Teachers

From “The Cask of Amontillado”

The thousand injuries 1 of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge.2 You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that gave utterance to a threat.3 At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitely, settled --but the very definitiveness 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 my to 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.4 Few Italians have the true virtuoso spirit. For the most part their enthusiasm is adopted to suit the time and opportunity, to practice 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 skilful in the Italian vintages myself, and bought largely whenever I could.
It was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season5, 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 parti-striped 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 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 Luchresi. If any one has a critical turn it is he. He will tell me --"
            "Luchresi 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. Luchresi--"
            "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." 5
            "Let us go, nevertheless. The cold is merely nothing. Amontillado! You have been imposed upon. And as for Luchresi, he cannot distinguish Sherry from Amontillado." Thus speaking, Fortunato possessed himself of my arm; and putting on a mask of black silk and drawing a roquelaire closely about my person 6, I suffered him to hurry me to my palazzo.
            There were no attendants at home; they had absconded to make merry in honour of the time. I had told them that I should not return until the morning, and had given them explicit orders not to stir from the house. These orders were sufficient, I well knew, to insure their immediate disappearance, 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 suites 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 upon the damp ground of the catacombs of the Montresors. 7
            The gait of my friend was unsteady, and the bells upon his cap jingled as he strode.
            "The pipe," he said.
            "It is farther on," said I; "but observe 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. 8
            "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. 9

From “The Raven”

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,1
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, 3
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. 4
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door-
Only this, and nothing more." 5

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;- vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow- sorrow for the lost Lenore-
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Nameless here for evermore.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain 6
Thrilled me- filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before; 7
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
"'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door-
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;-
This it is, and nothing more."

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer, 8
"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you"- here I opened wide the door;-
Darkness there, and nothing more.