the cask of amontillado-第1节

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The　Cask　of　Amontillado


by　Edgar　Allen　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　definitely　settledbut　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　pointthis　Fortunatoalthough　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　skillful　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　a　　roquelaire

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　honour　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　a　mere　nothing；　it　will　not

kill　me。　　I　shall　not　die　of　a　cough。〃



〃Truetrue；〃　I　replied；　〃and；　indeed；　I　had　no　intention　of

alarming　you　unnecessarilybut　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　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　Grave。　　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　movementa

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；　〃a　sign。〃



〃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　side　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　within　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；

endeavoured　to　pry　into　the　depth　of　the　recess。　　Its　termination

the　feeble　light　did　not　en