E. A. Poe – The Cask of Amontillado
...
I took from their sconces two flambeaux, and giving one to Fortunato,
bowed him through several suites of rooms to the archway that led into the vaults.
I passed down a long and winding staircase, requesting him to be cautious as he
followed. We came at length to the foot of the descent, and stood together on the
damp ground of the catacombs of the Montresors.
The gait of my friend was unsteady, and the bells upon his cap jingled as he
strode.
"The pipe," said he.
"It is farther on," said I; "but observe the white web-work which gleams
from these cavern walls."
He turned towards me, and looked into my eyes with two filmy orbs that
distilled the rheum of intoxication .
"Nitre?" he asked, at length.
"Nitre," I replied. "How long have you had that cough?"
"Ugh! ugh! ugh! — ugh! ugh! ugh! — ugh! ugh! ugh! — ugh! ugh! ugh! —
ugh! ugh! ugh!"
My poor friend found it impossible to reply for many minutes.
"It is nothing," he said, at last.
"Come," I said, with decision, "we will go back; your health is precious.
You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was. You are
a man to be missed. For me it is no matter. We will go back; you will be ill, and I
cannot be responsible. Besides, there is Luchesi ——"
"Enough," he said; "the cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I shall
not die of a cough."
"True — true," I replied; "and, indeed, I had no intention of alarming you
unnecessarily — but you should use all proper caution. A draught of this Medoc
will defend us from the damps."
Here I knocked off the neck of a bottle which I drew from a long row of its
fellows that lay upon the mould.
"Drink," I said, presenting him the wine.
He raised it to his lips with a leer. He paused and nodded to me familiarly,
while his bells jingled.
"I drink," he said, "to the buried that repose around us."
"And I to your long life."
He again took my arm, and we proceeded.
"These vaults," he said, "are extensive."
"The Montresors," I replied, "were a great and numerous family."
"I forget your arms."
"A huge human foot d'or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent
rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel."
"And the motto?"
"Nemo me impune lacessit."
"Good!" he said.
...
Word
cask
Definition
a round wooden container used for storing wine or other liquids, or
the amount of liquid that it contains
an object that is attached to a wall and holds candles or electric lights
sconce
flaming torch
flambeau
to bend your body
bow
a set of rooms, especially expensive ones in a hotel
suite
a curved structure above a door, window etc
archway
a room with thick walls and a strong door where money, jewels etc
vault
are kept to prevent them from being stolen or damaged, or a room
where people from the same family are buried, often under the floor
of a church
to go or travel along or through a place
pass
turning or twisting something several times around something else
winding
to ask for something in a polite or formal way
request
careful to avoid danger or risks
cautious
to go, walk, drive etc behind or after someone else
follow
after a long time
at length
the lowest or bottom part of something
foot
the process of going down
descent
slightly wet, often in an unpleasant way
damp
catacomb an area underground where dead people are buried
the way someone walks
gait
shaking or moving in a way you cannot control
unsteady
to shake small metal things together so that they make a sound, or to
jingle
make this sound
to walk quickly with long steps
stride
cask for wine
pipe
c
observe
a net of thin threads made by a spider to catch insects
web
to shine softly
gleam
a large cave
cavern
not clear because there is a lot of smoke, dust, or mist in it
filmy
a bright ball-shaped object
orb
extract from (to remove an object from somewhere)
distill
watery secretion (a substance, usually liquid)
rheum
intoxication a state of being drunk or showing that you are drunk
potassium nitrate
nitre
to answer someone by saying or writing something
reply
Word
precious
Definition
something that is precious is valuable and important and should not
be wasted or used without care
respected and liked
admired
loved very much by someone
beloved
no matter used to say that something is not important and will not affect a
situation
responsible if someone is responsible for an accident, mistake, crime etc, it is
their fault or they can be blamed
in addition to someone or something else that you are mentioning
besides
a plan or desire to do something
intention
to make someone feel worried or frightened
alarm
right, suitable, or correct
proper
the quality of being very careful to avoid danger or risks
caution
the act of swallowing liquid, or the amount of liquid swallowed at one
draught
time
to do something in order to protect someone or something
defend
to damage something (break off)
knock off
to get something that you need or want
draw
to be in a flat position on a surface
lie
a soft green, grey, or black substance that grows on food which has
mould
been kept too long, and on objects that are in warm, wet air
to give something to someone
present
to move or lift something to a higher position, place, or level
raise
to look at someone in an unpleasant way
leer
to move your head down and up again once in order to give someone
nod
a sign
familiarly in an informal or friendly way
if someone reposes somewhere, they rest there
repose
to continue to do something that has already been planned or started
proceed
large in size, amount, or degree
extensive
a set of pictures or patterns painted on a shield and used as the
arms
special sign of a family
to press something so hard that it breaks or is damaged
crush
a snake, especially a large one
serpent
very difficult to control
rampant
a long sharp tooth of an animal such as a snake or wild dog
fang
embed - to put something firmly and deeply into something else, or to
imbed
be put into something in this way
the curved back part of your foot
heel
Word
motto
Definition
a short sentence or phrase giving a rule on how to behave, which
expresses the aims or beliefs of a person, school, or institution