October 18, 2022 • 23 mins
Just in time for the halloween season, I present to you - Edgar Allan Poe's classic gothic nightmare: The Tell-Tale Heart
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Episode Transcript
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J.C. (00:00):
Hi, everyone.
And welcome to another episodeof forward into the past.
I'm J.C.
Rede, your host and narrator.
And today, we're going to bedoing something a little
different, but staying withinthe realm of public domain
stories of course.
Since it's Halloween season herein the United States.
Well, to be perfectly honestwith you.
(00:21):
Since I live in Orlando,Florida.
Halloween season has been goingon since labor day.
But that that's a completelydifferent story and not one that
I'll be telling here on thispodcast.
Um, As I was saying Halloweenseason is upon us here in the
United States.
And with that comes, that grandold tradition that has been lost
(00:43):
in recent years of the tellingof spooky tales, usually around
a fireside either inside of homeby a fireplace, or if you're
lucky enough to live somewherein the us where the cold weather
hasn't quite gotten to you yet.
Sitting around a campfire willwork as well.
But.
I live in Florida.
And we have our cool weatherimported, but usually not until
(01:06):
late January or early February.
So as not to inconvenienceanyone.
Except the locals.
Um, And at any rate.
Ah, the, the story you're aboutto hear is a classic and one
that I honestly hesitated to addto the podcast because it is a
classic, but since it wassuggested by you, the listeners,
(01:29):
I give you the first spookystory of the podcast.
Edgar Allen.
Poe's the tell-tale heart.
Telling spooky stories duringthis time of year is a time
honored tradition.
But believe it or not the realmof ghost stories in the English
speaking world, especiallyaround the Victorian era where
most of our public domainstories line.
(01:50):
Was traditionally a Christmastime tradition.
Yup.
Many scholars believe that thisstems from the fact that the
lengthy dark nights, coupledwith the fact that well due to
the harsh weather at this timeand inadequate health support
lead an inordinate amount ofpeople to perish during this
time of year.
Now you tie those lengthy darknights, along with some people's
(02:14):
fear of the dark, And everythingthat may or may not prowl around
in it during that time.
And you have the makings of somespooky, spooky stuff.
After all.
It is this basic human fear thatcauses the mind to play tricks
on us.
Especially creating things thatgo.
Bump bump.
In the night.
(02:35):
So without further ado, I humblypresent to you.
Edgar Allen Poe's classic Gothicnightmare story.
The telltale heart.
true nervous.
Very, very dreadfully nervous.
I had been and am, but why willyou say that?
(02:56):
I am mad.
The disease had sharpened mysenses.
Not destroyed, not dulled them.
Above all was the sense ofhearing acute.
I heard all things in the heavenand in the earth.
I heard many things in hell.
How then am I mad Harkin andobserve how healthily, how
(03:19):
calmly.
I can tell you the whole story.
It is impossible to say howfirst the idea entered my brain.
But once conceived, it hauntedme.
Day and night object.
There was none.
Passion.
There was none.
I loved the old man.
(03:40):
He had never wronged me.
He had never given me insult forhis gold.
I had no desire.
I think it was his eye.
Yes, it was this.
He had the eye of a vulture, apale blue eye with a film over
it.
(04:01):
Whenever it fell upon me, myblood ran cold, and so by
degrees, very gradually I madeup my mind to take the life of
the old man and thus rid mymyself of the eye forever Now
this is the point.
(04:22):
You fancy me mad, Mad men.
No nothing but you should haveseen me.
You should have seen how wiselyI proceeded.
With what?
Caution.
With what foresight.
With what?
Dissimulation.
I went to work.
I was never kinder to the oldman than during the whole week
(04:45):
before I killed him.
And every night about midnight,I turned the latch of his door
and opened it oh so gently.
And then when I had made anopening sufficient for my head.
I put in a dark lantern allclosed.
