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The Spectacles by Edgar Allan Poe · Audiobooks & Scary Stories

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Speaker 1: I hope you enjoy this reading, which comes from a
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Speaker 1: work in the public domain, The Spectacles, by Edgar Allan Poe.
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Speaker 1: Many years ago. It was the fashion to ridicule the
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Speaker 1: idea of love at first sight, but those who think
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Speaker 1: not less than those who feel deeply have always advocated
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Speaker 1: its existence. Modern discoveries, indeed, in what may be termed
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Speaker 1: ethical magnetism or magneto esthetics, render it probable that the
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Speaker 1: most natural, and consequently the truest and most intense of
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Speaker 1: the human affections are those which arise in the heart,
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Speaker 1: as if by electric sympathy. In a word, that the
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Speaker 1: brightest and most enduring of the psycho fetters are those
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Speaker 1: which are riveted by a glance. The confession I am
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Speaker 1: about to make will add another to the already almost
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Speaker 1: innumerable instances of the truth of the position. My story
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Speaker 1: requires that I should be somewhat minute. I am still
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Speaker 1: a very young man, not yet twenty two years of age.
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Speaker 1: My name, at present is a very usual and rather
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Speaker 1: Plebeian one. Simpson. I say at present, for it is
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Speaker 1: only lately that I have been so called, having legislatively
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Speaker 1: adopted this surname within the last year in order to
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Speaker 1: receive a large inheritance left me by a distant male relative,
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Speaker 1: Adolphus Simpson e. S q. The bequest was conditioned upon
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Speaker 1: my taking the name of the testator the family, not
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Speaker 1: the Christian name. My Christian name is Napoleon Bonaparte, or
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Speaker 1: more properly, these are my first and middle appellations. I
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Speaker 1: assumed the name Simpson with some reluctance, as in my
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Speaker 1: true patronym Freusart. I felt a very pardonable pride, believing
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Speaker 1: that I could trace a descent from the immortal author
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Speaker 1: of the chronicles. While on the subject of names by
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Speaker 1: the bye, I may mention a singular coincidence of sound
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Speaker 1: attending the names of some of my immediate predecessors. My
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Speaker 1: father was a Monsieur Freusart of Paris. His wife, my mother,
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Speaker 1: whom he married at fifteen, was a Mademoiselle Coissart, eldest
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Speaker 1: daughter of Coissart, the banker, whose wife, again being only
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Speaker 1: sixteen when married, was the eldest daughter of one Victor Voisart.
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Speaker 1: Monsieur Voisart very singularly had married a lady of similar name,
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Speaker 1: a mademoiselle Moisart. She too was quite a child when married,
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Speaker 1: and her mother, also Madame Moissart, was only fourteen when
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Speaker 1: led to the altar. These early marriages are usual in France. Here, however,
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Speaker 1: are Moisart, voice Art, Coissart, and Froissart, all in the
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Speaker 1: direct line of descent. My own name, though, as I say,
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Speaker 1: became Simpson by act of legislature, and with so much
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Speaker 1: repugnance on my part, that at one period I actually
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Speaker 1: hesitated about accepting the legacy. With the useless and annoying
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Speaker 1: proviso attached as to personal endowments, I am by no
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Speaker 1: means deficient. On the contrary, I believe that I am
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Speaker 1: well made and possess what nine tenths of the world
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Speaker 1: would call a handsome face. In height, I am five
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Speaker 1: feet eleven. My hair is black and curling, my nose
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Speaker 1: is sufficiently good. My eyes are large and gray, and
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Speaker 1: although in fact they are weak to a very inconvenient degree,
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Speaker 1: still no defect in this regard would be suspected from
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Speaker 1: their appearance. The weakness itself, however, has always much annoyed me,
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Speaker 1: and I have resorted to every remedy short of wearing glasses.
