the works of edgar allan poe-2-第23部分

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apartments　of　the　upper　portion　of　the　house。

　　　　And　now；　some　days　of　bitter　grief　having　elapsed；　an　observable
change　came　over　the　features　of　the　mental　disorder　of　my　friend。
His　ordinary　manner　had　vanished。　　His　ordinary　occupations　were
neglected　or　forgotten。　　He　roamed　from　chamber　to　chamber　with
hurried；　unequal；　and　objectless　step。　　The　pallor　of　his　countenance
had　assumed；　if　possible；　a　more　ghastly　hue　…　but　the　luminousness
of　his　eye　had　utterly　gone　out。　　The　once　occasional　huskiness　of
his　tone　was　heard　no　more；　and　a　tremulous　quaver；　as　if　of　extreme
terror；　habitually　characterized　his　utterance。　　There　were　times；
indeed；　when　I　thought　his　unceasingly　agitated　mind　was　laboring
with　some　oppressive　secret；　to　divulge　which　he　struggled　for　the
necessary　courage。　　At　times；　again；　I　was　obliged　to　resolve　all
into　the　mere　inexplicable　vagaries　of　madness；　for　I　beheld　him
gazing　upon　vacancy　for　long　hours；　in　an　attitude　of　the　profoundest
attention；　as　if　listening　to　some　imaginary　sound。　　It　was　no　wonder
that　his　condition　terrified　…　that　it　infected　me。　　I　felt　creeping
upon　me；　by　slow　yet　certain　degrees；　the　wild　influences　of　his　own
fantastic　yet　impressive　superstitions。

　　　　It　was；　especially；　upon　retiring　to　bed　late　in　the　night　of　the
seventh　or　eighth　day　after　the　placing　of　the　lady　Madeline　within
the　donjon；　that　I　experienced　the　full　power　of　such　feelings。　Sleep
came　not　near　my　couch　…　while　the　hours　waned　and　waned　away。　　I
struggled　to　reason　off　the　nervousness　which　had　dominion　over　me。
I　endeavored　to　believe　that　much；　if　not　all　of　what　I　felt；　was　due
to　the　bewildering　influence　of　the　gloomy　furniture　of　the　room　…　of
the　dark　and　tattered　draperies；　which；　tortured　into　motion　by　the
breath　of　a　rising　tempest；　swayed　fitfully　to　and　fro　upon　the
walls；　and　rustled　uneasily　about　the　decorations　of　the　bed。　　But　my
efforts　were　fruitless。　　An　irrepressible　tremor　gradually　pervaded
my　frame　；　　and；　at　length；　there　sat　upon　my　very　heart　an　incubus
of　utterly　causeless　alarm。　　Shaking　this　off　with　a　gasp　and　a
struggle；　I　uplifted　myself　upon　the　pillows；　and；　peering　earnestly
within　the　intense　darkness　of　the　chamber；　harkened　…　I　know　not
why；　except　that　an　instinctive　spirit　prompted　me　…　to　certain　low
and　indefinite　sounds　which　came；　through　the　pauses　of　the　storm；　at
long　intervals；　I　knew　not　whence。　　Overpowered　by　an　intense
sentiment　of　horror；　unaccountable　yet　unendurable；　I　threw　on　my
clothes　with　haste　（for　I　felt　that　I　should　sleep　no　more　during　the
night）；　and　endeavored　to　arouse　myself　from　the　pitiable　condition
into　which　I　had　fallen；　by　pacing　rapidly　to　and　fro　through　the
apartment。

　　　　I　had　taken　but　few　turns　in　this　manner；　when　a　light　step　on　an
adjoining　staircase　arrested　my　attention。　　I　presently　recognised　it
as　that　of　Usher。　　In　an　instant　afterward　he　rapped；　with　a　gentle
touch；　at　my　door；　and　entered；　bearing　a　lamp。　　His　countenance　was；
as　usual；　cadaverously　wan　…　but；　moreover；　there　was　a　species　of
mad　hilarity　in　his　eyes　…　an　evidently　restrained　_hysteria_　in　his
whole　demeanor。　　His　air　appalled　me　…　but　anything　was　preferable　to
the　solitude　which　I　had　so　long　endured；　and　I　even　welcomed　his
presence　as　a　relief。

