第3章 黑猫3（第1页）

第3章黑猫（3）

&，returninghome，mutoxioneofmyhauntsabouttown，Ifaheypresence。Iseizedhim;when，inhisfrightatmyvioleedaslightwounduponmyhandwithhisteeth。Thefuryofademoninstantlypossessedme。Iknewmyselfninalsoulseemed，atoakeitsflightfrommybodyahanfiendishmalevolenurtured，thrilledeveryfibreofmyframe。Itookfrommyo-k，graspedthepoorbeastbythethroat，aelyeofitseyesfromthesocket!Iblush，Iburn，Ishudder，whileIpenthedamy。

Wheurhem—toffthefumesofthenight'sdebauch—Iexperiehalfofhorror，halfofremorse，forthecrimeofwhichIhadbeenguilty;butitwas，atbest，afeebleandequivog，andthesoulremaiouched。Iagaioexdsoondrownedinwihedeed。

Ihecatslowlyrecovered。Thesocketofthelosteyepreseistrue，afrightfulappearahenoloosufferaaboutthehouseasusual，but，asmightbeexpected，fledierroratmyapproach。Ihadsomuyoldheartleft，astobeatfirstgrievedbythisevidehepartofacreaturewhie。Butthisfeelingsoooirritation。Andtheomyfinalandirrevocableoverthrow，thespiritofPERVERSEhisspiritphilosophytakesnoat。YetIamhatmysoullives，thanIamthatperversenessisoiveimpulsesofthehuma—oheindivisibleprimaryfaents，whichgivediretothecharaan。Whohasnot，ahuimes，foutingavileorasillya，fornootherreasonthanbecauseheknowsheshouldaperpetualin，ihofourbestjudgment，toviolatethatwhichisLaw，merelybecauseweutobesuch?Thisspiritofperverseness，Isay，yfiwasthisunfathomablelongiovexitself—toofferviolesowf'ssakeonly—thaturgedmetoueandfinallytoatetheinjuryIhadiheunoffendingbrute。

，incoolblood，Islippedasnegittothelimbitwiththetearsstreamingfrommyeyes，andwiththebitterestremorseatmyheart;—hungitbeewthatithadlovedme，aithadgivenmenoreasonofoffebeewthatinsodoingIwasittingasin—adeadlysinthatwouldsojeopardizemyimmortalsoulastoplaceit—ifsugwerepossible—evehereachoftheiheMostMerdMod。

Oofthedayonwhichthiscrueldeedwasdone，Iwasarousedfromsleepbythecryoffire。Theybedwereihewholehousewasblazing。Itwaswithgreatdifficultythatmywife，aservant，andmyself，madeourestheflagratioionlete。Myentireass，andIresigheodespair。

Iamabovetheweakoestablishasequenceofdeffect，betweeeray。ButIamdetailingaoffadwishnottoleaveevenapossiblelihedaysugthefire，Ivisitedtheruins。Thewalls，withoion，hadfalleniionwasfoundinaentwall，hick，whichstoodaboutthemiddleofthehouse，andagainstwhichhadrestedtheheadofmybed。Theplasteringhadhere，imeasure，resistedtheaofthefire—afactwhichIattributedtoitshavilyspread。Aboutthiswalladensecrowdwerecolledmanypersoobeexaminingaparticularportionofitwitheverymiention。Thewords&que!"，"singular!"andothersimilarexpressioedmycuriosity。Iapproadsaw，asifgraveninbasreliefupoesurface，thefigureofagiganticcat。Theimpressiohanaccuracytrulymarvellous。Thereeabouttheanimal'sneck。

&beheldthisapparition—forIcarditasless—mywonderandmyterrorwereextreme。Butatleioomyaid。Thecat，Iremembered，hadbeenhunginagardehehouse。Uponthealarmardenhadbeeelyfilledbytheeoneofwhomtheanimalmusthavebeenthetreeandthrhanopenwindow，intomychamber。Thishadprobablybeeheviewmefromsleep。Thefallingofotherressedtheviytothesubstahefreshly-spreadplaster;thelimeofwhich，hadthenwiththeflames，andtheammoniafromthecarplishedtheportraitureasIsawit。

AlthoughIthusreadilyatedtomyreason，ifomyce，forthestartlingfactjustdetailed，itdidomakeadeepimpressionuponmyfanonthsIyselfofthephantasmofthed，duriherecamebayspiritahalf-seseemed，butwasnot，remorse。Iwentsofarastretthelossoftheanimal，andtolookaboutme，amongthevilehauntswhiowhabituallyfrequented，forahesamespedofsomewhatsimilarappearahwhichtosupplyitsplace。