Чорний кіт

           Iamabovetheweaknessofseekingtoestablishasequenceofcauseandeffect,betweenthedisasterandtheatrocity. ButIamdetailingachainoffacts —andwishnottoleaveevenapossiblelinkimperfect. Onthedaysucceedingthefire,Ivisitedtheruins. Thewalls,withoneexception,hadfallenin. Thisexceptionwasfoundinacompartmentwall,notverythick,whichstoodaboutthemiddleofthehouse,andagainstwhichhadrestedtheheadofmybed. Theplasteringhadhere,ingreatmeasure,resistedtheactionofthefire —afactwhichIattributedtoitshavingbeenrecentlyspread. Aboutthiswalladensecrowdwerecollected,andmanypersonsseemedtobeexaminingaparticularportionofitwitheveryminuteandeagerattention. Thewords"strange!""singular!"andothersimilarexpressions,excitedmycuriosity. Iapproachedandsaw,asifgraveninbasreliefuponthewhitesurface,thefigureofagiganticcat. Theimpressionwasgivenwithanaccuracytrulymarvellous. Therewasaropeabouttheanimal’sneck. 

           WhenIfirstbeheldthisapparition—forIcouldscarcelyregarditasless—mywonderandmyterrorwereextreme. Butatlengthreflectioncametomyaid. Thecat,Iremembered,hadbeenhunginagardenadjacenttothehouse. Uponthealarmoffire,thisgardenhadbeenimmediatelyfilledbythecrowd —bysomeoneofwhomtheanimalmusthavebeencutfromthetreeandthrown,throughanopenwindow,intomychamber. Thishadprobablybeendonewiththeviewofarousingmefromsleep.