large/5332/intl_women_lit_1001_librivox_64kb_mp3/iwl-01_firstlove_eichelberg_64kb_33
large/5332/intl_women_lit_1001_librivox_64kb_mp3/iwl-01_firstlove_eichelberg_64kb
English
5332
At this moment I heard footsteps in the corridor. It was my aunt returning from her prayers. I heard her asthmatic cough, and the dragging of her gouty feet. I had only just time to put the miniature into the drawer, shut it, and approach the window, adopting an innocent and indifferent attitude. AT THIS MOMENT I HEARD FOOTSTEPS IN THE CORRIDOR IT WAS MY AUNT RETURNING FROM HER PRAYERS I HEARD HER ESTHMATIC COUGH AND THE DRAGGING OF HER GERTY FEET I HAD ONLY JUST TIME TO PUT THE MINIATURE INTO THE DRAWER SHUT IT AND APPROACHED THE WINDOW ADOPTING AN INNOCENT AND INDIFFERENT ATTITUDE
r in a shop-window, that a beautiful face, or a harmonious and graceful figure attracted my precociously artistic gaze. But the miniature encountered in my aunt's drawer, apart from its great beauty, appeared to me as if animated by a subtle and vital breath; you could see it was not the caprice of a painter, but the image of a real and actual person of flesh and blood. The warm and rich tone of the tints made you surmise that the blood was tepid beneath that mother-of-pearl skin. The lips were slightly parted to disclose the enameled teeth; and to complete the illusion there ran round the frame a border of natural hair, chestnut in color, wavy and silky, which had grown on the temples of the original. As I have said, it was more than a copy, it was the reflection of a living person from whom I was only separated by a wall of glass.--I seized it, breathed upon it, and it seemed to me that the warmth of the mysterious deity communicated itself to my lips and circulated through my veins. S OF OUR DINING ROOM OR IN A SHOP WINDOW THAT A BEAUTIFUL FACE OR A HARMONIOUS AND GRACEFUL FIGURE ATTRACTED MY PRECOCIOUSLY ARTISTIC GAZE BUT THE MINIATURE ENCOUNTERED IN MY AUNT'S DRAWER APART FROM ITS GREAT BEAUTY APPEARED TO ME AS IF ANIMATED BY SUBTILE AND VITAL BREATH YOU COULD SEE IT WAS NOT THE CAPRICE OF A PAINTER BUT THE IMAGE OF A REAL AND ACTUAL PERSON OF FLESH AND BLOOD THE WARM AND RICH TONE OF THE TINTS MADE YOU SUMMISE THAT THE BLOOD WAS TAPID BENEATH THAT MOTHER OF PEARL SKIN THE LIPS WERE SLIGHTLY PARTED TO DISCLOSE THE ENAMELED TEETH AND TO COMPLETE THE ILLUSION THERE RAN ROUND THE FRAME A BORDER OF NATURAL HAIR CHESTNUT AND COLOR WAVY AND SILKY WHICH HAD GROWN ON THE TEMPLES OF THE ORIGINAL AS I HAVE SAID IT WAS MORE THAN A COPY IT WAS THE REFLECTION OF A LIVING PERSON FROM WHOM I WAS ONLY SEPARATED BY A BALL OF GLASS I SEIZED IT BREATHED UPON IT AND IT SEEMED TO ME THAT THE WARMTH OF THE MYSTERIOUS DUTY COMMUNICATED ITSELF TO MY LIPS AND CIRCULATED THROUGH MY VEINS
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