the works of edgar allan poe-2-第20部分

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restrained。　I　burned　to　say　if　but　one　word；　by　way　of　triumph；　and
to　render　doubly　sure　their　assurance　of　my　guiltlessness。

　　　　〃Gentlemen；〃　I　said　at　last；　as　the　party　ascended　the　steps；　〃I
delight　to　have　allayed　your　suspicions。　I　wish　you　all　health；　and　a
little　more　courtesy。　By　the　bye；　gentlemen；　this　…　this　is　a　very
well　constructed　house。〃　＇In　the　rabid　desire　to　say　something
easily；　I　scarcely　knew　what　I　uttered　at　all。＇　…　〃I　may　say　an
_excellently_　well　constructed　house。　These　walls　are　you　going；
gentlemen？　…　these　walls　are　solidly　put　together；〃　and　here；　through
the　mere　phrenzy　of　bravado；　I　rapped　heavily；　with　a　cane　which　I
held　in　my　hand；　upon　that　very　portion　of　the　brick…work　behind
which　stood　the　corpse　of　the　wife　of　my　bosom。

　　　　But　may　God　shield　and　deliver　me　from　the　fangs　of　the
Arch…Fiend　！　No　sooner　had　the　reverberation　of　my　blows　sunk　into
silence；　than　I　was　answered　by　a　voice　from　within　the　tomb！　…　by　a
cry；　at　first　muffled　and　broken；　like　the　sobbing　of　a　child；　and
then　quickly　swelling　into　one　long；　loud；　and　continuous　scream；
utterly　anomalous　and　inhuman　…　a　howl　…　a　wailing　shriek；　half　of
horror　and　half　of　triumph；　such　as　might　have　arisen　only　out　of
hell；　conjointly　from　the　throats　of　the　dammed　in　their　agony　and　of
the　demons　that　exult　in　the　damnation。

　　　　Of　my　own　thoughts　it　is　folly　to　speak。　Swooning；　I　staggered　to
the　opposite　wall。　For　one　instant　the　party　upon　the　stairs　remained
motionless；　through　extremity　of　terror　and　of　awe。　In　the　next；　a
dozen　stout　arms　were　toiling　at　the　wall。　It　fell　bodily。　The
corpse；　already　greatly　decayed　and　clotted　with　gore；　stood　erect
before　the　eyes　of　the　spectators。　Upon　its　head；　with　red　extended
mouth　and　solitary　eye　of　fire；　sat　the　hideous　beast　whose　craft　had
seduced　me　into　murder；　and　whose　informing　voice　had　consigned　me　to
the　hangman。　I　had　walled　the　monster　up　within　the　tomb！

~~~　End　of　Text　~~~



THE　FALL

OF

THE　HOUSE　OF　USHER

Son　c渦r　est　un　luth　suspendu　；
Sit魌　qu'on　le　touche　il　r鑣onne。。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　_　　De　B閞anger_　。

　　　　DURING　the　whole　of　a　dull；　dark；　and　soundless　day　in　the　autumn
of　the　year；　when　the　clouds　hung　oppressively　low　in　the　heavens；　I
had　been　passing　alone；　on　horseback；　through　a　singularly　dreary
tract　of　country　；　　and　at　length　found　myself；　as　the　shades　of　the
evening　drew　on；　within　view　of　the　melancholy　House　of　Usher。　　I
know　not　how　it　was　…　but；　with　the　first　glimpse　of　the　building；　a
sense　of　insufferable　gloom　pervaded　my　spirit。　　I　say　insufferable　；
　for　the　feeling　was　unrelieved　by　any　of　that　half…pleasurable；
because　poetic；　sentiment；　with　which　the　mind　usually　receives　even
the　sternest　natural　images　of　the　desolate　or　terrible。　　I　looked
upon　the　scene　before　me　…　upon　the　mere　house；　and　the　simple
landscape　features　of　the　domain　…　upon　the　bleak　walls　…　upon　the
vacant　eye…like　windows　…　upon　a　few　rank　sedges　…　and　upon　a　few
white　trunks　of　decayed　trees　…　with　an　utter　depression　of　soul
which　I　can　compare　to　no　earthly　sensation　more　properly　than　to　the
after…dream　of　the　reveller　upon　opium　…　the　bitter　lapse　into
everyday　life　…　the　hideous　dropping　off　of　the　veil。　　There　was　an
iciness；　a　sinking；　a　sickening　of　the　heart　…　an　unredeemed