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Speaker 1: Being youthful and good looking. I naturally dislike these and
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Speaker 1: have resolutely refused to employ them. I know nothing, indeed,
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Speaker 1: which so disfigures the countenance of a young person, or
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Speaker 1: so impresses every feature with an air of demureness, if
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Speaker 1: not altogether of sanctimoniousness and of age. An eye glass,
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Speaker 1: on the other hand, has a savor of downright foppery
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Speaker 1: and affectation. I have hitherto managed as well as I
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Speaker 1: could without either, but something too much of these merely
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Speaker 1: personal details, which after all, are of little importance. I
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Speaker 1: will content myself with saying, in addition, that my temperament
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Speaker 1: is sanguine, rash ardent enthusiastic, and that all my life
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Speaker 1: I have been a devoted admirer of the women. One
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Speaker 1: night last winter I entered a box at the p
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Speaker 1: Theater in company with a friend, mister Talbot. It was
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Speaker 1: an opera night, and the bills presented a very rare attraction,
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Speaker 1: so that the house was excessively crowded. We were in time, however,
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Speaker 1: to obtain the front seats which have been reserved for us,
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Speaker 1: and into which, with some little difficulty, we elbowed our
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Speaker 1: way for two hours. My companion, who was a musical fanatico,
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Speaker 1: gave his undivided attention to the stage, and in the
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Speaker 1: meantime I amused myself by observing the audience, which consisted
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Speaker 1: in chief part of the very elite of the city.
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Speaker 1: Having satisfied myself upon this point, I was about turning
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Speaker 1: my eyes to the pri Ma Donna, when they were
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Speaker 1: arrested and riveted by a figure in one of the
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Speaker 1: private boxes, which had escaped my observation. If I live
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Speaker 1: a thousand years, I can never forget the intense emotion
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Speaker 1: with which I regarded this figure. It was that of
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Speaker 1: a female, the most exquisite I had ever beheld. The
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Speaker 1: face was so far turned toward the stage that for
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Speaker 1: some minutes I could not obtain a view of it.
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Speaker 1: But the form was divine. No other word can sufficiently
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Speaker 1: express its magnificent proportion, and even the term divine seems
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Speaker 1: ridiculously feeble as I write it. The magic of a
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Speaker 1: lovely form and woman, the necromancy of female gracefulness, was
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Speaker 1: always a power which I had found it impossible to resist.
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Speaker 1: But here was grace personified incarnate, the bow ideal of
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Speaker 1: my wildest and most enthusiastic visions, the figure, almost all
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Speaker 1: of which the construction of the box permitted to be seen,
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Speaker 1: was somewhat above the medium height, and nearly approached without
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Speaker 1: positively reaching the majestic. Its perfect fullness and turnure were delicious.
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Speaker 1: The head, of which only the back was visible, rivaled
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Speaker 1: in outline that of the Greek psyche, and was rather
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Speaker 1: displayed than concealed by an elegant cap of gaze arienne,
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Speaker 1: which put me in mind of the ventum textillum of Apulius.
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Speaker 1: The right arm hung over the balustrade of the box
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Speaker 1: and thrilled every nerve of my frame with its exquisite symmetry.
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Speaker 1: Its upper portion was draperied by one of the loose
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Speaker 1: open sleeves now in fashion. This extended but little below
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Speaker 1: the elbow. Beneath it was worn and under one of
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Speaker 1: some frail material, close fitting, and terminated by a cuff
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Speaker 1: of rich lace, which fell gracefully over the top of
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Speaker 1: the hand, revealing only the delicate fingers, upon one of
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Speaker 1: which sparkled a diamond ring, which I at once saw
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Speaker 1: was of extraordinary value. The admirable roundness of the wrist
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Speaker 1: was well set off by a bracelet which encircled it,
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Speaker 1: and which also was ornamented and clasped by a magnificent
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Speaker 1: agred of jewels, telling in words that could not be
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Speaker 1: mistaken at once of the wealth and fastidious taste of
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Speaker 1: the wearer. I gazed at this queenly apparition for at
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Speaker 1: least half an hour, as if I had been suddenly
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Speaker 1: converted to stone, and during this period I felt the
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Speaker 1: full force and truth of all that has been said
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Speaker 1: or sung concerning love. At first sight, my feelings were
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Speaker 1: totally different from any which I had hitherto experienced in
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Speaker 1: the presence of even the most celebrated specimens of female loveliness.
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Speaker 1: An unaccountable and what I am compelled to consider a
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Speaker 1: magnetic sympathy of soul, for soul seemed to rivet not
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Speaker 1: only my vision, but my whole powers of thought and
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Speaker 1: feeling upon the admirable object before me. I saw, I felt,
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Speaker 1: I knew that I was deeply, madly, irrevocably in love,
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Speaker 1: and this even before seeing the face of the person beloved.
