The Old House

It was a dark, quiet day in autumn. The clouds hung low in the sky. All day I rode my horse alone through a dull, empty country. At last, in the evening, I saw the House of Usher.

The moment I saw it, a deep sadness filled my heart. The house was very old and gray. Its windows were like empty eyes. Old dead trees stood around it, and in front of it there was a small black lake, completely still. I looked at the reflection of the house in the dark water, and I felt even worse.

Why was I there? The owner of the house, Roderick Usher, was my friend when we were boys. Many years had passed since then. But some time before, I got a letter from him. He wrote that he was very ill in body and mind, and that he wanted to see me, his only friend. I could not say no.

I looked at the house more carefully. The stones were very old and broken, but the building was still standing. Then I noticed a thin crack in the wall. It started at the roof and went down in a zigzag line until it disappeared into the black water of the lake.

A servant took my horse, and another servant led me through dark halls to Roderick's room. The room was large and high, with long, narrow windows. There were many books and musical instruments, but nothing made the room feel alive.

Roderick stood up to greet me. I almost did not recognize him. His face was very pale, almost white. His eyes were large and shining. His hair was soft and wild, like a spider's web.

He told me about his illness. All his senses were too strong. He could only eat plain food. He could only wear certain clothes. Light hurt his eyes, and almost every sound frightened him.

“I am afraid,” he said. “I am not afraid of danger, but of fear itself. I feel that soon I will lose my mind and my life.”

He had another sadness too. His twin sister, Lady Madeline, was very ill. The doctors did not understand her illness. She was getting weaker every day. While we were talking, she walked slowly across the far side of the room without looking at us, and disappeared. Roderick covered his face with his hands and cried.