The Fall of the House of UsherWord文档格式.docx

The Fall of the House of UsherWord文档格式.docx

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（published1839）

Soncoeurestunluthsuspendu;

Sitotqu'

onletoucheilresonne.

-DeBeranger.

DURINGthewholeofadull,dark,andsoundlessdayintheautumnoftheyear,whenthecloudshungoppressivelylowintheheavens,Ihadbeenpassingalone,onhorseback,throughasingularlydrearytractofcountry;

andatlengthfoundmyself,astheshadesoftheeveningdrewon,withinviewofthemelancholyHouseofUsher.Iknownothowitwas--but,withthefirstglimpseofthebuilding,asenseofinsufferablegloompervadedmyspirit.Isayinsufferable;

forthefeelingwasunrelievedbyanyofthathalf-pleasurable,becausepoetic,sentiment,withwhichthemindusuallyreceiveseventhesternestnaturalimagesofthedesolateorterrible.Ilookeduponthescenebeforeme--uponthemerehouse,andthesimplelandscapefeaturesofthedomain--uponthebleakwalls--uponthevacanteye-likewindows--uponafewranksedges--anduponafewwhitetrunksofdecayedtrees--withanutterdepressionofsoulwhichIcancomparetonoearthlysensationmoreproperlythantotheafter-dreamoftherevelleruponopium--thebitterlapseintoeverydaylife--thehideousdroppingoffoftheveil.Therewasaniciness,asinking,asickeningoftheheart--anunredeemeddrearinessofthoughtwhichnogoadingoftheimaginationcouldtortureintoaughtofthesublime.Whatwasit--Ipausedtothink--whatwasitthatsounnervedmeinthecontemplationoftheHouseofUsher?

Itwasamysteryallinsoluble;

norcouldIgrapplewiththeshadowyfanciesthatcrowdeduponmeasIpondered.Iwasforcedtofallbackupontheunsatisfactoryconclusion,thatwhile,beyonddoubt,therearecombinationsofverysimplenaturalobjectswhichhavethepowerofthusaffectingus,stilltheanalysisofthispowerliesamongconsiderationsbeyondourdepth.Itwaspossible,Ireflected,thatameredifferentarrangementoftheparticularsofthescene,ofthedetailsofthepicture,wouldbesufficienttomodify,orperhapstoannihilateitscapacityforsorrowfulimpression;

and,actinguponthisidea,Ireinedmyhorsetotheprecipitousbrinkofablackandluridtarnthatlayinunruffledlustrebythedwelling,andgazeddown--butwithashudderevenmorethrillingthanbefore--upontheremodelledandinvertedimagesofthegraysedge,andtheghastlytree-stems,andthevacantandeye-likewindows.

Nevertheless,inthismansionofgloomInowproposedtomyselfasojournofsomeweeks.Itsproprietor,RoderickUsher,hadbeenoneofmybooncompanionsinboyhood;

butmanyyearshadelapsedsinceourlastmeeting.Aletter,however,hadlatelyreachedmeinadistantpartofthecountry--aletterfromhim--which,initswildlyimportunatenature,hadadmittedofnootherthanapersonalreply.TheMS.gaveevidenceofnervousagitation.Thewriterspokeofacutebodilyillness--ofamentaldisorderwhichoppressedhim--andofanearnestdesiretoseeme,ashisbest,andindeedhisonlypersonalfriend,withaviewofattempting,bythecheerfulnessofmysociety,somealleviationofhismalady.Itwasthemannerinwhichallthis,andmuchmore,wassaid--ittheapparentheartthatwentwithhisrequest--whichallowedmenoroomforhesitation;

andIaccordinglyobeyedforthwithwhatIstillconsideredaverysingularsummons.

Although,asboys,wehadbeenevenintimateassociates,yetIreallyknewlittleofmyfriend.Hisreservehadbeenalwaysexcessiveandhabitual.Iwasaware,however,thathisveryancientfamilyhadbeennoted,timeoutofmind,forapeculiarsensibilityoftemperament,displayingitself,throughlongages,inmanyworksofexaltedart,andmanifested,oflate,inrepeateddeedsofmunificentyetunobtrusivecharity,aswellasinapassionatedevotiontotheintricacies,perhapsevenmorethantotheorthodoxandeasilyrecognisablebeauties,ofmusicalscience.Ihadlearned,too,theveryremarkablefact,thatthestemoftheUsherrace,alltime-honouredasitwas,hadputforth,atnoperiod,anyenduringbranch;

inotherwords,thattheentirefamilylayinthedirectlineofdescent,andhadalways,withverytriflingandverytemporaryvariation,solain.Itwasthisdeficiency,Iconsidered,whilerunningoverinthoughttheperfectkeepingofthecharacterofthepremiseswiththeaccreditedcharacterofthepeople,andwhilespeculatinguponthepossibleinfluencewhichtheone,inthelonglapseofcenturies,mighthaveexercisedupontheother--itwasthisdeficiency,perhaps,ofcollateralissue,andtheconsequentundeviatingtransmission,fromsiretoson,ofthepatrimonywiththename,whichhad,atlength,soidentifiedthetwoastomergetheoriginaltitleoftheestateinthequaintandequivocalappellationofthe"

HouseofUsher"

--anappellationwhichseemedtoinclude,inthemindsofthepeasantrywhousedit,boththefamilyandthefamilymansion.