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Speaker 1: So intense indeed was the passion that consumed me that
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Speaker 1: I really believe it would have received little, if any abatement,
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Speaker 1: had the features yet unseen proved of merely ordinary character.
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Speaker 1: So anomalous is the nature of the only true love,
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Speaker 1: of the love at first sight, and so little really
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Speaker 1: dependent is it upon the external conditions which only seemed
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Speaker 1: to create and control it. While I was thus wrapped
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Speaker 1: in admiration of this lovely vision, a sudden disturbance among
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Speaker 1: the audience caused her to turn her head partially toward me,
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Speaker 1: so that I beheld the entire profile of the face.
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Speaker 1: Its beauty even exceeded my anticipations. And yet there was
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Speaker 1: something about it which disappointed me. Without my being able
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Speaker 1: to tell exactly what it was, I said, disappointed, But
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Speaker 1: this is not altogether the word. My sentiments were at
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Speaker 1: once quieted and exalted. They partook less of transport and
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Speaker 1: more of calm enthusiasm, of enthusiastic repose. This state of
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Speaker 1: feeling arose perhaps from the madonnolike and matronly air of
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Speaker 1: the face, And yet I at once understood that it
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Speaker 1: could not have arisen entirely from this. There was something else,
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Speaker 1: some mystery which I could not develop, some expression about
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Speaker 1: the countenance which slightly disturbed me while it greatly heightened
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Speaker 1: my interest. In fact, I was just in that condition
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Speaker 1: of mind and which prepares a young and susceptible man
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Speaker 1: for any act of extravagance. Had the lady been alone,
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Speaker 1: I should undoubtedly have entered her box and accosted her
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Speaker 1: at all hazards. But fortunately she was attended by two companions,
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Speaker 1: a gentleman and a strikingly beautiful woman, to all appearance,
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Speaker 1: a few years younger than herself. I revolved in my
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Speaker 1: mind a thousand schemes by which I might obtain hereafter
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Speaker 1: an introduction to the elder lady, or, for the present,
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Speaker 1: at all events, a more distinct view of her beauty.
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Speaker 1: I would have removed my position to one nearer her own,
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Speaker 1: but the crowded state of the theater rendered this impossible,
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Speaker 1: and the stern decrees of fashion had of late imperatively
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Speaker 1: prohibited the use of the opera glass in a case
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Speaker 1: such as this, even had I been so fortunate as
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Speaker 1: to have one with me. But I had not, and
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Speaker 1: was thus in despair. At length, I bethought me of
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Speaker 1: applying to my companion, Talbot I said, you have an
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Speaker 1: opera glass, Let me have it an opera glass. No,
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Speaker 1: what do you suppose I would be doing with an
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Speaker 1: opera glass here? He turned impatiently toward the stage, But
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Speaker 1: Talbot I continued pulling him by the shoulder. Listen to me,
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Speaker 1: will you do you see the stage box there? No
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Speaker 1: the next st up? Did you ever behold as lovely
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Speaker 1: a woman? She is very beautiful, no doubt, he said,
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Speaker 1: I wonder who she can be? Why in the name
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Speaker 1: of all that is angelic, don't you know who she is?
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Speaker 1: Not to know her, argues yourself unknown. She is the
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Speaker 1: celebrated Madame Lalande, the beauty of the deve par excellence,
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Speaker 1: and the talk of the whole town. Immensely wealthy too,
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Speaker 1: A widow and a great match has just arrived from Paris.
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Speaker 1: Do you know her? Yes? I have the honor? Will
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Speaker 1: you introduce me assuredly? With the greatest pleasure? When shall
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Speaker 1: it be tomorrow? At one? I will call upon you
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Speaker 1: at b s very good? And now do hold your
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Speaker 1: tongue if you can. In this latter respect, I was
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Speaker 1: forced to take Talbot's advice, for he remained obstinately deaf
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Speaker 1: to every further question or suggestion, and occupied himself exclusively
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Speaker 1: for the rest of the evening with what was transacting
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Speaker 1: upon the stage. In the meantime, I kept my eyes
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Speaker 1: riveted on Madame Lalande, and at length had the good
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Speaker 1: fortune to obtain a full front view of her face.
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Speaker 1: It was exquisitely lovely. This, of course, my heart had
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Speaker 1: told me before, even had not talbot fully satisfied me
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Speaker 1: upon the point. But still the unintelligible something disturbed me.
