ItremainedinallrespectsasIhavelastdescribedit，withtheexceptionthatthemirrornolongeraffordedevidenceofrespiration。
　　Anattempttodrawbloodfromthearmfailed。Ishouldmention，too，thatthislimbwasnofarthersubjecttomywill。Iendeavoredinvaintomakeitfollowthedirectionofmyhand。Theonlyrealindication，indeed，ofthemesmericinfluence，wasnowfoundinthevibratorymovementofthetongue，wheneverIaddressedM。Valdemaraquestion。Heseemedtobemakinganefforttoreply，buthadnolongersufficientvolition。ToqueriesputtohimbyanyotherpersonthanmyselfheseemedutterlyinsensiblealthoughIendeavoredtoplaceeachmemberofthecompanyinmesmericrapportwithhim。I
　　believethatIhavenowrelatedallthatisnecessarytoanunderstandingofthesleep-waker’sstateatthisepoch。Othernurseswereprocured；andatteno’clockIleftthehouseincompanywiththetwophysiciansandMr。Ll。
　　Intheafternoonweallcalledagaintoseethepatient。Hisconditionremainedpreciselythesame。Wehadnowsomediscussionastotheproprietyandfeasibilityofawakeninghim；butwehadlittledifficultyinagreeingthatnogoodpurposewouldbeservedbysodoing。Itwasevidentthat，sofar，deathorwhatisusuallytermeddeathhadbeenarrestedbythemesmericprocess。ItseemedcleartousallthattoawakenM。Valdemarwouldbemerelytoinsurehisinstant，oratleasthisspeedydissolution。
　　FromthisperioduntilthecloseoflastweekanintervalofnearlysevenmonthswecontinuedtomakedailycallsatM。
　　Valdemar’shouse，accompanied，nowandthen，bymedicalandotherfriends。Allthistimethesleeper-wakerremainedexactlyasIhavelastdescribedhim。Thenurses’attentionswerecontinual。
　　ItwasonFridaylastthatwefinallyresolvedtomaketheexperimentofawakeningorattemptingtoawakenhim；anditistheperhaps
　　unfortunateresultofthislatterexperimentwhichhasgivenrisetosomuchdiscussioninprivatecirclestosomuchofwhatIcannothelpthinkingunwarrantedpopularfeeling。
　　ForthepurposeofrelievingM。Valdemarfromthemesmerictrance，I
　　madeuseofthecustomarypasses。These，foratime，wereunsuccessful。Thefirstindicationofrevivalwasaffordedbyapartialdescentoftheiris。Itwasobserved，asespeciallyremarkable，thatthisloweringofthepupilwasaccompaniedbytheprofuseout-flowingofayellowishichorfrombeneaththelidsofapungentandhighlyoffensiveodor。
　　ItwasnowsuggestedthatIshouldattempttoinfluencethepatient’sarm，asheretofore。Imadetheattemptandfailed。Dr。Fthenintimatedadesiretohavemeputaquestion。Ididso，asfollows：
　　“M。Valdemar，canyouexplaintouswhatareyourfeelingsorwishesnow？”
　　Therewasaninstantreturnofthehecticcirclesonthecheeks；thetonguequivered，orratherrolledviolentlyinthemouthalthoughthejawsandlipsremainedrigidasbefore；andatlengththesamehideousvoicewhichIhavealreadydescribed，brokeforth：
　　“ForGod’ssake！quick！quick！putmetosleepor，quick！
　　wakenme！quick！IsaytoyouthatIamdead！”
　　Iwasthoroughlyunnerved，andforaninstantremainedundecidedwhattodo。AtfirstImadeanendeavortore-composethepatient；but，failinginthisthroughtotalabeyanceofthewill，Iretracedmystepsandasearnestlystruggledtoawakenhim。InthisattemptI
　　soonsawthatIshouldbesuccessfuloratleastIsoonfanciedthatmysuccesswouldbecompleteandIamsurethatallintheroomwerepreparedtoseethepatientawaken。
　　Forwhatreallyoccurred，however，itisquiteimpossiblethatanyhumanbeingcouldhavebeenprepared。
　　AsIrapidlymadethemesmericpasses，amidejaculationsof“dead！
　　dead！”absolutelyburstingfromthetongueandnotfromthelipsofthesufferer，hiswholeframeatoncewithinthespaceofasingleminute，orevenless，shrunkcrumbledabsolutelyrottedawaybeneathmyhands。Uponthebed，beforethatwholecompany，therelayanearlyliquidmassofloathsomeofdetestableputridity。
