TRUE! - nervous - very, very dreadfully nervous I had been andam; but why will you say that 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 heaven and in the earth. Iheard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observehow healthily - how calmly I can tell you the whole story.

For example, choosing 3 balls is the most common option on the 49’s lotto. If you select three balls, these three balls simply need to be included in the six balls drawn - or seven balls if you bet With the Bonus. It was not a groan of pain or of grief - oh, no! - it was the low stifled sound that arises from the bottom of the soul when overcharged with awe. I knew the sound well. Many a night, just at midnight, when all the world slept, it has welled up from my own bosom, deepening, with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted me. In organized sports, match fixing occurs as a match is played to a completely or partially pre-determined result, violating the rules of the game and often the law. The most common reason is to obtain a payoff from gamblers, but teams may also intentionally perform poorly to gain a future advantage, such as a better draft pick or, on paper, a less eminent opponent in a play-off.

It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but onceconceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none.Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me.He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I thinkit was his eye! yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture - apale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, myblood ran cold; and so by degrees - very gradually - I made up mymind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eyeforever.

Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But youshould have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded -with what caution - with what foresight - with what dissimulation Iwent to work! I was never kinder to the old man than during the wholeweek before I killed him. And every night, about midnight, I turnedthe latch of his door and opened it - oh so gently! And then, when Ihad made an opening sufficient for my head, I put in a dark lantern,all closed, closed, that no light shone out, and then I thrust in myhead. Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in!I moved it slowly - very, very slowly, so that I might not disturbthe old man's sleep. It took me an hour to place my whole head withinthe opening so far that I could see him as he lay upon his bed. Ha!would a madman have been so wise as this, And then, when my head waswell in the room, I undid the lantern cautiously-oh, so cautiously -cautiously (for the hinges creaked) - I undid it just so much that asingle thin ray fell upon the vulture eye. And this I did for sevenlong nights - every night just at midnight - but I found the eyealways closed; and so it was impossible to do the work; for it wasnot the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye. And every morning,when the day broke, I went boldly into the chamber, and spokecourageously to him, calling him by name in a hearty tone, andinquiring how he has passed the night. So you see he would have beena very profound old man, indeed, to suspect that every night, just attwelve, I looked in upon him while he slept.

Upon the eighth night I was more than usually cautious in opening thedoor. A watch's minute hand moves more quickly than did mine. Neverbefore that night had I felt the extent of my own powers - of mysagacity. I could scarcely contain my feelings of triumph. To thinkthat there I was, opening the door, little by little, and he not evento dream of my secret deeds or thoughts. I fairly chuckled at theidea; and perhaps he heard me; for he moved on the bed suddenly, asif startled. Now you may think that I drew back - but no. His roomwas as black as pitch with the thick darkness, (for the shutters wereclose fastened, through fear of robbers,) and so I knew that he couldnot see the opening of the door, and I kept pushing it on steadily,steadily.

I had my head in, and was about to open the lantern, when my thumbslipped upon the tin fastening, and the old man sprang up in bed,crying out - 'Who's there?'

I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour I did not movea muscle, and in the meantime I did not hear him lie down. He wasstill sitting up in the bed listening; - just as I have done, nightafter night, hearkening to the death watches in the wall.

Presently I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was the groan ofmortal terror. It was not a groan of pain or of grief - oh, no! - itwas the low stifled sound that arises from the bottom of the soulwhen overcharged with awe. I knew the sound well. Many a night, justat midnight, when all the world slept, it has welled up from my ownbosom, deepening, with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distractedme. I say I knew it well. I knew what the old man felt, and pitiedhim, although I chuckled at heart. I knew that he had been lyingawake ever since the first slight noise, when he had turned in thebed. His fears had been ever since growing upon him. He had beentrying to fancy them causeless, but could not. He had been saying tohimself - 'It is nothing but the wind in the chimney - it is only amouse crossing the floor,' or 'It is merely a cricket which has madea single chirp.' Yes, he had been trying to comfort himself withthese suppositions: but he had found all in vain. All in vain;because Death, in approaching him had stalked with his black shadowbefore him, and enveloped the victim. And it was the mournfulinfluence of the unperceived shadow that caused him to feel -although he neither saw nor heard - to feel the presence of my headwithin the room.

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When I had waited a long time, very patiently, without hearing himlie down, I resolved to open a little - a very, very little crevicein the lantern. So I opened it - you cannot imagine how stealthily,stealthily - until, at length a simple dim ray, like the thread ofthe spider, shot from out the crevice and fell full upon the vultureeye.

