Чорний кіт

           Again,Ideliberatedaboutcastingitinthewellintheyard —aboutpackingitinabox,asifmerchandize,withtheusualarrangements,andsogettingaportertotakeitfromthehouse. FinallyIhituponwhatIconsideredafarbetterexpedientthaneitherofthese. Ideterminedtowallitupinthecellar—asthemonksofthemiddleagesarerecordedtohavewalleduptheirvictims. 

           Forapurposesuchasthisthecellarwaswelladapted. Itswallswerelooselyconstructed,andhadlatelybeenplasteredthroughoutwitharoughplaster, whichthedampnessoftheatmospherehadpreventedfromhardening. Moreover,inoneofthewallswasaprojection,causedbyafalsechimney,orfireplace,thathadbeenfilledup,andmadetoresembletherestofthecellar. ImadenodoubtthatIcouldreadilydisplacethebricksatthispoint, insertthecorpse,andwallthewholeupasbefore,sothatnoeyecoulddetectanythingsuspicious. 

           AndinthiscalculationIwasnotdeceived. Bymeansofacrow-barIeasilydislodgedthebricks,and,havingcarefullydepositedthebodyagainsttheinnerwall,Iproppeditinthatposition,while,withlittletrouble,Ire-laidthewholestructureasitoriginallystood. Havingprocuredmortar,sand,andhair,witheverypossibleprecaution,Ipreparedaplasterwhichcouldnotbedistinguishedfromtheold, andwiththisIverycarefullywentoverthenewbrick-work. WhenIhadfinished,Ifeltsatisfiedthatallwasright.Thewalldidnotpresenttheslightestappearanceofhavingbeendisturbed.