The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe
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to own - that_the terror and horror with_which the animal inspired me, had_been heightened by one_of_the merest chimaeras it would_be possible to conceive . my wife had called my attention, more than once, to_the character of_the mark of white hair, of_which I_have spoken, and which constituted the sole visible difference between_the strange beast and_the one I had destroyed . the reader will remember that_this mark, although large, had_been originally very indefinite; but, by slow degrees - degrees nearly imperceptible, and which for_a_long_time my reason struggled to reject as fanciful - it had, at_length, assumed a rigorous distinctness of outline . it_was now the representation of an object that I shudder to name - and for_this, above all, I loathed, and dreaded, and would_have rid myself of_the monster had I dared - it_was now, I_say, the image of a hideous - of a ghastly thing - of_the gallows ! - oh, mournful and terrible engine of horror and of crime - of agony and of death !

and now was I indeed wretched beyond the wretchedness of mere humanity . and a brute beast - whose fellow I had contemptuously destroyed - a brute beast to work out for_me - for_me a man, fashioned in_the image of_the high god - so_much of insufferable wo ! alas ! neither by day nor by night knew I the blessing of rest any more ! during the former the creature left me no moment alone; and, in_the latter, I started, hourly, from dreams of unutterable fear, to_find the hot breath of_the thing upon my face, and its vast weight - an incarnate night- mare that I had no power to shake off - incumbent eternally upon my heart !

beneath the pressure of torments such as_these, the feeble remnant of_the good within me succumbed . evil thoughts became my sole intimates - the darkest and most evil of thoughts . the moodiness of_my usual temper increased to hatred of all things and of all mankind; while, from_the sudden, frequent, and ungovernable outbursts of a fury to_which I now blindly abandoned myself, my uncomplaining wife, alas ! was_the most usual and_the most patient of sufferers .

one day she accompanied me, upon some household errand, into_the cellar of_the old building which our poverty compelled us to inhabit . the cat followed me down the steep stairs, and, nearly throwing me headlong, exasperated me to madness .Uplifting an axe, and forgetting, in my wrath, the childish dread which had hitherto stayed my hand, I aimed a blow at_the animal which, of_course, would_have proved instantly fatal had it descended as I wished . but this blow was arrested by_the hand of_my wife .Goaded, by_the interference, into a rage more than demoniacal, I withdrew my arm from her grasp and buried the axe in her brain . she fell dead upon_the spot, without a groan .

this hideous murder accomplished, I set myself forthwith, and with entire deliberation, to_the task of concealing the body . I_knew that I_could_not remove it from_the house, either by day or by night, without the risk of being observed by_the neighbors . many projects entered my mind . at one period i_thought of cutting the corpse into minute fragments, and destroying them by fire . at another, I resolved to dig a grave for_it in_the floor of_the cellar . again, I deliberated about casting it in_the well in_the yard - about packing it in a box, as_if merchandize, with_the usual arrangements, and so getting a porter to_take it from_the house . finally I hit upon what I considered a far better expedient than either of_these .I determined to wall it up in_the cellar - as_the monks of_the middle ages are recorded to_have walled up their victims .

for a purpose such as_this the cellar was well adapted . its walls were loosely constructed, and had lately been plastered throughout with a rough plaster, which the dampness of_the atmosphere had prevented from hardening . moreover, in one_of_the walls was a projection, caused by a false chimney, or fireplace, that had_been filled up, and made to resemble the red of_the cellar . I_made no_doubt that I_could readily displace the bricks at_this point, insert the corpse, and wall the whole up as before, so_that no eye could detect any thing suspicious . and in_this calculation i_was not deceived . by_means of a crow- bar I easily dislodged the bricks, and, having carefully deposited the body against the inner wall, I propped it in_that position, while, with little trouble, I re-laid the whole structure as it originally stood .Having procured mortar, sand, and hair, with every possible precaution, I prepared a plaster which could_not_be distinguished from_the old, and with_this I very carefully went over the new brickwork . when I had finished, I_felt satisfied that all was right . the wall did_not present the slightest appearance of having been disturbed . the rubbish on_the floor was picked up with_the minutest care .I looked around triumphantly, and said to myself - " here at_least, then, my labor has_not_been in vain ."

my next step was to look for_the beast which had_been the cause of so_much wretchedness; for I had, at_length, firmly resolved to_put it to death . had I been able to meet with it, at_the moment, there could_have_been no_doubt of_its fate; but it appeared that_the crafty animal had_been alarmed at_the violence of_my previous anger, and forebore to_present itself in my present mood . it_is impossible to describe, or to imagine, the deep, the blissful sense of relief which the absence of_the detested creature occasioned in my bosom . it did_not make its appearance during the night - and thus for_one night at_least, since its introduction into_the house, I soundly and tranquilly slept; aye, slept even with_the burden of murder upon my soul !

the second and_the third day passed, and still my tormentor came not . once again I breathed as a freeman . the monster, in terror, had fled the premises forever ! i_should behold it no more ! my happiness was supreme ! the guilt of_my dark deed disturbed me but little . some few inquiries had_been made, but these had_been readily answered . even a search had_been instituted - but of_course nothing was to_be discovered .I looked upon my future felicity as secured .

upon_the fourth day of_the assassination, a party of_the police came, very unexpectedly, into_the house, and proceeded again to_make rigorous investigation of_the premises . secure, however, in_the inscrutability of_my place of concealment, I_felt no embarrassment whatever . the officers bade me accompany them in their search . they left no nook or corner unexplored . at_length, for_the third or fourth time, they descended into_the cellar .I quivered not in a muscle . my heart beat calmly as_that of one who slumbers in innocence .I walked the cellar from end to end .I folded my arms upon my bosom, and roamed easily to and fro . the police were thoroughly satisfied and prepared to depart . the glee at my heart was too strong to_be restrained .I burned to_say if but one word, by way of triumph, and to render doubly sure their assurance of_my guiltlessness .

" gentlemen," I_said at last, as_the party ascended the steps, "I delight to_have allayed your suspicions . i_wish you all health, and a little more courtesy . by_the bye, gentlemen, this - this_is a very_well constructed house ." [ in_the rabid desire to_say something easily, I scarcely knew what I uttered at all .] - " I_may say an _excellently well constructed house . these walls are_you going, gentlemen ? - these walls are solidly put together;" and here, through_the mere phrenzy of bravado, I rapped heavily, with a cane which I held in my hand, upon that very portion of_the brick- work behind which stood the corpse of_the wife of_my bosom .

but may god shield and deliver me from_the fangs of_the arch- fiend ! no sooner had the reverberation of_my blows sunk into silence, than i_was answered by a voice from within_the tomb ! - by a cry, at first muffled and broken, like the sobbing of a child, and then quickly swelling into one long, loud, and continuous scream, utterly anomalous and inhuman - a howl - awailing shriek, half of horror and half of triumph, such as might_have arisen only out of hell, conjointly from_the throats of_the dammed in their agony and of_the demons that exult in_the damnation .

of_my own thoughts it_is folly to_speak .Swooning, I staggered to_the opposite wall . for_one instant the party upon_the stairs remained motionless, through extremity of terror and of awe . in_the next, a dozen stout arms were toiling at_the wall . it fell bodily . the corpse, already greatly decayed and clotted with gore, stood erect before_the eyes of_the spectators . upon its head, with red extended mouth and solitary eye of fire, sat the hideous beast whose craft had seduced me into murder, and whose informing voice had consigned me to_the hangman .I had walled the monster up within_the tomb !

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