第5章黑猫(5)
Onedaysheae,uponsomehouseholderrand,iheoldbuildingwhipelledustoinhabit。Theedowairs,ahrowingmeheadloedmetomadinganaxe,aing,inmywrath,thechildishdreadwhichhadhithertostayedmyhand,Iaimedablowattheanimalwhich,ofcourse,rovedinstantlyfatalhaditdesdedasIwished。Butthisblowwasarrestedbythehandofmywife。Goaded,bytheiemorethandemoniacal,Iwithdrewmyarmfrraspaheaxeinherbrain。Shefelldeadupo,withoutagroan。
Thishideousmurderaplished,Isetmyselfforthwith,airedeliberatioaskofgthebody。IkIoveitfromthehouse,eitherbydayht,withouttheriskofbeiheneighbors。Maeredmymind。Atohoughtofgthetomis,aroyingthembyfire。Atanother,Iresolvedtodigagraveforitinthefloorofthecellar。Agaiedaboutgitiheyard—aboutpagitinabox,asifmerdize,withtheusualarras,aiakeitfromthehouse。FinallyIhituponwhatIsideredafarbetterexpedieherofthese。Idetermioihemonksofthemiddleagesarerecordedtohavetheirvictims。
Forapurposesuchasthisthecellarted。Itswallswerelooselystrudhadlatelybeehroughoutlaster,whichthedampheatmospherehadpreventedfr。Moreover,iheroje,causedbyafalseey,orfireplace,thathadbeenfilledup,aoresembletherestofthecellar。ImadenodoubtthatIcouldreadilydisplacetheatthispoihedwallthewholeupasbefore,sothatnoeyecoulddetegsuspicious。
AndinthiscalIwasnotdeceived。Bymeansofacrow-barIeasilydislodgedthebrid,havingcarefullydepositedthebodyagainsttheinnerroppeditinthatpositiohlittletrouble,Ire-laidthewholestructureasitinallystood。Haviar,sand,andhair,witheverypossiblepre,Ipreparedaplasteroteverypossbedistiheold,andwiththisIverycarefullywehenehenIhadfisatisfiedthatallwasright。Thewalldidheslightestappearanceofhaviurbed。Therubbishonthefloorickedupwiththemicare。Ilookedaroundtriumphantly,andsaidtomyself—"Hereatleast,then,mylaborhasnotbeeninvain。"
&epwastolookforthebeastwhichhadbeentheuchwretess;forIhad,atlength,firmlyresolvedtoputittodeath。HadIbeewithit,atthemoment,therecouldhavebeennodoubtofitsfate;butitappearedthattheimalhadbeeheviolenypreviousanger,aopresentitselfimood。Itisimpossibletodesagiheblissfulsenseofreliefwhichtheabseedcreatureoybosom。Itdidsappearahenight—andthusfhtatleast,sirodutothehouse,Isoundlyandtranquillyslept;sleptevenwiththeburdenofmurderuponmysoul!
Thesedthethirddaypassed,andstillmytorme。OnIbreathedasafree-maer,interror,hadfledthepremisesforever!Ishouldbeholditnomore!Myhappinessreme!Theguiltofmydarkdeeddisturbedmebutlittle。Somefewinquirieshadbeehesehadbeenreadilyanswered。Evenasearchhadbeeniofothingwastobediscovered。Ilookeduponmyfuturefelicityassecured。
Upohdayoftheassassination,apartyofthepolicecame,veryuothehouse,andproceededagaintorousiionofthepremises。Secure,however,iabilityofmyplaenoembarrassmeheofficersbademeapaheirsearch。Theyleftnonookorexplored。Atlength,forthethirdorfourthtime,theydestothecellar。Iquiverednotibeatcalmlyasthatofonewhoslumbersininnoce。Iwalkedtheendtoend。Ifoldedmyarmsuponmybosom,androamedeasilytoandfro。Thephlysatisfiedaleeatmyheartwasttoberestrained。Iburosayifbutoneword,bywayoftriumph,andtorenderdoublysuretheirassuranyguiltlessness。
"Ge;Isaidatlast,asthepartyasdedthesteps,"Idelighttohaveallayedyoursuspis。Iwishyouallhealth,andalittlemorecourtesy。Bytheway,gehisisaverywellstructedhouse。"(Intherabiddesiretosaysomethingeasily,IsewwhatIutteredatall。)—"Imaysayalywellstructedhouse。Thesewalls—areyougoihesewallsaresolidlyputtogether";ahroughthemerephreicofbravado,Irappedheavily,withaewhichIheldinmyhand,upoionofthebrick-workbehindwhichstoodthecorpseofthewifeofmybosom。
ButmayGodshieldanddelivermefromthefangsoftheArosoohereverberationofmyblowssunkihanIwasansweredbyavoiwithiomb!—byacry,atfirstmuffledahesobbingofadthenquicklyswellingintoonelong,loud,and,utterlyanomalousandinhuman—ahowl—awailingshriek,halfofhorrorandhalfoftriumph,suchasmighthavearisenonlyoutofhell,tlyfromthethroatsofthedamheiragonyahatexultiion。
Ofmyownthoughtsitisfollytospeak。Swooning,Istaggeredtotheoppositewall。Forothepartyupoairsremaiiohroughextremityofterrorahe,adozenstoutarmsweretollifellbodily。Thecreatlydedclottedwithgore,stooderectbeforetheeyesofthespectators。Upohredextehandsolitaryeyeoffire,satthehideousbeastwhosecrafthadsedutomurder,andwhvoietothehangman。Ihadwalledthemohiomb!