Closed that no light shown out,and then I thrust in my head,
(05:10):
Oh, you would've left to see howcunningly I thrusted in.
I moved it slowly, very, veryslowly so that I might not
disturb the old man's sleep..
It took me an hour to place mywhole head within the opening so
far that I could see him as helay upon his bed.
(05:34):
would a madman have been so wiseas this, and then when my head
was well in the room, I undidthe lantern cautiously.
Oh, so cautiously.
Cautiously for the hingescreeped.
I undid it just so much that asingle thin ray fell upon the
(05:57):
vulture eye.
And this I did for seven longnights every night just at
midnight.
But I found the eye alwaysclosed.
And so it was impossible to dothe work for, It was not the old
man who vexed me but his evileye.
(06:21):
And every morning when the daybroke, I went boldly into the
chamber and spoke courageouslyto him, calling him by name in a
hearty tone and inquiring how hehad passed the night.
So you see, he would've been avery profound old man indeed, to
suspect that every night just at12, I looked in upon him while
(06:46):
he slept upon the eighth night,I was more than usually cautious
in opening the door.
A watch's hand moved morequickly than did mine.
Never before that night had Ifelt the extent of my own
powers, of my sagacity.
I could scarcely contain myfeelings of triumph to think,
(07:09):
that there I was opening thedoor little by little and he,
not even to dream of my secretdeeds or thoughts, I fairly
chuckled at the idea and perhapshe heard me for, he moved on the
bed suddenly as if startled.
(07:31):
you may think that I drew back,but no, his room was as black as
pitch with the thick darknessfor the shutters.
Work close fastened through fearof robbers.
And so I knew that he could notsee the opening of the door, and
I kept pushing it on steadily,steadily.
(07:53):
I had my head in and was aboutto open the lantern when my
thumb slipped on the tinfastening and the old man sprang
up in bed crying out,"Who'sThere?".
I kept quite still and saidnothing for a whole hour.
(08:14):
I did not move a muscle, and inthe meantime I did not hear him
lie down.
He was still sitting up in thebed listening, just as I have
done night after night,hearkening to the death watches
in the wall.
Presently, I heard a slightgroan and I knew it was the
(08:37):
groan of Mortal Terror It wasnot a groan of pain or of grief.
Oh, no.
It was the low stifled soundthat arises from the bottom of
the soul when overcharged withawe, I knew the sound well.
(08:59):
Many a night, just at midnightwhen all the world slept.
It has welled up from my ownbosom, deepening with its
dreadful echo, the terrors thatdistracted me.
I say I knew it well.
I knew what the old man felt andpitied him.
Although I chuckled at heart Iknew that he had been lying
(09:24):
awake ever since the firstslight noise when he had turned
in the bed.
His fears had been ever sincegrowing upon him.
He had been trying to fancy themcauseless, but could not, He had
been saying to himself it, it isnothing but the wind in the
(09:44):
chimney.
It is only a mouse crossing thefloor, or it is purely a, a
cricket, which has made a singlechirp.
Yes, he had been trying tocomfort himself with these
suppositions, but he had foundthem all in vain, all.
In vain because death inapproaching him had stalked with
(10:08):
his black shadow before him andenveloped the victim, and it was
the mournful influence of theunperceived shadow that caused
him to feel, Although he neithersaw nor heard, to feel the
presence of my head within theroom when I had waited a long
(10:28):
time, very patiently withouthearing him lie down.
I resolved to open a little, avery, very little crevice in the
lantern, so I opened it.
You cannot imagine how steadilystealthily until at length, a
simple dim ray, like the threadof a spider shot out from the
(10:53):
crevice and fell full upon thevulture eye.
It was open wide, wide open, andI grew furious as I gazed upon
it, I saw it with perfectdistinctness, all a dull blue
with a hideous veil over it thatchill the very marrow of my
(11:13):
bones.
