Onedaysheaccompaniedme, uponsomehouseholderrand, , and, nearlythrowingmeheadlong, , andforgetting, inmywrath, thechildishdreadwhichhadhithertostayedmyhand, Iaimedablowattheanimalwhich, ofcourse, , bytheinterference, intoaragemorethandemoniacal, , withoutagroan.
Thishideousmurderaccomplished, Isetmyselfforthwith, andwithentiredeliberation, , eitherbydayorbynight, , , , Ideliberatedaboutcastingitinthewellintheyard—aboutpackingitinabox, asifmerchandize, withtheusualarrangements, —asthemonksofthemiddleagesarerecordedtohavewalleduptheirvictims.
, andhadlatelybeenplasteredthroughoutwitharoughplaster, , inoneofthewallswasaprojection, causedbyafalsechimney, orfireplace, thathadbeenfilledup, , insertthecorpse, andwallthewholeupasbefore, sothatnoeyecoulddetectanythingsuspicious.
-barIeasilydislodgedthebricks, and, havingcarefullydepositedthebodyagainsttheinnerwall, Iproppeditinthatposition, while, withlittletrouble, , sand, andhair, witheverypossibleprecaution, Ipreparedaplastercouldnoteverypossbedistinguishedfromtheold, , , andsaidtomyself—"Hereatleast, then, mylaborhasnotbeeninvain."
Mynextstepwastolookforthebeastwhichhadbeenthecauseofsomuchwretchedness;forIhad, atlength, , atthemoment, therecouldhavebeennodoubtofitsfate;butitappearedthatthecraftyanimalhadbeenalarmedattheviolenceofmypreviousanger, , ortoimagine, thedeep, —andthusforonenightatleast, sinceitsintroductionintothehouse, Isoundlyandtranquillyslept;sleptevenwiththeburdenofmurderuponmysoul!
Thesecondandthethirddaypassed, , interror, hadfledthepremisesforever!Ishouldbeholditnomore!Myhappinesswassupreme!, —.
Uponthefourthdayoftheassassination, apartyofthepolicecame, veryunexpectedly, intothehouse, , however, intheinscrutabilityofmyplaceofconcealment, , forthethirdorfourthtime, , , bywayoftriumph, andtorenderdoublysuretheirassuranceofmyguiltlessness.
"Gentlemen," Isaidatlast, asthepartyascendedthesteps," , , gentlemen, this—thisisaverywellconstructedhouse." (Intherabiddesiretosaysomethingeasily, IscarcelyknewwhatIutteredatall.) —"—areyougoing, gentlemen?—thesewallsaresolidlyputtogether"; andhere, throughthemerephreneticofbravado, Irappedheavily, withacanewhichIheldinmyhand, uponthatveryportionofthebrick-workbehindwhichstoodthecorpseofthewifeofmybosom.
ButmayGodshieldanddelivermefromthefangsoftheArch-Fiend!NosoonerhadthereverberationofmyblowssunkintosilencethanIwasansweredbyavoicefromwithinthetomb!—byacry, atfirstmuffledandbroken, likethesobbingofachild, andthenquicklyswellingintoonelong, loud, andcontinuousscream, utterlyanomalousandinhuman—ahowl—awailingshriek, halfofhorrorandhalfoftriumph, suchasmighthavearisenonlyoutofhell, conjointlyfromthethroatsofthedamnedintheiragonyandofthedemonsthatexultinthedamnation.
, , , , alreadygreatlydecayedandclottedwithgore, , withredextendedmouthandsolitaryeyeoffire, satthehideousbeastwhosecrafthadseducedmeintomurder, !
