THE TELL-TALE HEART
lantern forward.
He is seen to be smiling grimly to
himself.
HE is half round the corner ofthe half—open
door, and very warilyputs out his right hand to oþen
the ray of the lantern.
HE stops refeatedly to listen
daring all this time.
His thnmb s/iþs on thefasten-
ing of the lantern, and Με latter swings against the
door, making a startling clatter.
MARTIN springs uþ
in bed, trying loudly]—
MARTIN. Who’s there?
[A long pause; presently MARTIN gives a slight groan
of abject terror.
BOTH
remain
absolutely still.
Another long þause.
Then JACK again tries to open
the lantern with infinite stealth; at last a single
tiny dim ray shoots out and throws Martin‘s eye into
startling brilliance.
Another long fianse, but JACK
should endeavour without the slightest movement to
let the audience guess that he hears something. At
length, with a wildyell, he throws open the lantern—
fut!light on stage—and darts into the room,
MARTIN
shriehs once only and very loud/y.
jACK drags MARTIN
to the floor, and ;50115 the heavy mattress over him,
pressing it down with hideous langhter, though all
the time he listens, as if to hear the beating of
MARTIN’S heart.
HE puts his ear to the mattress.
At last, with a laugh of satisfaction,
he removes
the mattress
and examines
the
eor‘ose,
ear
to
heart]
JACK. Dead.
Stone dead.
Stone dead.
Stone dead.
[HE 10025 around—1n France, MARTIN will have disaf—
fearedfrom under the bedding by a mm door and left
Ι37