　　FORthemostwild，yetmosthomelynarrativewhichIamabouttopen，Ineitherexpectnorsolicitbelief。MadindeedwouldIbetoexpectit，inacasewheremyverysensesrejecttheirownevidence。
　　Yet，madamInot-andverysurelydoInotdream。Butto-morrowI
　　die，andto-dayIwouldunburthenmysoul。Myimmediatepurposeistoplacebeforetheworld，plainly，succinctly，andwithoutcomment，aseriesofmerehouseholdevents。Intheirconsequences，theseeventshaveterrified-havetortured-havedestroyedme。YetIwillnotattempttoexpoundthem。Tome，theyhavepresentedlittlebutHorror-tomanytheywillseemlessterriblethan_barroques_。Hereafter，perhaps，someintellectmaybefoundwhichwillreducemyphantasmtothecommon-place-someintellectmorecalm，morelogical，andfarlessexcitablethanmyown，whichwillperceive，inthecircumstancesIdetailwithawe，nothingmorethananordinarysuccessionofverynaturalcausesandeffects。
　　FrommyinfancyIwasnotedforthedocilityandhumanityofmydisposition。Mytendernessofheartwasevensoconspicuousastomakemethejestofmycompanions。Iwasespeciallyfondofanimals，andwasindulgedbymyparentswithagreatvarietyofpets。WiththeseIspentmostofmytime，andneverwassohappyaswhenfeedingandcaressingthem。Thispeculiarityofcharactergrewwithmygrowth，andinmymanhood，Iderivedfromitoneofmyprincipalsourcesofpleasure。Tothosewhohavecherishedanaffectionforafaithfulandsagaciousdog，Ineedhardlybeatthetroubleofexplainingthenatureortheintensityofthegratificationthusderivable。Thereissomethingintheunselfishandself-sacrificingloveofabrute，whichgoesdirectlytotheheartofhimwhohashadfrequentoccasiontotestthepaltryfriendshipandgossamerfidelityofmere_Man_。
　　Imarriedearly，andwashappytofindinmywifeadispositionnotuncongenialwithmyown。Observingmypartialityfordomesticpets，shelostnoopportunityofprocuringthoseofthemostagreeablekind。Wehadbirds，gold-fish，afinedog，rabbits，asmallmonkey，and_acat_。
　　Thislatterwasaremarkablylargeandbeautifulanimal，entirelyblack，andsagacioustoanastonishingdegree。Inspeakingofhisintelligence，mywife，whoatheartwasnotalittletincturedwithsuperstition，madefrequentallusiontotheancientpopularnotion，whichregardedallblackcatsaswitchesindisguise。Notthatshewasever_serious_uponthispoint-andImentionthematteratallfornobetterreasonthanthatithappens，justnow，toberemembered。
　　Pluto-thiswasthecat’sname-wasmyfavoritepetandplaymate。Ialonefedhim，andheattendedmewhereverIwentaboutthehouse。ItwasevenwithdifficultythatIcouldpreventhimfromfollowingmethroughthestreets。
　　Ourfriendshiplasted，inthismanner，forseveralyears，duringwhichmygeneraltemperamentandcharacter-throughtheinstrumentalityoftheFiendIntemperance-hadIblushtoconfessitexperiencedaradicalalterationfortheworse。Igrew，daybyday，moremoody，moreirritable，moreregardlessofthefeelingsofothers。Isufferedmyselftouseintemperatelanguagetomywife。Atlength，Ievenofferedherpersonalviolence。Mypets，ofcourse，weremadetofeelthechangeinmydisposition。Inotonlyneglected，butill-usedthem。ForPluto，however，Istillretainedsufficientregardtorestrainmefrommaltreatinghim，asImadenoscrupleofmaltreatingtherabbits，themonkey，oreventhedog，whenbyaccident，orthroughaffection，theycameinmyway。Butmydiseasegrewuponme-forwhatdiseaseislikeAlcohol！-andatlengthevenPluto，whowasnowbecomingold，andconsequentlysomewhatpeevish-
　　evenPlutobegantoexperiencetheeffectsofmyilltemper。
　　Onenight，returninghome，muchintoxicated，fromoneofmyhauntsabouttown，Ifanciedthatthecatavoidedmypresence。I