But I could see nothing else ofthe old man's faceoff person for
I had directed the ray as if byinstinct, precisely upon the
damned spot.
and have I not told you thatwhat you mistake for madness is,
but over cuteness of the sensenow I say there came to my ears
(11:37):
a low dull quick sound such as awatch makes when enveloped in
cotton.
I knew that sound well too.
It was the beating of the oldman's heart.
It increased my fury as thebeating of a drum stimulates the
soldier into courage.
(11:57):
But even yet, I refrained andkept still.
I scarcely breathed.
I held the lantern motionless.
I tried how steadily I couldmaintain the ray upon the eye.
Meantime, the hellish tattoo ofthe heart increased.
(12:19):
It grew quicker and quicker, andlouder and louder every instant.
The old man's terror must havebeen extreme.
It grew louder.
I say louder every moment.
Do you mark me?
Well, I have told you that I amnervous.
So I am, and now at the deadhour of the night, amid the
dreadful silence of that oldhouse.
(12:41):
So strange noise as this excitedme to uncontrollable terror, yet
for some minutes longer, Irefrained and stood still, but
the beating grew louder.
Louder.
I thought the heart must burst,and now a new anxiety sees me.
The sound would be heard by aneighbor.
The old man's hour had gum.
(13:02):
With a loud yell.
I threw open the lantern andleaped into the room.
He shrieked once, once, only inan instant I dragged him to the
floor and pulled the heavy bedover him.
Ha ha.
I then smiled, galey to find thedeed.
(13:22):
So far done.
For many minutes, the heart beaton with a muffled sound.
This however, did not vex me.
It would not be heard throughthe wall, eh, at length.
It ceased.
(13:42):
The old man was dead.
I removed the bed and examinedthe corps.
Yes, he was Stone, Stone dead.
I pleased my hand upon the heartand held it there many minutes.
(14:06):
There was no pulsation.
I.
He was stone dead His eye wouldtrouble me No more If if still
you think me mad, you will thinkso no longer.
When I describe the wiseprecautions I took for the
concealment of the body, thenight weed, and I worked
(14:30):
hastily, but in silence.
First of all, I dismembered tothe corpse.
I.
Got off the head and the armsand, and the legs.
I then took up three planks fromthe flooring of the chamber, and
I deposited all between thescans.
(14:52):
As I then replaced the board socleverly, so cunningly that no
human eye, not even his couldhave detected anything wrong,
Oh, there was nothing to washout.
No stain of any kind.
(15:12):
No blood spot, whatever.
I had been too wary for that.
A tub had caught all When I hadmade an end of these labors, it
was four o'clock, still dark asmidnight As the bell sounded,
(15:34):
the hour there came a knockingat the street door.
I, I went down to open it with alightheart.
For what had I now to fear,they're entered three men who
introduced themselves withperfect SW as officers of the
police.
A shriek had been heard by aneighbor during the night.
(15:56):
Suspicion of foul play had beenaroused.
Information had been lodged atthe police office and they, the
officers had been debuted tosearch the premises.
I smiled for what had I to fear.
I bathed the gentleman welcome.
The shriek I said was my own ina dream.
(16:18):
The old man I mentioned wasabsent in the country.
I took my visitors all over thehouse.
I made them search, search well.
I led them at length to hischamber.
I showed them his treasuressecure, undisturbed.
In the enthusiasm of myconfidence, I brought chairs
(16:39):
into the room and desired themhere to rest from their
fatigues.
While I, myself in the wildaudacity of my perfect triumph,
placed my own seat upon the veryspot beneath which reposed the
corpse of the victim.
The officers were satisfied, mymanner had convinced them I was
(17:03):
singularly at ease.
They sat and while I answeredcheerly, they chatted of
familiar things, but air long.
I felt myself getting pale andwished them gone.
Uh, my head ached and I fancieda, a ringing in my ears, but
(17:27):
still they sat and stillchatted.
The ringing became moredistinct.
It.
