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