Act Six

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