishingtrait，andthesourceofmanyofmysimlestandurestleasures。

Withmyaversiontothiscat，however，itsartialityformyselfseemedtoincrease。Itfollowedmyfootsteswithaertinacitywhichitwouldbedifficulttomakethereadercomrehend。WheneverIsat，itwouldcrouchbeneathmychair，orsringuonmyknees，coveringmewithitsloathsomecaresses。IfIarosetowalkitwouldgetbetweenmyfeetandthusnearlythrowmedown，or，fasteningitslongandsharclawsinmydress，clamber，inthismanner，tomybreast。Atsuchtimes，althoughIlongedtodestroyitwithablow，Iwasyetwithheldfromsodoing，artlybyamemoryofmyformercrime，butchiefly—letmeconfessitatonce—byabsolutedreadofthebeast。

Thisdreadwasnotexactlyadreadofhysicalevil-andyetIshouldbeatalosshowotherwisetodefineit。Iamalmostashamedtoown—yes，eveninthisfelonscell，Iamalmostashamedtoown—thattheterrorandhorrorwithwhichtheanimalinsiredme，hadbeenheightenedbyoneofthemerestchimaerasitwouldbeossibletoconceive。Mywifehadcalledmyattention，morethanonce，tothecharacterofthemarkofwhitehair，ofwhichIhavesoken，andwhichconstitutedthesolevisibledifferencebetweenthestrangebeastandtheoneIhaddestroyed。Thereaderwillrememberthatthismark，althoughlarge，hadbeenoriginallyveryindefinite;but，byslowdegrees—degreesnearlyimercetible，andwhichforalongtimemyreasonstruggledtorejectasfanciful—ithad，atlength，assumedarigorousdistinctnessofoutline。ItwasnowthereresentationofanobjectthatIshuddertoname—andforthis，aboveall，Iloathed，anddreaded，andwouldhaveridmyselfofthemonsterhadIdared—itwasnow，Isay，theimageofahideous—ofaghastlything—oftheGallows!—oh，mournfulandterribleengineofHorrorandofCrime—ofAgonyandofDeath!

AndnowwasIindeedwretchedbeyondthewretchednessofmereHumanity。Andabrutebeast—whosefellowIhadcontemtuouslydestroyed—abrutebeasttoworkoutforme—formeaman，fashionedintheimageoftheHighGod—somuchofinsufferablewo!Alas!NeitherbydaynorbynightknewItheblessingofRestanymore!Duringtheformerthecreatureleftmenomomentalone;and，inthelatter，Istarted，hourly，fromdreamsofunutterablefear，tofindthehotbreathofthethinguonmyface，anditsvastweight—anincarnateNight-MarethatIhadnoowertoshakeoff—incumbenteternallyuonmyheart!

Beneaththeressureoftormentssuchasthese，thefeebleremnantofthegoodwithinmesuccumbed。Evilthoughtsbecamemysoleintimates—thedarkestandmostevilofthoughts。Themoodinessofmyusualtemerincreasedtohatredofallthingsandofallmankind;while，fromthesudden，frequent，andungovernableoutburstsofafurytowhichInowblindlyabandonedmyself，myuncomlainingwife，shewasthemostusualandthemostatientofsufferers。