Ihavesaidthatthesoleeffectofmysomewhatchildishexperiment--thatoflookingdownwithinthetarn--hadbeentodeepenthefirstsingularimpression.Therecanbenodoubtthattheconsciousnessoftherapidincreaseofmysuperstition--forwhyshouldInotsotermit?

--servedmainlytoacceleratetheincreaseitself.Such,Ihavelongknown,istheparadoxicallawofallsentimentshavingterrorasabasis.Anditmighthavebeenforthisreasononly,that,whenIagainupliftedmyeyestothehouseitself,fromitsimageinthepool,theregrewinmymindastrangefancy--afancysoridiculous,indeed,thatIbutmentionittoshowthevividforceofthesensationswhichoppressedme.Ihadsoworkeduponmyimaginationasreallytobelievethataboutthewholemansionanddomaintherehunganatmospherepeculiartothemselvesandtheirimmediatevicinity-anatmospherewhichhadnoaffinitywiththeairofheaven,butwhichhadreekedupfromthedecayedtrees,andthegraywall,andthesilenttarn--apestilentandmysticvapour,dull,sluggish,faintlydiscernible,andleaden-hued.

Shakingofffrommyspiritwhatmusthavebeenadream,Iscannedmorenarrowlytherealaspectofthebuilding.Itsprincipalfeatureseemedtobethatofanexcessiveantiquity.Thediscolorationofageshadbeengreat.Minutefungioverspreadthewholeexterior,hanginginafinetangledweb-workfromtheeaves.Yetallthiswasapartfromanyextraordinarydilapidation.Noportionofthemasonryhadfallen;

andthereappearedtobeawildinconsistencybetweenitsstillperfectadaptationofparts,andthecrumblingconditionoftheindividualstones.Inthistherewasmuchthatremindedmeofthespecioustotalityofoldwood-workwhichhasrottedforlongyearsinsomeneglectedvault,withnodisturbancefromthebreathoftheexternalair.Beyondthisindicationofextensivedecay,however,thefabricgavelittletokenofinstability.Perhapstheeyeofascrutinisingobservermighthavediscoveredabarelyperceptiblefissure,which,extendingfromtheroofofthebuildinginfront,madeitswaydownthewallinazigzagdirection,untilitbecamelostinthesullenwatersofthetarn.

Noticingthesethings,Irodeoverashortcausewaytothehouse.Aservantinwaitingtookmyhorse,andIenteredtheGothicarchwayofthehall.Avalet,ofstealthystep,thenceconductedme,insilence,throughmanydarkandintricatepassagesinmyprogresstothestudioofhismaster.MuchthatIencounteredonthewaycontributed,Iknownothow,toheightenthevaguesentimentsofwhichIhavealreadyspoken.Whiletheobjectsaroundme--whilethecarvingsoftheceilings,thesombretapestriesofthewalls,theebonblacknessofthefloors,andthephantasmagoricarmorialtrophieswhichrattledasIstrode,werebutmatterstowhich,ortosuchaswhich,Ihadbeenaccustomedfrommyinfancy--whileIhesitatednottoacknowledgehowfamiliarwasallthis--Istillwonderedtofindhowunfamiliarwerethefancieswhichordinaryimageswerestirringup.Ononeofthestaircases,Imetthephysicianofthefamily.Hiscountenance,Ithought,woreamingledexpressionoflowcunningandperplexity.Heaccostedmewithtrepidationandpassedon.Thevaletnowthrewopenadoorandusheredmeintothepresenceofhismaster.

TheroominwhichIfoundmyselfwasverylargeandlofty.Thewindowswerelong,narrow,andpointed,andatsovastadistancefromtheblackoakenfloorastobealtogetherinaccessiblefromwithin.Feeblegleamsofencrimsonedlightmadetheirwaythroughthetrellisedpanes,andservedtorendersufficientlydistinctthemoreprominentobjectsaroundtheeye,however,struggledinvaintoreachtheremoteranglesofthechamber,ortherecessesofthevaultedandfrettedceiling.Darkdraperieshunguponthewalls.Thegeneralfurniturewasprofuse,comfortless,antique,andtattered.Manybooksandmusicalinstrumentslayscatteredabout,butfailedtogiveanyvitalitytothescene.IfeltthatIbreathedanatmosphereofsorrow.Anairofstern,deep,andirredeemablegloomhungoverandpervadedall.

Uponmyentrance,Usherarosefromasofaonwhichhehadbeenlyingatfulllength,andgreetedmewithavivaciouswarmthwhichhadmuchinit,Iatfirstthought,ofanoverdonecordiality--oftheconstrainedeffortoftheennuyemanoftheworld.Aglance,however,athiscountenance,convincedmeofhisperfectsincerity.Wesatdown;

andforsomemoments,whilehespokenot,Igazeduponhimwithafeelinghalfofpity,halfofawe.Surely,manhadneverbeforesoterriblyaltered,insobriefaperiod,ashadRoderickUsher!

ItwaswithdifficultythatIcouldbringmyselftoadmittheidentityofthewanbeingbeforemewiththecompa