large/5332/intl_women_lit_1001_librivox_64kb_mp3/iwl-01_firstlove_eichelberg_64kb_1
large/5332/intl_women_lit_1001_librivox_64kb_mp3/iwl-01_firstlove_eichelberg_64kb
English
5332
My eyes dilated with horror; my fingers released their hold on the picture. I don't know how I was able to articulate: "You  the portrait  is you?" "Don't you think I am as pretty now, boy? Bah! one is better looking at twenty three than at  than at  I don't know what, for I have forgotten how old I am!" EYES DILATED WITH HORROR MY FINGERS RELEASED THEIR HOLD ON THE PICTURE I DON'T KNOW HOW I WAS ABLE TO ARTICULATE YOU THAT THE PORTRAIT IS YOU DON'T YOU THINK I AM AS PRETTY NOW BOY BAH ONE IS BETTER LOOKING AT TWENTY THREE THAN AT THAN I DON'T KNOW WHAT FOR I HAVE FORGOTTEN HOW OLD I AM
 sofa, tightly holding the miniature. When I came to my senses I saw my father, my mother, and my aunt, all bending anxiously over me; I read their terror and alarm in their faces; my father was feeling my pulse, shaking his head, and murmuring: "His pulse is nothing but a flutter, you can scarcely feel it." My aunt, with her claw-like fingers, was trying to take the portrait from me, and I was mechanically hiding it and grasping it more firmly. "But, my dear boy--let go, you are spoiling it!" she exclaimed. "Don't you see you are smudging it? I am not scolding you, my dear.--I will show it to you as often as you like, but don't destroy it; let go, you are injuring it." "Let him have it," begged my mother, "the boy is not well." "Of all things to ask!" replied the old maid. "Let him have it! And who will paint another like this--or make me as I was then? Today nobody paints miniatures--it is a thing of the past, and I also am a thing of the past, and I am not what is represented there! FAINTNESS OVERPOWERED ME AND I FELL UNCONSCIOUS ON THE SOFA TIGHTLY HOLDING THE MINIATURE WHEN I CAME TO MY SENSES I SAW MY FATHER MY MOTHER AND MY AUNT ALL BENDING ANXIOUSLY OVER ME I READ THEIR TERROR AND ALARM IN THEIR FACES MY FATHER WAS FEELING MY PULSE SHAKING HIS HEAD AND MURMURING HIS PULSE IS NOTHING BUT A FLUTTER YOU CAN SCARCELY FEEL IT MY AUNT WITH HER CLAW LIKE FINGERS WAS TRYING TO TAKE THE PORTRAIT FROM ME AND I WAS MECHANICALLY HIDING IT AND GRASPING IT MORE FIRMLY BUT MY DEAR BOY LET GO YOU'RE SPOILING IT SHE EXCLAIMED DON'T YOU SEE YOU'RE SMUTCHING IT I AM NOT SCOLDING YOU MY DEAR I WILL SHOW IT TO YOU AS OFTEN AS YOU LIKE BUT DON'T DESTROY IT LET GO YOU ARE INJURING IT LET HIM HAVE IT BEGGED MY MOTHER THE BOY IS NOT WELL OF ALL THINGS TO ASK REPLIED THE OLD MAID LET HIM HAVE IT AND WHO WILL PAINT ANOTHER LIKE THIS OR MAKE ME AS I WAS THEN TO DAY NOBODY PAINTS MINIATURES IT IS A THING OF THE PAST AND I ALSO AM A THING OF THE PAST AND I AM NOT WHAT IS REPRESENTED THERE
large/5332/intl_women_lit_1001_librivox_64kb_mp3/iwl-01_firstlove_eichelberg_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/5332/intl_women_lit_1001_librivox_64kb_mp3/iwl-01_firstlove_eichelberg_64kb.flac