Chapter 4 telltale heart

telltale heart right! —I'm nervous, very, very sensitive, 120,000,000 sensitive, I used to be, and I'm still like this; but why do you say that people are crazy?With this kind of disease, the senses are not disabled or dull, but sharpened.Especially hearing, exceptionally sensitive.All sounds from heaven and earth are heard.All kinds of voices from the underworld are also in my ears.So how is it crazy?listen!Look how refreshed and calm I am talking to you about all this. How this idea got into my mind at first, I can't say; but when I think about it, I can't forget it day and night.But there is no purpose.But no grudges.I love that old man.He didn't offend me at all.He didn't insult me ​​at all.Nor do I covet his silver and gold.It must have been the eye!Yes, it was the eye that did the trick!He had one eagle eye--light blue, veiled.Just looking at me made me shudder; so gradually—gradually—resolved in my mind that I would end his life so that I would never look into that eye again.

Voila, therein lies the problem.You think I'm crazy.A madman doesn't understand anything.It's a pity you didn't see me then.It's a pity I didn't see how smart I did it--how careful, how thoughtful, how artificial! In the week before I killed the old man, I was more considerate to him than ever.Every night, around midnight, I turned the lock on his door and opened it—oh, so silently!The door was opened to a slit, and just poking his head in, he took a bull's-eye lamp and stuffed it into the crack of the door. The lamp was covered tightly, seamlessly, not even a trace of light leaked out, and then his head went in again.Ah, you'll laugh out loud when you see how cunningly I poke my head in!I slowly poked my head out, inch by inch, slowly through the door, so as not to wake up the old man.It took an hour to poke my whole head through the crack of the door, just in time to see him lying on the bed.what! —Is the lunatic so clever?As soon as I put my head into the room, I carefully--oh, very carefully--cautiously opened the shutter on the lamp, for the hinges creaked--I opened the shutter a little, and a thin ray of light fell just on the eagle. eyes.I worked like this for seven consecutive nights, every night at exactly midnight, but I always saw that eye was closed; I couldn't do anything about it, because it wasn't the old man himself, but his "white eye" that made me angry.Every morning, just after dawn, I walked into his bedroom unscrupulously, talked to him boldly, called his name affectionately, and asked him if he slept peacefully at night.So you see, if he hadn't been a prudent old man, he wouldn't have suspected that every night, at exactly twelve o'clock, I put my head in and peeped at him while he was asleep.

On the eighth night, I opened the door more carefully than usual.Even the long hands on the watch move much faster.That night, I realized for the first time how strong I was and how smart I was.I couldn't hold back the pride in my heart.Thinking about it, I was right outside the room, opening the door inch by inch, but he never even dreamed of such a secretive move and conspiracy.I couldn't help chuckling at the thought; probably he heard it; for he turned over suddenly, as if startled.Now you always think I'm going back--no.He was afraid of being robbed by robbers, the shutters were closed tightly, the room was dark, and he could not see his fingers. I knew he couldn't see the crack in the door, so I pushed the door step by step as usual.

Just as I poked my head in, I was about to lift the light valve, when my thumb slipped on the iron buckle, the old man sat up abruptly, and shouted, "Who?" I didn't move for a moment, and I didn't make a sound.For a whole hour he remained motionless, but it was not enough for him to lie down.He still sat on the bed and listened intently; just like I listen to the cries of dead insects in the wall every night. Soon, I heard a slight hum in my ear, and I knew that the only way to hum the doctor was when I was scared to death.Not a groan, not a moan—nope! ——I was so frightened that I couldn't hold back such a low voice from the bottom of my heart.I'm used to it.I don’t know how many nights, just in the middle of the night, when there was no sound in the surrounding area, I was always terrified, and this groan couldn’t help but erupt in my heart, stirring up a gloomy forehead echo, which made me even more frightened.As I said just now, I am used to it.I know how the old man feels, and although I am secretly amused, I still sympathize with him.I knew that he had turned over on the bed when he heard a slight sound at first, and had been lying there with his eyes open;He kept saying to himself: "It's just the wind in the chimney—it's just the rats passing through." ; but also understand that this is all in vain.It was all in vain; because the god of death was about to come before him, he walked in a big way, approaching step by step, and found him, the evil ghost.It was the faceless god of death that made his heart feel desolate, and he felt that my head was in the room, although I didn't see it, I didn't hear it.

I held my breath and waited for a long time. Since I didn't hear him lying down, I decided to open a small crack in the lamp, a very small, very small crack.I started to lift the trap door on the lamp -- you can't imagine how sneaky, sneaky -- it was opened bit by bit, and finally a faint ray of light shot out from the crack, like a gossamer, and shone on the eagle's eye. That eye is open, wide open, wide open; the more I look at it, the hotter it gets.I could see clearly—the whole eye was just a dark blue, covered with a terrible film, which frightened me; but the old man's face and body could not be seen: because the light was just right on In that damn place.