It continued and became moredistinct.
I, I talked more freely to getrid of the feeling, but it
continued and gaineddefiniteness until at length.
(17:47):
I found that the noise was notwithin my ears.
I.
Huh, Huh.
No doubt.
I, I now grew very pale, but I,I talked more fluidly with a
heightened voice, yet the soundincreased and what could I do?
(18:07):
It was a low, dull, quick sound.
Much such a sound as a watchmakes when enveloped in cotton.
I gasped for breath and.
And yet the officers heard it,not I, I talked more quickly,
more vehemently, but the noisesteadily increased.
(18:28):
I arose and, and argued abouttris in a, in a high key and
with violent gesticulations, butthe noise steadily increased.
Why would they not be gone?
I, I paced the floor to and frowith heavy strides as if excited
to fury by the observations ofthe men.
But the noise steadilyincreased.
(18:50):
Oh, God, what could I do?
I, I foamed, I, I raved.
I sw, I swung the chair uponwhich I had been sitting and
graded it upon the boards, butthe noise arose over all and
continually increased.
It grew louder.
Louder.
Louder.
(19:11):
And still the men chattedpleasantly and smiled.
Was it possible they heard not.
Oh, mighty God.
No.
No.
They heard, they suspected, theyknew they were making a mockery
of my horror.
This I thought, and this Ithink, but anything was better
(19:33):
than this.
Agony.
Anything was more tolerable thanthis.
Derision.
I could bear those hypocritical.
Some smile no longer I felt, Ifelt that I must scream or die
now.
Louder, hark louder.
Villains I shrieked,disassemble.
No more.
(19:53):
I admit the deed.
Turn up the planks here.
Here it is, the beating of hishideous heart.
Well gang.
That took a lot out of me.
But it was fun.
It was so much fun to do.
I had a blast.
(20:13):
I hope you enjoyed listening toit as well.
And if you did.
Hey, let me know, do me a favorand leave a review of the
episode or the show itself.
If you like.
There are many places for you toleave a review like apple
podcasts, for example, Googlepodcast.
I know you can do it there.
Do me a favor, check yourpersonal podcast platform.
See if they have that optionavailable.
(20:35):
Of course you can always justvisit the podcast website.
The address is of course.
Forward into the pastpodcast.com.
The address again is forwardinto the past podcast.com.
It doesn't matter if you'reusing a desktop or a laptop,
computer, or even a mobile phoneor a tablet.
(20:56):
Uh, as long as you're using amodern browser.
Uh, if you use that address onthe bottom right-hand corner of
the screen, and it will floatthere, no matter how much you
scroll bottom right-hand cornerof the screen, you will find a
microphone.
If you click on that microphone.
It will take you to the pagewhere you can leave a voicemail
for me.
And I will be glad to receiveit, whether it's positive or
(21:19):
negative, I'll just roll withit.
But you can leave a messagethere.
Or if you'd like to do it theold fashioned way, you can still
leave a review of the episode orthe show.
Uh, there are plenty of placesfor you to do that on the
website itself.
So visit the website, share theinformation with friends, let
them know what you heard.
Uh, I couldn't have grown thisshow without you.
(21:41):
I've gotten so many listeners.
Uh, lately and it's beenamazing.
Uh, guys, thanks once again forlistening.
The next episode, it will beanother spooky story by Edgar
Allen The cask of Amontilladothat will be coming up soon.
Uh, shortly after that will beWashington.
Irving's classic.
Uh, ghost story of the, uh,early Americas, that would be
(22:06):
the legend of sleepy hollow.
And that will be coming upshortly after the cask of
Amontillado.
So, uh, stay tuned for those.
I appreciate you guys.
Uh, sticking with me so far.
I hope you, you enjoyed theshow, share the podcast with
friends, um, support the show.
There are support links.
(22:27):
Well, I've rambled long enoughnow, guys.
So I'm going to go ahead andleave you at this point.
