ural troubles: infected minds / To their deaf pillows will discharge
their secrets" ( 5.1.68-70).

The officers were satisfied. My manner had convinced them. I was sin-
gularly at ease. They sat, and while I answered cheerily, they chatted of
familiar things. But, ere long, I felt myself getting pale and wished them
gone. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears: but still they
sat and still chatted. The ringing became more distinct:--it continued
and became more distinct: I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling:
but it continued and gained definitiveness--until, at length, I found that
the noise was not within my ears.

No doubt I now grew very pale;--but I talked fluently, and with a
heightened voice. Yet the sound increased--and what could I do? It was
a low, dull, quick sound--much such a sound as a watch makes when
enveloped in cotton. I gasped for breath--and yet the officers heard it
not. I talked more quickly--more vehemently; but the noise steadily in-
creased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent
gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased. Why would they not be
gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury
by the observations of the men--but the noise steadily increased. Oh
God! what could I do? I foamed--I raved--I swore! I swung the 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! 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! 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!"

Stories have a universal, timeless appeal. They direct us through
imagination, legend, myth, and religion to the truth about who we

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