巖島奇遇 An Adventure on Island Rock02 (第1/10頁)
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latterwasaremarkablylargeandbeautifulanimal,entirelyblack,andsagacioustoanastonishingdegree.Inseakingofhisintelligence,mywife,whoatheartwasnotalittletincturedwithsuerstition,madefrequentallusiontotheancientoularnotion,whichregardedallblackcatsaswitchesindisguise.Notthatshewaseverseriousuonthisoint-andImentionthematteratallfornobetterreasonthanthatithaens,justnow,toberemembered.
Pluto-thiswasthecatsname-wasmyfavoriteetandlaymate.Ialonefedhim,andheattendedmewhereverIwentaboutthehouse.ItwasevenwithdiffcultythatIcouldreventhimfromfollowingmethroughthestreets.
Ourfriendshilasted,inthismanner,forseveralyears,duringwhichmygeneraltemeramentandcharacter-throughtheinstrumentalityoftheFiendIntemerance-had（Iblushtoconfessit）exeriencedaradicalalterationfortheworse.Igrew,daybyday,moremoody,moreirritable,moreregardlessofthefeelingsofothers.Isufferedmyselftouseintemeratelanguagetomywife.Atlength,Ievenofferedherersonalviolence.Myets,ofcourse,weremadetofeelthechangeinmydisosition.Inotonlyneglected,butill-usedthem.ForPluto,however,Istillretainedsufficientregardtorestrainmefrommaltreatinghim,asImadenoscruleofmaltreatingtherabbits,themonkey,oreventhedog,whenbyaccident,orthroughaffection,theycameinmyway.Butmydiseasegrewuonme-forwhatdiseaseislikeAlcohol！-andatlengthevenPluto,whowasnowbecomingold,andconsequentlysomewhateevish-evenPlutobegantoexeriencetheeffectsofmyilltemer.
Onenight,returninghome,muchintoxicated,fromoneofmyhauntsabouttown,Ifanciedthatthecatavoidedmyresence.Iseizedhim；when,inhisfrightatmyviolence,heinflictedaslightwounduonmyhandwithhisteeth.Thefuryofademoninstantlyossessedme.Iknewmyselfnolonger.Myoriginalsoulseemed,atonce,totakeitsflightfrommybodyandamorethanfiendishmalevolence,gin-nurtured,thrilledeveryfbreofmyframe.Itookfrommywaistcoat-ocketaen-knife,oenedit,grasedtheoorbeastbythethroat,anddeliberatelycutoneofitseyesfromthesocket！Iblush,Iburn,Ishudder,whileIenthedamnableatrocity.
Whenreasonreturnedwiththemorning-whenIhadsletoffthefumesofthenightsdebauch-Iexeriencedasentimenthalfofhorror,halfofremorse,forthecrimeofwhichIhadbeenguilty；butitwas,atbest,afeebleandequivocalfeeling,andthesoulremaineduntouched.Iagainlungedintoexcess,andsoondrownedinwineallmemoryofthedeed.
