第31章Theontillado
EdgarAllanPoe
&housaunatoIhadborcould,butwheureduponinsult,Ive。You,thenatureofmysoul,willnotsuppose,haveutterahreat。AtlengthIwouldbeavehisoiivelysettled-buttheverydefihwhichitwasresolvedprecludedtheideaofrisk。Imustnotonlypunish,butpunishwithimpunity。Awrongisunredressedwheiosredresser。Itisequallyuheaveomakehimselffeltassuwhohasd。
ItmustbeuhatherbywordnordeedhadIgivenFortumygoodwill。Iued,aswasmywont,tosmileinhisfadhedidmysmilenowwasatthethoughtofhisimmolation。
Hehadaoint-thisFortunato-althoughinardshewasamaedandevenfeared。Hepridedhimselfonhisoisseurshipialiaruevirtuosospirit。Forthemostparttheirenthusiasmisadoptedtosuitthetimeandopportunity,topractiseimpostureupoishandAustrianmillionaires。Inpaintingandgemmary,Fortunato,likehisen,wasaquathematterofoldwineshewassihisrespeotdifferfromhimmaterially;-Iwasskilfulialianvintagesmyself,andbelywheneverIcould。
Itwasaboutdusk,oneeveningduringthesuprememadheivalseasoeredmyfrieedmewithexcessivewarmth,forhehadbeendrinkingmuworemotley。Hehadonatight-fittingparti-stripeddressandhisheadwassurmouheidbells。Ileasedtoseehim,thatIthoughtIshouldneverhavedhishand。
Isaidtohim-"MydearFortunato,youareluckilymet。Howremarkablywellytoday!ButIhavereceivedapipeofassesforAmontillado,as。"
"How?"saidhe,"Amontillado?Apipe?Impossible?Andinthemiddleoftheival?"
"Ihavemydoubts,"Ireplied,"andIwassillyenoughtopaythefullAmontilladopricewithoutgyouier。Youwerenottobefound,andIwasfearfuloflosingabargain。"
"Amontillado!"
"Ihavemydoubts。"
"Amontillado!"
"AndImustsatisfythem。"
"Amontillado!"
"Asyed,IamonmywaytoLuchresi。Ifanyonehasacriti,itishe。Hewilltellme-"
"LuilladofromSherry。"
"Asomefoolswillhaveitthathistasteisamatchforyourown。"
"e,letusgo。"
"Whither?"
"Toyourvaults。"
"Myfriend,no,Iwillnotimposeupoodnature。Iperceiveyouhavea。Luchresi-"
"Ihave,-e。"
"Myfriend,no。Itis,buttheseverecoldwithwhichIperceiveyouareafflicted。Thevaultsareinsufferablydamp。Theyareeh;
"Letusgo,heerelynothing。Amontillado!Youhavebeenimposedupon;andasforLuchresi,heotdistinguishSherryfromAmontillado。"
Thusspeaking,FortunatopossessedhimselfonamaskofbladdrawingaroquelaurecloselyaboutmypersoohurrymetomyPalazzo。
Therewerehome;theyhadabserryinhonourofthetime。IhadtoldthemthatIshouldilthemandhadgiveordersnottostirfromthehouse。Theseordersweresuffit,Iwellkoiheirimmediatedisappearandall,assoonasmybackwasturned。
Itookfromtheirsbeaux,andgiviuhroughseveralsuitesofroomstothearchwaythatledis。Ipasseddownalongandwindingstaircase,requestinghimtobecautiousashefollowed。Wecameatlengthtothefootofthedesdstoodtogetheronthedampgrouaontresors。
&ofmyfriendwasuhebellsuponhisgledashestrode。
"Thepipe,"hesaid。