chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder – louder – louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God! – no, no! Tey 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! Anything was more tolerable than this derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! and now – again! – hark! louder! louder! louder! louder! ‘Villains!’ I shrieked, ‘dissemble no more! I admit the deed! – tear up the planks! here, here! – it is the beating of his hideous heart!’
GLOSSARY acute – powerful and sharp hearken – listen conceived – think or imagine something foresight – ability to think ahead dissimulation – disguise of feelings or intentions cunningly – clever/able to get away with things vexed – frustrated or angered by something profound – serious sagacity – wisdom suppositions – suggestions stealthily – trying to avoid being noticed marrow – soft tissue stimulates – encourages or builds excitement about something dismembered – cut a limb from the body scantlings – thin piece of timber suavity – politeness or charm deputed – given duties/responsibilities audacity – daring reposed – in a state of rest enveloped – to completely enclose or cover something vehemently – to act or speak with great force gesticulations – movements of the arms and hands when speaking
You can watch a great animated production of ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ by Annette Jung on YouTube.
