“Yes，unclethatis，ifitwouldbequiteagreeabletoyourself。”
　　“Wouldn’titanswer，Bobby，ifIweretoleaveitatrandomsometimewithinayearorso，forexample？mustIsayprecisely？”
　　“Ifyouplease，uncleprecisely。”
　　“Well，then，Bobby，myboyyou’reafinefellow，aren’tyou？
　　sinceyouwillhavetheexacttimeI’llwhyI’llobligeyouforonce：“
　　“Dearuncle！”
　　“Hush，sir！”[drowningmyvoice]I’llobligeyouforonce。Youshallhavemyconsentandtheplum，wemus’n’tforgettheplum
　　letmesee！whenshallitbe？To-day’sSundayisn’tit？Well，then，youshallbemarriedpreciselyprecisely，nowmind！whenthreeSundayscometogetherinaweek！Doyouhearme，sir！Whatareyougapingat？Isay，youshallhaveKateandherplumwhenthreeSundayscometogetherinaweekbutnottillthenyouyoungscapegracenottillthen，ifIdieforit。YouknowmeI’mamanofmywordnowbeoff！”Hereheswallowedhisbumperofport，whileIrushedfromtheroomindespair。
　　Avery“fineoldEnglishgentleman。”wasmygrand-uncleRumgudgeon，butunlikehimofthesong，hehadhisweakpoints。Hewasalittle，pursy，pompous，passionatesemicircularsomebody，witharednose，athickscull，[sic]alongpurse，andastrongsenseofhisownconsequence。Withthebestheartintheworld，hecontrived，throughapredominantwhimofcontradiction，toearnforhimself，amongthosewhoonlyknewhimsuperficially，thecharacterofacurmudgeon。Likemanyexcellentpeople，heseemedpossessedwithaspiritoftantalization，whichmighteasily，atacasualglance，havebeenmistakenformalevolence。Toeveryrequest，apositive“No！”washisimmediateanswer，butintheendinthelong，longendtherewereexceedinglyfewrequestswhichherefused。Againstallattacksuponhispursehemadethemoststurdydefence；buttheamountextortedfromhim，atlast，wasgenerallyindirectratiowiththelengthofthesiegeandthestubbornnessoftheresistance。Incharitynoonegavemoreliberallyorwithaworsegrace。
　　Forthefinearts，andespeciallyforthebelles-lettres，heentertainedaprofoundcontempt。WiththishehadbeeninspiredbyCasimirPerier，whosepertlittlequery“Aquoiunpoeteestilbon？”
　　hewasinthehabitofquoting，withaverydrollpronunciation，astheneplusultraoflogicalwit。ThusmyowninklingfortheMuseshadexcitedhisentiredispleasure。Heassuredmeoneday，whenI
　　askedhimforanewcopyofHorace，thatthetranslationof“Poetanasciturnonfit“was“anastypoetfornothingfit“aremarkwhichItookinhighdudgeon。Hisrepugnanceto“thehumanities“had，also，muchincreasedoflate，byanaccidentalbiasinfavorofwhathesupposedtobenaturalscience。Somebodyhadaccostedhiminthestreet，mistakinghimfornolessapersonagethanDoctorDubbleL。
　　Dee，thelectureruponquackphysics。Thissethimoffatatangent；
　　andjustattheepochofthisstoryforstoryitisgettingtobeafterallmygrand-uncleRumgudgeonwasaccessibleandpacificonlyuponpointswhichhappenedtochimeinwiththecapriolesofthehobbyhewasriding。Fortherest，helaughedwithhisarmsandlegs，andhispoliticswerestubbornandeasilyunderstood。Hethought，withHorsley，that“thepeoplehavenothingtodowiththelawsbuttoobeythem。”
　　Ihadlivedwiththeoldgentlemanallmylife。Myparents，indying，hadbequeathedmetohimasarichlegacy。IbelievetheoldvillainlovedmeashisownchildnearlyifnotquiteaswellashelovedKatebutitwasadog’sexistencethatheledme，afterall。Frommyfirstyearuntilmyfifth，heobligedmewithveryregularfloggings。Fromfivetofifteen，hethreatenedme，hourly，withtheHouseofCorrection。Fromfifteentotwenty，notadaypassedinwhichhedidnotpromisetocutmeoffwithashilling。Iwasasaddog，itistruebutthenitwasapartofmynatureapointofmyfaith。InKate，however，Ihadafirmfriend，andIknewit。Shewasagoodgirl，andtoldmeverysweetlythatImighthaveherplumandallwheneverIcouldbadgermygrand-uncleRumgudgeon，intothenecessaryconsent。Poorgirl！shewasbarelyfifteen，andwithoutthisconsent，herlittleamountinthefundswasnotcome-at-ableuntilfiveimmeasurablesummershad“draggedtheirslowlengthalong。”What，then，todo？Atfifteen，orevenattwenty-one[forI
