large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb_146
large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb
English
7245
Certainly I have heard of few men more beloved, and of none more worthy to be loved. He had the easy manner of a man of the world, the sensitive grace of a poet, and the charitable judgment of a wide traveller. He was accounted the most successful and most unspoiled of men. Handsome, brilliant, wise, tender, graceful, accomplished, rich, and famous, I looked at him, without the spectacles, in surprise, and admiration, and wondered how your neighbor over the way had been so entirely untouched by his homage. CERTAINLY I HAVE HEARD OF FEW MEN MORE BELOVED AND OF NONE MORE WORTHY TO BE LOVED HE HAD THE EASY MANNER OF A MAN OF THE WORLD THE SENSITIVE GRACE OF A POET AND THE CHARITABLE JUDGMENT OF A WIDE TRAVELLER HE WAS ACCOUNTED THE MOST SUCCESSFUL AND MOST UNSPOILED OF MEN HANDSOME BRILLIANT WISE TENDER GRACEFUL ACCOMPLISHED RICH AND FAMOUS I LOOKED AT HIM WITHOUT THE SPECTACLES IN SURPRISE AND ADMIRATION AND WONDERED HOW YOUR NEIGHBOR OVER THE WAY HAD BEEN SO ENTIRELY UNTOUCHED BY HIS HOMAGE
ret sorrow, but a woman whose nature was a tropic, in which the sun shone, and birds sang, and flowers bloomed for ever. There were no regrets, no doubts and half wishes, but a calm sweetness, a transparent peace. I saw her blush when that old lover passed by, or paused to speak to her, but it was only the sign of delicate feminine consciousness. She knew his love, and honored it, although she could not understand it nor return it. I looked closely at her, and I saw that although all the world had exclaimed at her indifference to such homage, and had declared it was astonishing she should lose so fine a match, she would only say simply and quietly-- "'If Shakespeare loved me and I did not love him, how could I marry him?' "Could I be misanthropical when I saw such fidelity, and dignity, and simplicity? "You may believe that I was especially curious to look at that old lover of hers, through my glasses. He was no longer young, you know, when I came, and his fame and fortune were secure. LD MAID WHOM WE ALL PITIED FOR A SECRET SORROW BUT A WOMAN WHOSE NATURE WAS A TROPIC IN WHICH THE SUN SHONE AND BIRDS SANG AND FLOWERS BLOOMED FOR EVER THERE WERE NO REGRETS NO DOUBTS AND HALF WISHES BUT A CALM SWEETNESS A TRANSPARENT PEACE I SAW HER BLUSH WHEN THAT OLD LOVER PASSED BY OR PAUSED TO SPEAK TO HER BUT IT WAS ONLY THE SIGN OF DELICATE FEMININE CONSCIOUSNESS SHE KNEW HIS LOVE AND HONORED IT ALTHOUGH SHE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND IT NOR RETURN IT I LOOKED CLOSELY AT HER AND I SAW THAT ALTHOUGH ALL THE WORLD HAD EXCLAIMED AT HER INDIFFERENCE TO SUCH HOMAGE AND HAD DECLARED IT WAS ASTONISHING SHE SHOULD LOSE SO FINE A MATCH SHE WOULD ONLY SAY SIMPLY AND QUIETLY IF SHAKESPEARE LOVED ME AND I DID NOT LOVE HIM HOW COULD I MARRY HIM COULD I BE MISANTHROPICAL WHEN I SAW SUCH FIDELITY AND DIGNITY AND SIMPLICITY YOU MAY BELIEVE THAT I WAS ESPECIALLY CURIOUS TO LOOK AT THAT OLD LOVER OF HERS THROUGH MY GLASSES HE WAS NO LONGER YOUNG YOU KNOW WHEN I CAME AND HIS FAME AND FORTUNE WERE SECURE
large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb.flac