The narrator visits his friend and his sister. They live in a mansion with a depressing appearance. Roderock is suffering from an illness (he claims a family evil is haunting him) and his sister, Madeline, is paralytic.
The narrator tries to cheer up his friend by distracting him with books. Meanwhile Usher's sister dies. Although it isn't apparent in the scene, they bury her in between the walls in a tomb.
At this point in the story, Usher realizes that he may have buried his sister alive in the tomb because they hear noises while they were reading.
Madeline is bloody and scrawny from trying to make it out of the tomb for so long. she jumps on Roderick, instantly killing him.
The crack on the wall gives in and sends the whole building down. The narrator runs out the house in time to escape.