the cask of Amontillado

by Edgar Allan Poe

the thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could ; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge . you, who so_well know the nature of_my soul, will not suppose, however, that I_gave utterance to a threat . at_length i_would_be avenged ; this_was a point definitively settled - but the very definitiveness with_which it_was resolved, precluded the idea of risk . I_must not_only punish, but punish with impunity .a wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser . it_is equally unredressed when_the avenger fails to_make himself felt as such to him who has_done the wrong .

it must_be understood, that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will .I continued, as was my wont, to smile in_his face, and he_did_not perceive that my smile now was at_the thought of_his immolation .

he had a weak point - this Fortunato - although in other regards he_was a man to_be respected and even feared . he prided himself on_his connoisseurship in wine . few Italians have the true virtuoso spirit . for_the most part their enthusiasm is adopted to suit the time and opportunity - to practise imposture upon_the British and Austrian millionaires . in painting and gemmary, Fortunato, like his countrymen , was a quack - but in_the matter of old wines he_was sincere . in_this respect I_did_not differ from_him materially : i_was skilful in_the Italian vintages myself, and bought largely whenever I_could .

it_was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of_the carnival season, that I encountered my friend . he accosted me with excessive warmth, for he had_been drinking much . the man wore motley . he had on a tight-fitting parti- striped dress, and_his head was surmounted by_the conical cap and bells . i_was so pleased to_see him, that i_thought i_should never have_done wringing his hand .

I_said to him - " my dear Fortunato, you_are luckily met . how remarkably well you_are looking to- day ! but I_have received a pipe of what passes for Amontillado, and I_have my doubts ."

" how ? " said he ."Amontillado ? a pipe ? impossible ! and in_the middle of_the carnival ! "

" I_have my doubts," I replied ; " and i_was silly enough to_pay the full Amontillado price without consulting you in_the matter . you were_not to_be found, and i_was fearful of losing a bargain ."

"Amontillado ! "

" I_have my doubts ."

"Amontillado ! "

" and I_must satisfy them ."

"Amontillado ! "

" as_you_are engaged, I_am on my way to Luchesi . if any_one has a critical turn, it_is he . he_will tell me --"

"Luchesi cannot tell Amontillado from sherry ."

" and yet some fools will_have it that his taste is a match for your own ."

" come, let_us go ."

" whither ? "

" to your vaults ."

" my friend, no ; i_will_not impose upon your good nature .I perceive you_have an engagement .Luchesi --"

" I_have no engagement ; - come ."

" my friend, no . it_is_not the engagement, but the severe cold with_which I perceive you_are afflicted . the vaults are insufferably damp . they_are encrusted with nitre ."

" let_us go, nevertheless . the cold is merely nothing .Amontillado ! you_have_been imposed upon . and as for Luchesi, he_cannot distinguish sherry from Amontillado ."

thus speaking, Fortunato possessed himself of_my arm .Putting on a mask of black silk, and drawing aroquelaire closely about_my person, I suffered him to hurry me to my palazzo .

there were no attendants at home ; they had absconded to_make merry in honor of_the time .I had told them that I should_not return until the morning, and had given them explicit orders not to stir from_the house . these orders were sufficient, I well knew, to insure their immediate disappearance, one and all, as_soon_as my back was turned .

i_took from their sconces two flambeaux, and giving one to Fortunato, bowed him through several suites of rooms to_the archway that led into_the vaults .I passed down a long and winding staircase, requesting him to_be cautious as he followed . we came at_length to_the foot of_the descent, and stood together on_the damp ground of_the catacombs of_the Montresors .

the gait of_my friend was unsteady, and_the bells upon his cap jingled as he strode .

" the pipe," said he .

" it_is farther on," said I ; " but observe the white web- work which gleams from_these cavern walls ."

he turned towards me, and looked into my eyes with two filmy orbs that distilled the rheum of intoxication .

"Nitre ? " he asked, at_length .