　　　　〃And　you　have　not　seen　it　？〃　he　said　abruptly；　after　having
stared　about　him　for　some　moments　in　silence　…　〃you　have　not　then
seen　it　？　　…　but；　stay　！　　you　shall。〃　Thus　speaking；　and　having
carefully　shaded　his　lamp；　he　hurried　to　one　of　the　casements；　and
threw　it　freely　open　to　the　storm。

　　　　The　impetuous　fury　of　the　entering　gust　nearly　lifted　us　from　our
feet。　　It　was；　indeed；　a　tempestuous　yet　sternly　beautiful　night；　and
one　wildly　singular　in　its　terror　and　its　beauty。　　A　whirlwind　had
apparently　collected　its　force　in　our　vicinity　；　　for　there　were
frequent　and　violent　alterations　in　the　direction　of　the　wind　；　　and
the　exceeding　density　of　the　clouds　（which　hung　so　low　as　to　press
upon　the　turrets　of　the　house）　did　not　prevent　our　perceiving　the
life…like　velocity　with　which　they　flew　careering　from　all　points
against　each　other；　without　passing　away　into　the　distance。　　I　say
that　even　their　exceeding　density　did　not　prevent　our　perceiving　this
…　yet　we　had　no　glimpse　of　the　moon　or　stars　…　nor　was　there　any
flashing　forth　of　the　lightning。　　But　the　under　surfaces　of　the　huge
masses　of　agitated　vapor；　as　well　as　all　terrestrial　objects
immediately　around　us；　were　glowing　in　the　unnatural　light　of　a
faintly　luminous　and　distinctly　visible　gaseous　exhalation　which　hung
about　and　enshrouded　the　mansion。

　　　　〃You　must　not　…　you　shall　not　behold　this　！〃　said　I；
shudderingly；　to　Usher；　as　I　led　him；　with　a　gentle　violence；　from
the　window　to　a　seat。　　〃These　appearances；　which　bewilder　you；　are
merely　electrical　phenomena　not　uncommon　…　or　it　may　be　that　they
have　their　ghastly　origin　in　the　rank　miasma　of　the　tarn。　　Let　us
close　this　casement　；　　…　the　air　is　chilling　and　dangerous　to　your
frame。　　Here　is　one　of　your　favorite　romances。　　I　will　read；　and　you
shall　listen　；　　…　and　so　we　will　pass　away　this　terrible　night
together。〃

　　　　The　antique　volume　which　I　had　taken　up　was　the　〃Mad　Trist〃　of
Sir　Launcelot　Canning　；　　but　I　had　called　it　a　favorite　of　Usher's
more　in　sad　jest　than　in　earnest　；　　for；　in　truth；　there　is　little　in
its　uncouth　and　unimaginative　prolixity　which　could　have　had　interest
for　the　lofty　and　spiritual　ideality　of　my　friend。　　It　was；　however；
the　only　book　immediately　at　hand　；　　and　I　indulged　a　vague　hope　that
the　excitement　which　now　agitated　the　hypochondriac；　might　find
relief　（for　the　history　of　mental　disorder　is　full　of　similar
anomalies）　even　in　the　extremeness　of　the　folly　which　I　should　read。
Could　I　have　judged；　indeed；　by　the　wild　overstrained　air　of　vivacity
with　which　he　harkened；　or　apparently　harkened；　to　the　words　of　the
tale；　I　might　well　have　congratulated　myself　upon　the　success　of　my
design。

　　　　I　had　arrived　at　that　well…known　portion　of　the　story　where
Ethelred；　the　hero　of　the　Trist；　having　sought　in　vain　for　peaceable
admission　into　the　dwelling　of　the　hermit；　proceeds　to　make　good　an
entrance　by　force。　　Here；　it　will　be　remembered；　the　words　of　the
narrative　run　thus：

　　　　〃And　Ethelred；　who　was　by　nature　of　a　doughty　heart；　and　who　was
now　mighty　withal；　on　account　of　the　powerfulness　of　the　wine　which
he　had　drunken；　waited　no　longer　to　hold　parley　with　the　hermit；　who；
in　sooth；　was　of　an　obstinate　and　maliceful　turn；　but；　feeling　the
rain　upon　his　shoulders；　and　fearing　the　rising　of　the　tempest；
uplifted　his　mace　outright；　and；　with　blows；　made　quickly　room　in　the
plankings　of　the　door　for　his　gauntleted　hand　；　　and　now　pulling
therewith　sturdily；　he　so　cracked；　and　ripped；　and　tore　all　asunder；
that　the　noise　of　the　dry　and　hollow…sounding　wood　alarummed　and
reverberated　throughout　the　forest。〃

