The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, butwhen he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge. You, who so well knowthe nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utteranceto a threat. At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitelysettled—but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved,precluded the idea of risk. I must not only punish, but punish withimpunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes itsredresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to makehimself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.
It must be understood that neither by word nor deed had I givenFortunato cause to doubt my good will. I continued, as was my wont, tosmile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was atthe thought of his immolation.
He had a weak point—this Fortunato—although in other regards he was aman to be respected and even feared. He prided himself on hisconnoisseurship in wine. Few Italians have the true virtuoso spirit.For the most part their enthusiasm is adopted to suit the time andopportunity—to practise imposture upon the British and Austrianmillionaires. In painting and gemmary, Fortunato, like his countrymen,was a quack—but in the matter of old wines he was sincere. In thisrespect I did not differ from him materially: I was skillful in theItalian vintages myself, and bought largely whenever I could.
It was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of thecarnival season, that I encountered my friend. He accosted me withexcessive warmth, for he had been drinking much. The man wore motley.He had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress, and his head wassurmounted by the conical cap and bells. I was so pleased to see him,that I thought I should never have done wringing his hand.
I said to him—"My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met. How remarkablywell you are looking to-day! But I have received a pipe of what passesfor Amontillado, and I have my doubts."
"How?" said he. "Amontillado? A pipe? Impossible! And in the middleof the carnival!"
"I have my doubts," I replied; "and I was silly enough to pay the fullAmontillado price without consulting you in the matter. You were not tobe found, and I was fearful of losing a bargain."
"Amontillado!"
"I have my doubts."
"Amontillado!"
"And I must satisfy them."
"Amontillado!"
"As you are engaged, I am on my way to Luchesi. If any one has acritical turn, it is he. He will tell me—"
"Luchesi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry."
"And yet some fools will have it that his taste is a match for yourown."
"Come, let us go."
"Whither?"
"To your vaults."
"My friend, no; I will not impose upon your good nature. I perceiveyou have an engagement. Luchesi—"
"I have no engagement;—come."
"My friend, no. It is not the engagement, but the severe cold withwhich I perceive you are afflicted. The vaults are insufferably damp.They are encrusted with nitre."
"Let us go, nevertheless. The cold is merely nothing. Amontillado!You have been imposed upon. And as for Luchesi, he cannot distinguishSherry from Amontillado."
Thus speaking, Fortunato possessed himself of my arm. Putting on a maskof black silk, and drawing a roquelaire closely about my person, Isuffered