THE BIRTHMARKWord格式文档下载.docx

THE BIRTHMARKWord格式文档下载.docx

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devotedhimself,however,toounreservedlytoscientificstudies

evertobeweanedfromthembyanysecondpassion.Hislovefor

hisyoungwifemightprovethestrongerofthetwo;

butitcould

onlybebyintertwiningitselfwithhisloveofscience,and

unitingthestrengthofthelattertohisown.

Suchaunionaccordinglytookplace,andwasattendedwithtruly

remarkableconsequencesandadeeplyimpressivemoral.Oneday,

verysoonaftertheirmarriage,Aylmersatgazingathiswife

withatroubleinhiscountenancethatgrewstrongeruntilhe

spoke.

"

Georgiana,"

saidhe,"

hasitneveroccurredtoyouthatthemark

uponyourcheekmightberemoved?

No,indeed,"

saidshe,smiling;

butperceivingtheseriousness

ofhismanner,sheblusheddeeply."

Totellyouthetruthithas

beensooftencalledacharmthatIwassimpleenoughtoimagine

itmightbeso."

Ah,uponanotherfaceperhapsitmight,"

repliedherhusband;

butneveronyours.No,dearestGeorgiana,youcamesonearly

perfectfromthehandofNaturethatthisslightestpossible

defect,whichwehesitatewhethertotermadefectorabeauty,

shocksme,asbeingthevisiblemarkofearthlyimperfection."

Shocksyou,myhusband!

criedGeorgiana,deeplyhurt;

atfirst

reddeningwithmomentaryanger,butthenburstingintotears.

Thenwhydidyoutakemefrommymother'

sside?

Youcannotlove

whatshocksyou!

Toexplainthisconversationitmustbementionedthatinthe

centreofGeorgiana'

sleftcheektherewasasingularmark,

deeplyinterwoven,asitwere,withthetextureandsubstanceof

herface.Intheusualstateofhercomplexion--ahealthythough

delicatebloom--themarkworeatintofdeepercrimson,which

imperfectlydefineditsshapeamidthesurroundingrosiness.When

sheblusheditgraduallybecamemoreindistinct,andfinally

vanishedamidthetriumphantrushofbloodthatbathedthewhole

cheekwithitsbrilliantglow.Butifanyshiftingmotioncaused

hertoturnpaletherewasthemarkagain,acrimsonstainupon

thesnow,inwhatAylmersometimesdeemedanalmostfearful

distinctness.Itsshapeborenotalittlesimilaritytothehuman

hand,thoughofthesmallestpygmysize.Georgiana'

sloverswere

wonttosaythatsomefairyatherbirthhourhadlaidhertiny

handupontheinfant'

scheek,andleftthisimpresstherein

tokenofthemagicendowmentsthatweretogivehersuchsway

overallhearts.Manyadesperateswainwouldhaveriskedlife

fortheprivilegeofpressinghislipstothemysterioushand.It

mustnotbeconcealed,however,thattheimpressionwroughtby

thisfairysignmanualvariedexceedingly,accordingtothe

differenceoftemperamentinthebeholders.Somefastidious

persons--buttheywereexclusivelyofherownsex--affirmedthat

thebloodyhand,astheychosetocallit,quitedestroyedthe

effectofGeorgiana'

sbeauty,andrenderedhercountenanceeven

hideous.Butitwouldbeasreasonabletosaythatoneofthose

smallbluestainswhichsometimesoccurinthepureststatuary

marblewouldconverttheEveofPowerstoamonster.Masculine

observers,ifthebirthmarkdidnotheightentheiradmiration,

contentedthemselveswithwishingitaway,thattheworldmight

possessonelivingspecimenofideallovelinesswithoutthe

semblanceofaflaw.Afterhismarriage,--forhethoughtlittle

ornothingofthematterbefore,--Aylmerdiscoveredthatthiswas

thecasewithhimself.

Hadshebeenlessbeautiful,--ifEnvy'

sselfcouldhavefound

aughtelsetosneerat,--hemighthavefelthisaffection

heightenedbytheprettinessofthismimichand,nowvaguely

portrayed,nowlost,nowstealingforthagainandglimmeringto

andfrowitheverypulseofemotionthatthrobbedwithinher

heart;

butseeingherotherwisesoperfect,hefoundthisone

defectgrowmoreandmoreintolerablewitheverymomentoftheir

unitedlives.ItwasthefatalflawofhumanitywhichNature,in

oneshapeoranother,stampsineffaceablyonallherproductions,

eithertoimplythattheyaretemporaryandfinite,orthattheir

perfectionmustbewroughtbytoilandpain.Thecrimsonhand

expressedtheineludiblegripeinwhichmortalityclutchesthe

highestandpurestofearthlymould,degradingthemintokindred

withthelowest,andevenwiththeverybrutes,likewhomtheir

visibleframesreturntodust.Inthismanner,selectingitas

thesymbolofhiswife'

sliabilitytosin,sorrow,decay,and

death,Aylmer'

ssombreimaginationwasnotlonginrenderingthe

birthmarkafrightfulobject,causinghimmoretroubleandhorror

thaneverGeorgiana'

sbeauty,whetherofsoulorsense,hadgiven

himdelight.