"Nitre," I replied ." how long have_you had that cough ? "

"Ugh ! ugh ! ugh ! - ugh ! ugh ! ugh ! - ugh ! ugh ! ugh ! - ugh ! ugh ! ugh ! - ugh ! ugh ! ugh ! "

my poor friend found it impossible to reply for many minutes .

" it_is nothing," he_said, at last .

" come," I_said, with decision, " we_will go back ; your health is precious . you_are rich, respected, admired, beloved ; you_are happy, as once i_was . you_are a man to_be missed . for_me it_is no matter . we_will go back ; you_will_be ill, and I_cannot_be responsible . besides, there_is Luchesi --"

" enough," he_said ; " the cough is amere nothing; it_will_not kill me . I_shall_not die of a cough ."

" true - true," I replied ; " and, indeed, I had no intention of alarming you unnecessarily - but you_should use all proper caution .a draught of_this Medoc will defend us from_the damps ."

here I knocked off the neck of a bottle which I drew from a long row of_its fellows that lay upon_the mould .

" drink," I_said, presenting him the wine .

he raised it to_his lips with a leer . he paused and nodded to_me familiarly, while his bells jingled .

"I drink," he_said, " to_the buried that repose around us ."

" and I to your long life ."

he again took my arm, and we proceeded .

" these vaults," he_said, " are extensive ."

" the Montresors," I replied, " were a great and numerous family ."

"I forget your arms ."

"A huge human foot d' or, in a field azure ; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in_the heel ."

" and_the motto ? "

"_Nemo me impune lacessit ."

" good ! " he_said .

the wine sparkled in_his eyes and_the bells jingled . my own fancy grew warm with_the Medoc . we had passed through walls of piled bones, with casks and puncheons intermingling, into_the inmost recesses of_the catacombs .I paused again, and this_time I_made bold to seize Fortunato by an arm above the elbow .

" the nitre ! " I_said : " see, it increases . it hangs like moss upon_the vaults . we_are below the river's bed . the drops of moisture trickle among_the bones . come, we_will go back ere it_is too late . your cough --"

" it_is nothing," he_said ; " let_us go on . but first, another draught of_the Medoc ."

I broke and reached him a flagon of De Grve . he emptied it at a breath . his eyes flashed with a fierce light . he laughed and threw the bottle upwards with a gesticulation I_did_not understand .

I looked at him in surprise . he repeated the movement - a grotesque one .

" you_do_not comprehend ? " he_said .

" not I," I replied .

" then you_are_not of_the brotherhood ."

" how ? "

" you_are_not of_the masons ."

" yes, yes," I_said, " yes, yes ."

" you ? impossible ! a mason ? "

"A mason," I replied .

"A sign," he_said .

" it is_this," I answered, producing a trowel from beneath the folds of_my roquelaire .

" you jest," he exclaimed, recoiling a few paces ." but let_us proceed to_the Amontillado ."

" be it so," I_said, replacing the tool beneath the cloak, and again offering him my arm . he leaned upon it heavily . we continued our route in search of_the Amontillado . we passed through a range of low arches, descended, passed on, and descending again, arrived at a deep crypt, in_which_the foulness of_the air caused our flambeaux rather to glow than flame .

at_the most remote end of_the crypt there appeared another less spacious . its walls had_been lined with human remains, piled to_the vault overhead, in_the fashion of_the great catacombs of Paris . three sides of_this interior crypt were still ornamented in_this manner . from_the fourth the bones had_been thrown down, and lay promiscuously upon_the earth, forming at one point a mound of some size . within_the wall thus exposed by_the displacing of_the bones, we perceived a still interior recess, in depth about four feet, in width three, in height six or seven . it seemed to_have_been constructed for no especial use in itself, but formed merely the interval between two of_the colossal supports of_the roof of_the catacombs, and was backed by one of_their circumscribing walls of solid granite .

it_was in vain that Fortunato, uplifting his dull torch, endeavored to pry into_the depths of_the recess . its termination the feeble light did_not enable us to_see .

