Золотой жук. Уровень 1 / The Gold-bug. Эдгар Аллан По

solved the case, not the police. The sailor later captured his animal and wrongly imprisoned Le Don was instantly released.

      The tell-tale heart

      True! I am always nervous, very dreadfully nervous. But am I a madman? My nervousness sharpened my senses, but not destroyed nor dulled them. It especially sharpened my hearing. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Listen! Listen carefully – and I will tell the whole story.

      I do not know when the idea first entered my brain; but once it did, it haunted me day and night. There was no reason for what I did. I did not hate the old man; I even loved him. He never hurt me. He never insulted me. I did not need his money. I think it was his eye! Yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture[13]. It was pale blue, with a film over it. Whenever the old man looked at me with his vulture eye, my blood ran cold[14]. I decided to kill the old man to finally get rid of this evil eye forever.

      Now this is the point. You think I am mad. Madmen cannot plan. But you do not know how wisely and with what caution I went to work! During the whole week before I killed him I was as kind to him as I could. Every night about twelve o’clock I gently – oh, so gently! – opened his door. And when the opening was wide enough I used to put my hand and my head in. Oh, I bet it looked comical! I moved very slowly so that I might not disturb the old man’s sleep. It took me an hour to place myself within the opening so far that I could see him on his bed. Ha! Could a madman be so wise? I stood there quietly. In my hand, I had a light covered with a cloth. I carefully lifted the cloth so that a single thin ray fell across the vulture eye. I did this for seven nights, seven long nights, every night at midnight. But I found the eye always closed. Because of that, I could not do the work. For it was not the old man I had the urge[15] to kill but his Evil Eye. And every morning after I spoke to the old man in a hearty tone and asked how was his night. He had no clue[16] that every night I watched him sleeping.

      On the eighth night, I was even more than usually careful when I opened the door. The hands of a clock move more quickly than did my hand. Never before that night I felt more powerful. I could hardly hold my feelings of triumph back. The old man was lying on his bed and had no idea I was at his door. I let out a slight chuckle. He suddenly moved. You may think I become afraid – but no. His room was completely dark. I knew that he could not see me. I continued to push the door, slowly, softly.

      I put my head in. Then I started putting in my hand when suddenly the old man sprang up in bed and cried, “Who’s there?”

      I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour I did not move a muscle. Neither did I hear him lie down. He was still sitting up in the bed listening.

      Soon I heard a cry of fear which escaped from the old man. I knew he was filled with horror. I knew what he felt, and pitied him, although I chuckled at heart. He probably tried to calm himself down by thinking these strange sounds came from wind or a mouse… But it was not. It was Death standing right in front of him.

      Slowly, I lifted the cloth so that a single thin ray fell across the vulture eye. And there it was. The Eye was open widely. I saw it with perfect distinctness – all a dull blue, with a hideous veil over it. I grew furious as I gazed at it.

      Did you know people often mistake over-acuteness of the sense for madness? I heard a low dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes if you envelop it in cotton. I knew that sound well, too. It was the beating of the old man’s heart. It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage.

      But even yet I kept still. I hardly breathed. I held the light motionless. But the sound grew louder. Can you imagine the old man’s terror! It grew louder, I say, louder every moment! The heart was beating so loudly that I was sure neighbors must hear it. I felt anger. The old man’s hour had come![17]With a loud yell, I jumped into the room. He shrieked once – once only. In an instant[18], I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. The deed was done[19]. The old man was dead. But I still heard his heart beating. This, however, did not bother me; no one would hear anything through the wall. At length it ceased. I removed the bed and examined the corpse. Yes, he was stone, stone dead[20]. His eye would trouble me no more.

      If you still think I am mad, you will change your mind when I tell you how wisely I hid the body. First, I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs. I was so careful that not a single drop of blood fell on the floor. Then I took up three boards from the flooring of the room, put the body underneath and replaced the boards. Everything looked the same.

      When I finished, it was four o’clock in the morning, still dark. I heard someone knocking on the door. I went down to open the door. There were three police officers. One of the neighbors heard the old man’s cry and called the police. They came to ask questions and search the house.

      I let them in. I was not afraid of anything as I knew I did everything right. I let them search the house. When they were in his room, I brought some chairs and offered them to rest. I placed my own seat on the very spot beneath which lied the corpse of the victim.

      The officers were satisfied. My manner convinced them. They sat, and while I answered cheerily, they chatted. But soon I felt myself getting pale. I wanted them to go away. I fancied a ringing in my ears. The ringing became more distinct while the police officers were still chatting. I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling but it did not help.

      No doubt[21]I now grew very pale. No matter what I did, the sound increased. How could the officers not hear it?! No! They heard! They knew! They were making a mockery of my horror! I could not tolerate this agony anymore.

      “Villains!” I screamed. “I admit the deed! Tear up the floor! Here, here! It is the beating of his hideous heart!”

      Ms.[22] found in a bottle

      People often criticize me for being too rational. Nature gave me a scientific mind, and my wealthy family gave me a fine education. This together formed my habits of hard logical thinking. I am the last person to believe in any kind of mystery. Considering this, I have an incredible story to tell.

      I spent many years in foreign travel. It was 18… when I went on a voyage to the Archipelago of the Sunda Islands as passenger. We sailed in the rich and populous island of Java on a beautiful ship of about four hundred tons. It carried cotton wool, oil, coir, jaggeree, ghee, cocoanuts, and a few cases of opium. The ship was so full, that she crank.

      The ship sailed with a mere breath of wind. For many days it stood along the eastern coast of Java. Nothing disturbed our monotonous course.

      One evening, a single cloud in the sky attracted my attention. It was of unusual color and it was the first cloud we saw since our departure from Batavia. I watched it carefully until sunset. Then it spread all at once to the eastward and westward and left a narrow strip of vapor in the sky. Then I noticed an unusual dusky red color of the moon and the peculiar character of the sea. The water was rapidly changing and seemed more than usually transparent.

      As night came on, every breath of wind died away. The air now became very hot and calm. A long hair, which I held between the finger and thumb, hung without making the slightest move. However, the captain saw no indication of danger and ordered to remove the sails and let go the anchor. The crew stretched themselves deliberately on deck. I went below, and a heavy feeling of something bad coming developed in my chest. Indeed, the weather signaled Simoom[23]. I told the captain my fears; but he paid no attention to what I said.

      I could not sleep so

13

vulture – стервятник

14

my blood ran cold – кровь стыла в венах

15

I had the urge – у меня было желание

16

He had no clue – Он и не догадывался

17

The oldman’s hour had come! – Для старика пришел час расплаты!

18

In an instant – в мгновение ока

19

The deed was done. – Дело было сделано.

20

stone dead – мертвее мертвого

21

No doubt – без сомнений

22

MS. – manuscript, рукопись

23

Simoom – Самум, песчаный ураган