　　　　At　the　termination　of　this　sentence　I　started；　and　for　a　moment；
paused　；　　for　it　appeared　to　me　（although　I　at　once　concluded　that　my
excited　fancy　had　deceived　me）　…　it　appeared　to　me　that；　from　some
very　remote　portion　of　the　mansion；　there　came；　indistinctly；　to　my
ears；　what　might　have　been；　in　its　exact　similarity　of　character；　the
echo　（but　a　stifled　and　dull　one　certainly）　of　the　very　cracking　and
ripping　sound　which　Sir　Launcelot　had　so　particularly　described。　　It
was；　beyond　doubt；　the　coincidence　alone　which　had　arrested　my
attention　；　　for；　amid　the　rattling　of　the　sashes　of　the　casements；
and　the　ordinary　commingled　noises　of　the　still　increasing　storm；　the
sound；　in　itself；　had　nothing；　surely；　which　should　have　interested
or　disturbed　me。　　I　continued　the　story：

　　　　〃But　the　good　champion　Ethelred；　now　entering　within　the　door；
was　sore　enraged　and　amazed　to　perceive　no　signal　of　the　maliceful
hermit　；　　but；　in　the　stead　thereof；　a　dragon　of　a　scaly　and
prodigious　demeanor；　and　of　a　fiery　tongue；　which　sate　in　guard
before　a　palace　of　gold；　with　a　floor　of　silver　；　　and　upon　the　wall
there　hung　a　shield　of　shining　brass　with　this　legend　enwritten　…

　　　　　Who　entereth　herein；　a　conqueror　hath　bin　；
　　　　　Who　slayeth　the　dragon；　the　shield　he　shall　win；

　　　　And　Ethelred　uplifted　his　mace；　and　struck　upon　the　head　of　the
dragon；　which　fell　before　him；　and　gave　up　his　pesty　breath；　with　a
shriek　so　horrid　and　harsh；　and　withal　so　piercing；　that　Ethelred　had
fain　to　close　his　ears　with　his　hands　against　the　dreadful　noise　of
it；　the　like　whereof　was　never　before　heard。〃

　　　　Here　again　I　paused　abruptly；　and　now　with　a　feeling　of　wild
amazement　…　for　there　could　be　no　doubt　whatever　that；　in　this
instance；　I　did　actually　hear　（although　from　what　direction　it
proceeded　I　found　it　impossible　to　say）　a　low　and　apparently　distant；
but　harsh；　protracted；　and　most　unusual　screaming　or　grating　sound　…
the　exact　counterpart　of　what　my　fancy　had　already　conjured　up　for
the　dragon's　unnatural　shriek　as　described　by　the　romancer。

　　　　Oppressed；　as　I　certainly　was；　upon　the　occurrence　of　this　second
and　most　extraordinary　coincidence；　by　a　thousand　conflicting
sensations；　in　which　wonder　and　extreme　terror　were　predominant；　I
still　retained　sufficient　presence　of　mind　to　avoid　exciting；　by　any
observation；　the　sensitive　nervousness　of　my　companion。　　I　was　by　no
means　certain　that　he　had　noticed　the　sounds　in　question　；　　although；
assuredly；　a　strange　alteration　had；　during　the　last　few　minutes；
taken　place　in　his　demeanor。　From　a　position　fronting　my　own；　he　had
gradually　brought　round　his　chair；　so　as　to　sit　with　his　face　to　the
door　of　the　chamber　；　　and　thus　I　could　but　partially　perceive　his
features；　although　I　saw　that　his　lips　trembled　as　if　he　were
murmuring　inaudibly。　　His　head　had　dropped　upon　his　breast　…　yet　I
knew　that　he　was　not　asleep；　from　the　wide　and　rigid　opening　of　the
eye　as　I　caught　a　glance　of　it　in　profile。　　The　motion　of　his　body；
too；　was　at　variance　with　this　idea　…　for　he　rocked　from　side　to　side
with　a　gentle　yet　constant　and　uniform　sway。　　Having　rapidly　taken
notice　of　all　this；　I　resumed　the　narrative　of　Sir　Launcelot；　which
thus　proce