" proceed," I_said ; "herein is_the Amontillado . as for Luchesi --"

" he_is an ignoramus," interrupted my friend, as he stepped unsteadily forward, while I followed immediately at his heels . in an instant he had reached the extremity of_the niche, and finding his progress arrested by_the rock, stood stupidly bewildered .a moment more and I had fettered him to_the granite . in its surface were two iron staples, distant from each_other about two feet, horizontally . from one_of_these depended a short chain, from_the other a padlock .Throwing the links about his waist, it_was but the work of a few seconds to secure it . he_was too_much astounded to resist .Withdrawing the key I stepped back from_the recess .

" pass your hand," I_said, " over the wall ; you_cannot help feeling the nitre . indeed it_is very damp . once more let me _implore you to return . no ? then I_must positively leave you . but I_must first render you all the little attentions in my power ."

" the Amontillado ! " ejaculated my friend, not yet recovered from_his astonishment .

" true," I replied ; " the Amontillado ."

as I_said these words I busied myself among_the pile of bones of_which I_have before spoken .Throwing them aside, I soon uncovered a quantity of building stone and mortar . with_these materials and with_the aid of_my trowel, I began vigorously to wall up the entrance of_the niche .

I had scarcely laid the first tier of_my masonry when I discovered that_the intoxication of Fortunato had in a great measure worn off . the earliest indication I had of this_was a low moaning cry from_the depth of_the recess . it_was not the cry of a drunken man . there_was then a long and obstinate silence .I laid the second tier, and_the third, and_the fourth ; and then I heard the furious vibrations of_the chain . the noise lasted for several minutes, during which, that I_might hearken to_it with_the more satisfaction, I ceased my labors and sat down upon_the bones . when at last the clanking subsided , I resumed the trowel, and finished without interruption the fifth, the sixth, and_the seventh tier . the wall was now nearly upon a level with my breast .I again paused, and holding the flambeaux over the mason- work, threw a few feeble rays upon_the figure within .

a succession of loud and shrill screams, bursting suddenly from_the throat of_the chained form, seemed to thrust me violently back . for a brief moment I hesitated - I trembled .Unsheathing my rapier, I began to grope with it about_the recess : but the thought of an instant reassured me .I placed my hand upon_the solid fabric of_the catacombs, and felt satisfied .I reapproached the wall .I replied to_the yells of him who clamored .I re- echoed - I aided - I surpassed them in volume and in strength . I_did this, and_the clamorer grew still .

it_was now midnight, and my task was drawing to a close .I had completed the eighth, the ninth, and_the tenth tier .I had finished a portion of_the last and_the eleventh ; there remained but a single stone to_be fitted and plastered in .I struggled with its weight ; I placed it partially in its destined position . but now there came from out the niche a low laugh that erected the hairs upon my head . it_was succeeded by a sad voice, which I had difficulty in recognising as_that of_the noble Fortunato . the voice said -

"Ha ! ha ! ha ! - he ! he ! - a very_good joke indeed - an excellent jest . we_will_have many a rich laugh about_it at_the palazzo - he ! he ! he ! - over our wine - he ! he ! he ! "

" the Amontillado ! " I_said .

" he ! he ! he ! - he ! he ! he ! - yes, the Amontillado . but is_it not getting late ? will not they be awaiting us at_the palazzo, the lady Fortunato and_the rest ? let_us be gone ."

" yes," I_said, " let_us be gone ."

"_For the love of god, Montressor ! "

" yes," I_said, " for_the love of god ! "

but to_these words I hearkened in vain for a reply .I grew impatient .I called aloud -

"Fortunato ! "

no answer .I called again -

"Fortunato ! "

no answer still .I thrust a torch through_the remaining aperture and let it fall within . there came forth in return only ajingling of_the bells . my heart grew sick - on account of_the dampness of_the catacombs .I hastened to_make an end of_my labor .I forced the last stone into its position ; I plastered it up . against the new masonry I re- erected the old rampart of bones . for_the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them . in pace requiescat !