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dead； she divined the truth； and determined to be revenged。 So；
she went up to Captain Murderer's house； and knocked at the knocker
and pulled at the bell； and when the Captain came to the door；
said： 'Dear Captain Murderer； marry me next； for I always loved
you and was jealous of my sister。' The Captain took it as a
compliment； and made a polite answer； and the marriage was quickly
arranged。 On the night before it； the bride again climbed to his
window； and again saw him having his teeth filed sharp。 At this
sight she laughed such a terrible laugh at the chink in the
shutter； that the Captain's blood curdled； and he said： 'I hope
nothing has disagreed with me！' At that； she laughed again； a
still more terrible laugh； and the shutter was opened and search
made； but she was nimbly gone； and there was no one。 Next day they
went to church in a coach and twelve； and were married。 And that
day month； she rolled the pie…crust out； and Captain Murderer cut
her head off； and chopped her in pieces； and peppered her； and
salted her； and put her in the pie； and sent it to the baker's； and
ate it all； and picked the bones。
But before she began to roll out the paste she had taken a deadly
poison of a most awful character； distilled from toads' eyes and
spiders' knees； and Captain Murderer had hardly picked her last
bone； when he began to swell； and to turn blue； and to be all over
spots； and to scream。 And he went on swelling and turning bluer；
and being more all over spots and screaming； until he reached from
floor to ceiling and from wall to wall； and then； at one o'clock in
the morning； he blew up with a loud explosion。 At the sound of it；
all the milk…white horses in the stables broke their halters and
went mad； and then they galloped over everybody in Captain
Murderer's house （beginning with the family blacksmith who had
filed his teeth） until the whole were dead； and then they galloped
away。
Hundreds of times did I hear this legend of Captain Murderer； in my
early youth； and added hundreds of times was there a mental
compulsion upon me in bed； to peep in at his window as the dark
twin peeped； and to revisit his horrible house； and look at him in
his blue and spotty and screaming stage； as he reached from floor
to ceiling and from wall to wall。 The young woman who brought me
acquainted with Captain Murderer had a fiendish enjoyment of my
terrors； and used to begin； I remember … as a sort of introductory
overture … by clawing the air with both hands； and uttering a long
low hollow groan。 So acutely did I suffer from this ceremony in
combination with this infernal Captain； that I sometimes used to
plead I thought I was hardly strong enough and old enough to hear
the story again just yet。 But； she never spared me one word of it；
and indeed commanded the awful chalice to my lips as the only
preservative known to science against 'The Black Cat' … a weird and
glaring…eyed supernatural Tom； who was reputed to prowl about the
world by night； sucking the breath of infancy； and who was endowed
with a special thirst （as I was given to understand） for mine。
This female bard … may she have been repaid my debt of obligation
to her in the matter of nightmares and perspirations！ … reappears
in my memory as the daughter of a shipwright。 Her name was Mercy；
though she had none on me。 There was something of a shipbuilding
flavour in the following story。 As it always recurs to me in a
vague association with calomel pills； I believe it to have been
reserved for dull nights when I was low with medicine。
There was once a shipwright； and he wrought in a Government Yard；
and his name was Chips。 And his father's name before him was
Chips； and HIS father's name before HIM was Chips； and they were
all Chipses。 And Chips the father had sold himself to the Devil
for an iron pot and a bushel of tenpenny nails and half a ton of
copper and a rat that could speak； and Chips the grandfather had
sold himself to the Devil for an iron pot and a bushel of tenpenny
nails and half a ton of copper and a rat that could speak； and
Chips the great…grandfather had disposed of himself in the same
direction on the same terms； and the bargain had run in the family
for a long； long time。 So； one day； when young Chips was at work
in the Dock Slip all alone； down in the dark hold of an old
Seventy…four that was haled up for repairs； the Devil presented
