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 wont8, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation9.
He had a weak point—this Fortunato—although in other regards he was a man to be respected and even feared. He prided himself on his connoisseurship10 in wine. Few Italians have the true virtuoso11 spirit. For the most part their enthusiasm is adopted to suit the time and opportunity—to practise imposture12 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 skillful in the Italian vintages myself, and bought largely whenever I could.
It was about dusk, one evening during the supreme13 madness of the carnival14 season, that I encountered my friend. He accosted15 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 surmounted16 by the conical cap and bells. I was so pleased to see him, that I thought I should never have done wringing17 his hand.
I said to him—"My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met. How remarkably18 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 Luchesi. If any one has a critical turn, it is he. He will tell me—"
"Luchesi 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?"
"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 afflicted21. 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 possessed23 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 absconded24 to make merry in honour of the time. I had told them that I should not return until the morning, and had given them explicit25 orders not to stir from the house. These orders were sufficient, I well knew, to insure their immediate26 disappearance27, 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 suites28 of rooms to the archway that led into the vaults. I passed down a long and winding29 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 pipe," said he.
"It is farther on," said I; "but observe the white web-work which gleams from these cavern31 walls."
He turned towards me, and looked into my eyes with two filmy orbs32 that distilled33 the rheum of intoxication34.
"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 mere22 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 draught35 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.
"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 azure37; the foot crushes a serpent rampant38 whose fangs39 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 recesses40 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 moss42 upon the vaults. We are below the river's bed. The drops of moisture trickle43 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 upwards44 with a gesticulation I did not understand.
"You do not comprehend?" he said.
"Not I," I replied.
"Then you are not of the brotherhood46."
"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 a trowel from beneath the folds of my roquelaire.
"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, descended48, passed on, and descending49 again, arrived at a deep crypt, in which the foulness50 of the air caused our flambeaux rather to glow than flame.
At the most remote end of the crypt there appeared another less spacious51. Its walls had been lined with human remains52, piled to the vault19 overhead, in the fashion of the great catacombs of Paris. Three sides of this interior crypt were still ornamented53 in this manner. From the fourth side the bones had been thrown down, and lay promiscuously54 upon the earth, forming at one point a mound55 of some size. Within the wall thus exposed by the displacing of the bones, we perceived a still interior recess41, 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 interval56 between two of the colossal57 supports of the roof of the catacombs, and was backed by one of their circumscribing58 walls of solid granite59.
It was in vain that Fortunato, uplifting his dull torch, endeavoured to pry60 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 extremity61 of the niche62, and finding his progress arrested by the rock, stood stupidly bewildered. A moment more and I had fettered63 him to the granite. In its surface were two iron staples64, 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 but the work of a few seconds to secure it. He was too much astounded65 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 implore66 you to return. No? Then I must positively67 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 astonishment68.
"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 mortar69. 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 masonry70 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 a drunken man. There was then a long and obstinate71 silence. I laid the second tier, and the third, and the fourth; and then I heard the furious vibrations72 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 subsided73, 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 shrill74 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 reassured75 me. I placed my hand upon the solid fabric76 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 to a close. I had completed the eighth, the ninth, and the tenth tier. I had finished a portion of the last and the eleventh; there remained but a single stone to be fitted and plastered in. I struggled with its weight; I placed it partially77 in its destined78 position. But now there came from out the niche a low laugh that erected79 the hairs upon my head. It was succeeded by a sad voice, which I had difficulty in recognizing as that of the noble Fortunato. The voice said—
"Ha! ha! ha!—he! he! he!—a very good joke indeed—an excellent jest. We shall 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 rest? Let us be gone."
"Yes," I said, "let us be gone."
"For the love of God, Montresor!"
"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 aperture80 and let it fall within. There came forth81 in reply only a jingling82 of the bells. My heart grew sick on account of the dampness of the catacombs. 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!
