巖島奇遇 An Adventure on Island Rock02 (第2/10頁)

常青藤語言教學中心編譯提示您：看後求收藏（貓撲小說www.mpzw.tw），接着再看更方便。

OnenightasIsat,halfstuefed,inadenofmorethaninfamy,myattentionwassuddenlydrawntosomeblackobject,reosinguontheheadofoneoftheimmensehogsheadsofGin,orofRum,whichconstitutedthechieffurnitureoftheaartment.Ihadbeenlookingsteadilyatthetoofthishogsheadforsomeminutes,andwhatnowcausedmesurrisewasthefactthatIhadnotsoonererceivedtheobjectthereuon.Iaroachedit,andtoucheditwithmyhand.Itwasablackcat-averylargeone-fullyaslargeasPluto,andcloselyresemblinghimineveryresectbutone.Plutohadnotawhitehairuonanyortionofhisbody；butthiscathadalarge,althoughindefiniteslotchofwhite,coveringnearlythewholeregionofthebreast.

Uonmytouchinghim,heimmediatelyaroe,urredloudly,rubbedagainstmyhand,andaeareddelightedwithmynotice.This,then,wastheverycreatureofwhichIwasinsearch.Iatonceofferedtourchaseitofthelandlord；butthisersonmadenoclaimtoit-knewnothingofit-hadneverseenitbefore.

Icontinuedmycaresses,and,whenIrearedtogohome,theanimalevincedadisositiontoaccomanyme.Iermittedittodoso；occasionallystooingandattingitasIroceeded.Whenitreachedthehouseitdomesticateditselfatonce,andbecameimmediatelyagreatfavoritewithmywife.

Formyownart,Isoonfoundadisliketoitarisingwithinme.ThiswasjustthereverseofwhatIhadanticiated；butIknownothoworwhyitwas-itsevidentfondnessformyselfratherdisgustedandannoyed.Byslowdegrees,thesefeelingsofdisgustandannoyanceroseintothebitternessofhatred.Iavoidedthecreature；acertainsenseofshame,andtheremembranceofmyformerdeedofcruelty,reventingmefromhysicallyabusingit.Ididnot,forsomeweeks,strike,orotherwiseviolentlyilluseit；butgradually-verygradually-Icametolookuonitwithunutterableloathing,andtofeesilentlyfromitsodiousresence,asfromthebreathofaestilence.

Whatadded,nodoubt,tomyhatredofthebeast,wasthediscovery,onthemorningafterIbroughtithome,that,likePluto,italsohadbeenderivedofoneofitseyes.Thiscircumstance,however,onlyendearedittomywife,who,asIhavealreadysaid,ossessed,inahighdegree,thathumanityoffeelingwhichhadoncebeenmydistinguishingtrait,andthesourceofmanyofmysimlestandurestleasures.

Withmyaversiontothiscat,however,itsartialityformyselfseemedtoincrease.Itfollowedmyfootsteswithaertinacitywhichitwouldbediffculttomakethereadercomrehend.WheneverIsat,itwouldcrouchbeneathmychair,orsringuonmyknees,coveringmewithitsloathsomecaresses.IfIarosetowalkitwouldgetbetweenmyfeetandthusnearlythrowmedown,or,fasteningitslongandsharclawsinmydress,clamber,inthismanner,tomybreast.Atsuchtimes,althoughIlongedtodestroyitwithablow,Iwasyetwithheldfromsodoing,artlybyamemoryofmyformercrime,butchiefy-letmeconfessitatonce-byabsolutedreadofthebeast.

Thisdreadwasnotexactlyadreadofhysicalevil-andyetIshouldbeatalosshowotherwisetodefneit.Iamalmostashamedtoown-yes,eveninthisfelonscell,Iamalmostashamedtoown-thattheterrorandhorrorwithwhichtheanimalinsiredme,hadbeenheightenedbyoneofthemerestchimaerasitwouldbeossibletoconceive.Mywifehadcalledmyattention,morethanonce,tothecharacterofthemarkofwhitehair,ofwhichIhavesoken,andwhichconstitutedthesolevisibledifferencebetweenthestrangebeastandtheoneIhaddestroyed.Thereaderwillrememberthatthismark,althoughlarge,hadbeenoriginallyveryindefnite；but,byslowdegrees-degreesnearlyimercetible,andwhichforalongtimemyreasonstruggledtorejectasfanciful-ithad,atlength,assumedarigorousdistinctnessofoutline.ItwasnowthereresentationofanobjectthatIshuddertoname-andforthis,aboveall,Iloathed,anddreaded,andwouldhaveridmyselfofthemonsterhadIdared-itwasnow,Isay,theimageofahideous-ofaghastlything-oftheGallows！-oh,mournfulandterribleengineofHorrorandofCrime-ofAgonyandofDeath！

AndnowwasIindeedwretchedbeyondthewretchednessofmereHumanity.Andabrutebeast-whosefellowIhadcontemtuouslydestroyed-abrutebeasttoworkoutforme-formeaman,fashionedintheimageoftheHighGod-somuchofinsufferablewo！Alas！NeitherbydaynorbynightknewItheblessingofRestanymore！Duringtheformerthecreatureleftmenomomentalone；and,inthelatter,Istarted,hourly,fromdreamsofunutterablefear,tofndthehotbreathofthethinguonmyface,anditsvastweight-anincarnateNight-MarethatIhadnoowertoshakeoff-incumbenteternallyuonmyheart！

Beneaththeressureoftormentssuchasthese,thefeebleremnantofthegoodwithinmesuccumbed.Evilthoughtsbecamemysoleintimates-thedarkestandmostevilofthoughts.Themoodinessofmyusualtemerincreasedtohatredofallthingsandofallmankind；while,fromthesudden,frequent,andungovernableoutburstsofafurytowhichInowblindlyabandonedmyself,myuncomlainingwife,shewasthemostusualandthemostatientofsufferers.