Atalltheseasonswhichshouldhavebeentheirhappiest,he

invariablyandwithoutintendingit,nay,inspiteofapurpose

tothecontrary,revertedtothisonedisastroustopic.Trifling

asitatfirstappeared,itsoconnecteditselfwithinnumerable

trainsofthoughtandmodesoffeelingthatitbecamethecentral

pointofall.WiththemorningtwilightAylmeropenedhiseyes

uponhiswife'

sfaceandrecognizedthesymbolofimperfection;

andwhentheysattogetherattheeveninghearthhiseyes

wanderedstealthilytohercheek,andbeheld,flickeringwiththe

blazeofthewoodfire,thespectralhandthatwrotemortality

wherehewouldfainhaveworshipped.Georgianasoonlearnedto

shudderathisgaze.Itneededbutaglancewiththepeculiar

expressionthathisfaceoftenworetochangetherosesofher

cheekintoadeathlikepaleness,amidwhichthecrimsonhandwas

broughtstronglyout,likeabass-reliefofrubyonthewhitest

marble.

Lateonenightwhenthelightsweregrowingdim,soashardlyto

betraythestainonthepoorwife'

scheek,sheherself,forthe

firsttime,voluntarilytookupthesubject.

Doyouremember,mydearAylmer,"

saidshe,withafeeble

attemptatasmile,"

haveyouanyrecollectionofadreamlast

nightaboutthisodioushand?

None!

nonewhatever!

repliedAylmer,starting;

butthenhe

added,inadry,coldtone,affectedforthesakeofconcealing

therealdepthofhisemotion,"

Imightwelldreamofit;

for

beforeIfellasleepithadtakenaprettyfirmholdofmy

fancy."

Andyoudiddreamofit?

continuedGeorgiana,hastily;

forshe

dreadedlestagushoftearsshouldinterruptwhatshehadto

say."

Aterribledream!

Iwonderthatyoucanforgetit.Isit

possibletoforgetthisoneexpression?

--'

Itisinherheartnow;

wemusthaveitout!

'

Reflect,myhusband;

forbyallmeansI

wouldhaveyourecallthatdream."

ThemindisinasadstatewhenSleep,theall-involving,cannot

confineherspectreswithinthedimregionofhersway,but

suffersthemtobreakforth,affrightingthisactuallifewith

secretsthatperchancebelongtoadeeperone.Aylmernow

rememberedhisdream.Hehadfanciedhimselfwithhisservant

Aminadab,attemptinganoperationfortheremovalofthe

birthmark;

butthedeeperwenttheknife,thedeepersankthe

hand,untilatlengthitstinygraspappearedtohavecaughthold

ofGeorgiana'

sheart;

whence,however,herhusbandwasinexorably

resolvedtocutorwrenchitaway.

Whenthedreamhadshapeditselfperfectlyinhismemory,Aylmer

satinhiswife'

spresencewithaguiltyfeeling.Truthoften

findsitswaytothemindclosemuffledinrobesofsleep,and

thenspeakswithuncompromisingdirectnessofmattersinregard

towhichwepractiseanunconsciousself-deceptionduringour

wakingmoments.Untilnowhehadnotbeenawareofthe

tyrannizinginfluenceacquiredbyoneideaoverhismind,andof

thelengthswhichhemightfindinhishearttogoforthesake

ofgivinghimselfpeace.

Aylmer,"

resumedGeorgiana,solemnly,"

Iknownotwhatmaybe

thecosttobothofustoridmeofthisfatalbirthmark.Perhaps

itsremovalmaycausecurelessdeformity;

oritmaybethestain

goesasdeepaslifeitself.Again:

doweknowthatthereisa

possibility,onanyterms,ofunclaspingthefirmgripeofthis

littlehandwhichwaslaiduponmebeforeIcameintotheworld?

DearestGeorgiana,Ihavespentmuchthoughtuponthesubject,"

hastilyinterruptedAylmer."

Iamconvincedoftheperfect

practicabilityofitsremoval."

Iftherebetheremotestpossibilityofit,"

continued

Georgiana,"

lettheattemptbemadeatwhateverrisk.Dangeris

nothingtome;

forlife,whilethishatefulmarkmakesmethe

objectofyourhorroranddisgust,--lifeisaburdenwhichI

wouldflingdownwithjoy.Eitherremovethisdreadfulhand,or

takemywretchedlife!

Youhavedeepscience.Alltheworldbears

witnessofit.Youhaveachievedgreatwonde