Колодець і маятник

           Suchasupposition,notwithstandingwhatwereadinfiction,isaltogetherinconsistentwithrealexistence;—butwhereandinwhatstatewasI? Thecondemnedtodeath,Iknew,perishedusuallyattheautos-da-fe,andoneofthesehadbeenheldontheverynightofthedayofmytrial. HadIbeenremandedtomydungeon,toawaitthenextsacrifice,whichwouldnottakeplaceformanymonths? ThisIatoncesawcouldnotbe. Victimshadbeeninimmediatedemand. Moreover,mydungeon,aswellasallthecondemnedcellsatToledo,hadstonefloors,andlightwasnotaltogetherexcluded. 

           Afearfulideanowsuddenlydrovethebloodintorrentsuponmyheart,andforabriefperiod,Ioncemorerelapsedintoinsensibility. Uponrecovering,Iatoncestartedtomyfeet,tremblingconvulsivelyineveryfibre. Ithrustmyarmswildlyaboveandaroundmeinalldirections. Ifeltnothing;yetdreadedtomoveastep,lestIshouldbeimpededbythewallsofatomb. Perspirationburstfromeverypore,andstoodincoldbigbeadsuponmyforehead. Theagonyofsuspensegrewatlengthintolerable,andIcautiouslymovedforward,withmyarmsextended,andmyeyesstrainingfromtheirsockets,inthehopeofcatchingsomefaintrayoflight. Iproceededformanypaces;butstillallwasblacknessandvacancy. Ibreathedmorefreely. Itseemedevidentthatminewasnot,atleast,themosthideousoffates.