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Speaker 1: I finally concluded that my senses were impressed by a
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Speaker 1: certain air of gravity, sadness, or still more properly, of weariness,
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Speaker 1: which took something from the youth and freshness of the countenance,
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Speaker 1: only to endow it with a seraphic tenderness and majesty,
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Speaker 1: and thus, of course to my enthusiastic and romantic temperament,
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Speaker 1: with an interest tenfold. While I thus as feasted my eyes,
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Speaker 1: I perceived, at last, to my great trepidation, by an
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Speaker 1: almost imperceptible start on the part of the lady, that
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Speaker 1: she had become suddenly aware of the intensity of my gaze. Still,
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Speaker 1: I was absolutely fascinated, and could not withdraw it even
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Speaker 1: for an instant. She turned aside her face, and again
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Speaker 1: I saw only the chiseled contour of the back portion
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Speaker 1: of the head. After some minutes, as if urged by
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Speaker 1: curiosity to see if I was still looking, she gradually
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Speaker 1: brought her face again around and again encountered my burning gaze.
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Speaker 1: Her large, dark eyes fell instantly, and a deep blush
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Speaker 1: mantled her cheek. But what was my astonishment at perceiving
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Speaker 1: that she not only did not a second time avert
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Speaker 1: her head, but that she actually took from her girdle
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Speaker 1: a double eyeglass, elevated it, adjusted it, and then regarded
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Speaker 1: me through it intently and deliberately for the space of
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Speaker 1: several minutes. Had a thunderbolt fallen at my feet, I
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Speaker 1: could not have been more thoroughly astounded, astounded, only not
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Speaker 1: offended or disgusted in the slightest degree, although an action
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Speaker 1: so bold in any other woman would have been likely
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Speaker 1: to offend or disgust. But the whole thing was done
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Speaker 1: with so much quietude, so much nonchalance, so much repose,
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Speaker 1: with so evident an air of the highest breeding. In short,
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Speaker 1: that nothing of mere effrontery was perceptible, and my sole
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Speaker 1: sentiments were those of admiration and surprise. I observed that
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Speaker 1: upon her first elevation of the glass, she had seemed
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Speaker 1: satisfied with a momentary inspection of my person, and was
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Speaker 1: withdrawing the instrument, when, as if struck by a second thought,
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Speaker 1: she resumed it, and so continued to regard me with
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Speaker 1: fixed attention for the space of several minutes. For five
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Speaker 1: minutes at the very least, I am sure, this action,
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Speaker 1: so remarkable in an American theater, attracted very general observation,
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Speaker 1: and gave rise to an indefinite movement or buzz among
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Speaker 1: the audience, which for a moment filled me with confusion,
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Speaker 1: but produced no visible effect upon the countenance of Madame Lalandi.
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Speaker 1: Having satisfied her curiosity, if such it was, she dropped
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Speaker 1: the glass and quietly gave her attention again to the stage,
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Speaker 1: her profile now being turned toward myself as before, I
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Speaker 1: continued to watch her unremittingly, although I was fully conscious
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Speaker 1: of my rudeness in so doing. Presently I saw the
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Speaker 1: head slowly and slightly change its position, and soon I
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Speaker 1: became convinced that the lady, while pretending to look at
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Speaker 1: the stage, was in fact attentively regarding myself. It is
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Speaker 1: needless to say what affect this conduct on the part
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Speaker 1: of so fascinating a woman had upon my excitable mind.
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Speaker 1: Having thus scrutinized me for perhaps a quarter of an hour,
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Speaker 1: the fair object of my passion addressed the gentleman who
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Speaker 1: attended her, and while she spoke, I saw distinctly, by
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Speaker 1: the glances of both that the conversation had reference to myself.
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Speaker 1: Upon its conclusion, Madame Lolande again turned toward the stage,
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Speaker 1: and for a few minutes seemed absorbed in the performance.
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Speaker 1: At the export operation of this period, however, I was
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Speaker 1: thrown into an extremity of agitation by seeing her unfold
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Speaker 1: for the second time, the eyeglass which hung at her
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Speaker 1: side fully confront me as before, and, disregarding the renewed
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Speaker 1: buzz of the audience, survey me from head to foot
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Speaker 1: with the same miraculous composure which had previously so delighted
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Speaker 1: and confounded my soul. This extraordinary behavior, by throwing me
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Speaker 1: into a perfect fever of excitement into an absolute delirium
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Speaker 1: of love, served rather to embolden than to disconcert me.
