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The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but

when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge. You, who so well know

the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance

to a threat. _At length_ I would be avenged; this was a point definitely

settled--but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved,

precluded the idea of risk. I must not only punish, but punish with

impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its

redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make

himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.

It must be understood that neither by word nor deed had I given

Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. I continued, as was my wont, to

smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile _now_ was at

the thought of his immolation.

He had a weak point--this Fortunato--although in other regards he was a

man to be respected and even feared. He prided himself on his

connoisseurship in wine. Few Italians have the true virtuoso spirit.

For the most part their enthusiasm is adopted to suit the time and

opportunity--to practise imposture upon the British and Austrian

_millionaires_. In painting and gemmary, Fortunato, like his countrymen,

was a quack--but in the matter of old wines he was sincere. In this

respect I did not differ from him materially: I was skillful in the

Italian vintages myself, and bought largely whenever I could.

It was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of the

carnival season, that I encountered my friend. He accosted me with

excessive warmth, for he had been drinking much. The man wore motley.

He had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress, and his head was

surmounted by the conical cap and bells. I was so pleased to see him,

that I thought I should never have done wringing his hand.

I said to him--"My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met. How remarkably

well you are looking to-day! But I have received a pipe of what passes

for Amontillado, and I have my doubts."

"How?" said he. "Amontillado? A pipe? Impossible! And in the middle

of the carnival!"

"I have my doubts," I replied; "and I was silly enough to pay the full

Amontillado price without consulting you in the matter. You were not to

be found, and I was fearful of losing a bargain."

"Amontillado!"

"I have my doubts."

"Amontillado!"

"And I must satisfy them."

"Amontillado!"

"As you are engaged, I am on my way to Luchesi. If any one has a

critical turn, it is he. He will tell me--"

"Luchesi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry."

"And yet some fools will have it that his taste is a match for your

own."

"Come, let us go."

"Whither?"

"To your vaults."

"My friend, no; I will not impose upon your good nature. I perceive

you have an engagement. Luchesi--"

"I have no engagement;--come."

"My friend, no. It is not the engagement, but the severe cold with

which I perceive you are afflicted. The vaults are insufferably damp.

They are encrusted with nitre."

"Let us go, nevertheless. The cold is merely nothing. Amontillado!

You have been imposed upon. And as for Luchesi, he cannot distinguish

Sherry from Amontillado."

Thus speaking, Fortunato possessed himself of my arm. Putting on a mask

of black silk, and drawing a _roquelaire_ closely about my person, I

suffered him to hurry me to my palazzo.

There were no attendants at home; they had absconded to make merry in

honour of the time. I had told them that I should not return until the

morning, and had given them explicit orders not to stir from the house.

These orders were sufficient, I well knew, to insure their immediate

disappearance, one and all, as soon as my back was turned.

I took from their sconces two flambeaux, and giving one to Fortunato,

bowed him through several suites of rooms to the archway that led into

the vaults. I passed down a long and winding staircase, requesting him

to be cautious as he followed. We came at length to the foot of the

descent, and stood together on the damp ground of the catacombs of the

Montresors.

The gait of my friend was unsteady, and the bells upon his cap jingled

as he strode.