Падение дома Ашеров

           Itwasthisdeficiency,Iconsidered,whilerunningoverinthoughttheperfectkeepingofthecharacterofthepremiseswiththeaccreditedcharacterofthepeople,andwhilespeculatinguponthepossibleinfluencewhichtheone,inthelonglapseofcenturies,mighthaveexercisedupontheother —itwasthisdeficiency,perhaps,ofcollateralissue,andtheconsequentundeviatingtransmission,fromsiretoson,ofthepatrimonywiththename,whichhad,atlength,soidentifiedthetwoastomergetheoriginaltitleoftheestateinthequaintandequivocalappellationofthe“HouseofUsher”—anappellationwhichseemedtoinclude,inthemindsofthepeasantrywhousedit,boththefamilyandthefamilymansion. 

           Ihavesaidthatthesoleeffectofmysomewhatchildishexperiment—thatoflookingdownwithinthetarn—hadbeentodeepenthefirstsingularimpression. Therecanbenodoubtthattheconsciousnessoftherapidincreaseofmysuperstition—forwhyshouldInotsotermit?—servedmainlytoacceleratetheincreaseitself. Such,Ihavelongknown,istheparadoxicallawofallsentimentshavingterrorasabasis. Anditmighthavebeenforthisreasononly,that,whenIagainupliftedmyeyestothehouseitself,fromitsimageinthepool,theregrewinmymindastrangefancy—afancysoridiculous,indeed,thatIbutmentionittoshowthevividforceofthesensationswhichoppressedme.