large/5332/intl_women_lit_1001_librivox_64kb_mp3/iwl-01_firstlove_eichelberg_64kb_3
large/5332/intl_women_lit_1001_librivox_64kb_mp3/iwl-01_firstlove_eichelberg_64kb
English
5332
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. 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
ands--when I say _hands_ I am not exact, for, strictly speaking, only one hand could be seen, and that held a richly embroidered handkerchief. Even today I am astonished at the startling effect which the contemplation of that miniature produced upon me, and how I remained in ecstasy, scarcely breathing, devouring the portrait with my eyes. I had already seen here and there prints representing beautiful women. It often happened that in the illustrated papers, in the mythological engravings 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 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. ENDING IN FINELY MOLDED HANDS WHEN I SAY HANDS I AM NOT EXACT FOR STRICTLY SPEAKING ONLY ONE HAND COULD BE SEEN IN THAT HELD A RICHLY EMBROIDERED HANDKERCHIEF EVEN TO DAY I AM ASTONISHED AT THE STARTLING EFFECT WHICH THE CONTEMPLATION OF THAT MINIATURE PRODUCED UPON ME AND HOW I REMAINED IN ECSTASY SCARCELY BREATHING DEVOURING THE PORTRAIT WITH MY EYES I HAD ALREADY SEEN HERE AND THERE PRINTS REPRESENTING BEAUTIFUL WOMEN IT OFTEN HAPPENED THAT IN THE ILLUSTRATED PAPERS IN THE MYTHOLOGICAL ENGRAVINGS 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
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