Падіння будинку Ашерів

           Ihadsoworkeduponmyimaginationasreallytobelievethataboutthewholemansionanddomaintherehunganatmospherepeculiartothemselvesandtheirimmediatevicinity—anatmospherewhichhadnoaffinitywiththeairofheaven,butwhichhadreekedupfromthedecayedtrees,andthegraywall,andthesilenttarn—apestilentandmysticvapor,dull,sluggish,faintlydiscernible,andleaden-hued. 

           Shakingofffrommyspiritwhatmusthavebeenadream,Iscannedmorenarrowlytherealaspectofthebuilding. Itsprincipalfeatureseemedtobethatofanexcessiveantiquity. Thediscolorationofageshadbeengreat. Minutefungioverspreadthewholeexterior,hanginginafinetangledweb-workfromtheeaves. Yetallthiswasapartfromanyextraordinarydilapidation. Noportionofthemasonryhadfallen;andthereappearedtobeawildinconsistencybetweenitsstillperfectadaptationofparts,andthecrumblingconditionoftheindividualstones. Inthistherewasmuchthatremindedmeofthespecioustotalityofoldwood-workwhichhasrottedforlongyearsinsomeneglectedvault,withnodisturbancefromthebreathoftheexternalair. Beyondthisindicationofextensivedecay,however,thefabricgavelittletokenofinstability. Perhapstheeyeofascrutinizingobservermighthavediscoveredabarelyperceptiblefissure,which,extendingfromtheroofofthebuildinginfront,madeitswaydownthewallinazigzagdirection,untilitbecamelostinthesullenwatersofthetarn.