The End
The End
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1
vowed
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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2
utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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3
avenged
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| v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的过去式和过去分词 )；为…报复 | |
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4
precluded
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| v.阻止( preclude的过去式和过去分词 )；排除；妨碍；使…行不通 | |
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5
impunity
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| n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除 | |
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6
redresser
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| 改正[修正，调整，补偿]者；解调器 | |
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7
avenger
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| n. 复仇者 | |
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8
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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9
immolation
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| n.牺牲品 | |
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10
connoisseurship
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| n.鉴赏家（或鉴定家、行家）身份，鉴赏（或鉴定）力 | |
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11
virtuoso
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| n.精于某种艺术或乐器的专家，行家里手 | |
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12
imposture
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| n.冒名顶替，欺骗 | |
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13
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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14
carnival
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| n.嘉年华会，狂欢，狂欢节，巡回表演 | |
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15
accosted
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| v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 )；跟…搭讪；（乞丐等）上前向…乞讨；（妓女等）勾搭 | |
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16
surmounted
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| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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17
wringing
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| 淋湿的，湿透的 | |
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18
remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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19
vault
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| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
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20
vaults
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| n.拱顶( vault的名词复数 )；地下室；撑物跳高；墓穴 | |
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21
afflicted
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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23
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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24
absconded
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| v.（尤指逃避逮捕）潜逃，逃跑( abscond的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25
explicit
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| adj.详述的，明确的；坦率的；显然的 | |
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26
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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27
disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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28
suites
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| n.套( suite的名词复数 )；一套房间；一套家具；一套公寓 | |
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29
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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30
jingled
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| 喝醉的 | |
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31
cavern
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| n.洞穴，大山洞 | |
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32
orbs
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| abbr.off-reservation boarding school 在校寄宿学校n.球，天体，圆形物( orb的名词复数 ) | |
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33
distilled
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| adj.由蒸馏得来的v.蒸馏( distil的过去式和过去分词 )；从…提取精华 | |
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34
intoxication
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| n.wild excitement;drunkenness；poisoning | |
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35
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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36
repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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37
azure
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| adj.天蓝色的，蔚蓝色的 | |
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38
rampant
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| adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的 | |
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39
fangs
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| n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座 | |
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40
recesses
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| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
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41
recess
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| n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处） | |
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42
moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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43
trickle
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| vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散 | |
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44
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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45
grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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46
brotherhood
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| n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊 | |
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47
recoiling
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| v.畏缩( recoil的现在分词 )；退缩；报应；返回 | |
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48
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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49
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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50
foulness
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| n. 纠缠, 卑鄙 | |
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51
spacious
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| adj.广阔的，宽敞的 | |
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52
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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53
ornamented
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| adj.花式字体的v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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54
promiscuously
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| adv.杂乱地，混杂地 | |
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55
mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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56
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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57
colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 | |
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58
circumscribing
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| v.在…周围划线( circumscribe的现在分词 )；划定…范围；限制；限定 | |
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59
granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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60
pry
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| vi.窥(刺)探，打听；vt.撬动(开，起) | |
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61
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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62
niche
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| n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等) | |
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63
fettered
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| v.给…上脚镣，束缚( fetter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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64
staples
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| n.（某国的）主要产品( staple的名词复数 )；钉书钉；U 形钉；主要部份v.用钉书钉钉住( staple的第三人称单数 ) | |
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65
astounded
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| v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶 | |
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66
implore
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| vt.乞求，恳求，哀求 | |
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67
positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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68
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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69
mortar
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| n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合 | |
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70
masonry
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| n.砖土建筑；砖石 | |
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71
obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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72
vibrations
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| n.摆动( vibration的名词复数 )；震动；感受；（偏离平衡位置的）一次性往复振动 | |
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73
subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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74
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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75
reassured
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| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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76
fabric
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| n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织 | |
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77
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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78
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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79
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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80
aperture
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| n.孔，隙，窄的缺口 | |
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81
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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82
jingling
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| 叮当声 | |
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