CHORUS Three endless days of bitter grief passed   and Montresor abandoned any attempt to cheer his friend.   Then came a sudden change in Usher's   demeanour, whose significance he was soon to comprehend.   Now Usher stands for hour on hour   with head inclined and eyes half-closed,   as if beneath the deep and sullen silence   a sound exists for which he listens; a sound without end.   Now Usher walks for hour on hour.   With ashen face and trembling step, he climbs each stair,   He climbs each tower; still hears it there.  CHORUS AND No. It's only the  THE VOICES beating of the heart,  OF THE HOUSE heart of the House of Usher,   beating of the heart   heart of the House of Usher.  USHER MONTRESOR   Roderick is that you?  I could not sleep   Nor I.   Listen to the storm!   Did you ever hear   such a dreadful sound?  Indeed.  Indeed I have!  But this sound you can hear;  the tempest beats upon the House  as it would beat upon a drum,  that is no sound to fear.  For the sound to fear   It beats upon the house.  walk softly when they come   The thunder seems so near  But it's only the But it's only the  beating of the heart, beating of the heart,  heart of the House of Usher. heart of the House of Usher.  USHER MONTRESOR VOICES OF THE HOUSE   Oh the lake is Beating of the heart,   in frenzy, I heart of the House   can feel the waves of Usher   beat on the walls Beating of the heart  The breaking of the heart! heart of the House   These giant stones of Usher.   are trembling Beating of the heart   the savage lashing heart of the House   of the storm of Usher.  The breaking of the heart! Beating of the heart   heart of the House   of Usher  Why is that other sound The House  not hidden by of Usher  echoes of the storm? shall stand.   The House  But understand we only of Usher  hear the House shall stand  Speaking of a storm The House  This is the storm itself! of Usher   shall stand.   The House of Usher   The House of Usher  MONTRESOR We've seen enough, I'll close the window.   The gale is chill and grows yet stronger.   These walls are shaking!   You shall play something for me;   you shall play and I shall listen.   So we will pass away this dreadful night.  USHER Yes I shall play,   yes, I shall play!  (The Haunted In the greenest of our valleys  Palace) by good angels tenanted   once a fair and stately palace -   radiant palace - reared its head.   In the monarch, Thought's dominion   like a jewel it stood there.   Never seraph spread a pinion   over fabric half so fair.   Wanderers in that happy valley   through two luminous windows saw   spirits moving musically   to a lute's well-tuned law,   round about a throne where sitting,   side by side with his fair queen,   in state his glory well befitting,   the ruler of the realm was seen.  USHER MONTRESOR   Wait!   Did you hear it?   What was it?  It's nothing.   What was that   distant sound?  I say, I heard nothing   All with pearl and ruby glowing   was the glorious palace door   through which came flowing, flowing,   flowing and sparkling evermore   a troop of echoes, whose sweet duty   night and day was but to sing   in voices of surpassing beauty   the wit and wisdom of their king.  USHER MONTRESOR   No!   There's something,   I heard it   quite clear,   a voice crying.  It's nothing  I say  but the wind!  You heard the wind,  just heard Within the House!  the wild wind crying.   But evil things, in robes of sorrow   assailed the monarch's high estate;   let us mourn for never morrow   dawn upon him, desolate;   round about his home the glory   that had always blushed and bloomed   is but a dim-remembered story   of the olden time entombed.  USHER MONTRESOR   There!   Yes, you heard it!   There is someone else -  There's nothing something else  I say, down there!  You hear nothing!  There's no-one there.  It is the storm Are we  that you hear. alone here?   Travellers now within that valley   through red-litten windows see   vast forms that move fantastically   to a discordant melody   while like a rapid, ghastly river   through the ever open door   a hideous throng rush out forever   and laugh - but smile no more!   And laugh - but smile no more!   And laugh - but smile no more!  USHER No! No! No!   Yes, I hear it! Yes, I have heard it   long, long - many minutes, many hours,   but I dared not speak:   I tell you I dared not speak.   No more cant from you,   you thick-skinned obtuse fool, damn your compassion!   For now I say you will hear the wicked truth   We put her living in the tomb!   But I dared not, I dared not speak!   Yes, have I not heard her footsteps on the stair?   Yes, do I not distinguish   the heavy and horrible beating of her heart?   Yes, she is coming.   She has woken in the darkness,   in her mindless, relentless strength.   Now she has broken from the tomb.   Now she has burst from the tomb.   Days ago I heard her first feeble movements   in the hollow coffin -   said I not that my senses were acute?   I heard the scraping, the scraping of her nails -   but I dared not, I dared not speak!   Madman! Madman!   I tell you that she now comes towards the door!  USHER MONTRESOR CHORUS VOICES OF THE HOUSE   No, what a House   Monstrous thought! We   Now the punishment breath!   is finished. The evil that House   You said is done we are!   she was dead... cannot be We   You watched undone. could not   her dying!  It's over now It's over now   What evil have let   you done? It could not   be prevented them go!   God, what a   monstrous thought!  It's over now It's over now. We   The evil that   Why must innocence is done could   be punished?   Could this have not   been prevented?  It's over now It's over now   The evil that The evil that We   is done... is done could not   could not   be prevented let   could this have could never   been prevented? be prevented   them go!  I dare not could this have it could not  I dared not speak! been prevented? be prevented!  Madman!  Madman!  I tell you  that she now stands  outside the door!  USHER MADELINE MONTRESOR CHORUS   I'm looking  Now, No,  Madeline! Madeline!   I have counted   to a hundred   with my eyes closed   and I'm coming  I am the last now to find you... Leave!  of the Usher! Depart!  my sister's death Go!  shall leave me so.   Where are you It's over now   hiding?  I am If I wasn't so  the last afraid I'd  Usher Roderick touch her Leave!  I feel where are you? It's over now Depart!  the sky I see. Go!   Now he sings   of death, the evil the evil   some things even that is done that is one  I feel madder cannot be cannot be  the sky undone undone  moan shuts himself away the evil the evil  to join shuts himself away that is come that is come  with the slime!   He shut could not could not   himself away! be prevented. be prevented.   AS THE HOUSE FALLS  THE VOICES beams buttresses plaster copings We We  OF THE corbels bressumers quoins chimney- breath are  HOUSE joists arches wainscot shafts We rise Usher   kin-posts piers stairs parapets   ridge-ribs spandrels banister pediments   struts columns cusps mansard   stanchions cornices gargoyle   king-posts eaves   End of Act Six