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Act Four
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Hammill Peter
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1
(The following morning)
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MADELINE That must be Montresor...
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Good morning! Oh, how lovely to see you -
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since Roderick told me you were coming
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I have been so excited.
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Now you are here, all will be well once more.
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I was not here last night to greet you,
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you must think me ill-mannered,
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but sadly I am not enjoying the good health I used to...
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MONTRESOR Yes.
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Madeline, I must confess it's hard finding words
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that say what I feel...
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MADELINE Oh, Montresor, you're being solemn
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and it's all quite uncalled for.
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I feel quite sure I'm growing stronger
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and the doctor agrees with me -
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so you see all will be well once more.
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Five years ago we were a very different family,
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but how things change!
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Roderick and I were both living abroad when father died.
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We both returned from Florence
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to take up Roderick's inheritance.
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The House was dark and so full of sadness.
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But you know my brother and how sensitive he is.
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He lives in the music of his wild melodies.
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Now as time went by so his songs grew sadder,
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now he never smiled as he played.
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Now he sings of death and some things even madder;
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shuts himself away, brooding to himself,
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come to me at night,
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staring at my face 'till I fell afraid.
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MADELINE MONTRESOR
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When I am better we must all
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holiday together
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as in the old days. Yes, you know
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how much I'd love that
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You would be good for us both,
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as good for us both as before
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You look so much the same!
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I must confess that you have changed...
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Do you remember? Everything.
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The fragile hour,
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the silent walk with a friend.
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MONTRESOR As we walk so we tread
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& MADELINE on the words left unsaid
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I can't say them no matter how hard I try
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We chatter on, then the moment's gone,
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the one for which I've hoped
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and I've prayed and I've planned.
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Stop the clock's advance!
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I need a second chance,
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I need that second's glance
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when my hand touched you hand.
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I'd take you in my arms and say 'I love you'
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but it won't come back to me.
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It's over now,
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it's over now,
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it's over now, you see.
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If I hadn't been afraid to touch you
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would you have been afraid to fall in love with me?
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Would it be over?
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Would it be over now?
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Perhaps it wouldn't be.
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And each hour limits choice
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in so gentle a voice
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'till the hour that we realise no choice remains.
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So we await
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just one chance to cheat our fate,
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but then if we hesitate
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we lose the power to act at all.
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For once that moment's past
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we simply stand aghast
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as life rolls to disaster
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and we stand an watch it fall.
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I'd take you in my arms and say 'I love you'
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but I think we both agree.
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It's over now,
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it's over now, you see.
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It's over now,
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it's over now, you see.
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If I hadn't been afraid to touch you
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would you have been afraid to fall in love with me?
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Would it be over?
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Would it be over now?
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Perhaps it wouldn't be.
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If I hadn't been afraid to touch you
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would you have been afraid to fall in love with me?
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Would it be over?
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Would it be over now?
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The way it seems to be.
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(Madeline exits as Usher enters)
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USHER MONTRESOR
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Yes, she does not know it yet;
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Perhaps for the best
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so sure she will recover
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and so full of life full of life
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full of life,
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my brave my brave
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Madeline Madeline
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This House devours her
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so take her from this place
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preparing the final torment
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of its empty space empty space
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a silent, empty space silent empty space
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without
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without
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Madeline Madeline
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Madeline
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This is only a house my friend
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USHER Which, by dint of long and undisturbed endurance.
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by its mere form and substance,
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has obtained an influence, a silent
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yet importunate and terrifying hold
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which, for centuries,
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has moulded the destiny of my family
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and now makes of me whatever it is I am.
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The House is Usher and Usher is the House:
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the two are indivisible.
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It was born with us, prospered with us, suffered too.
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And it will, in some way, die with us, soon.
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I am the last of the Usher,
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mine is the last drop of Usher blood,
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The last of the Usher!
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The House has told me in midnight breathing
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from my chamber walls,
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the House has told me in the secret murmur
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of the stones that none can hear save I.
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I am the last of the Usher,
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my sister's death shall leave me so;
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I am the last of the Usher,
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so in Usher's House I will wait alone.
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MONTRESOR Roderick, this is nightmare talk.
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Come back with me, both of you, while you're yet able
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You can't stay here and rot!
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USHER There will be no rot!
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No rot in Usher!
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We have lived with thunder,
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and with thunder shall we fall!
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MONTRESOR I cannot make you come but hear what I say.
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Send Madeline with me to some healthy place.
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USHER No rot! No rot in Usher!
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We have lived by lightning
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and but lightning shall we fall!
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No slide into slow decay,
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no shrivelling splendour
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no gradual ebbing away,
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no quiet surrender!
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No rot! No rot in Usher!
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We have lived as Titans and as Titans we must fall!
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USHER MONTRESOR
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Don't talk of rot
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Stop!
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No rot in Usher!
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Stop!
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Roderick, try and calm yourself
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Just tell me why I should! this cannot do you good.
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These thoughts...
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No!
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are folly.
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No!
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Everything I've tried to I have tried to help you
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tell you, you've misunderstood I've done everything I could.
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Come, why should we fight
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this way
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we have enough troubles.
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What was it we used to say? What was it we used to say?
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A problem shared is doubled! A problem shared is doubled!
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Ushers do not flee! Ushers to not flee!
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Montresors stand firm! Montresors stand firm!
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So we stand together, So we stand together,
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stand together stand together
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By dint of long
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and undisturbed endurance...
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we could defeat the House,
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my friend.
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VOICES OF We shall not
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THE HOUSE let him go!
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We shall not let him go!
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End of Act Four
PETER HAMMILL - Shingle Song (lyrics inc...
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