Inthemeantimethecatslowlyrecovered.Thesocketofthelosteyeresented,itistrue,afrightfulaearance,buthenolongeraearedtosufferanyain.Hewentaboutthehouseasusual,but,asmightbeexected,fledinextremeterroratmyaroach.Ihadsomuchofmyoldheartleft,astobeatfrstgrievedbythisevidentdislikeontheartofacreaturewhichhadoncesolovedme.Butthisfeelingsoongavelacetoirritation.Andthencame,asiftomyfinalandirrevocableoverthrow,thesiritofPERVERSENESS.Ofthissirithilosohytakesnoaccount.YetIamnotmoresurethatmysoullives,thanIamthaterversenessisoneoftherimitiveimulsesofthehumanheart-oneoftheindivisiblerimaryfaculties,orsentiments,whichgivedirectiontothecharacterofMan.Whohasnot,ahundredtimes,foundhimselfcommittingavileorasillyaction,fornootherreasonthanbecauseheknowsheshouldnot?Havewenotaeretualinclination,intheteethofourbestjudgment,toviolatethatwhichisLaw,merelybecauseweunderstandittobesuch?Thissiritoferverseness,Isay,cametomyfnaloverthrow.Itwasthisunfathomablelongingofthesoultovexitself-toofferviolencetoitsownnature-todowrongforthewrongssakeonly-thaturgedmetocontinueandfnallytoconsummatetheinjuryIhadinficteduontheunoffendingbrute.Onemorning,incoolblood,Isliedanooseaboutitsneckandhungittothelimbofatree；-hungitwiththetearsstreamingfrommyeyes,andwiththebitterestremorseatmyheart；-hungitbecauseIknewthatithadlovedme,andbecauseIfeltithadgivenmenoreasonofoffence；-hungitbecauseIknewthatinsodoingIwascommittingasin-adeadlysinthatwouldsojeoardizemyimmortalsoulastolaceit-ifsuchathingwereossible-evenbeyondthereachoftheinfnitemercyoftheMostMercifulandMostTerribleGod.
Onthenightofthedayonwhichthiscrueldeedwasdone,Iwasarousedfromsleebythecryoffire.Thecurtainsofmybedwereinfames.Thewholehousewasblazing.Itwaswithgreatdiffcultythatmywife,aservant,andmyself,madeourescaefromtheconfagration.Thedestructionwascomlete.Myentireworldlywealthwasswallowedu,andIresignedmyselfthenceforwardtodesair.
Iamabovetheweaknessofseekingtoestablishasequenceofcauseandeffect,betweenthedisasterandtheatrocity.ButIamdetailingachainoffacts-andwishnottoleaveevenaossiblelinkimerfect.Onthedaysucceedingthefire,Ivisitedtheruins.Thewalls,withoneexcetion,hadfallenin.Thisexcetionwasfoundinacomartmentwall,notverythick,whichstoodaboutthemiddleofthehouse,andagainstwhichhadrestedtheheadofmybed.Thelasteringhadhere,ingreatmeasure,resistedtheactionofthefre-afactwhichIattributedtoitshavingbeenrecentlysread.Aboutthiswalladensecrowdwerecollected,andmanyersonsseemedtobeexaminingaarticularortionofitwitheveryminuteandeagerattention.Thewords“strange！”，“singular！”andothersimilarexressions,excitedmycuriosity.Iaroachedandsaw,asifgraveninbasreliefuonthewhitesurface,thefgureofagiganticcat.Theimressionwasgivenwithanaccuracytrulymarvellous.Therewasaroeabouttheanimalsneck.
WhenIfrstbeheldthisaarition-forIcouldscarcelyregarditasless-mywonderandmyterrorwereextreme.Butatlengthrefectioncametomyaid.Thecat,Iremembered,hadbeenhunginagardenadjacenttothehouse.Uonthealarmoffre,thisgardenhadbeenimmediatelyfilledbythecrowd-bysomeoneofwhomtheanimalmusthavebeencutfromthetreeandthrown,throughanoenwindow,intomychamber.Thishadrobablybeendonewiththeviewofarousingmefromslee.Thefallingofotherwallshadcomressedthevictimofmycrueltyintothesubstanceofthefreshly-sreadlaster；thelimeofwhich,hadthenwiththefames,andtheammoniafromthecarcass,accomlishedtheortraitureasIsawit.
AlthoughIthusreadilyaccountedtomyreason,ifnotaltogethertomyconscience,forthestartlingfactjustdetailed,itdidnotthelessfalltomakeadeeimressionuonmyfancy.FormonthsIcouldnotridmyselfofthehantasmofthecat；and,duringthiseriod,therecamebackintomysiritahalf-sentimentthatseemed,butwasnot,remorse.Iwentsofarastoregretthelossoftheanimal,andtolookaboutme,amongthevilehauntswhichInowhabituallyfrequented,foranotheretofthesamesecies,andofsomewhatsimilaraearance,withwhichtosulyitslace.