dreariness　of　thought　which　no　goading　of　the　imagination　could
torture　into　aught　of　the　sublime。　　What　was　it　…　I　paused　to　think　…
what　was　it　that　so　unnerved　me　in　the　contemplation　of　the　House　of
Usher　？　　It　was　a　mystery　all　insoluble　；　　nor　could　I　grapple　with
the　shadowy　fancies　that　crowded　upon　me　as　I　pondered。　　I　was　forced
to　fall　back　upon　the　unsatisfactory　conclusion；　that　while；　beyond
doubt；　there　_are_　combinations　of　very　simple　natural　objects　which
have　the　power　of　thus　affecting　us；　still　the　analysis　of　this　power
lies　among　considerations　beyond　our　depth。　It　was　possible；　I
reflected；　that　a　mere　different　arrangement　of　the　particulars　of
the　scene；　of　the　details　of　the　picture；　would　be　sufficient　to
modify；　or　perhaps　to　annihilate　its　capacity　for　sorrowful
impression　；　　and；　acting　upon　this　idea；　I　reined　my　horse　to　the
precipitous　brink　of　a　black　and　lurid　tarn　that　lay　in　unruffled
lustre　by　the　dwelling；　and　gazed　down　…　but　with　a　shudder　even　more
thrilling　than　before　…　upon　the　remodelled　and　inverted　images　of
the　gray　sedge；　and　the　ghastly　tree…stems；　and　the　vacant　and
eye…like　windows。

　　　　Nevertheless；　in　this　mansion　of　gloom　I　now　proposed　to　myself　a
sojourn　of　some　weeks。　　Its　proprietor；　Roderick　Usher；　had　been　one
of　my　boon　companions　in　boyhood　；　　but　many　years　had　elapsed　since
our　last　meeting。　　A　letter；　however；　had　lately　reached　me　in　a
distant　part　of　the　country　…　a　letter　from　him　…　which；　in　its
wildly　importunate　nature；　had　admitted　of　no　other　than　a　personal
reply。　　The　MS。　　gave　evidence　of　nervous　agitation。　　The　writer
spoke　of　acute　bodily　illness　…　of　a　mental　disorder　which　oppressed
him　…　and　of　an　earnest　desire　to　see　me；　as　his　best；　and　indeed　his
only　personal　friend；　with　a　view　of　attempting；　by　the　cheerfulness
of　my　society；　some　alleviation　of　his　malady。　　It　was　the　manner　in
which　all　this；　and　much　more；　was　said　…　it　was　the　apparent　_heart_
that　went　with　his　request　…　which　allowed　me　no　room　for　hesitation；
and　I　accordingly　obeyed　forthwith　what　I　still　considered　a　very
singular　summons。

　　　　Although；　as　boys；　we　had　been　even　intimate　associates；　yet　I
really　knew　little　of　my　friend。　　His　reserve　had　been　always
excessive　and　habitual。　　I　was　aware；　however；　that　his　very　ancient
family　had　been　noted；　time　out　of　mind；　for　a　peculiar　sensibility
of　temperament；　displaying　itself；　through　long　ages；　in　many　works
of　exalted　art；　and　manifested；　of　late；　in　repeated　deeds　of
munificent　yet　unobtrusive　charity；　as　well　as　in　a　passionate
devotion　to　the　intricacies；　perhaps　even　more　than　to　the　orthodox
and　easily　recognisable　beauties；　of　musical　science。　　I　had　learned；
too；　the　very　remarkable　fact；　that　the　stem　of　the　Usher　race；　all
time…honored　as　it　was；　had　put　forth；　at　no　period；　any　enduring
branch　；　　in　other　words；　that　the　entire　family　lay　in　the　direct
line　of　descent；　and　had　always；　with　very　trifling　and　very
temporary　variation；　so　lain。　　It　was　this　deficiency；　I　considered；
while　running　over　in　thought　the　perfect　keeping　of　the　character　of
the　premises　with　the　accredited　character　of　the　people；　and　while
speculating　upon　the　possible　influence　which　the　one；　in　the　long
lapse　of　centuries；　might　have　exercised　upon　the　other　…　it　was　this
deficiency；　perhaps；　of　collateral　issue；　and　the　consequent