So thanks again for listening.
As always keep sharing thestories and please be a good
human bye for now.
Hi, everyone.
And welcome to another episodeof forward into the past.
I'm J.C.
Rede, your host and narrator.
And today, we're going to bedoing something a little
different, but staying withinthe realm of public domain
stories of course.
Since it's Halloween season herein the United States.
Well, to be perfectly honestwith you.
(00:21):
Since I live in Orlando,Florida.
Halloween season has been goingon since labor day.
But that that's a completelydifferent story and not one that
I'll be telling here on thispodcast.
Um, As I was saying Halloweenseason is upon us here in the
United States.
And with that comes, that grandold tradition that has been lost
(00:43):
in recent years of the tellingof spooky tales, usually around
a fireside either inside of homeby a fireplace, or if you're
lucky enough to live somewherein the us where the cold weather
hasn't quite gotten to you yet.
Sitting around a campfire willwork as well.
But.
I live in Florida.
And we have our cool weatherimported, but usually not until
(01:06):
late January or early February.
So as not to inconvenienceanyone.
Except the locals.
Um, And at any rate.
Ah, the, the story you're aboutto hear is a classic and one
that I honestly hesitated to addto the podcast because it is a
classic, but since it wassuggested by you, the listeners,
(01:29):
I give you the first spookystory of the podcast.
Edgar Allen.
Poe's the tell-tale heart.
Telling spooky stories duringthis time of year is a time
honored tradition.
But believe it or not the realmof ghost stories in the English
speaking world, especiallyaround the Victorian era where
most of our public domainstories line.
(01:50):
Was traditionally a Christmastime tradition.
Yup.
Many scholars believe that thisstems from the fact that the
lengthy dark nights, coupledwith the fact that well due to
the harsh weather at this timeand inadequate health support
lead an inordinate amount ofpeople to perish during this
time of year.
Now you tie those lengthy darknights, along with some people's
(02:14):
fear of the dark, And everythingthat may or may not prowl around
in it during that time.
And you have the makings of somespooky, spooky stuff.
After all.
It is this basic human fear thatcauses the mind to play tricks
on us.
Especially creating things thatgo.
Bump bump.
In the night.
(02:35):
So without further ado, I humblypresent to you.
Edgar Allen Poe's classic Gothicnightmare story.
The telltale heart.
true nervous.
Very, very dreadfully nervous.
I had been and am, but why willyou say that?
(02:56):
I am mad.
The disease had sharpened mysenses.
Not destroyed, not dulled them.
Above all was the sense ofhearing acute.
I heard all things in the heavenand in the earth.
I heard many things in hell.
How then am I mad Harkin andobserve how healthily, how
(03:19):
calmly.
I can tell you the whole story.
It is impossible to say howfirst the idea entered my brain.
But once conceived, it hauntedme.
Day and night object.
There was none.
Passion.
There was none.
I loved the old man.
(03:40):
He had never wronged me.
He had never given me insult forhis gold.
I had no desire.
I think it was his eye.
Yes, it was this.
He had the eye of a vulture, apale blue eye with a film over
it.
(04:01):
Whenever it fell upon me, myblood ran cold, and so by
degrees, very gradually I madeup my mind to take the life of
the old man and thus rid mymyself of the eye forever Now
this is the point.
(04:22):
You fancy me mad, Mad men.
No nothing but you should haveseen me.
You should have seen how wiselyI proceeded.
With what?
Caution.
With what foresight.
With what?
Dissimulation.
I went to work.
I was never kinder to the oldman than during the whole week
(04:45):
before I killed him.
And every night about midnight,I turned the latch of his door
and opened it oh so gently.
And then when I had made anopening sufficient for my head.
I put in a dark lantern allclosed.
Closed that no light shown out,and then I thrust in my head,
(05:10):
Oh, you would've left to see howcunningly I thrusted in.
