The Cask of Amontillado with subtitles - Edgar Allan Poe (Read by Christopher Lee) transcript

it's nearly midnight and time for a story this is Christopher Lee and these are Edgar Alan Po's Gothic tales [Music] the Thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could but when he ventured upon insult I vowed Revenge it must be understood that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my Goodwill I continued as was my w to smile in his face and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his [Music] immolation he had a weak point this Fortunato although in other regards he was a man to be respected and even feared he prided himself on his connoisseurship in wine in this respect I did not differ from him materially I was skillful in the Italian vintages myself and bought largely whenever I could it was about dusk one evening during the Supreme Madness of the Carnival season that IC counted my friend he accosted me with excessive warmth for he'd been drinking much the man wore ml he had on a tight fitting striped dress and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells I was so pleased to see him that I thought I should never have done ringing his hand I said to him my dear Fortunato you are luckily met how remarkably well you are looking today but I have received a pipe of what passes for am montil and I have my Duds how said he am montil impossible and in the middle of the carnival I have my doubts I replied and I was silly enough to pay the full am montil price without consulting you you were not to be found and I was fearful of losing a bargain a monardo uh you are engaged I'm on my way to lucra if anyone has a critical turn it is he he will tell me L crazy cannot tell am montil from Sher and yet some fools will have it that his taste is a match for your own come let us go with to your vaults oh my friend no no I will not impose upon your good nature I perceive you have an engagement Lu crazy I have no engagement come my friend no it is not the engagement but the severe cold with which I perceive you are afflicted the vaults are insufferably damp they are encrusted with nigher cold as nothing a monel you have been imposed upon and as for lucra he cannot distinguish Sheri from am montil thus speaking Fortunato possessed himself of my arm and putting on a mask of black silk and drawing a cloak closely about my person I suffered him to hurry me to my [Music] Palazzo there were no attendant home they had absconded to make Mary an honor of the time I took from their scones two Flo and giving one to Fortunato bowed him through several suets 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 and stood upon the damp ground of the catacombs of the monor the Gate of my friend was unsteady and the bells upon his cap jingled the pipe he said it is farther on said I but observe the white web work which gleams from these Cavern walls how long have you had that cough 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 you will be ill and I cannot be responsible besides that is lucra enough the cough is mere nothing it will not kill me I shall not die of a cough true true I replied but you should use all proper caution a draw of this medok 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 mold drink I said presenting him the wine he raised it to his lips with a Lear he paused and nodded to me familiarly while his Bells jingled I drink he said to the bued that Repose around us and I to your long life he again took my arm and we [Music] proceeded these vaults are extensive the Montour I replied were great and numerous family I I forget your coat of arms a huge human foot in a field Asia the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are embedded in the heel Al The Motto Neo May impit nobody wrongs me with impunity good he said the wine sparkled in his eyes and the bells jingled we had passed through long walls of piled skeletons with cks and puns inter mingling into the inmost recesses of the Catacombs let us go on but first another draft of the medok I broke and reached him a flagon of De gra he empted it at a breath his eyes flashed with a fierce light he laughed and threw the bottle upwards with a gesticulation I did not understand I looked at him in surprise he repeated to the movement a grotesque one you do not comprehend not I that you are not of the Brotherhood how you are not of the Masons oh yes yes I said yes yes you impossible a Mason a Mason I replied A Sign it is this I answered producing from beneath the folds of my cloak a TR you just he exclaimed recoiling a few piss let us proceeded to the amardo at the most remote end of the crypt there appeared another Crypt less spacious its walls had been lined with human remains piled to the Vault overhead in the fashion of the great Catacombs of Paris three sides of this interior Crypt were still ornamented in this manner from the fourth side the bones had been thrown down and lay promiscuously upon the Earth forming at one point a mound of some size within the wall thus exposed by the displacing of the bones we perceived a recess in depth about 4 ft in width three in height six or seven it seemed to have been constructed for no special use but formed merely the interval between two of the Colossal supports of the roof of the Catacombs and was backed by solid Granite proceed I said herein is the Amon in an instant he had reached the extremity of the niche and finding his progress arrested by The Rock stood stupidly bewildered a moment more and I had feted him to the Granite in its surface were two iron Staples from one of these depended a short chain from the other a padlock throwing the links about his waist it was but the work of a few seconds to secure it he was too much astounded to resist withdrawing the key I stepped back from the recess the montil ejaculated my friend true I replied the are monardo as I said these words I busied myself among the pile of bones throwing them aside I uncovered a quantity of building stone and mortar with these materials and with the aid of my Trel I began vigorously to wall up the entrance of the niche I'd scarcely laid the first tear of the masonry when I discovered that the intoxication of forato had in a great measure worn off the earliest indication I had of this was a low moaning cry from the depth of the recess it was not the Cry of a drunken man there was then a long and obstinate silence I laid the second tier and the third and the fourth and then I heard the Furious vibrations of the chain the wall was now nearly upon a level with my breast a succession of loud and shrill screams bursting suddenly from the throat of the chained form seemed to thrust me violently back I reapo the wall the clamor grew still it was now midnight and my task was drawing to a close there remained but a single Stone to be fitted and plastered in I struggled with its weight I placed it partially in its destined position but now there came from out the niche a low laugh that erected the hairs upon my head it was succeeded by a sad voice which I had difficulty in recognizing as that of the noble Fortunato the voice said a very good joke indeed an excellent Gest we will have many a rich laugh about it at the palaso over our wine the are montil I said yes yes they are montil but is it not getting late will not they be awaiting us at The Palazo the lady Fortunato and the rest let us be gone yes I said let us be gone for the love of God on three yes I said for the love of God but to these words I hearkened in vain for a reply I grew impatient I called aloud Fortunato no answer I called again forun no answer still I thrust a torch through the remaining aperture and let it fall within they came forth and return turn only a jingling of the Bells my heart grew sick it was the dampness of the Catacombs that made it so I hastened to make an end of my labor I forced the last Stone into his position I plastered it up against the new masonry I re-erected an old rampant of bones for the half of a century no mortal has Disturbed them INE re escut this is Christopher Lee wishing you a very good night Edgar alen Po's Gothic tales are a unique production for BBC Radio 2 the music was by Chris o shonesy and production was by Frank [Music] Sterling sleep well