Act Four

<br>(The following morning)<br>MADELINE That must be Montresor...<br> Good morning! Oh, how lovely to see you -<br> since Roderick told me you were coming<br> I have been so excited.<br> Now you are here, all will be well once more.<br> I was not here last night to greet you,<br> you must think me ill-mannered,<br> but sadly I am not enjoying the good health I used to...<br>MONTRESOR Yes.<br> Madeline, I must confess it`s hard finding words<br> that say what I feel...<br>MADELINE Oh, Montresor, you`re being solemn<br> and it`s all quite uncalled for.<br> I feel quite sure I`m growing stronger<br> and the doctor agrees with me -<br> so you see all will be well once more.<br> Five years ago we were a very different family,<br> but how things change!<br> Roderick and I were both living abroad when father died.<br> We both returned from Florence<br> to take up Roderick`s inheritance.<br> The House was dark and so full of sadness.<br> But you know my brother and how sensitive he is.<br> He lives in the music of his wild melodies.<br> Now as time went by so his songs grew sadder,<br> now he never smiled as he played.<br> Now he sings of death and some things even madder;<br> shuts himself away, brooding to himself,<br> come to me at night,<br> staring at my face `till I fell afraid.<br>MADELINE MONTRESOR<br>When I am better we must all<br>holiday together<br>as in the old days. Yes, you know<br> how much I`d love that<br>You would be good for us both,<br>as good for us both as before<br> You look so much the same!<br>I must confess that you have changed...<br>Do you remember? Everything.<br> The fragile hour,<br> the silent walk with a friend.<br>MONTRESOR As we walk so we tread<br>& MADELINE on the words left unsaid<br> I can`t say them no matter how hard I try<br> We chatter on, then the moment`s gone,<br> the one for which I`ve hoped<br> and I`ve prayed and I`ve planned.<br> Stop the clock`s advance!<br> I need a second chance,<br> I need that second`s glance<br> when my hand touched you hand.<br> I`d take you in my arms and say `I love you`<br> but it won`t come back to me.<br> It`s over now,<br> it`s over now,<br> it`s over now, you see.<br> If I hadn`t been afraid to touch you<br> would you have been afraid to fall in love with me?<br> Would it be over?<br> Would it be over now?<br> Perhaps it wouldn`t be.<br> And each hour limits choice<br> in so gentle a voice<br> `till the hour that we realise no choice remains.<br> So we await<br> just one chance to cheat our fate,<br> but then if we hesitate<br> we lose the power to act at all.<br> For once that moment`s past<br> we simply stand aghast<br> as life rolls to disaster<br> and we stand an watch it fall.<br> I`d take you in my arms and say `I love you`<br> but I think we both agree.<br> It`s over now,<br> it`s over now, you see.<br> It`s over now,<br> it`s over now, you see.<br> If I hadn`t been afraid to touch you<br> would you have been afraid to fall in love with me?<br> Would it be over?<br> Would it be over now?<br> Perhaps it wouldn`t be.<br> If I hadn`t been afraid to touch you<br> would you have been afraid to fall in love with me?<br> Would it be over?<br> Would it be over now?<br> The way it seems to be.<br> (Madeline exits as Usher enters)<br>USHER MONTRESOR<br>Yes, she does not know it yet;<br> Perhaps for the best<br>so sure she will recover<br>and so full of life full of life<br>full of life,<br>my brave my brave<br>Madeline Madeline<br>This House devours her<br> so take her from this place<br>preparing the final torment<br>of its empty space empty space<br>a silent, empty space silent empty space<br>without<br> without<br>Madeline Madeline<br>Madeline<br> This is only a house my friend<br>USHER Which, by dint of long and undisturbed endurance.<br> by its mere form and substance,<br> has obtained an influence, a silent<br> yet importunate and terrifying hold<br> which, for centuries,<br> has moulded the destiny of my family<br> and now makes of me whatever it is I am.<br> The House is Usher and Usher is the House:<br> the two are indivisible.<br> It was born with us, prospered with us, suffered too.<br> And it will, in some way, die with us, soon.<br> I am the last of the Usher,<br> mine is the last drop of Usher blood,<br> The last of the Usher!<br> The House has told me in midnight breathing<br> from my chamber walls,<br> the House has told me in the secret murmur<br> of the stones that none can hear save I.<br> I am the last of the Usher,<br> my sister`s death shall leave me so;<br> I am the last of the Usher,<br> so in Usher`s House I will wait alone.<br>MONTRESOR Roderick, this is nightmare talk.<br> Come back with me, both of you, while you`re yet able<br> You can`t stay here and rot!<br>USHER There will be no rot!<br> No rot in Usher!<br> We have lived with thunder,<br> and with thunder shall we fall!<br>MONTRESOR I cannot make you come but hear what I say.<br> Send Madeline with me to some healthy place.<br>USHER No rot! No rot in Usher!<br> We have lived by lightning<br> and but lightning shall we fall!<br> No slide into slow decay,<br> no shrivelling splendour<br> no gradual ebbing away,<br> no quiet surrender!<br> No rot! No rot in Usher!<br> We have lived as Titans and as Titans we must fall!<br>USHER MONTRESOR<br>Don`t talk of rot<br> Stop!<br>No rot in Usher!<br> Stop!<br> Roderick, try and calm yourself<br>Just tell me why I should! this cannot do you good.<br> These thoughts...<br>No!<br> are folly.<br>No!<br>Everything I`ve tried to I have tried to help you<br>tell you, you`ve misunderstood I`ve done everything I could.<br>Come, why should we fight<br>this way<br>we have enough troubles.<br>What was it we used to say? What was it we used to say?<br>A problem shared is doubled! A problem shared is doubled!<br>Ushers do not flee! Ushers to not flee!<br>Montresors stand firm! Montresors stand firm!<br>So we stand together, So we stand together,<br>stand together stand together<br>By dint of long<br>and undisturbed endurance...<br> we could defeat the House,<br> my friend.<br>VOICES OF We shall not<br>THE HOUSE let him go!<br> We shall not let him go!<br> End of Act Four