I moved it slowly, very, veryslowly so that I might not
disturb the old man's sleep..
It took me an hour to place mywhole head within the opening so
far that I could see him as helay upon his bed.
(05:34):
would a madman have been so wiseas this, and then when my head
was well in the room, I undidthe lantern cautiously.
Oh, so cautiously.
Cautiously for the hingescreeped.
I undid it just so much that asingle thin ray fell upon the
(05:57):
vulture eye.
And this I did for seven longnights every night just at
midnight.
But I found the eye alwaysclosed.
And so it was impossible to dothe work for, It was not the old
man who vexed me but his evileye.
(06:21):
And every morning when the daybroke, I went boldly into the
chamber and spoke courageouslyto him, calling him by name in a
hearty tone and inquiring how hehad passed the night.
So you see, he would've been avery profound old man indeed, to
suspect that every night just at12, I looked in upon him while
(06:46):
he slept upon the eighth night,I was more than usually cautious
in opening the door.
A watch's hand moved morequickly than did mine.
Never before that night had Ifelt the extent of my own
powers, of my sagacity.
I could scarcely contain myfeelings of triumph to think,
(07:09):
that there I was opening thedoor little by little and he,
not even to dream of my secretdeeds or thoughts, I fairly
chuckled at the idea and perhapshe heard me for, he moved on the
bed suddenly as if startled.
(07:31):
you may think that I drew back,but no, his room was as black as
pitch with the thick darknessfor the shutters.
Work close fastened through fearof robbers.
And so I knew that he could notsee the opening of the door, and
I kept pushing it on steadily,steadily.
(07:53):
I had my head in and was aboutto open the lantern when my
thumb slipped on the tinfastening and the old man sprang
up in bed crying out,"Who'sThere?".
I kept quite still and saidnothing for a whole hour.
(08:14):
I did not move a muscle, and inthe meantime I did not hear him
lie down.
He was still sitting up in thebed listening, just as I have
done night after night,hearkening to the death watches
in the wall.
Presently, I heard a slightgroan and I knew it was the
(08:37):
groan of Mortal Terror It wasnot a groan of pain or of grief.
Oh, no.
It was the low stifled soundthat arises from the bottom of
the soul when overcharged withawe, I knew the sound well.
(08:59):
Many a night, just at midnightwhen all the world slept.
It has welled up from my ownbosom, deepening with its
dreadful echo, the terrors thatdistracted me.
I say I knew it well.
I knew what the old man felt andpitied him.
Although I chuckled at heart Iknew that he had been lying
(09:24):
awake ever since the firstslight noise when he had turned
in the bed.
His fears had been ever sincegrowing upon him.
He had been trying to fancy themcauseless, but could not, He had
been saying to himself it, it isnothing but the wind in the
(09:44):
chimney.
It is only a mouse crossing thefloor, or it is purely a, a
cricket, which has made a singlechirp.
Yes, he had been trying tocomfort himself with these
suppositions, but he had foundthem all in vain, all.
In vain because death inapproaching him had stalked with
(10:08):
his black shadow before him andenveloped the victim, and it was
the mournful influence of theunperceived shadow that caused
him to feel, Although he neithersaw nor heard, to feel the
presence of my head within theroom when I had waited a long
(10:28):
time, very patiently withouthearing him lie down.
I resolved to open a little, avery, very little crevice in the
lantern, so I opened it.
You cannot imagine how steadilystealthily until at length, a
simple dim ray, like the threadof a spider shot out from the
(10:53):
crevice and fell full upon thevulture eye.
It was open wide, wide open, andI grew furious as I gazed upon
it, I saw it with perfectdistinctness, all a dull blue
with a hideous veil over it thatchill the very marrow of my
(11:13):
bones.
But I could see nothing else ofthe old man's faceoff person for
I had directed the ray as if byinstinct, precisely upon the
damned spot.
and have I not told you thatwhat you mistake for madness is,
but over cuteness of the sensenow I say there came to my ears
(11:37):
a low dull quick sound such as awatch makes when enveloped in
cotton.
