to its own nature-to do wrong for the wrong s sake only- that urged me to continue and finally to consummate the injury I had inflicted upon the unoffending brute. One morning, in cool blood, I slipped a noose about its neck and hung it to the limb of a tree,-hung it with the tears streaming from my eyes, and with the bitterest remorse at my heart;-hung it because I knew that it had loved me, and because I felt it had given me no reason of offence;-hung it because I knew that in so doing I was committing a sin-a deadly sin that would so jeopardize my immortal soul as to place it- if such a thing wore possible-even beyond the reach of the infinite mercy of the Most merciful and Most Terrible God 7 On the night of the day on which this cruel deed was done, I was aroused from sleep by the cry of fire. The curtains of my bed were in flames. The whole house was blazing. It was with great difficulty that my wife, a servant, and myself, made our escape from the conflagration. The destruction was complete. My entire worldly wealth was swallowed up, and I resigned myself thenceforward to despair. 8 I am above the weakness of seeking to establish a sequence of cause and effect, between the disaster and the atrocity. But I am detailing a chain of facts-and wish not to leave even a possible link imperfect. On the day succeeding the fire, I visited the ruins. The walls, with one exception, had fallen in. This exception was found in a compartment wall, not very thick, which ood about the middle of the house, and against which had rested the head of my bed. The plastering had here, in great measure, resisted the action of the fire-a fact which I attributed to its having been recently spread. About this wall a dense crowd were collected, and many persons seemed to be examining a particular portion of it with very minute and eager attention The words strange! ""singular! "and other similar expressions, excited my curiosity. I approached and saw as if graven in bas relief upon the white surface, the figure of a gigantic cat, The impression was given with an accuracy truly marvellous. There was a rope about the animals neck. When I first beheld this apparition- for I could scarcely regard it as less-my wonder and my terror were extreme. But at length reflection came to my aid 2 The cat, I remembered, had been hung in a garden adjacent to the house. Upon the alarm of fire, this garden had been immediately filled by the crowd- by some one of whom the animal must have been cut from the tree and thrown, through an open window, into my chamber. This had probably been done with the view of ousing me from sleep. The falling of other walls had compressed the victim of my cruelty into the substance of the freshly-spread plaster; the lime of which, with the flames, and the ammonia from the carcass, had then accomplished the portraiture as I saw it Although I thus readily accounted to my reason, if not altogether to my conscience, for the startling fact just detailed, it did not the less fail to make a deep impression upon my fancy. For months I could not rid myself of the phantasm of the cat; and, during this period, there came back into my spirit a half-sentiment that seemed, but was not, remorse. I went so far as to regret the loss of the animal, and to look about me, among the vile haunts 2 which I now habitually frequent 1 beyond the reach of the infinite mercy of the Most Merciful and Most Terrible god:就算是仁慈威严的上帝 也拯救不了我 18 My entire worldly wealth was swallowed up, and I resigned myself thenceforward to despair.我世间的所有财 物化为乌有,我也万念俱灰 I am above the weakness of seeking to establish a sequence of cause and effect, between the disaster and the atrocity.我不至于那么懦弱,在我的暴行和这场火灾之间建立因果关系 20 bas relief.浅浮雕 2 But at length reflection came to my aid.但转念一想便宽了心。 e vile haunts:下等场所to its own nature - to do wrong for the wrong's sake only - that urged me to continue and finally to consummate the injury I had inflicted upon the unoffending brute. One morning, in cool blood, I slipped a noose about its neck and hung it to the limb of a tree; - hung it with the tears streaming from my eyes, and with the bitterest remorse at my heart; - hung it _because_ I knew that it had loved me, and _because_ I felt it had given me no reason of offence; - hung it _because_ I knew that in so doing I was committing a sin - a deadly sin that would so jeopardize my immortal soul as to place it - if such a thing wore possible - even beyond the reach of the infinite mercy of the Most Merciful and Most Terrible God17 . On the night of the day on which this cruel deed was done, I was aroused from sleep by the cry of fire. The curtains of my bed were in flames. The whole house was blazing. It was with great difficulty that my wife, a servant, and myself, made our escape from the conflagration. The destruction was complete. My entire worldly wealth was swallowed up, and I resigned myself thenceforward to despair.18 I am above the weakness of seeking to establish a sequence of cause and effect, between the disaster and the atrocity.19 But I am detailing a chain of facts - and wish not to leave even a possible link imperfect. On the day succeeding the fire, I visited the ruins. The walls, with one exception, had fallen in. This exception was found in a compartment wall, not very thick, which stood about the middle of the house, and against which had rested the head of my bed. The plastering had here, in great measure, resisted the action of the fire - a fact which I attributed to its having been recently spread. About this wall a dense crowd were collected, and many persons seemed to be examining a particular portion of it with very minute and eager attention. The words "strange!" "singular!" and other similar expressions, excited my curiosity. I approached and saw, as if graven in _bas relief20_ upon the white surface, the figure of a gigantic _cat_. The impression was given with an accuracy truly marvellous. There was a rope about the animal's neck. When I first beheld this apparition - for I could scarcely regard it as less - my wonder and my terror were extreme. But at length reflection came to my aid.21 The cat, I remembered, had been hung in a garden adjacent to the house. Upon the alarm of fire, this garden had been immediately filled by the crowd - by some one of whom the animal must have been cut from the tree and thrown, through an open window, into my chamber. This had probably been done with the view of arousing me from sleep. The falling of other walls had compressed the victim of my cruelty into the substance of the freshly-spread plaster; the lime of which, with the flames, and the _ammonia_ from the carcass, had then accomplished the portraiture as I saw it. Although I thus readily accounted to my reason, if not altogether to my conscience, for the startling fact just detailed, it did not the less fail to make a deep impression upon my fancy. For months I could not rid myself of the phantasm of the cat; and, during this period, there came back into my spirit a half-sentiment that seemed, but was not, remorse. I went so far as to regret the loss of the animal, and to look about me, among the vile haunts22 which I now habitually frequented, 17 beyond the reach of the infinite mercy of the Most Merciful and Most Terrible God: 就算是仁慈威严的上帝 也拯救不了我。 18 My entire worldly wealth was swallowed up, and I resigned myself thenceforward to despair. 我世间的所有财 物化为乌有，我也万念俱灰。 19 I am above the weakness of seeking to establish a sequence of cause and effect, between the disaster and the atrocity. 我不至于那么懦弱，在我的暴行和这场火灾之间建立因果关系。 20 bas relief: 浅浮雕 21 But at length reflection came to my aid. 但转念一想便宽了心。 22 the vile haunts: 下等场所