Чорний кіт

           Ourfriendshiplasted,inthismanner,forseveralyears,duringwhichmygeneraltemperamentandcharacter —throughtheinstrumentalityoftheFiendIntemperance—had(Iblushtoconfessit)experiencedaradicalalterationfortheworse. Igrew,daybyday,moremoody,moreirritable,moreregardlessofthefeelingsofothers. IsufferedmyselftouseintemperatelanguagetomyAtlength,Ievenofferedherpersonalviolence. Mypets,ofcourse,weremadetofeelthechangeinmydisposition. Inotonlyneglected,butill-usedthem. ForPluto,however,Istillretainedsufficientregardtorestrainmefrommaltreatinghim, asImadenoscrupleofmaltreatingtherabbits,themonkey,oreventhedog,whenbyaccident,orthroughaffection,theycameinmyway. Butmydiseasegrewuponme—forwhatdiseaseislikeAlcohol! —andatlengthevenPluto,whowasnowbecomingold,andconsequentlysomewhatpeevish —evenPlutobegantoexperiencetheeffectsofmyilltemper. 

           Onenight,returninghome,muchintoxicated,fromoneofmyhauntsabouttown,Ifanciedthatthecatavoidedmypresence. Iseizedhim;when,inhisfrightatmyviolence,heinflictedaslightwounduponmyhandwithhisteeth. Thefuryofademoninstantlypossessedme.Iknewmyselfnolonger. Myoriginalsoulseemed,atonce,totakeitsflightfrommybody;andamorethanfiendishmalevolence,gin-nurtured,thrilledeveryfibreofmyframe.