Look, didn't I tell you earlier that when you mistook me for madness, it was just a hypersensitivity—? ——Ah, as I said just now, a muffled and deep voice came to my ears in a hurry, like the sound of a watch covered with cotton.I'm used to that voice.It was the heartbeat of the old man.The more I listened to it, the more angry I became, it was like the thumping of a war drum boosting morale. It was at this moment that I still held my breath and remained motionless.I can't breathe.I hold the lamp.The light was aimed as closely as possible on the eagle's eye.At this time, the frightening Butong Butong's heartbeat became more and more violent.Seconds passed by, the faster and faster the jump, the faster the jump, the louder the jump, the louder the jump.The old man Guan Bao was scared to death!As I said just now, it is getting louder and louder every second! — Do you understand?Didn't tell you earlier that I'm hypersensitive; I'm hypersensitive.Right now it is midnight, the ancient house is dead silent, hearing this strange sound, I can't help but be scared to death.But I still held my breath and stood motionless for a moment.Unexpectedly, the sound of Bu Tong Bu Tong became louder and louder!I see, that heart is about to explode.At this time, I couldn't help but feel anxious—I'm afraid the neighbors will hear it!The old man's time has come!With a yell, I opened the light trap and strode into the room.He screamed oops--that's all.In an instant, I dragged him to the floor, pushed down the big bed, and pressed him on top of him.Seeing that it was over all at once, I smiled happily in my heart.Unexpectedly, the sullen heartbeat kept ringing for a long time.But it didn't offend me; the sound was inaudible through the wall.Then it finally stopped.The old man is dead.I moved the bed and looked at the corpse.But no, he died, not even a breath.I put my hand on his heart and held it for a long time.Not a single jump.Not even a breath.That eye is no longer tormenting.

If you still think I'm crazy, let me explain the clever way to hide the dead body, and you won't think so.At the end of the night, I quietly and hastily started to dismember the body first: cut off the head, cut off the hands and feet. I then pried up three floors in the room and hid everything between two studs.The planks were replaced so neatly and so skillfully that no eye, not even his, could see the slightest flaw.There was nothing to scrub, not a single spot, not an iota of blood.I did a good job of guarding you, without leaving a trace.It's all in the tub—ha!what! When everything was done, it was four o'clock--it was still as dark as midnight.The clock struck four times, and there was a sudden knock on the door.I went downstairs to open the door as usual—what is there to be afraid of now?Three people came in, and they introduced themselves politely, saying they were police officers.A neighbor heard a scream at night, suspected a homicide, and reported it to the police station, and the three police officers were ordered to search the house.

I was all smiles, - what is there to be afraid of?I greeted the three gentlemen and said, I just cried out in my dream.I said, the old man went to the countryside.I took the three visitors up and down the house.Ask them to search, search carefully.Later, they were led to the old man's bedroom and pointed out to them that his furniture should be put away properly.With confidence in my heart, I enthusiastically brought in some chairs and asked them to rest their legs in this room. I was full of pride in my heart, so I boldly brought in chairs and sat down at the place where the corpses of the ghosts were buried.

The three police officers were satisfied.They couldn't believe my behavior.I am also very relieved.They sat and chatted about family affairs, and I answered every question.But it didn't take long, I just felt that my face was getting paler and paler, and I wished that they would leave quickly.My head hurts, and my ears are buzzing; but they still sit and chat as usual.I can hear the buzzing sound more clearly; it keeps ringing, and I can hear it more clearly; I want to get rid of this feeling, and my mouth can talk more smoothly; It was ringing and ringing, and I finally realized that it was not my ears.

Needless to say, my face was white now; but I talked more cheerfully, and raised my voice.Unexpectedly, the sound became louder and louder-what should I do?It was a low, indistinct sound coming in a hurry—it was almost like the sound of a watch covered in cotton.I was gasping for breath; but the three police officers didn't hear me.I talked faster and more urgently; who would have thought that the noise would keep getting louder and louder.I stood up, even arguing about trivial matters in a high-pitched voice, while dancing and clapping my feet; unexpectedly, the noise became louder and louder.Why didn't they go?I walked up and down the room with heavy steps, as if the opinions of the three of them annoyed me; but the noise became louder and louder.Ah, my God!How to do it?I spit, snarl, and curse!Let the chair shake and rattle against the planks, but the noise is overwhelming, and it goes on and on, getting louder and louder.Louder and louder, louder and louder!The three of them were chatting happily as usual, laughing and laughing.Didn't you hear me?God! --no no!I heard it! — Suspicious! ——It’s counted! —is making fun of me for being so frightened! —I used to think so, and I still think so now.But nothing is better than this torture!Nothing is better than this taunt!I can't bear this fake smile anymore!I just feel like I'm going to die if I don't shout! - lo and behold - here it comes again! --listen!It's getting louder and louder!It's getting louder and louder!It's getting louder and louder!It's getting louder and louder! ——

"Brave!" I screamed. "Stop pretending! That's what I'm going to do! - Pry the floor! - Here, here! - His damn heart is beating!"