I knew that sound well too.
It was the beating of the oldman's heart.
It increased my fury as thebeating of a drum stimulates the
soldier into courage.
(11:57):
But even yet, I refrained andkept still.
I scarcely breathed.
I held the lantern motionless.
I tried how steadily I couldmaintain the ray upon the eye.
Meantime, the hellish tattoo ofthe heart increased.
(12:19):
It grew quicker and quicker, andlouder and louder every instant.
The old man's terror must havebeen extreme.
It grew louder.
I say louder every moment.
Do you mark me?
Well, I have told you that I amnervous.
So I am, and now at the deadhour of the night, amid the
dreadful silence of that oldhouse.
(12:41):
So strange noise as this excitedme to uncontrollable terror, yet
for some minutes longer, Irefrained and stood still, but
the beating grew louder.
Louder.
I thought the heart must burst,and now a new anxiety sees me.
The sound would be heard by aneighbor.
The old man's hour had gum.
(13:02):
With a loud yell.
I threw open the lantern andleaped into the room.
He shrieked once, once, only inan instant I dragged him to the
floor and pulled the heavy bedover him.
Ha ha.
I then smiled, galey to find thedeed.
(13:22):
So far done.
For many minutes, the heart beaton with a muffled sound.
This however, did not vex me.
It would not be heard throughthe wall, eh, at length.
It ceased.
(13:42):
The old man was dead.
I removed the bed and examinedthe corps.
Yes, he was Stone, Stone dead.
I pleased my hand upon the heartand held it there many minutes.
(14:06):
There was no pulsation.
I.
He was stone dead His eye wouldtrouble me No more If if still
you think me mad, you will thinkso no longer.
When I describe the wiseprecautions I took for the
concealment of the body, thenight weed, and I worked
(14:30):
hastily, but in silence.
First of all, I dismembered tothe corpse.
I.
Got off the head and the armsand, and the legs.
I then took up three planks fromthe flooring of the chamber, and
I deposited all between thescans.
(14:52):
As I then replaced the board socleverly, so cunningly that no
human eye, not even his couldhave detected anything wrong,
Oh, there was nothing to washout.
No stain of any kind.
(15:12):
No blood spot, whatever.
I had been too wary for that.
A tub had caught all When I hadmade an end of these labors, it
was four o'clock, still dark asmidnight As the bell sounded,
(15:34):
the hour there came a knockingat the street door.
I, I went down to open it with alightheart.
For what had I now to fear,they're entered three men who
introduced themselves withperfect SW as officers of the
police.
A shriek had been heard by aneighbor during the night.
(15:56):
Suspicion of foul play had beenaroused.
Information had been lodged atthe police office and they, the
officers had been debuted tosearch the premises.
I smiled for what had I to fear.
I bathed the gentleman welcome.
The shriek I said was my own ina dream.
(16:18):
The old man I mentioned wasabsent in the country.
I took my visitors all over thehouse.
I made them search, search well.
I led them at length to hischamber.
I showed them his treasuressecure, undisturbed.
In the enthusiasm of myconfidence, I brought chairs
(16:39):
into the room and desired themhere to rest from their
fatigues.
While I, myself in the wildaudacity of my perfect triumph,
placed my own seat upon the veryspot beneath which reposed the
corpse of the victim.
The officers were satisfied, mymanner had convinced them I was
(17:03):
singularly at ease.
They sat and while I answeredcheerly, they chatted of
familiar things, but air long.
I felt myself getting pale andwished them gone.
Uh, my head ached and I fancieda, a ringing in my ears, but
(17:27):
still they sat and stillchatted.
The ringing became moredistinct.
It.
It continued and became moredistinct.
I, I talked more freely to getrid of the feeling, but it
continued and gaineddefiniteness until at length.
