Yes, I hear it! Yes, I have heard it
long, long - many minutes, many hours,
but I dared not speak:
I tell you I dared not speak.

No more cant from you,
you thick-skinned obtuse fool, damn your compassion!
For now I say you will hear the wicked truth
We put her living in the tomb!
But I dared not, I dared not speak!
Yes, have I not heard her footsteps on the stair?
Yes, do I not distinguish
the heavy and horrible beating of her heart?
Yes, she is coming.
She has woken in the darkness,
in her mindless, relentless strength.
Now she has broken from the tomb.
Now she has burst from the tomb.

Days ago I heard her first feeble movements
in the hollow coffin -
said I not that my senses were acute?
I heard the scraping, the scraping of her nails -
but I dared not, I dared not speak!
Madman! Madman!
I tell you that she now comes towards the door!

USHER MONTRESOR CHORUS VOICES OF THE HOUSE

No, what a House
Monstrous thought! We
Now the punishment breath!
is finished. The evil that House
You said is done we are!
she was dead... cannot be We
You watched undone. could not
her dying!
It's over now It's over now
What evil have let
you done? It could not
be prevented them go!
God, what a
monstrous thought!
It's over now It's over now. We
The evil that
Why must innocence is done could
be punished?
Could this have not
been prevented?
It's over now It's over now
The evil that The evil that We
is done... is done could not
could not
be prevented let
could this have could never
been prevented? be prevented
them go!
I dare not could this have it could not
I dared not speak! been prevented? be prevented!
Madman!
Madman!
I tell you
that she now stands
outside the door!