“Come。”hesaidatlength，turningtowardsatableofrichlyenamelledandmassivesilver，uponwhichwereafewgobletsfantasticallystained，togetherwithtwolargeEtruscanvases，fashionedinthesameextraordinarymodelasthatintheforegroundoftheportrait，andfilledwithwhatIsupposedtobeJohannisberger。“Come。”hesaid，abruptly，“letusdrink！Itisearly-butletusdrink。Itis_indeed_early。”hecontinued，musingly，asacherubwithaheavygoldenhammermadetheapartmentringwiththefirsthouraftersunrise：“Itis_indeed_early-butwhatmattersit？letusdrink！Letuspouroutanofferingtoyonsolemnsunwhichthesegaudylampsandcensersaresoeagertosubdue！”And，havingmademepledgehiminabumper，heswallowedinrapidsuccessionseveralgobletsofthewine。
　　“Todream。”hecontinued，resumingthetoneofhisdesultoryconversation，ashehelduptotherichlightofacenseroneofthemagnificentvases-“todreamhasbeenthebusinessofmylife。I
　　havethereforeframedformyself，asyousee，abowerofdreams。IntheheartofVenicecouldIhaveerectedabetter？Youbeholdaroundyou，itistrue，amedleyofarchitecturalembellishments。ThechastityofIoniaisoffendedbyantediluviandevices，andthesphynxesofEgyptareoutstretcheduponcarpetsofgold。Yettheeffectisincongruoustothetimidalone。Proprietiesofplace，andespeciallyoftime，arethebugbearswhichterrifymankindfromthecontemplationofthemagnificent。OnceIwasmyselfadecorist；butthatsublimationoffollyhaspalleduponmysoul。Allthisisnowthefitterformypurpose。Likethesearabesquecensers，myspiritiswrithinginfire，andthedeliriumofthissceneisfashioningmeforthewildervisionsofthatlandofrealdreamswhitherIamnowrapidlydeparting。”Heherepausedabruptly，benthisheadtohisbosom，andseemedtolistentoasoundwhichIcouldnothear。Atlength，erectinghisframe，helookedupwards，andejaculatedthelinesoftheBishopofChichester：
　　_“Stayformethere！Iwillnotfail_
　　_Tomeettheeinthathollowvale。”_
　　Inthenextinstant，confessingthepowerofthewine，hethrewhimselfatfull-lengthuponanottoman。
　　Aquickstepwasnowhearduponthestaircase，andaloudknockatthedoorrapidlysucceeded。Iwashasteningtoanticipateaseconddisturbance，whenapageofMentoni’shouseholdburstintotheroom，andfalteredout，inavoicechokingwithemotion，theincoherentwords，“Mymistress！-mymistress！-Poisoned！-poisoned！
　　Oh，beautiful-oh，beautifulAphrodite！”
　　Bewildered，Iflewtotheottoman，andendeavoredtoarousethesleepertoasenseofthestartlingintelligence。Buthislimbswererigid-hislipswerelivid-hislatelybeamingeyeswererivetedin_death_。Istaggeredbacktowardsthetable-myhandfelluponacrackedandblackenedgoblet-andaconsciousnessoftheentireandterribletruthflashedsuddenlyovermysoul。
　　ImpiatortorumlongoshicturbafuroresSanguinisinnocui，nonsatiata，aluit。
　　Sospitenuncpatria，fractonuncfunerisantro，Morsubidirafuitvitasalusquepatent。
　　[_QuatraincomposedforthegatesofamarkettoheerecteduponthesiteoftheJacobinClubHouseatParis_。]
　　IWASsicksickuntodeathwiththatlongagony；andwhentheyatlengthunboundme，andIwaspermittedtosit，Ifeltthatmysenseswereleavingme。Thesentencethedreadsentenceofdeathwasthelastofdistinctaccentuationwhichreachedmyears。Afterthat，thesoundoftheinquisitorialvoicesseemedmergedinonedreamyindeterminatehum。Itconveyedtomysoultheideaofrevolution
　　perhapsfromitsassociationinfancywiththeburrofamillwheel。
　　Thisonlyforabriefperiod；forpresentlyIheardnomore。Yet，forawhile，Isaw；butwithhowterribleanexaggeration！Isawthelipsoftheblack-robedjudges。TheyappearedtomewhitewhiterthanthesheetuponwhichItracethesewordsandthineventogrotesqueness；thinwiththeintensityoftheirexpressionoffirmnessofimmoveableresolutionofsterncontemptofhumantorture。IsawthatthedecreesofwhattomewasFate，werestillissuingfromthoselips。Isawthemwrithewithadeadlylocution。I
　　sawthemfashionthesyllablesofmyname；andIshudderedbecausenosoundsucceeded。Isaw，too，forafewmomentsofdelirioushorror，thesoftandnearlyimperceptiblewavingofthesabledraperieswhichenwrappedthewallsoftheapartment。Andthenmyvisionfellupontheseventallcandlesuponthetable。Atfirsttheyworetheaspectofcharity，andseemedwhiteandslenderangelswhowouldsaveme；
