the raven(乌鸦)-第4部分
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〃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。
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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。〃
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〃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。
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〃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
enable us to see。
〃Proceed；〃 I said； 〃herein is the Amontillado。 As for Luchesi〃
〃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
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was but the work of a few seconds to secure it。 He was too much
astounded to resist。 Withdrawing the key I stepped back from the recess。
〃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 must 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 un… covered
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 the masonry when I discovered that
the intoxication of Fortunato had in a 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
