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Act Six
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Peter Hammill
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CHORUS Three endless days of bitter grief passed
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and Montresor abandoned any attempt to cheer his friend.
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Then came a sudden change in Usher's
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demeanour, whose significance he was soon to comprehend.
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Now Usher stands for hour on hour
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with head inclined and eyes half-closed,
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as if beneath the deep and sullen silence
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a sound exists for which he listens; a sound without end.
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Now Usher walks for hour on hour.
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With ashen face and trembling step, he climbs each stair,
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He climbs each tower; still hears it there.
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CHORUS AND No. It's only the
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THE VOICES beating of the heart,
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OF THE HOUSE heart of the House of Usher,
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beating of the heart
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heart of the House of Usher.
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USHER MONTRESOR
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Roderick is that you?
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I could not sleep
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Nor I.
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Listen to the storm!
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Did you ever hear
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such a dreadful sound?
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Indeed.
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Indeed I have!
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But this sound you can hear;
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The tempest beats upon the House
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As it would beat upon a drum,
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That is no sound to fear.
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For the sound to fear
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It beats upon the house.
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Walk softly when they come
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The thunder seems so near
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But it's only the But it's only the
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Beating of the heart, beating of the heart,
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Heart of the House of Usher. heart of the House of Usher.
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USHER MONTRESOR VOICES OF THE HOUSE
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Oh the lake is Beating of the heart,
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in frenzy, I heart of the House
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can feel the waves of Usher
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beat on the walls Beating of the heart
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The breaking of the heart! heart of the House
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These giant stones of Usher.
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are trembling Beating of the heart
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the savage lashing heart of the House
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of the storm of Usher.
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The breaking of the heart! Beating of the heart
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heart of the House
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of Usher
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Why is that other sound The House
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Not hidden by of Usher
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Echoes of the storm? shall stand.
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The House
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But understand we only of Usher
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Hear the House shall stand
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Speaking of a storm The House
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This is the storm itself! of Usher
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shall stand.
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The House of Usher
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The House of Usher
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MONTRESOR We've seen enough, I'll close the window.
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The gale is chill and grows yet stronger.
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These walls are shaking!
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You shall play something for me;
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you shall play and I shall listen.
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So we will pass away this dreadful night.
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USHER Yes I shall play,
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yes, I shall play!
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(The Haunted In the greenest of our valleys
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Palace) by good angels tenanted
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once a fair and stately palace -
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radiant palace - reared it's head.
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In the monarch, Thought's dominion
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like a jewel it stood there.
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Never seraph spread a pinion
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over fabric half so fair.
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Wanderers in that happy valley
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through two luminous windows saw
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spirits moving musically
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to a lute's well-tuned law,
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round about a throne where sitting,
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side by side with his fair queen,
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in state his glory well befitting,
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the ruler of the realm was seen.
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USHER MONTRESOR
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Wait!
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Did you hear it?
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What was it?
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It's nothing.
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What was that
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distant sound?
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I say, I heard nothing
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All with pearl and ruby glowing
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was the glorious palace door
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through which came flowing, flowing,
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flowing and sparkling evermore
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a troop of echoes, whose sweet duty
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night and day was but to sing
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in voices of surpassing beauty
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the wit and wisdom of their king.
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USHER MONTRESOR
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No!
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There's something,
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I heard it
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quite clear,
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a voice crying.
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It's nothing
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I say
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But the wind!
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You heard the wind,
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Just heard Within the House!
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The wild wind crying.
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But evil things, in robes of sorrow
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assailed the monarch's high estate;
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let us mourn for never morrow
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dawn upon him, desolate;
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round about his home the glory
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that had always blushed and bloomed
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is but a dim-remembered story
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of the olden time entombed.
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USHER MONTRESOR
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There!
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Yes, you heard it!
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There is someone else -
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There's nothing something else
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I say, down there!
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You hear nothing!
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There's no-one there.
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It is the storm Are we
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That you hear. alone here?
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Travellers now within that valley
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through red-litten windows see
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vast forms that move fantastically
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to a discordant melody
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while like a rapid, ghastly river
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through the ever open door
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a hideous throng rush out forever
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and laugh - but smile no more!
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And laugh - but smile no more!
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And laugh - but smile no more!
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USHER No! No! No!
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Yes, I hear it! Yes, I have heard it
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long, long - many minutes, many hours,
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but I dared not speak:
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I tell you I dared not speak.
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No more can't from you,
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you thick-skinned obtuse fool, damn your compassion!
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For now I say you will hear the wicked truth
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We put her living in the tomb!
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But I dared not, I dared not speak!
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Yes, have I not heard her footsteps on the stair?
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Yes, do I not distinguish
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the heavy and horrible beating of her heart?
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Yes, she is coming.
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She has woken in the darkness,
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in her mindless, relentless strength.
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Now she has broken from the tomb.
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Now she has burst from the tomb.
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Days ago I heard her first feeble movements
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in the hollow coffin -
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said I not that my senses were acute?
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I heard the scraping, the scraping of her nails -
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but I dared not, I dared not speak!
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Madman! Madman!
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I tell you that she now comes towards the door!
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USHER MONTRESOR CHORUS VOICES OF THE HOUSE
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No, what a House
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Monstrous thought! We
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Now the punishment breath!
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is finished. The evil that House
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You said is done we are!
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she was dead... cannot be We
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You watched undone. could not
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her dying!
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It's over now It's over now
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What evil have let
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you done? It could not
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be prevented them go!
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God, what a
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monstrous thought!
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It's over now It's over now. We
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The evil that
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Why must innocence is done could
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be punished?
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Could this have not
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been prevented?
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It's over now It's over now
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The evil that The evil that We
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is done... is done could not
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could not
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be prevented let
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could this have could never
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been prevented? be prevented
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them go!
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I dare not could this have it could not
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I dared not speak! been prevented? be prevented!
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Madman!
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Madman!
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I tell you
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That she now stands
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Outside the door!
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USHER MADELINE MONTRESOR CHORUS
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I'm looking
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Now, No,
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Madeline! Madeline!
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I have counted
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to a hundred
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with my eyes closed
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and I'm coming
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I am the last now to find you... Leave!
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Of the Usher! Depart!
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My sister's death Go!
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Shall leave me so.
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Where are you It's over now
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hiding?
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I am If I wasn't so
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The last afraid I'd
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Usher Roderick touch her Leave!
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I feel where are you? It's over now Depart!
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The sky I see. Go!
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Now he sings
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of death, the evil the evil
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some things even that is done that is one
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I feel madder cannot be cannot be
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The sky undone undone
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Moan shuts himself away the evil the evil
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To join shuts himself away that is come that is come
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With the slime!
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He shut could not could not
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himself away! be prevented. be prevented.
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AS THE HOUSE FALLS
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THE VOICES beams buttresses plaster copings We We
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OF THE corbels bressumers quoins chimney- breath are
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HOUSE joists arches wainscot shafts We rise Usher
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kin-posts piers stairs parapets
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ridge-ribs spandrels banister pediments
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struts columns cusps mansard
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stanchions cornices gargoyle
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king-posts eaves
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End of Act Six
Tintagel By The Sea - Peter Hammill
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