　　seizedhim；when，inhisfrightatmyviolence，heinflictedaslightwounduponmyhandwithhisteeth。Thefuryofademoninstantlypossessedme。Iknewmyselfnolonger。Myoriginalsoulseemed，atonce，totakeitsflightfrommybodyandamorethanfiendishmalevolence，gin-nurtured，thrilledeveryfibreofmyframe。Itookfrommywaistcoat-pocketapen-knife，openedit，graspedthepoorbeastbythethroat，anddeliberatelycutoneofitseyesfromthesocket！Iblush，Iburn，Ishudder，whileIpenthedamnableatrocity。
　　Whenreasonreturnedwiththemorning-whenIhadsleptoffthefumesofthenight’sdebauch-Iexperiencedasentimenthalfofhorror，halfofremorse，forthecrimeofwhichIhadbeenguilty；
　　butitwas，atbest，afeebleandequivocalfeeling，andthesoulremaineduntouched。Iagainplungedintoexcess，andsoondrownedinwineallmemoryofthedeed。
　　Inthemeantimethecatslowlyrecovered。Thesocketofthelosteyepresented，itistrue，afrightfulappearance，buthenolongerappearedtosufferanypain。Hewentaboutthehouseasusual，but，asmightbeexpected，fledinextremeterroratmyapproach。Ihadsomuchofmyoldheartleft，astobeatfirstgrievedbythisevidentdislikeonthepartofacreaturewhichhadoncesolovedme。Butthisfeelingsoongaveplacetoirritation。Andthencame，asiftomyfinalandirrevocableoverthrow，thespiritofPERVERSENESS。Ofthisspiritphilosophytakesnoaccount。YetIamnotmoresurethatmysoullives，thanIamthatperversenessisoneoftheprimitiveimpulsesofthehumanheart-oneoftheindivisibleprimaryfaculties，orsentiments，whichgivedirectiontothecharacterofMan。Whohasnot，ahundredtimes，foundhimselfcommittingavileorasillyaction，fornootherreasonthanbecauseheknowsheshouldnot？Havewenotaperpetualinclination，intheteethofourbestjudgment，toviolatethatwhichis_Law_，merelybecauseweunderstandittobesuch？Thisspiritofperverseness，Isay，cametomyfinaloverthrow。Itwasthisunfathomablelongingofthesoul_tovexitself_-toofferviolencetoitsownnature-todowrongforthewrong’ssakeonly-thaturgedmetocontinueandfinallytoconsummatetheinjuryIhadinflictedupontheunoffendingbrute。Onemorning，incoolblood，Islippedanooseaboutitsneckandhungittothelimbofatree；-hungitwiththetearsstreamingfrommyeyes，andwiththebitterestremorseatmyheart；-hungit_because_
　　Iknewthatithadlovedme，and_because_Ifeltithadgivenmenoreasonofoffence；-hungit_because_IknewthatinsodoingIwascommittingasin-adeadlysinthatwouldsojeopardizemyimmortalsoulastoplaceit-ifsuchathingworepossible-evenbeyondthereachoftheinfinitemercyoftheMostMercifulandMostTerribleGod。
　　Onthenightofthedayonwhichthiscrueldeedwasdone，Iwasarousedfromsleepbythecryoffire。Thecurtainsofmybedwereinflames。Thewholehousewasblazing。Itwaswithgreatdifficultythatmywife，aservant，andmyself，madeourescapefromtheconflagration。Thedestructionwascomplete。Myentireworldlywealthwasswallowedup，andIresignedmyselfthenceforwardtodespair。
　　Iamabovetheweaknessofseekingtoestablishasequenceofcauseandeffect，betweenthedisasterandtheatrocity。ButIamdetailingachainoffacts-andwishnottoleaveevenapossiblelinkimperfect。Onthedaysucceedingthefire，Ivisitedtheruins。
　　Thewalls，withoneexception，hadfallenin。Thisexceptionwasfoundinacompartmentwall，notverythick，whichstoodaboutthemiddleofthehouse，andagainstwhichhadrestedtheheadofmybed。
　　Theplasteringhadhere，ingreatmeasure，resistedtheactionofthefire-afactwhichIattributedtoitshavingbeenrecentlyspread。
　　Aboutthiswalladensecrowdwerecollected，andmanypersonsseemedtobeexaminingaparticularportionofitwithveryminuteandeagerattention。Thewords“strange！”“singular！”andothersimilarexpressions，excitedmycuriosity。Iapproachedandsaw，asifgravenin_basrelief_uponthewhitesurface，thefigureofagigantic_cat_。Theimpressionwasgivenwithanaccuracytrulymarvellous。
　　Therewasaropeabouttheanimal’sneck。