This hideous murder accomplished， I set myself forthwith，and with entire deliberation， to the task of concealing thebody. I knew that I could not remove it from the house，either by day or by night， without the risk of being observedby the neighbors. Many projects entered my mind. At oneperiod I thought of cutting the corpse into minute fragments，and destroying them by fire. At another， I resolved to diga grave for it in the floor of the cellar. Again， I deliberatedabout casting it in the well in the yard—about packing it in abox， as if merchandize， with the usual arrangements， and sogetting a porter to take it from the house. Finally I hit uponwhat I considered a far better expedient than either of these.
I determined to wall it up in the cellar—as the monks of themiddle ages are recorded to have walled up their victims.
For a purpose such as this the cellar was well adapted. Itswalls were loosely constructed， and had lately been plasteredthroughout with a rough plaster， which the dampness of theatmosphere had prevented from hardening. Moreover， in oneof the walls was a projection， caused by a false chimney， orfireplace， that had been filled up， and made to resemble thered of the cellar. I made no doubt that I could readily displacethe bricks at this point， insert the corpse， and wall the wholeup as before， so that no eye could detect any thing suspicious.
And in this calculation I was not deceived. By means of acrow-bar I easily dislodged the bricks， and， having carefullydeposited the body against the inner wall， I propped it in thatposition， while， with little trouble， I re-laid the whole structureas it originally stood. Having procured mortar， sand， and hair，with every possible precaution， I prepared a plaster whichcould not be distinguished from the old， and with this I verycarefully went over the new brickwork. When I had finished，I felt satisfied that all was right. The wall did not present theslightest appearance of having been disturbed. The rubbish onthe floor was picked up with the minutest care. I looked aroundtriumphantly， and said to myself—“Here at least， then， mylabor has not been in vain.”
My next step was to look for the beast which had been thecause of so much wretchedness； for I had， at length， firmlyresolved to put it to death. Had I been able to meet with it， atthe moment， there could have been no doubt of its fate； butit appeared that the crafty animal had been alarmed at theviolence of my previous anger， and forebore to present itself inmy present mood. It is impossible to describe， or to imagine，the deep， the blissful sense of relief which the absence of thedetested creature occasioned in my bosom. It did not make itsappearance during the night—and thus for one night at least，since its introduction into the house， I soundly and tranquillyslept； aye， slept even with the burden of murder upon my soul！
The second and the third day passed， and still my tormentorcame not. Once again I breathed as a freeman. The monster，in terror， had fled the premises forever！ I should behold it nomore！ My happiness was supreme！ The guilt of my dark deeddisturbed me but little. Some few inquiries had been made，but these had been readily answered. Even a search had beeninstituted—but of course nothing was to be discovered. Ilooked upon my future felicity as secured.
Upon the fourth day of the assassination， a party of thepolice came， very unexpectedly， into the house， and proceededagain to make rigorous investigation of the premises. Secure，however， in the inscrutability of my place of concealment， I feltno embarrassment whatever. The officers bade me accompanythem in their search. They left no nook or corner unexplored.
At length， for the third or fourth time， they descended into thecellar. I quivered not in a muscle. My heart beat calmly as thatof one who slumbers in innocence. I walked the cellar fromend to end. I folded my arms upon my bosom， and roamedeasily to and fro. The police were thoroughly satisfied andprepared to depart. The glee at my heart was too strong to berestrained. I burned to say if but one word， by way of triumph，and to render doubly sure their assurance of my guiltlessness.
“Gentlemen，” I said at last， as the party ascended the steps， “Idelight to have allayed your suspicions. I wish you all health，and a little more courtesy. By the bye， gentlemen， this—thisis a very well constructed house.” [In the rabid desire to saysomething easily， I scarcely knew what I uttered at all.]—“Imay say an excellently well constructed house. Thesewalls—are you going， gentlemen？—these walls are solidly puttogether；” and here， through the mere phrenzy of bravado， Irapped heavily， with a cane which I held in my hand， upon thatvery portion of the brick-work behind which stood the corpseof the wife of my bosom.
But may God shield and deliver me from the fangs of theArch-Fiend！ No sooner had the reverberation of my blowssunk into silence， than I was answered by a voice fromwithin the tomb！—by a cry， at first muffled and broken， likethe sobbing of a child， and then quickly swelling into onelong， loud， and continuous scream， utterly anomalous andinhuman—a howl—a wailing shriek， half of horror and half oftriumph， such as might have arisen only out of hell， conjointlyfrom the throats of the dammed in their agony and of thedemons that exult in the damnation.
Of my own thoughts it is folly to speak. Swooning， Istaggered to the opposite wall. For one instant the party uponthe stairs remained motionless， through extremity of terror andof awe. In the next， a dozen stout arms were toiling at the wall.
It fell bodily. The corpse， already greatly decayed and clottedwith gore， stood erect before the eyes of the spectators. Uponits head， with red extended mouth and solitary eye of fire， satthe hideous beast whose craft had seduced me into murder， andwhose informing voice had consigned me to the hangman. Ihad walled the monster up within the tomb！