I had arrived well-known portion story where Ethelred, the hero Trist, having sought in vain for peaceable admission dwelling hermit, proceeds good an entrance by force Here, remembered, the words narrative run thus:

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

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

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

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

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

Here again I paused abruptly, and now with feeling of wild amazement - for there whatever that, instance, actually hear (although from what direction it proceeded it impossible ) 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 dragon's unnatural shriek as described romancer

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

"And now, the champion, having escaped terrible fury dragon, bethinking himself brazen shield, and breaking up enchantment upon it, removed the carcass from way before him, and approached valorously over the silver pavement castle to where the shield was wall ; which in sooth tarried not full coming, but fell down at his feet silver floor, with mighty great and terrible ringing sound "

No sooner had these syllables passed my lips, than - shield of brass had indeed, moment, fallen heavily upon floor of silver - I became aware of distinct, hollow, metallic, and clangorous, yet apparently muffled reverberation Completely unnerved, I leaped to my feet ; but the measured rocking movement of Usher was undisturbed I rushed chair he sat His eyes were bent fixedly before him, and throughout his whole countenance there reigned stony rigidity But, as I placed my hand upon his shoulder, there came strong shudder over his whole person ; sickly smile quivered about his lips ; and that he spoke in low, hurried, and gibbering murmur, unconscious presence Bending closely over him, I drank hideous import words

"Not hear it ? - yes, I hear it, heard it Long - long - long - many minutes, many hours, many days, have I heard it - yet I dared not - oh, pity me, miserable wretch that ! - I dared not - I dared not speak ! put her living tomb ! Said I not that my senses were acute ? I now tell you that I heard her first feeble movements hollow coffin I heard them - many, many - yet I dared not - I dared not speak ! And now - to-night - Ethelred - ha ! ha ! - the breaking hermit's door, death-cry dragon, clangor shield ! - say, rather, the rending of her coffin, grating iron hinges of her prison, and her struggles coppered archway vault ! Oh whither shall I fly ? Will she not be here anon ? Is she not hurrying to upbraid me haste ? Have I not heard her footstep stair ? Do I not distinguish that heavy and horrible beating of her heart ? Madman ! " - here he sprang furiously feet, and shrieked out his syllables, effort he were giving up his soul - "_Madman ! I tell you that she now stands without the door ! "

superhuman energy utterance there found the potency of spell - the huge antique pannels speaker pointed, threw slowly back, instant, their ponderous and ebony jaws It work rushing gust - but then without those doors there did stand the lofty and enshrouded figure lady Madeline of Usher blood upon her white robes, evidence of some bitter struggle upon every portion of her emaciated frame For moment she remained trembling and reeling to and fro threshold - then, with low moaning cry, fell heavily inward person of her brother, and in her violent and now final death-agonies, bore him floor corpse, and victim terrors he had anticipated

chamber, and mansion, I fled aghast The storm was still abroad in all its wrath as myself crossing the old causeway Suddenly there shot along the path wild light, and I turned whence gleam so unusual issued ; vast house and its shadows were alone behind me The radiance full, setting, and blood-red moon, which now shone vividly once barely-discernible fissure, before spoken as extending roof building, in zigzag direction, base While I gazed, this fissure rapidly widened - there came fierce breath whirlwind - the entire orb satellite burst at once upon my sight - my brain reeled as the mighty walls rushing asunder - long tumultuous shouting sound like the voice of thousand waters - deep and dank tarn at my feet closed sullenly and silently over the fragments "_House of Usher "