“Come in,” said Dupin, in a cheerful and hearty tone.
A man entered. He was a sailor, evidently, – a tall, stout, and muscular-looking person. He had a huge cudgel with him. He bowed awkwardly, and bade us “good evening,” in French accents.
“Sit down, my friend,” said Dupin. “I suppose you’re here for the orangutan. A very fine animal. How old do you suppose it to be?”
“I have no way of telling how old it is, but it can’t be more than four or five years old. Have you got it here?”
“Oh no, we could not keep him here. He is at a live. Are you prepared to identify the property?”
“To be sure I am, sir.”
“I wish I could keep it.”
“Of course I will pay you for finding and keeping the animal. Anything within reason.”
“Well,” replied my friend, “that is all very fair, to be sure. Let me think! – what should I have? Oh! I will tell you. My reward shall be this. You shall give me all the information in your power about these murders in the Rue Morgue.”
Dupin said the last words in a very low tone, and very quietly. Just as quietly, too, he walked toward the door. He locked it and put the key in his pocket. Then he drew a pistol from his bosom and placed it on the table.
The sailor’s face flushed up as if he were struggling with suffocation. He started to his feet and grasped his cudgel, but the next moment he fell back into his seat. He spoke not a word. I pitied him from the bottom of my heart[8 - from the bottom of my heart – от всей души].
“My friend,” said Dupin, in a kind tone, “We mean you no harm whatever. I perfectly well know that you are innocent of the killings in the Rue Morgue. But it is true that you know something about the killer. It is a matter of honor for you to tell all you know.”
“So help me God!” said he, after a brief pause, “I will tell you all I know about this affair. But I do not expect you to believe half of it.”
The story was this. Lately he and some other sailors made a voyage to the Indian Archipelago. They landed at Borneo[9 - Borneo – Борнео, третий по величине остров в мире; находится в центре Малайского архипелага в юго-восточной Азии]. He and his friend went to a forest on an excursion of pleasure. There they captured the orangutan. Soon after his friend died and the animal fell into his own exclusive possession. He took it with him in Paris. The animal caused a lot of trouble but he managed to keep it secretly in his apartments for the time being[10 - for the time being – до поры до времени]. His ultimate goal was to sell it.
In the morning of the murder, he found the beast in his own bedroom. A razor, which the sailor left on a table after shaving, was in its hand. The man, for some moments, was at a loss what to do[11 - was at a loss what to do – не знал, что делать]. He stretched his hand to the whip with which he usually quieted the creature. The orangutan saw it and sprang at once through the door of the chamber, down the stairs. It then jumped through a window, unfortunately open, into the street.
The Frenchman followed in despair. It was nearly three o’clock in the morning and the streets were still quiet and dark. When they passed down an alley in the rear of the Rue Morgue, the ape noticed a light gleaming from the open window of Madame L’Espanaye’s house. It rushed to the building and went up the metallic pole, and then jumped into the room. All this didn’t take a minute.
The sailor, too, went up the metallic pole, but was unable to jump into the room. He saw a following scene.
The women were sitting there, with their backs to the windows. They were busy with some papers. The old lady saw the animal and started screaming. The ape grasped her by the hair. The woman’s scream and struggle probably scared the ape and made it go wild. With one determined sweep of its muscular arm, it nearly severed her head from her body. The daughter lay prostrate and motionless. The sight of blood inflamed the anger of the ape into phrenzy[12 - phrenzy – безумие, сумасшествие]. It saw the daughter move and, with fire in its eyes, rushed to her. The beast put its powerful fingers around her neck, and pressed them firmly there until she died. It saw the face of sailor in the window and understood that the punishment was near. The beast started jumping all around, breaking everything in the room. Suddenly it stopped and took the body of the daughter and put it up above the fireplace. Then it threw the old woman out the window.
The sailor was full of horror and did not know what to do. He knew he was now powerless against such beast and simply ran away.
Thus, the mystery was solved. We reported everything to the police, which was not happy that some civilians 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 - vulture – стервятник]. 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 - my blood ran cold – кровь стыла в венах]. 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 - I had the urge – у меня было желание] 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 - He had no clue – Он и не догадывался] 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 - The oldman’s hour had come! – Для старика пришел час расплаты!]With a loud yell, I jumped into the room. He shrieked once – once only. In an instant[18 - In an instant – в мгновение ока], I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. The deed was done[19 - The deed was done. – Дело было сделано.]. 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 - stone dead – мертвее мертвого]. 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 - No doubt – без сомнений]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 - MS. – manuscript, рукопись] 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 - Simoom – Самум, песчаный ураган]. I told the captain my fears; but he paid no attention to what I said.
I could not sleep so I went on desk. As I placed my foot on the upper step of the companion-ladder, a loud, humming noise startled me; the ship started shaking. Before I even realized, a wild wave knocked me off[24 - knocked me off – сбила меня с ног]. It swept the entire decks from stem to stern. Although the ship was completely waterlogged[25 - waterlogged – затоплен водой], after a minute it rose from the sea. It shacked for a while and finally righted[26 - righted – выровнялось].
By some miracle, I survived. I was jammed in between the sternpost and rudder. With great difficulty, I stood up and looked dizzily[27 - dizzily – растерянно] around. We were immersed in the whirlpool of a foaming ocean. After a while, I heard the voice of an old Swede, who shipped with us when we leaved port. I hallooed to him and he came to me. We soon discovered we were the only survivors; the wave swept all on desk overboard, the captain and mates were dead too for water flooded their cabins. No one could help us to save the ship.
We were paralyzed by the momentary expectation of going down. Our rope broke at the first breath of the hurricane and the framework of our stern was shattered. We believed that a great wave would finally destroy our poor ship but it did not happen.
For four days and nights, waves carried us down the coast of New Holland. On the fifth day, the wind was blowing more to the northward and it became extremely cold. The sky was thick and grey; no clouds were in it. About noon, we saw the sun. It gave out no light but a dull and sullen glow[28 - It gave out no light but a dull and sullen glow. – Оно испускало не свет, а только тусклое и угрюмое свечение.].
Our ship sank within the sea and we could see the sun no more. We fell into complete darkness. The sixth day never arrived – it was an eternal night. We noticed that, though the storm continued, there was no more surf or foam. A superstitious[29 - superstitious – суеверный] horror filled our souls.
We secured ourselves to the stump of the mast and looked out bitterly into the world of ocean. We had no means of calculating time and we had no idea where we were. We knew, however, we made farther to the southward than any previous navigators. Every moment threatened to be our last. My companion reminded me that our ship has some excellent qualities; but I could not help but feel hopeless.
We were at the bottom of one of these abysses, when a quick scream from my companion broke the night. “See! see!” cried he, shrieking in my ears, “God! see! see!” I saw a dull, sullen glare of red light that fell on our desk. I looked up and my blood froze from what I saw. A gigantic ship, about four thousand tons, floated at a terrific height directly above us. Its size was much bigger than any ship I knew. It was of a deep dark color and had no usual customary carved figures on it. A single row of brass cannon[30 - brass cannons – медные пушки] poked out from its open ports. But what mainly inspired us with horror was that the ship bore up under a press of sail in the very teeth of that supernatural sea[31 - But what mainly inspired us with horror was that the ship bore up under a press of sail in the very teeth of that supernatural sea. – Но больше всего внушал ужас тот факт, что корабль несся под парусами в самую пасть этого сверхъестественного моря.]. For a moment, it paused on the giddy top, then trembled and – came down.