It was open - wide, wide open - and I grew furious as I gazed uponit. I saw it with perfect distinctness - all a dull blue, with ahideous veil over it that chilled the very marrow in my bones; but Icould see nothing else of the old man's face or person: for I haddirected the ray as if by instinct, precisely upon the damned spot.

And have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is butover-acuteness of the sense? - now, I say, there came to my ears alow, dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped incotton. I knew that sound well, too. It was the beating of the oldman's heart. It increased my fury, as the beating of a drumstimulates the soldier into courage.

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But even yet I refrained and kept still. I scarcely breathed. I heldthe lantern motionless. I tried how steadily I could maintain the rayupon the eye. Meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased. Itgrew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder every instant. Theold man's terror must have been 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 dead hour of the night, amid thedreadful silence of that old house, so strange a noise as thisexcited me to uncontrollable terror. Yet, for some minutes longer Irefrained and stood still. But the beating grew louder, louder! Ithought the heart must burst. And now a new anxiety seized me - thesound would be heard by a neighbour! The old man's hour had come!With a loud yell, I threw open the lantern and leaped into the room.He shrieked once - once only. In an instant I dragged him to thefloor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. I then smiled gaily, tofind the deed so far done. But, for many minutes, the heart beat onwith a muffled sound. This, however, did not vex me; it would not beheard through the wall. At length it ceased. The old man was dead. Iremoved the bed and examined the corpse. Yes, he was stone, stonedead. I placed my hand upon the heart and held it there many minutes.There was no pulsation. He was stone dead. His eve would trouble meno more.

If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when Idescribe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body.The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence. First of all Idismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs.

I then took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, anddeposited all between the scantlings. I then replaced the boards socleverly, so cunningly, that no human eye - not even his - could havedetected any thing wrong. There was nothing to wash out - no stain ofany kind - no blood-spot whatever. I had been too wary for that. Atub had caught all - ha! ha!

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When I had made an end of these labors, it was four o'clock - stilldark as midnight. As the bell sounded the hour, there came a knockingat the street door. I went down to open it with a light heart, - forwhat had I now to fear? There entered three men, who introducedthemselves, with perfect suavity, as officers of the police. A shriekhad been heard by a neighbour during the night; suspicion of foulplay had been aroused; information had been lodged at the policeoffice, and they (the officers) had been deputed to search thepremises.

I smiled, - for what had I to fear? I bade the gentlemen welcome. Theshriek, I said, was my own in a dream. The old man, I mentioned, wasabsent in the country. I took my visitors all over the house. I badethem search - search well. I led them, at length, to his chamber. Ishowed them his treasures, secure, undisturbed. In the enthusiasm ofmy confidence, I brought chairs into the room, and desired them hereto rest from their fatigues, while I myself, in the wild audacity ofmy perfect triumph, placed my own seat upon the very spot beneathwhich reposed the corpse of the victim.

The officers were satisfied. My manner had convinced them. I wassingularly at ease. They sat, and while I answered cheerily, theychatted of familiar things. But, ere long, I felt myself getting paleand wished them gone. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in myears: but still they sat and still chatted. The ringing became moredistinct: - It continued and became more distinct: I talked morefreely to get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gaineddefiniteness - until, at length, I found that the noise was notwithin my ears.

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No doubt I now grew very pale; - but I talked more fluently, andwith a heightened voice. Yet the sound increased - and what could Ido? It was a low, dull, quick sound - much such a sound as a watchmakes when enveloped in cotton. I gasped for breath - and yet theofficers heard it not. I talked more quickly - more vehemently; butthe noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in ahigh key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadilyincreased. Why would they not be gone? I paced the floor to and frowith heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observations of themen - but the noise steadily increased. Oh God! what could I do? Ifoamed - I raved - I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had beensitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over alland continually increased. It grew louder - louder - louder! Andstill the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible theyheard not? Almighty God! - no, no! They heard! - they suspected! -they knew! - they were making a mockery of my horror!-this I thought,and this I think. But anything was better than this agony! Anythingwas more tolerable than this derision! I could bear thosehypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! andnow - again! - hark! louder! louder! louder! louder!

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'Villains!' I shrieked, 'dissemble no more! I admit the deed! - tearup the planks! here, here! - It is the beating of his hideous heart!'

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