Колодец и маятник

           Uponmyrecovery,too,Ifeltvery—oh,inexpressiblysickandweak,asifthroughlonginanition. Evenamidtheagoniesofthatperiod,thehumannaturecravedfood. WithpainfuleffortIoutstretchedmyleftarmasfarasmybondspermitted,andtookpossessionofthesmallremnantwhichhadbeensparedmebytherats. AsIputaportionofitwithinmylips,thererushedtomymindahalfformedthoughtofjoy—ofhope. YetwhatbusinesshadIwithhope? Itwas,asIsay,ahalfformedthought—manhasmanysuchwhicharenevercompleted. Ifeltthatitwasofjoy—ofhope;butfeltalsothatithadperishedinitsformation. InvainIstruggledtoperfect—toregainit. Longsufferinghadnearlyannihilatedallmyordinarypowersofmind. Iwasanimbecile—anidiot. 

           Thevibrationofthependulumwasatrightanglestomylength. Isawthatthecrescentwasdesignedtocrosstheregionoftheheart. Itwouldfraythesergeofmyrobe—itwouldreturnandrepeatitsoperations—again—andagain. Notwithstandingterrificallywidesweep(somethirtyfeetormore)andtheitshissingvigorofitsdescent,sufficienttosundertheseverywallsofiron,stillthefrayingofmyrobewouldbeallthat,forseveralminutes,itwouldaccomplish. AndatthisthoughtIpaused. Idarednotgofartherthanthisreflection. Idweltuponitwithapertinacityofattention—asif,insodwelling,Icouldarrestherethedescentofthesteel.