Onenight, returninghome, muchintoxicated, fromoneofmyhauntsabouttown, ;when, inhisfrightatmyviolence, , atonce, totakeitsflightfrommybodyandamorethanfiendishmalevolence, gin-nurtured, -pocketapen-knife, openedit, graspedthepoorbeastbythethroat, anddeliberatelycutoneofitseyesfromthesocket!Iblush, Iburn, Ishudder, whileIpenthedamnableatrocity.
Whenreasonreturnedwiththemorning—whenIhadsleptoffthefumesofthenight'sdebauch—Iexperiencedasentimenthalfofhorror, halfofremorse, forthecrimeofwhichIhadbeenguilty;butitwas, atbest, afeebleandequivocalfeeling, , andsoondrownedinwineallmemoryofthedeed.
, itistrue, afrightfulappearance, , but, asmightbeexpected, , , asiftomyfinalandirrevocableoverthrow, , thanIamthatperversenessisoneoftheprimitiveimpulsesofthehumanheart—oneoftheindivisibleprimaryfaculties, orsentiments, , ahundredtimes, foundhimselfcommittingavileorasillyaction, fornootherreasonthanbecauseheknowsheshouldnot?Havewenotaperpetualinclination, intheteethofourbestjudgment, toviolatethatwhichisLaw, merelybecauseweunderstandittobesuch?Thisspiritofperverseness, Isay, —toofferviolencetoitsownnature—todowrongforthewrong'ssakeonly—thaturgedmetocontinueandfinallytoconsummatetheinjuryIhadinflictedupontheunoffendingbrute.
