Year: 1875

True nervous " very, very, dread
fully nervous | had been and am; but
why will you say that | am mad The
disease had sharpened my senses-nOt
destroyed not dulled them. Above
all was my sense of hearing acute. l
heard all things, in the heaven and in
the earth. heard many things in hell.
How, then, am l mad z 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. Passion there
was none. / loved the old man. He
had never wronged me. He had never
given me insult. For his gold / had
no desire. ] think it was his eye yes,
it was this One of his eyes resembled
that of vulture-a pale blue eye, with
film over it. Whenever it fell upon
me my blood ran cold and so by de
grees-very gradually 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 proceeded-with what
caution-with what foresight-wi what
discrimination / went to work | was
never kinder to the old man than during
the whole week before i killed him.
And every night about midnight turned
the latch of his door and opened it-oh,
so gently and then, when L had made
an opening sufficient for my head, / put
in dark lantern, all closed, closed, so
that no light shone out, and then / thrust
in my head. Oh, you would have laughed
to see how cunningly / thrust it in,
moved it slowl VERY, very slowly, SO
that | might not disturb the old man s
sleep. 1t took me an hour to place my
whole head within the opening SO far
that / could see him as he lay upon his
bed. Ha!-would a mailman have been
so wise as this? And then, when my
head was well III the room, | undid the
lantern cautiously-oh, so cautiously
cautiously Qor the hinges creaked) l un-
did it just so much that a single thin ray
fell upon the vulture eye. And this |
did for seven long nights-every night
Just at midnight-but | found the eve
always closed; and so it was impossible
to do the work; for it was not the old
man who veXed me, but his Evil Eye.
And every morning when the day broke
/ went boldly into the chamber and
spoke courageously to him, calling him
10y name in hearty tone, and inquiring
how he had passed the night. So you
see he would have been a very profound
old man, indeed, to suspect that every
night, just at II, looked in upon him
while he slept.


Upon the eighth night L was more
than usually cautious in opening the
door, A watch's minute hand moves
more quickly than did mine. Never
before that night had / felt the extent
of my own powers-of my sagacity. l
could scarcely contain my feelings of
triumph To think that there / was
opening the door, little by little, and he
not even to dream of my secret deed or
thoughts. fairly chuckled at the idea;
and perhaps he heard me, for he moved
on the bed suddenly as if startled.
Now you may think that L drew back
but no. His room was as black rs pitch
with the thick darkness Qor the shutters
were close fastened through fear of rob
bers), and so L knew that he could not
see the opening of the door, and kept
pushing it on steadily, steadily.


L had my head in, and was about to
open the lantern, when my thumb slipped
upon the tin fastening, and the old man
sprang. up in bed crying out" Who's
there2"


kept quite still and said nothing.
For whole hour L did not move mus.
Gle, and in the mean time did not hear
him lie down. He was still sitting mn in
bed, listening; just as had done night
after night, hearkening to the death
watches in the wall.


Presently I heard slight groan, and
/ knew it was the groan of mortal terror.
1t was not groan of pain or of grief