　　butthen，allatonce，therecameamostdeadlynauseaovermyspirit，andIfelteveryfibreinmyframethrillasifIhadtouchedthewireofagalvanicbattery，whiletheangelformsbecamemeaninglessspectres，withheadsofflame，andIsawthatfromthemtherewouldbenohelp。Andthentherestoleintomyfancy，likearichmusicalnote，thethoughtofwhatsweetresttheremustbeinthegrave。Thethoughtcamegentlyandstealthily，anditseemedlongbeforeitattainedfullappreciation；butjustasmyspiritcameatlengthproperlytofeelandentertainit，thefiguresofthejudgesvanished，asifmagically，frombeforeme；thetallcandlessankintonothingness；theirflameswentoututterly；theblacknessofdarknesssupervened；allsensationsappearedswallowedupinamadrushingdescentasofthesoulintoHades。Thensilence，andstillness，nightweretheuniverse。
　　Ihadswooned；butstillwillnotsaythatallofconsciousnesswaslost。WhatofitthereremainedIwillnotattempttodefine，oreventodescribe；yetallwasnotlost。Inthedeepestslumberno！Indeliriumno！Inaswoonno！Indeathno！eveninthegraveallisnotlost。Elsethereisnoimmortalityforman。Arousingfromthemostprofoundofslumbers，webreakthegossamerwebofsomedream。Yetinasecondafterward，sofrailmaythatwebhavebeen
　　weremembernotthatwehavedreamed。Inthereturntolifefromtheswoontherearetwostages；first，thatofthesenseofmentalorspiritual；secondly，thatofthesenseofphysical，existence。Itseemsprobablethatif，uponreachingthesecondstage，wecouldrecalltheimpressionsofthefirst，weshouldfindtheseimpressionseloquentinmemoriesofthegulfbeyond。Andthatgulfiswhat？
　　Howatleastshallwedistinguishitsshadowsfromthoseofthetomb？
　　ButiftheimpressionsofwhatIhavetermedthefirststage，arenot，atwill，recalled，yet，afterlonginterval，dotheynotcomeunbidden，whilewemarvelwhencetheycome？Hewhohasneverswooned，isnothewhofindsstrangepalacesandwildlyfamiliarfacesincoalsthatglow；isnothewhobeholdsfloatinginmid-airthesadvisionsthatthemanymaynotview；isnothewhopondersovertheperfumeofsomenovelflowerisnothewhosebraingrowsbewilderedwiththemeaningofsomemusicalcadencewhichhasneverbeforearrestedhisattention。
　　Amidfrequentandthoughtfulendeavorstoremember；amidearneststrugglestoregathersometokenofthestateofseemingnothingnessintowhichmysoulhadlapsed，therehavebeenmomentswhenIhavedreamedofsuccess；therehavebeenbrief，verybriefperiodswhenI
　　haveconjuredupremembranceswhichthelucidreasonofalaterepochassuresmecouldhavehadreferenceonlytothatconditionofseemingunconsciousness。Theseshadowsofmemorytell，indistinctly，oftallfiguresthatliftedandboremeinsilencedowndownstilldowntillahideousdizzinessoppressedmeatthemereideaoftheinterminablenessofthedescent。Theytellalsoofavaguehorroratmyheart，onaccountofthatheart’sunnaturalstillness。Thencomesasenseofsuddenmotionlessnessthroughoutallthings；asifthosewhoboremeaghastlytrain！hadoutrun，intheirdescent，thelimitsofthelimitless，andpausedfromthewearisomenessoftheirtoil。AfterthisIcalltomindflatnessanddampness；andthenallismadnessthemadnessofamemorywhichbusiesitselfamongforbiddenthings。
　　Verysuddenlytherecamebacktomysoulmotionandsoundthetumultuousmotionoftheheart，and，inmyears，thesoundofitsbeating。Thenapauseinwhichallisblank。Thenagainsound，andmotion，andtouchatinglingsensationpervadingmyframe。Thenthemereconsciousnessofexistence，withoutthoughtaconditionwhichlastedlong。Then，verysuddenly，thought，andshudderingterror，andearnestendeavortocomprehendmytruestate。Thenastrongdesiretolapseintoinsensibility。Thenarushingrevivalofsoulandasuccessfulefforttomove。Andnowafullmemoryofthetrial，ofthejudges，ofthesabledraperies，ofthesentence，ofthesickness，oftheswoon。Thenentireforgetfulnessofallthatfollowed；ofallthatalaterdayandmuchearnestnessofendeavorhaveenabledmevaguelytorecall。
