EDGAR ALLAN POE The Cask of Amontillado

The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge. You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat. At length I would be revenged; this was a point definitely settled—but the very definiteness with which it was resolved precluded the idea of risk. I must not only punish, but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.

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 wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that m smile now was at the thought of his immolation.

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 connoisseurship in wine. Few Italians have the true virtuoso spirit. For the most part their enthusiasm is adopted to suit the time and opportunity to practise imposture 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 supreme madness of the carnival season, that I encountered my friend. He accosted me with excessive warmth, for he had been drinking much. The man wore motley. He had on a tight-fitting partistriped dress, and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells. I was so pleased to see him, that I thought I should never have done wringing his hand.

I said to him—”My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met. How remarkably well ou are looking to-day! But I have received a pipe of what passes for Ansontillado, and I have my doubt”.’

‘How? ” said he, “Arnontilliado? ‘ A pipe? Impossible! And in the middle of the carnival? ”

“I have my doubts.” I repeated “I was silly enough to pay double price without consulting you, but I was afraid of losing a bargin ‘‘

“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 vil1 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? ”

“To your vaults.”

“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 Amontiliado.”

Thus speaking Fortunato possessed himself of my arm. Putting on a mask of black silk, and drawing a roquelaure closely about my person. I suffered him to hurry me to the palazzo.

There were: no attendants at home; they had absconded to make merry in honour of the time. I – had told themthat I should not return until the morning. and had given

them explicit orders not to stir from the house. Tat was sufficient, I well knew, to insure their immediate disappearance as soon my back was turned.

I took the flambeaux, and led him Through several suits 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 m friend was unsteady, and the bells upon his cap jingled as he strode.

“The pipe.” said he.

“It is farther on, ’ said I; “but obsere 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! ’’

Mt 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 hack: your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, heloved: you are happy as once I was.You are a man to he 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. 1 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 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 his breath and nodded to me familiarly, while his bells jingled.

‘‘I drink to the buried that repose around us”

“And I to your long life”

He again took my arm and we proceeded/

“These walls” - he said – “Are extensive”

The Montresors were a great and numerous family”

“I forgot your coat of arms”

“A huge human foot d’or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent:

And the motto? ”

“ Nemo me impune lacessit”

“Good” he said.

The wine sparkled in his eves 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 the catacombs. I paused again, and this time I made bold to seize Fortunato b 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 trickled 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 Dc Grave. He emptied it at a breath. His eyes Hashed with a fierce light. He laughed and threw the bottle upw ards with a gesticulation I did not understand.

I looked at him iii surprise. He repeated the movement—a 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.

“A sign, ” he said.

‘‘It is this, ’’ I answered. producing a trowel from beneath the folds of my clothes.

‘You jest, ” he explained, recoiling a few paces. “But let us proceed to the Amontilado.”

“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 Arnontilado. 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 Ham- beaux 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 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 b the displacing of the bones, ‘se 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 depths of the recess. Its termination the feeble light did not enable us to see.

“Proceed, ” I said; “herein is the Amontillado. As for Luehesi—”

“He is an ignoramus.’ interrupted m 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 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 positivelv 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 uncovered 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 masonery 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 cr from the depth of the recess. It was no the cry of a drunken man. There was then a long and obstinate silence. I laid the second tier, and the third, and the fourth; and then I heard furious vibrations 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 subsided, 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 masonwork, threw a few feeble rays upon the figure within.

A succession of loud and shrill 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 reassured me. I placcr1 my hand upon the solid fabric 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 he fitter! and plastered in. I struggled with its weight: I placed it partially in its destined position. But now there came from out the niche a low laugh that erected the hairs upon m head. It was succeeded when I was interrupted 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 sery good joke indeed—an excellent jest. We will has e 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 aperture within, in answer I heard only the jingling of the bells. My heart grew sick, on account of the dampness of the catacombs. I hastened to finish my labour, placed the last stone in its position and plastered it up. Upon it I reerected the old rampart of bones - For century no mortal has disturbed them. “Im pace requiescat! ” }}}

 

" Make practical stylistic tasks

This task is aimed at discovering the peculiarities of oral speech and particularly its relying upon non-verbal means and voice possibilities.

Answer the fallowing questions shortly (2-3 sentences):

1. How can you evaluate the actor’s work?

2. Why did Montresor decide to revenge upon Fortunato?

3. What helps to depict the place and time of action?

4. What are relations between Montresor and Fortunato?

5. What is the meaning of the word AMONTILIADO?

6. What is the meaning of the word MASON?

7. What at the very beginning of the story helps to predict unfortunate events?

8. What helps to create the effect of terror?

9. What character deserves the author’s sympathy and why?

10. What 5 features of a horror story can you name?

Listen to the recording of the story once again, make the fallowing tasks 7-10 sentences:

1. Note the non-verbal means, used along the recording of the text (music, steps, jingling). Don’t forget to describe the role of each means in the story in creating general atmosphere of the story, characters’ presentation, focus on definite words.

2. Note non-verbal aspects of the voice (loudness, harshness, pitch, tempo, individual peculiarities, accent etc.). Don’t forget to describe the role of each means in the story in creating general atmosphere of the story, characters’ presentation, focus on definite words.

Note intonation and tonic stress in the story. Don’t forget to describe the role of each means in the story in creating general atmosphere of the story, characters’ presentation, focus on definite words.

J Offer your variant of translating the marked extract {{{ … }}}

.

 

" Make practical stylistic tasks

Find examples of phonetic spelling in the fallowing text. Find examples of oral speech irregularities (phonetical, lexical, grammatical), compare them with the norm.

 

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