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shall I fly？ Will she not be here anon？ Is she not hurrying to upbraid me
for my haste？ Have I not heard her footsteps on the stair？ Do I not
distinguish that heavy and horrible beating of her heart？ Madman！〃 here
he sprang furiously to his feet； and shrieked out his syllables； as if in the
effort he were giving up his soul〃Madman！ I tell you that she now stands
without the door！〃
As if in the superhuman energy of his utterance there had been found
the potency of a spellthe huge antique panels to which the speaker
pointed； threw slowly back； upon the instant； their ponderous and ebony
jaws。 It was the work of the rushing gustbut then without those doors
there DID stand the lofty and enshrouded figure of the lady Madeline of
Usher。 There was blood upon her white robes； and the evidence of some
bitter struggle upon every portion of her emaciated frame。 For a moment
she remained trembling and reeling to and fro upon the threshold； then；
with a low moaning cry； fell heavily inward upon the person of her brother；
and in her violent and now final death…agonies； bore him to the floor a
corpse； and a victim to the terrors he had anticipated。
From that chamber； and from that mansion； I fled aghast。 The storm
was still abroad in all its wrath as I found myself crossing the old
causeway。 Suddenly there shot along the path a wild light； and I turned to
see whence a gleam so unusual could have issued； for the vast house and
its shadows were alone behind me。 The radiance was that of the full；
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The Fall of the House of Usher
setting； and blood…red moon which now shone vividly through that once
barely…discernible fissure of which I have before spoken as extending from
the roof of the building； in a zigzag direction； to the base。 While I gazed；
this fissure rapidly widenedthere came a fierce breath of the whirlwind
the entire orb of the satellite burst at once upon my sightmy brain reeled
as I saw the mighty walls rushing asunderthere was a long tumultuous
shouting sound like the voice of a thousand watersand the deep and dank
tarn at my feet closed sullenly and silently over the fragments of the
〃House of Usher〃。
* Watson； Dr Percival； Spallanzani； and especially the Bishop of
Landaff。
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