　　Sofar，Ihadnotopenedmyeyes。IfeltthatIlayuponmyback，unbound。Ireachedoutmyhand，anditfellheavilyuponsomethingdampandhard。ThereIsufferedittoremainformanyminutes，whileIstrovetoimaginewhereandwhatIcouldbe。Ilonged，yetdarednottoemploymyvision。Idreadedthefirstglanceatobjectsaroundme。ItwasnotthatIfearedtolookuponthingshorrible，butthatI
　　grewaghastlestthereshouldbenothingtosee。Atlength，withawilddesperationatheart，Iquicklyunclosedmyeyes。Myworstthoughts，then，wereconfirmed。Theblacknessofeternalnightencompassedme。Istruggledforbreath。Theintensityofthedarknessseemedtooppressandstifleme。Theatmospherewasintolerablyclose。Istilllayquietly，andmadeefforttoexercisemyreason。I
　　broughttomindtheinquisitorialproceedings，andattemptedfromthatpointtodeducemyrealcondition。Thesentencehadpassed；anditappearedtomethataverylongintervaloftimehadsinceelapsed。YetnotforamomentdidIsupposemyselfactuallydead。
　　Suchasupposition，notwithstandingwhatwereadinfiction，isaltogetherinconsistentwithrealexistence；butwhereandinwhatstatewasI？Thecondemnedtodeath，Iknew，perishedusuallyattheautos-da-fe，andoneofthesehadbeenheldontheverynightofthedayofmytrial。HadIbeenremandedtomydungeon，toawaitthenextsacrifice，whichwouldnottakeplaceformanymonths？ThisIatoncesawcouldnotbe。Victimshadbeeninimmediatedemand。Moreover，mydungeon，aswellasallthecondemnedcellsatToledo，hadstonefloors，andlightwasnotaltogetherexcluded。
　　Afearfulideanowsuddenlydrovethebloodintorrentsuponmyheart，andforabriefperiod，Ioncemorerelapsedintoinsensibility。Uponrecovering，Iatoncestartedtomyfeet，tremblingconvulsivelyineveryfibre。Ithrustmyarmswildlyaboveandaroundmeinalldirections。Ifeltnothing；yetdreadedtomoveastep，lestIshouldbeimpededbythewallsofatomb。Perspirationburstfromeverypore，andstoodincoldbigbeadsuponmyforehead。
　　Theagonyofsuspensegrewatlengthintolerable，andIcautiouslymovedforward，withmyarmsextended，andmyeyesstrainingfromtheirsockets，inthehopeofcatchingsomefaintrayoflight。I
　　proceededformanypaces；butstillallwasblacknessandvacancy。I
　　breathedmorefreely。Itseemedevidentthatminewasnot，atleast，themosthideousoffates。
　　Andnow，asIstillcontinuedtostepcautiouslyonward，therecamethronginguponmyrecollectionathousandvaguerumorsofthehorrorsofToledo。Ofthedungeonstherehadbeenstrangethingsnarrated
　　fablesIhadalwaysdeemedthembutyetstrange，andtooghastlytorepeat，saveinawhisper。WasIlefttoperishofstarvationinthissubterraneanworldofdarkness；orwhatfate，perhapsevenmorefearful，awaitedme？Thattheresultwouldbedeath，andadeathofmorethancustomarybitterness，Iknewtoowellthecharacterofmyjudgestodoubt。Themodeandthehourwereallthatoccupiedordistractedme。
　　Myoutstretchedhandsatlengthencounteredsomesolidobstruction。
　　Itwasawall，seeminglyofstonemasonryverysmooth，slimy，andcold。Ifolloweditup；steppingwithallthecarefuldistrustwithwhichcertainantiquenarrativeshadinspiredme。Thisprocess，however，affordedmenomeansofascertainingthedimensionsofmydungeon；asImightmakeitscircuit，andreturntothepointwhenceIsetout，withoutbeingawareofthefact；soperfectlyuniformseemedthewall。Ithereforesoughttheknifewhichhadbeeninmypocket，whenledintotheinquisitorialchamber；butitwasgone；myclotheshadbeenexchangedforawrapperofcoarseserge。Ihadthoughtofforcingthebladeinsomeminutecreviceofthemasonry，soastoidentifymypointofdeparture。Thedifficulty，nevertheless，wasbuttrivial；although，inthedisorderofmyfancy，itseemedatfirstinsuperable。Itoreapartofthehemfromtherobeandplacedthefragmentatfulllength，andatrightanglestothewall。Ingropingmywayaroundtheprison，Icouldnotfailtoencounterthisraguponcompletingthecircuit。So，atleastI
　　thought：butIhadnotcountedupontheextentofthedungeon，oruponmyownweakness。Thegroundwasmoistandslippery。Istaggeredonwardforsometime，whenIstumbledandfell。Myexcessivefatigueinducedmetoremainprostrate；andsleepsoonovertookmeasIlay。