03-01-07-神秘及幻想故事集 [3]
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I read for a while and reached the place in the book where Ethelred broke down the door of the old man's house．
Now Ethelred decided he could wait outside in the storm no longer．He lifted his heavy stick and beat against the wood-en door until he had made a hole．Then with his hands he pulled the door to pieces．The noise of the dry wood cracking and breaking could be heard all through the forest．
As I finished reading this sentence，I jumped in my seat and then sat very still．I thought that I had heard，from somewhere far away in the house，the same noise of cracking and breaking wood．But I could not hear it clearly，and the noise of the storm was much louder．I continued reading：
Ethelred entered the house but could not see the old man．Then the house disappeared and he saw a dragon，with fire coming out of its mouth．Ethelred lifted his heavy stick and brought it crashing down on the dragon's head．As the dragon fell dying to the ground，it gave a terrible cry-a long，hard，unnatural scream．
Here again I stopped suddenly．I was sure that I could hear a cry．It was low and far away，but it was a long screaming sound-just like the one described in the book．
Although I was feeling so nervous，I tried hard to hide my terror．I was not sure if Usher had heard the sounds that I had heard．In the last few minutes he had moved and was now sitting with his face towards the door．But I could see that his lips were shaking and his body was moving gently from side to side．I continued reading the story：
And now Ethelred，after he had killed the dragon，turned and saw in front of him a palace of gold with tall gates of shining silver in the walls．Bravely，Ethelred ran towards the palace，but the shining silver gates did not wait for his coming and fell to the ground at his feet with a great and terrible ringing sound．
As I read these words，I heard clearly the loud，heavy sound of metal falling．I jumped to my feet，but Usher sat in his seat and did not move．I ran towards him．He was looking straight in front of him and his face was like stone．As I placed my hand on his arm，his body began to shake．A sickly smile came over his lips，and he spoke in a low hurried voice．He did not seem to realize that I was there．I put my head close to his to catch his words．
‘Don't I hear it？-yes，I hear it，and I have heard it．For many minutes，many hours，many days I have heard it-but I was too frightened，too frightened to speak．We have put her alive into her coffin！Did I not tell you that I could hear even the softest sound？I tell you now that I heard her move in the coffin．I heard the sounds many days ago，but my terror was too great-I could not speak！And now tonight-when you read about Ethelred breaking the old man's door，about the cry of the dragon，and the falling of the gates-it was，in fact，the breaking of her coffin，the scream of metal as she broke open the vault，and the ringing crash as the metal door fell to the floor！Oh，where can I escape to？Is she hurrying towards me at this very minute？Is that her angry footstep that I can hear on the stairs？Can I hear the heavy and terrible beating of her heart？MADMAN！’
He jumped up and shouted，screaming out his words like a man dying in terror．‘MADMAN！I TELL YOU THAT AT THIS MINUTE SHE Is STANDING OUTSIDE THIS DOOR！’
AS he screamed these words，the heavy door was thrown open by the strong wind．There，outside the door，dressed in the white clothes of the dead，stood the tall figure of the Lady Madeleine of Usher．There was blood on her hands，her arms，her torn white clothes．Every part of her body showed the marks of her long fight to escape from the coffin．For a moment she stood there shaking，moving slowly from side to side．Then with a low cry she fell heavily onto her brother．And in the moment of her now final death，he fell with her to the floor-a dead man，killed by his own terror．
From that room，and from that house，I ran in horror．Out－side，the storm was still violent and as I ran past the lake，a sudden wild light shone around me．I turned to see where this strange light was coming from．It was the moon，a full
I read for a while and reached the place in the book where Ethelred broke down the door of the old man's house．
Now Ethelred decided he could wait outside in the storm no longer．He lifted his heavy stick and beat against the wood-en door until he had made a hole．Then with his hands he pulled the door to pieces．The noise of the dry wood cracking and breaking could be heard all through the forest．
As I finished reading this sentence，I jumped in my seat and then sat very still．I thought that I had heard，from somewhere far away in the house，the same noise of cracking and breaking wood．But I could not hear it clearly，and the noise of the storm was much louder．I continued reading：
Ethelred entered the house but could not see the old man．Then the house disappeared and he saw a dragon，with fire coming out of its mouth．Ethelred lifted his heavy stick and brought it crashing down on the dragon's head．As the dragon fell dying to the ground，it gave a terrible cry-a long，hard，unnatural scream．
Here again I stopped suddenly．I was sure that I could hear a cry．It was low and far away，but it was a long screaming sound-just like the one described in the book．
Although I was feeling so nervous，I tried hard to hide my terror．I was not sure if Usher had heard the sounds that I had heard．In the last few minutes he had moved and was now sitting with his face towards the door．But I could see that his lips were shaking and his body was moving gently from side to side．I continued reading the story：
And now Ethelred，after he had killed the dragon，turned and saw in front of him a palace of gold with tall gates of shining silver in the walls．Bravely，Ethelred ran towards the palace，but the shining silver gates did not wait for his coming and fell to the ground at his feet with a great and terrible ringing sound．
As I read these words，I heard clearly the loud，heavy sound of metal falling．I jumped to my feet，but Usher sat in his seat and did not move．I ran towards him．He was looking straight in front of him and his face was like stone．As I placed my hand on his arm，his body began to shake．A sickly smile came over his lips，and he spoke in a low hurried voice．He did not seem to realize that I was there．I put my head close to his to catch his words．
‘Don't I hear it？-yes，I hear it，and I have heard it．For many minutes，many hours，many days I have heard it-but I was too frightened，too frightened to speak．We have put her alive into her coffin！Did I not tell you that I could hear even the softest sound？I tell you now that I heard her move in the coffin．I heard the sounds many days ago，but my terror was too great-I could not speak！And now tonight-when you read about Ethelred breaking the old man's door，about the cry of the dragon，and the falling of the gates-it was，in fact，the breaking of her coffin，the scream of metal as she broke open the vault，and the ringing crash as the metal door fell to the floor！Oh，where can I escape to？Is she hurrying towards me at this very minute？Is that her angry footstep that I can hear on the stairs？Can I hear the heavy and terrible beating of her heart？MADMAN！’
He jumped up and shouted，screaming out his words like a man dying in terror．‘MADMAN！I TELL YOU THAT AT THIS MINUTE SHE Is STANDING OUTSIDE THIS DOOR！’
AS he screamed these words，the heavy door was thrown open by the strong wind．There，outside the door，dressed in the white clothes of the dead，stood the tall figure of the Lady Madeleine of Usher．There was blood on her hands，her arms，her torn white clothes．Every part of her body showed the marks of her long fight to escape from the coffin．For a moment she stood there shaking，moving slowly from side to side．Then with a low cry she fell heavily onto her brother．And in the moment of her now final death，he fell with her to the floor-a dead man，killed by his own terror．
From that room，and from that house，I ran in horror．Out－side，the storm was still violent and as I ran past the lake，a sudden wild light shone around me．I turned to see where this strange light was coming from．It was the moon，a full