Year: 1867

nervous had been, and am but why


soiH you say that am mad ? The dis.


ease had sharpened my senses-not de.


streyed-not dulled them. Above all


was the sense of hearing acute. / heard
all things in the heaven and in the earth.


/ heard many things in hell. How, then,
am / nad2 Hearken and observe how
healthily--how calmly can tell you the
whole story


1t is impossible to say how first the
idea entered my brain; but once con-
ceived, it haunted me day and night


Object there was none. loved the old
man. For his gold l had no desire l
think / was his eye! yes, it was this !
One of his eyes resembled that OF a
vulture-a pale blue eye, with film
over it. Whenever it fell upon me my
blood ran cold; and so by degrees
very gradually-I made up my mind to
take the life of the old man, and thus
rid myself of the eye forever.


Now this is the point. You fancy me
mad. Madmen know nothing. But you
should have seen me. You should have
seen how wisely l proceeded-with what
cauton-with what foresight-with what
dissimulation / went to work was
never kinder to the old man than during
the whole week before killed him. And
every night, about midnight, / turned
the latch of his door and opened it-oh,
so gently and then, when / had made
an opening sufficient for my hand, | put
in dark lantern, all closed-closed so
that no light shone out, and then thrust
As.wv
laughed to have seen how cunningly |
thrust it inl moved it slowly-very,
very slowly, so that might not disturb
the old mans sleep. 1t took me an hour
to place my whole head within the open
ing so far that could see him as he lay
upon his bed. Ha would mailman
have been so wise as this2 And then,
when my head was well in the room, |
undid the lantern cautiously-oh, so
cautiously-cautiously (for the hinges
creaked)-I undid it just so much that a
single thr ray fell upon the vulture eye.
And this / did for seven long nights
every night just at midnight-but |
found the eye always closed and so it
was impossible to do the work; for 1t
was not the old man who vexed me, but
his evil eye, And every morning, when
day broke, went boldly to the chamber,
and spoke courageously to him, calling
him by name in hearty tone, and in
quiring how he had passed the night. So
you see he would have been profound
old man, indeed, to suspect that every
night, just at twelve, ] looked in upon
him while he slept.


Upon the eighth night was more than
usually cautious in opening the door. A
watch minute hand moves more quickly
than did mine. Never before that night
had / .teH the extent of my own powers
of my sagacity. ] could scarcely con-
tain my feelings Of triumph. To think
that there / was, opening the door, little
BY little, and he had not even to dream of
my secret deeds or thoughts. | fairly
chuckled at the idea; and perhaps he
heard me, for he moved on the bed sud
denly, as il startled. Now you may
think that drew back-but no. His
room was black as pitch with the thick
darkness (for the shutters we're close
fastened, through fear of robbery, and
so knsw that he could not see the open
ing of the door, and kept pushing it on
steadily, steadily.


had my head in, and was about TO
open the lantern, when my thumb slipped
on the tin fastening, and the old man
spraBg up in bed, crying out: Who's
there2


l kent quite still and said nothing.
For a whole hour | did not move a mus
Gle, aud in the mean time did not hear
him lie down. He was still sitting up in
bed listening; just as have done, night
after night. hearkening. to the death |
watches in the wall.


Presently / heard . slight groan, and |
knew it was the groan Of mortal terror.
Il was not a groah Of pain or Of grief
oh, no il was the stihed sound that |
arises from the bottom of the soul when /
with awe. knew the sound 4
we'll Many night just at midnight,
v hen al the world slept, it has wolled up
from my own bosom, deepening, With its
dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted
me. say knew it we'll / knew what
The old man felt. and pitied him, although
cbuckled at heart | knew that be had
been living awake ever since the first
slight noise, when be bad turned 10 the
bed. His fears had been ever since
.rouing upon him. He had been trying
10 fancy them causeless. bot could not
he had been saying 70 himself: " it is
nothing but the wind in the chimuey-it
i only q mouse crossing the door, or
q il Il merely a cricket which has made
,iprle chirp."t Yes, be had been trying
10 comfort himself with these supposi-
ions. but be had found allin vain. All


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