himself； and remarked：
'A Lemon has pips；
And a Yard has ships；
And I'll have Chips！'
（I don't know why； but this fact of the Devil's expressing himself
in rhyme was peculiarly trying to me。） Chips looked up when he
heard the words； and there he saw the Devil with saucer eyes that
squinted on a terrible great scale； and that struck out sparks of
blue fire continually。 And whenever he winked his eyes； showers of
blue sparks came out； and his eyelashes made a clattering like
flints and steels striking lights。 And hanging over one of his
arms by the handle was an iron pot； and under that arm was a bushel
of tenpenny nails； and under his other arm was half a ton of
copper； and sitting on one of his shoulders was a rat that could
speak。 So； the Devil said again：
'A Lemon has pips；
And a Yard has ships；
And I'll have Chips！'
（The invariable effect of this alarming tautology on the part of
the Evil Spirit was to deprive me of my senses for some moments。）
So； Chips answered never a word； but went on with his work。 'What
are you doing； Chips？' said the rat that could speak。 'I am
putting in new planks where you and your gang have eaten old away；'
said Chips。 'But we'll eat them too；' said the rat that could
speak； 'and we'll let in the water and drown the crew； and we'll
eat them too。' Chips； being only a shipwright； and not a Man…of…
war's man； said； 'You are welcome to it。' But he couldn't keep his
eyes off the half a ton of copper or the bushel of tenpenny nails；
for nails and copper are a shipwright's sweethearts； and
shipwrights will run away with them whenever they can。 So； the
Devil said； 'I see what you are looking at； Chips。 You had better
strike the bargain。 You know the terms。 Your father before you
was well acquainted with them； and so were your grandfather and
great…grandfather before him。' Says Chips； 'I like the copper； and
I like the nails； and I don't mind the pot； but I don't like the
rat。' Says the Devil； fiercely； 'You can't have the metal without
him … and HE'S a curiosity。 I'm going。' Chips； afraid of losing
the half a ton of copper and the bushel of nails； then said； 'Give
us hold！' So； he got the copper and the nails and the pot and the
rat that could speak； and the Devil vanished。 Chips sold the
copper； and he sold the nails； and he would have sold the pot； but
whenever he offered it for sale； the rat was in it； and the dealers
dropped it； and would have nothing to say to the bargain。 So；
Chips resolved to kill the rat； and； being at work in the Yard one
day with a great kettle of hot pitch on one side of him and the
iron pot with the rat in it on the other； he turned the scalding
pitch into the pot； and filled it full。 Then； he kept his eye upon
it till it cooled and hardened； and then he let it stand for twenty
days； and then he heated the pitch again and turned it back into
the kettle； and then he sank the pot in water for twenty days more；
and then he got the smelters to put it in the furnace for twenty
days more； and then they gave it him out； red hot； and looking like
red…hot glass instead of iron…yet there was the rat in it； just the
same as ever！ And the moment it caught his eye； it said with a
jeer：
'A Lemon has pips；
And a Yard has ships；
And I'll have Chips！'
（For this Refrain I had waited since its last appearance； with
inexpressible horror； which now culminated。） Chips now felt
certain in his own mind that the rat would stick to him； the rat；
answering his thought； said； 'I will … like pitch！'
Now； as the rat leaped out of the pot when it had spoken； and made
off； Chips began to hope that it wouldn't keep its word。 But； a
terrible thing happened next day。 For； when dinner…time came； and
the Dock…bell rang to strike work； he put his rule into the long
pocket at the side of his trousers； and there he found a rat … not
that rat； but another rat。 And in his hat； he found another； and
in his pocket…handkerchief； another； and in the sleeves of his
coat； when he pulled it on to go to dinner； two more。 And from
that time he found himself so frightfully intimate with all the
rats in the Yard； that they climbed up his legs when he was at
work； and sat on his tools while he used them。 And they could all
speak to one another； and he understood what they said。 And they
got into his lodging； and into his bed； and into his teapot； and
into his beer； and into his boots。 And he was going to be ma