(17:47):
I found that the noise was notwithin my ears.
I.
Huh, Huh.
No doubt.
I, I now grew very pale, but I,I talked more fluidly with a
heightened voice, yet the soundincreased and what could I do?
(18:07):
It was a low, dull, quick sound.
Much such a sound as a watchmakes when enveloped in cotton.
I gasped for breath and.
And yet the officers heard it,not I, I talked more quickly,
more vehemently, but the noisesteadily increased.
(18:28):
I arose and, and argued abouttris in a, in a high key and
with violent gesticulations, butthe noise steadily increased.
Why would they not be gone?
I, I paced the floor to and frowith heavy strides as if excited
to fury by the observations ofthe men.
But the noise steadilyincreased.
(18:50):
Oh, God, what could I do?
I, I foamed, I, I raved.
I sw, I swung the chair uponwhich I had been sitting and
graded it upon the boards, butthe noise arose over all and
continually increased.
It grew louder.
Louder.
Louder.
(19:11):
And still the men chattedpleasantly and smiled.
Was it possible they heard not.
Oh, mighty God.
No.
No.
They heard, they suspected, theyknew they were making a mockery
of my horror.
This I thought, and this Ithink, but anything was better
(19:33):
than this.
Agony.
Anything was more tolerable thanthis.
Derision.
I could bear those hypocritical.
Some smile no longer I felt, Ifelt that I must scream or die
now.
Louder, hark louder.
Villains I shrieked,disassemble.
No more.
(19:53):
I admit the deed.
Turn up the planks here.
Here it is, the beating of hishideous heart.
Well gang.
That took a lot out of me.
But it was fun.
It was so much fun to do.
I had a blast.
(20:13):
I hope you enjoyed listening toit as well.
And if you did.
Hey, let me know, do me a favorand leave a review of the
episode or the show itself.
If you like.
There are many places for you toleave a review like apple
podcasts, for example, Googlepodcast.
I know you can do it there.
Do me a favor, check yourpersonal podcast platform.
See if they have that optionavailable.
(20:35):
Of course you can always justvisit the podcast website.
The address is of course.
Forward into the pastpodcast.com.
The address again is forwardinto the past podcast.com.
It doesn't matter if you'reusing a desktop or a laptop,
computer, or even a mobile phoneor a tablet.
(20:56):
Uh, as long as you're using amodern browser.
Uh, if you use that address onthe bottom right-hand corner of
the screen, and it will floatthere, no matter how much you
scroll bottom right-hand cornerof the screen, you will find a
microphone.
If you click on that microphone.
It will take you to the pagewhere you can leave a voicemail
for me.
And I will be glad to receiveit, whether it's positive or
(21:19):
negative, I'll just roll withit.
But you can leave a messagethere.
Or if you'd like to do it theold fashioned way, you can still
leave a review of the episode orthe show.
Uh, there are plenty of placesfor you to do that on the
website itself.
So visit the website, share theinformation with friends, let
them know what you heard.
Uh, I couldn't have grown thisshow without you.
(21:41):
I've gotten so many listeners.
Uh, lately and it's beenamazing.
Uh, guys, thanks once again forlistening.
The next episode, it will beanother spooky story by Edgar
Allen The cask of Amontilladothat will be coming up soon.
Uh, shortly after that will beWashington.
Irving's classic.
Uh, ghost story of the, uh,early Americas, that would be
(22:06):
the legend of sleepy hollow.
And that will be coming upshortly after the cask of
Amontillado.
So, uh, stay tuned for those.
I appreciate you guys.
Uh, sticking with me so far.
I hope you, you enjoyed theshow, share the podcast with
friends, um, support the show.
There are support links.
(22:27):
Well, I've rambled long enoughnow, guys.
So I'm going to go ahead andleave you at this point.
So thanks again for listening.
As always keep sharing thestories and please be a good
human bye for now.
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