undeviating　transmission；　from　sire　to　son；　of　the　patrimony　with　the
name；　which　had；　at　length；　so　identified　the　two　as　to　merge　the
original　title　of　the　estate　in　the　quaint　and　equivocal　appellation
of　the　〃House　of　Usher〃　…　an　appellation　which　seemed　to　include；　in
the　minds　of　the　peasantry　who　used　it；　both　the　family　and　the
family　mansion。

　　　　I　have　said　that　the　sole　effect　of　my　somewhat　childish
experiment　…　that　of　looking　down　within　the　tarn　…　had　been　to
deepen　the　first　singular　impression。　　There　can　be　no　doubt　that　the
consciousness　of　the　rapid　increase　of　my　superstition　…　for　why
should　I　not　so　term　it　？　　…　served　mainly　to　accelerate　the　increase
itself。　　Such；　I　have　long　known；　is　the　paradoxical　law　of　all
sentiments　having　terror　as　a　basis。　　And　it　might　have　been　for　this
reason　only；　that；　when　I　again　uplifted　my　eyes　to　the　house　itself；
from　its　image　in　the　pool；　there　grew　in　my　mind　a　strange　fancy　…　a
fancy　so　ridiculous；　indeed；　that　I　but　mention　it　to　show　the　vivid
force　of　the　sensations　which　oppressed　me。　　I　had　so　worked　upon　my
imagination　as　really　to　believe　that　about　the　whole　mansion　and
domain　there　hung　an　atmosphere　peculiar　to　themselves　and　their
immediate　vicinity　…　an　atmosphere　which　had　no　affinity　with　the　air
of　heaven；　but　which　had　reeked　up　from　the　decayed　trees；　and　the
gray　wall；　and　the　silent　tarn　…　a　pestilent　and　mystic　vapor；　dull；
sluggish；　faintly　discernible；　and　leaden…hued。

　　　　Shaking　off　from　my　spirit　what　_must_　have　been　a　dream；　I
scanned　more　narrowly　the　real　aspect　of　the　building。　Its　principal
feature　seemed　to　be　that　of　an　excessive　antiquity。　　The
discoloration　of　ages　had　been　great。　　Minute　fungi　overspread　the
whole　exterior；　hanging　in　a　fine　tangled　web…work　from　the　eaves。
Yet　all　this　was　apart　from　any　extraordinary　dilapidation。　No
portion　of　the　masonry　had　fallen　；　　and　there　appeared　to　be　a　wild
inconsistency　between　its　still　perfect　adaptation　of　parts；　and　the
crumbling　condition　of　the　individual　stones。　　In　this　there　was　much
that　reminded　me　of　the　specious　totality　of　old　wood…work　which　has
rotted　for　long　years　in　some　neglected　vault；　with　no　disturbance
from　the　breath　of　the　external　air。　　Beyond　this　indication　of
extensive　decay；　however；　the　fabric　gave　little　token　of
instability。　　Perhaps　the　eye　of　a　scrutinizing　observer　might　have
discovered　a　barely　perceptible　fissure；　which；　extending　from　the
roof　of　the　building　in　front；　made　its　way　down　the　wall　in　a　zigzag
direction；　until　it　became　lost　in　the　sullen　waters　of　the　tarn。

　　　　Noticing　these　things；　I　rode　over　a　short　causeway　to　the　house。
　A　servant　in　waiting　took　my　horse；　and　I　entered　the　Gothic　archway
of　the　hall。　　A　valet；　of　stealthy　step；　thence　conducted　me；　in
silence；　through　many　dark　and　intricate　passages　in　my　progress　to
the　_studio_　of　his　master。　　Much　that　I　encountered　on　the　way
contributed；　I　know　not　how；　to　heighten　the　vague　sentiments　of
which　I　have　already　spoken。　　While　the　objects　around　me　…　while　the
carvings　of　the　ceilings；　the　sombre　tapestries　of　the　walls；　the
ebon　blackness　of　the　floors；　and　the　phantasmagoric　armorial
trophies　which　rattled　as　I　strode；　were　but　matters　to　which；　or　to
such　as　which；　I　had　been　accustomed　from　my　infancy　…　while　I
hesitated　not　to　acknowledge　how　familiar　was　all　this　…　I　still
wondered　to　find　how　unfamiliar　w