　　hadnowpassedmyfiftholympiad]fiveyearsinprospectareverymuchthesameasfivehundred。Invainwebesiegedtheoldgentlemanwithimportunities。HerewasapiecederesistanceasMessieursUdeandCaremewouldsaywhichsuitedhisperversefancytoaT。ItwouldhavestiffedtheindignationofJobhimself，toseehowmuchlikeanoldmouserhebehavedtoustwopoorwretchedlittlemice。Inhishearthewishedfornothingmoreardentlythanourunion。Hehadmadeuphismindtothisallalong。Infact，hewouldhavegivententhousandpoundsfromhisownpocketKate’splumwasherownifhecouldhaveinventedanythinglikeanexcuseforcomplyingwithourverynaturalwishes。Butthenwehadbeensoimprudentastobroachthesubjectourselves。Nottoopposeitundersuchcircumstances，I
　　sincerelybelieve，wasnotinhispower。
　　Ihavesaidalreadythathehadhisweakpoints；butinspeakingofthese，Imustnotbeunderstoodasreferringtohisobstinacy：whichwasoneofhisstrongpoints“assurementcen’etaitpassafoible。”WhenImentionhisweaknessIhaveallusiontoabizarreold-womanishsuperstitionwhichbesethim。Hewasgreatindreams，portents，etidgenusomneofrigmarole。Hewasexcessivelypunctilious，too，uponsmallpointsofhonor，and，afterhisownfashion，wasamanofhisword，beyonddoubt。Thiswas，infact，oneofhishobbies。Thespiritofhisvowshemadenoscrupleofsettingatnaught，buttheletterwasabondinviolable。Nowitwasthislatterpeculiarityinhisdisposition，ofwhichKatesingenuityenabledusonefineday，notlongafterourinterviewinthedining-room，totakeaveryunexpectedadvantage，and，havingthus，inthefashionofallmodernbardsandorators，exhaustedinprolegomena，allthetimeatmycommand，andnearlyalltheroomatmydisposal，Iwillsumupinafewwordswhatconstitutesthewholepithofthestory。
　　IthappenedthensotheFatesordereditthatamongthenavalacquaintancesofmybetrothed，weretwogentlemenwhohadjustsetfootupontheshoresofEngland，afterayear’sabsence，each，inforeigntravel。Incompanywiththesegentlemen，mycousinandI，preconcertedlypaiduncleRumgudgeonavisitontheafternoonofSunday，Octoberthetenth，justthreeweeksafterthememorabledecisionwhichhadsocruellydefeatedourhopes。Forabouthalfanhourtheconversationranuponordinarytopics，butatlast，wecontrived，quitenaturally，togiveitthefollowingturn：
　　CAPT。PRATT。“WellIhavebeenabsentjustoneyear。Justoneyearto-day，asIliveletmesee！yes！thisisOctoberthetenth。
　　Youremember，Mr。Rumgudgeon，Icalled，thisdayyeartobidyougood-bye。Andbytheway，itdoesseemsomethinglikeacoincidence，doesitnotthatourfriend，CaptainSmitherton，here，hasbeenabsentexactlyayearalsoayearto-day！”
　　SMITHERTON。“Yes！justoneyeartoafraction。Youwillremember，Mr。
　　Rumgudgeon，thatIcalledwithCapt。Pratolonthisveryday，lastyear，topaymypartingrespects。”
　　UNCLE。“Yes，yes，yesIrememberitverywellveryqueerindeed！Bothofyougonejustoneyear。Averystrangecoincidence，indeed！JustwhatDoctorDubbleL。Deewoulddenominateanextraordinaryconcurrenceofevents。DoctorDub-“
　　KATE。[Interrupting。]“Tobesure，papa，itissomethingstrange；butthenCaptainPrattandCaptainSmithertondidn’tgoaltogetherthesameroute，andthatmakesadifference，youknow。”
　　UNCLE。“Idon’tknowanysuchthing，youhuzzy！HowshouldI？Ithinkitonlymakesthemattermoreremarkable，DoctorDubbleL。Dee-
