D-n him or it; curse the portrait and its original
Silence, meanwhile, grew more silent, and darkness darker. I listenedin vain for the rumble of a vehicle, or the dull clamour of a distant row.There was nothing but the sound of a rising wind, which had succeededhe thunder-storm that had travelled over the Dublin mountains quiteout of hearing. In the middle of this great dty I began to feel myselfalone with nature, and Heaven knows what beside My courage wasbing. Punch, however, which makes beasts of so many, made a man oftook a candle, not without a tremour. As I crossed the floor I tried toextemporise a prayer, but stopped short to listen, and never finished itThe steps continued. I confess I hesitated for some seconds at the doorbefore I took heart of grace and opened it.
When I peeped out the lobbywas perfectly empty-there was no monster standing on the staircaseand as the detested sound ceased, I was reassured enough to venture forward nearly to the banisters, Horror of horrors! within a stafr or two be.neath the spot where I stood the unearthly tread smote the floor. My eyeaught something in motion: it was about the size of Goliah's foot-itwas grey, heavy, and flapped with a dead weight from one step to another. As I am alive, it was the most monstrous grey rat I ever beheld orimaginedShakespeare says-Some men there are cannot abide a gaping pigand some that are mad if they behold a cat. I went well-nigh out of mywits when I beheld this rat; for, laugh at me as you may, it ficed uponme, I thought, a perfectly human expression of malice; and, as it shuffledabout and looked up into my face almost from between my feet, I saw,ould swear it-I felt it then, and know it now, the infernal gaze and theaccursed countenance of my old friend in the portrait, transfused into thevisage of the bloated vermin before mebounced into my room again with a feeling of loathing and horrorcannot describe and locked and bolted my door as if a lion had been athe other side. D-n him or it; curse the portrait and its original! I felt inmy soul that the rat-yes, the rat, the RAT I had just seen, was that evilbeing in masquerade, and rambling through the house upon some in-femal night lark.Next moming I was early trudging through the miry streets; and,among other transactions, posted a peremptory note recalling Tom. Onmy return, however, I found a note from my absent chum, announcinghis intended return next day. I was doubly rejoiced at this, because I hadsucceeded in getting rooms; and because the change of scene and returnof my comrade were rendered specially pleasant by the last nights halfridiculous half horrible adventure
slept extemporaneously in my new quarters in Digges Street thatnight, and next morning returned for breakfast to the haunted mansion,where I was certain Tom would call immediately on his arrivalwas quite right-he came; and almost his first question referred tothe primary object of our change of residenceThank God, he said with genuine fervour, on hearing that all was ar-ranged "On your account I am delighted. As to myself,assure vouno earthly consideration could have induced me ever again to pass aight in this disastrous old houseConfound the house. I ejaculated, with a genuine mixture of fear anddetestation, we have not had a pleasant hour since we came to lithere" and so I went on, and related incidentally my adventure with theplethoric old rat.matter, "I don't think I should have minded it very much.aWell, if that were all,said my cousin, affecting to make light of theAy, but its eye-its countenance, my dear Tom, urged I; if you hadseen that, you would have felt it might be anything but what it seemed.I inclined to think the best conjurer in such a case would be an ablebodied cat, he said, with a provoking chuckleBut let us hear your own adventure, I said tartly.At this challenge he looked uneasily round him. I had poked up a veryunpleasant recollectionYou shall hear it, Dick; I'll tell it to you, " he said. "Begad, sir, I shouldfeel quite queer, though, telling it here, though we are too strong a bodyfor ghosts to meddle with just now.Though he spoke this like a joke, I think it was serious calculatiHebe was in a comer of the room, packing our cracked delft tea anddinner-services in a basket. She soon suspended operations, and withmouth and eyes wide open became an absorbed listener. Toms experi-ences were told nearly in these words-I saw it three times, Dick-three distinct times; and i am perfectly cer-ain it meant me some infernal harm. I was, I say, in danger-in extremedanger; for, if nothing else had happened, my reason would moscertainly have failed me, unless I had escaped so soon. Thank God. I did
The first night of this hateful disturbance, i was ling in the attitudesleep, in that lumbering old bed. I hate to thinkawake, though I had put out my candle, anlying as quietly as ifhad been asleep; and although accidentally restless, my thoughts wererunning in a cheerful andI think it must have been twvo o clock at least when I thought I heard aound in that-thatdark recess at the far end of the bedroomdrawing a piece of cord slowly along the floor,lifting it up, and dropping it softly down again in coils. I sate up once orthe wainscot I felt no emotion graver than curiosity, and after a fewminutes ceased to obsere itWhile lying in this state, strange to say without at first a suspicion ofanvthing supernaturalsuddenold man, rather stout andhead, moving stiffly and slowlv in a diagonal direction, from thecross the floor of the bedroom.mv bed at the foot, and enteringthe lumber-closet at the left He had something under his arm: his headung a little at one side, and, merciful God. when I saw his face.Tom stopped for a while, and then saThat awful countenance, which living or dying I neter can forget, dis-closed what he was. Without turning to the right or left, he passed besideme, and entered the closet bw the bed s headWhile this fearful and indescribable type of death andpassing, I felt that I had no more power to speak or stir than if I had beenyself a corpse. For hours after it had disappeared, I was too terrifiedand weakenlighttook couragemined the room, and especiallv thewhich the frightful intruderhad seemed to take but there was not a vestige to indicate anybody shaving passed there, no sign of any disturbing agency visible among thelumber that strewed the foor of the closetwas fagged and exhausted, and atlast, overpowered by a feverish sleep. I came down late; and finding yout of spirits, on account of your dreams about the portrait, whose origiClcertain disclosed himself todid not care to talk abothing was an illusion, and I did not like to rewire in their intensity thehated impressions of the past night-or to risk the constancy of my scep-ticism, by recounting the tale of my sufferings
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