large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb_12
large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb
English
7245
Perhaps, in all the long years of anguish since that hour, no tender hand had touched his brow, nor wiped away the damps of a bitter sorrow. Perhaps the tender, maternal fingers of my wife soothed his weary head with the conviction that he felt the hand of his mother playing with the long hair of her boy in the soft West India morning. Perhaps it was only the natural relief of expressing a pent up sorrow. When he spoke again, it was with the old subdued tone, and the air of quaint solemnity. PERHAPS IN ALL THE LONG YEARS OF ANGUISH SINCE THAT HOUR NO TENDER HAND HAD TOUCHED HIS BROW NOR WIPED AWAY THE DAMPS OF A BITTER SORROW PERHAPS THE TENDER MATERNAL FINGERS OF MY WIFE SOOTHED HIS WEARY HEAD WITH THE CONVICTION THAT HE FELT THE HAND OF HIS MOTHER PLAYING WITH THE LONG HAIR OF HER BOY IN THE SOFT WEST INDIA MORNING PERHAPS IT WAS ONLY THE NATURAL RELIEF OF EXPRESSING A PENT UP SORROW WHEN HE SPOKE AGAIN IT WAS WITH THE OLD SUBDUED TONE AND THE AIR OF QUAINT SOLEMNITY
t with frenzy upon my purpose. I was merely aware that she was in the room. I saw nothing else. I heard nothing. I cared for nothing, but to see her through that magic glass, and feel at once all the fulness of blissful perfection which that would reveal. Preciosa stood before the mirror, but alarmed at my wild and eager movements, unable to distinguish what I had in my hands, and seeing me raise them suddenly to my face, she shrieked with terror, and fell fainting upon the floor, at the very moment that I placed the glasses before my eyes, and beheld--_myself_, reflected in the mirror, before which she had been standing. "Dear madam," cried Titbottom, to my wife, springing up and falling back again in his chair, pale and trembling, while Prue ran to him and took his hand, and I poured out a glass of water--"I saw myself." There was silence for many minutes. Prue laid her hand gently upon the head of our guest, whose eyes were closed, and who breathed softly like an infant in sleeping.  SURPRISE IN HER EYES BUT I WAS BENT WITH FRENZY UPON MY PURPOSE I WAS MERELY AWARE THAT SHE WAS IN THE ROOM I SAW NOTHING ELSE I HEARD NOTHING I CARED FOR NOTHING BUT TO SEE HER THROUGH THAT MAGIC GLASS AND FEEL ALL AT ONCE THE FULNESS OF BLISSFUL PERFECTION WHICH THAT WOULD REVEAL PRECIOSA STOOD BEFORE THE MIRROR BUT ALARMED AT MY WILD AND EAGER MOVEMENTS UNABLE TO DISTINGUISH WHAT I HAD IN MY HANDS AND SEEING ME RAISE THEM SUDDENLY TO MY FACE SHE SHRIEKED WITH TERROR AND FELL FAINTING UPON THE FLOOR AT THE VERY MOMENT THAT I PLACED THE GLASSES BEFORE MY EYES AND BEHELD MYSELF REFLECTED IN THE MIRROR BEFORE WHICH SHE HAD BEEN STANDING DEAR MADAM CRIED TIT BOTTOM TO MY WIFE SPRINGING UP AND FALLING BACK AGAIN IN HIS CHAIR PALE AND TREMBLING WHILE PRUE RAN TO HIM AND TOOK HIS HAND AND I POURED OUT A GLASS OF WATER I SAW MYSELF THERE WAS SILENCE FOR MANY MINUTES PRUE LAID HER HAND GENTLY UPON THE HEAD OF OUR GUEST WHOSE EYES WERE CLOSED AND WHO BREATHED SOFTLY LIKE AN INFANT IN SLEEPING
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