　　KATE。Why，papa，CaptainPrattwentroundCapeHorn，andCaptainSmithertondoubledtheCapeofGoodHope。”
　　UNCLE。“Precisely！theonewenteastandtheotherwentwest，youjade，andtheybothhavegonequiteroundtheworld。Bytheby，DoctorDubbleL。Dee-
　　MYSELF。[Hurriedly。]“CaptainPratt，youmustcomeandspendtheeveningwithusto-morrowyouandSmithertonyoucantellusallaboutyourvoyage，andwellhaveagameofwhistand-
　　PRATT。“Wist，mydearfellowyouforget。To-morrowwillbeSunday。
　　Someotherevening-
　　KATE。“Oh，no。fie！Robert’snotquitesobadasthat。To-day’sSunday。”
　　PRATT。“IbegbothyourpardonsbutIcan’tbesomuchmistaken。I
　　knowto-morrow’sSunday，because-“
　　SMITHERTON。[Muchsurprised。]“Whatareyouallthinkingabout？
　　Wasn’tyesterday，Sunday，Ishouldliketoknow？”
　　ALL。“Yesterdayindeed！youareout！”
　　UNCLE。“To-daysSunday，Isaydon’tIknow？”
　　PRATT。“Ohno！to-morrow’sSunday。”
　　SMITHERTON。“Youareallmadeveryoneofyou。IamaspositivethatyesterdaywasSundayasIamthatIsituponthischair。”
　　KATE。[jumpingupeagerly。]“IseeitIseeitall。Papa，thisisajudgmentuponyou，aboutaboutyouknowwhat。Letmealone，andI’llexplainitallinaminute。It’saverysimplething，indeed。
　　CaptainSmithertonsaysthatyesterdaywasSunday：soitwas；heisright。CousinBobby，anduncleandIsaythatto-dayisSunday：soitis；weareright。CaptainPrattmaintainsthatto-morrowwillbeSunday：soitwill；heisright，too。Thefactis，weareallright，andthusthreeSundayshavecometogetherinaweek。”
　　SMITHERTON。[Afterapause。]“Bytheby，Pratt，Katehasuscompletely。Whatfoolswetwoare！Mr。Rumgudgeon，thematterstandsthus：theearth，youknow，istwenty-fourthousandmilesincircumference。Nowthisglobeoftheearthturnsuponitsownaxis-
　　revolvesspinsroundthesetwenty-fourthousandmilesofextent，goingfromwesttoeast，inpreciselytwenty-fourhours。DoyouunderstandMr。Rumgudgeon？-“
　　UNCLE。“TobesuretobesureDoctorDub-“
　　SMITHERTON。[Drowninghisvoice。]“Well，sir；thatisattherateofonethousandmilesperhour。Now，supposethatIsailfromthispositionathousandmileseast。OfcourseIanticipatetherisingofthesunhereatLondonbyjustonehour。Iseethesunriseonehourbeforeyoudo。Proceeding，inthesamedirection，yetanotherthousandmiles，Ianticipatetherisingbytwohoursanotherthousand，andIanticipateitbythreehours，andsoon，untilIgoentirelyroundtheglobe，andbacktothisspot，when，havinggonetwenty-fourthousandmileseast，IanticipatetherisingoftheLondonsunbynolessthantwenty-fourhours；thatistosay，Iamadayinadvanceofyourtime。Understand，eh？”
　　UNCLE。“ButDoubleL。Dee-“
　　SMITHERTON。[Speakingveryloud。]“CaptainPratt，onthecontrary，whenhehadsailedathousandmileswestofthisposition，wasanhour，andwhenhehadsailedtwenty-fourthousandmileswest，wastwenty-fourhours，oroneday，behindthetimeatLondon。Thus，withme，yesterdaywasSundaythus，withyou，to-dayisSundayandthus，withPratt，to-morrowwillbeSunday。Andwhatismore，Mr。
　　Rumgudgeon，itispositivelyclearthatweareallright；fortherecanbenophilosophicalreasonassignedwhytheideaofoneofusshouldhavepreferenceoverthatoftheother。”
　　UNCLE。“Myeyes！well，Katewell，Bobby！thisisajudgmentuponme，asyousay。ButIamamanofmywordmarkthat！youshallhaveher，boy，plumandall，whenyouplease。Doneup，byJove！ThreeSundaysallinarow！I’llgo，andtakeDubbleL。Dee’sopinionuponthat。”
　　EndofTheWorksofEdgarAllanPoeV。3
　　TheWorksofEdgarAllanPoeVolume4oftheRavenEditionINFIVEVOLUMES
　　VOLUMEFOUR
　　ContentsTheDevilintheBelfryLionizingX-ingaParagrabMetzengersteinTheSystemofDoctorTarrandProfessorFetherTheLiteraryLifeofThingumBob，Esq。