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BY EDGAR A. 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
definitively
settled — but 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 point — this Fortunato
— although
in
other regards he was a man to be respected and even feared. He
prided
himself upon 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 practice 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 skilful 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 {{1850-02: ,
}} 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
Luchresi.
If any one has a critical turn it is he. He will tell me ——" "Luchresi 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. Luchresi
——" "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
Luchresi, he cannot distinguish Sherry from Amontillado." Thus speaking, Fortunato possessed
himself of my
arm; and 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 upon 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 Luchresi ——" "Enough," he said; "the cough
is a mere
nothing;
it will not kill me. I shall not die of a cough." "True — true," I replied; "and, indeed, I
had no intention of alarming you unnecessarily — but 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
long
walls of piled skeletons, with casks and puncheons intermingling, into
the inmost recesses of the 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
flaçon of De
Grâve. 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
movement — a 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
from beneath
the folds of my roquelaire a trowel. "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 rout [[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 crypt or 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 depths of the recess. Its
termination
the feeble light did not enable us to see. "Proceed," I said; "herein is
the
Amontillado. As for Luchresi ——" "He is an ignoramus," interrupted my
friend, as
he
stepped unsteadily forward, while I followed immediately at his heels.
In an instant he had reached the extremity of the niche, and finding
his
progress arrested by the rock, stood stupidly bewildered. A moment more
and I had fettered him to the granite. In its surface were two iron
staples,
distant from each other about two feet, horizontally. From one of these
depended a short chain, from the other a padlock. Throwing the links
about
his waist, it was"Pass your hand," I said, "over the
wall; you cannot help feeling the nitre. Indeed, it is very
damp. Once more let me implore you to return. No? Then I
will positively leave you. But I must first render you all the
little
attentions in my power." "The Amontillado!" ejaculated my
friend, not yet
recovered from his astonishment. "True," I replied; "the
Amontillado." As I said these words I busied myself
among the
pile
of bones of which I have before spoken. Throwing them aside, I
soon
uncovered a quantity of building stone and mortar. With these
materials
and with the aid of my trowel, I began vigorously to wall up the
entrance
of the niche. I had scarcely laid the first tier of
my masonry
when I discovered that the intoxication of Fortunato had in great
measure
worn off. The earliest indication I had of this was a low moaning
cry from the depth of the recess. It was not the cry of a
drunken man. There was then a long and obstinate silence. I
laid the second tier, and the third, and the fourth; and then I
heard the furious vibration of the chain. The noise lasted for
several
minutes, during which, that I might hearken to it with the more
satisfaction,
I ceased my labours and sat down upon the bones. When at last the
clanking subsided, I resumed the trowel, and finished without
interruption
the fifth, the sixth, and the seventh tier. The wall was now
nearly
upon a level with my breast. I again paused, and holding the
flambeaux
over the mason-work, threw a few feeble rays upon the figure within. A succession of loud and shrill
screams, bursting
suddenly from the throat of the chained form, seemed to thrust me
violently
back. For a brief moment I hesitated, I trembled. Unsheathing
my rapier, I began to grope with it about the recess; but the
thought
of an instant reassured me. I placed my hand upon the solid
fabric
of the catacombs, and felt satisfied. I reapproached the
wall. I replied to the yells of him who clamoured. I re-echoed — I
aided
— I surpassed them in volume and in strength. I did this, and the
clamourer grew still. It was now midnight, and my task was
drawing "Ha! ha! ha! — he! he!
he! — a very good joke, indeed — an excellent jest. We will have
many a rich laugh about it at the palazzo — he! he! he!
— over our wine — he! he! he!" "The Amontillado!" I said. "He! he! he! — he! he!
he! — yes, the Amontillado. But is it not getting late? Will
not they be awaiting us at the palazzo — the Lady Fortunato and the "Yes," I said, "let us be gone." "For the love of God, Montressor!" "Yes," I said, "for the love of God!" But to these words I hearkened in
vain for a
reply. I grew impatient. I called aloud —"Fortunato!" No answer. I called again —"Fortunato!" No answer still. I thrust a torch
through
the
remaining aperture and let it fall within. There came forth in
return
only a jingling of the bells. My heart grew sick; it was the
dampness
of the catacombs that made it so. I hastened to make an end of my
labour. I forced the last stone into its position; I
plastered
it up. Against the new masonry I re-erected the old rampart of
bones.
For the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them. In
pace
requiescat! |
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