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Speaker 1: In the mad intensity of my devotion, I forgot everything
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Speaker 1: but the presence and the majestic loveliness of the vision
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Speaker 1: which confronted my gaze watching my opportunity. When I thought
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Speaker 1: the audience were fully engaged with the opera, I at
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Speaker 1: length caught the eyes of Madame Mlandi and upon the
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Speaker 1: instant made a slight but unmistakable bow. She blushed very deeply,
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Speaker 1: then averted her eyes, then slowly and cautiously looked around,
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Speaker 1: apparently to see if my rash action had been noticed,
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Speaker 1: then leaned over toward the gentleman who sat by her side.
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Speaker 1: I now felt a burning sense of the impropriety I
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Speaker 1: had committed, and expected nothing less than instant exposure. While
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Speaker 1: a vision of pistols upon the moral floated rapidly and
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Speaker 1: uncomfortably through my brain. I was greatly and immediately relieved. However,
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Speaker 1: when I saw the lady merely hand a gentleman a
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Speaker 1: play bill without speaking, but the reader may form some
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Speaker 1: feeble conception of my astonishment, of my profound amazement, my
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Speaker 1: delirious bewilderment of heart and soul, When instantly afterward, having
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Speaker 1: again glanced furtively around, she allowed her bright eyes to
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Speaker 1: set fully and steadily upon my own, and then, with
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Speaker 1: a faint smile, disclosing a bright line of her pearly teeth,
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Speaker 1: made two distinct, pointed and unequivocal affirmative inclinations of the head.
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Speaker 1: It is useless, of course, to dwell upon my joy,
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Speaker 1: upon my transport upon my illimitable ecstasy of heart. If
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Speaker 1: ever man was mad with excess of happiness, it was
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Speaker 1: myself at that moment I loved This was my first love,
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Speaker 1: so I felt it to be. It was love supreme, indescribable.
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Speaker 1: It was love at first sight, and at first sight
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Speaker 1: too it had been appreciated and returned, Yes, returned. How
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Speaker 1: and why should I doubt it for an instant? What
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Speaker 1: other construction could I possibly put upon such conduct on
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Speaker 1: the part of a lady so beautiful, so wealthy, evidently
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Speaker 1: so accomplished, of so high breeding, of so lofty a
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Speaker 1: position in society, in every regard, so entirely respectable, as
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Speaker 1: I felt assured, was Madame Lalandi. Yes, she loved me.
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Speaker 1: She returned the enthusiasm of my love with an enthusiasm
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Speaker 1: as blind, as uncompromising, as uncalculating, as abandoned, and as
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Speaker 1: utterly unbounded as my own. These delicious fancies and reflections, however,
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Speaker 1: were now interrupted by the falling of the drop curtain.
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Speaker 1: The audience arose, and the usual tumult immediately supervened. Quitting
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Speaker 1: talbot abruptly, I made every effort to force my way
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Speaker 1: into closer proximity with Madame Mlandy. Having failed in this
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Speaker 1: on account of the crowd, I at length gave up
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Speaker 1: the chase and bent my steps homeward, consoling myself for
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Speaker 1: my disappointment in not having been able to touch even
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Speaker 1: the hem of her robe, by the reflection that I
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Speaker 1: should be introduced by Talbot in due form upon the morrow.
18:29
Speaker 1: This morrow at last came, that is to say, a
18:32
Speaker 1: day finally dawned upon a long and weary night of impatience.
18:36
Speaker 1: And then the hours until one were snail paced, dreary
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Speaker 1: and innumerable. But even Stamboul, it is said, shall have
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Speaker 1: an end. And there came an end to this long delay.
18:47
Speaker 1: The clock struck as the last echo ceased. I stepped
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Speaker 1: into be S and inquired for Talbot. Out, said the footman.
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Speaker 1: Talbot's own out, I replied, staggering back half a dozen paces.
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Speaker 1: Let me tell you, my fine fellow, that this thing
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Speaker 1: is thoroughly impossible and impracticable. Mister Talbot is not out.
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Speaker 1: What do you mean, nothing, sir, Only mister Talbot is
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Speaker 1: not in. That's all. He rode over to s immediately
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Speaker 1: after breakfast, and left word that he would not be
19:21
Speaker 1: in town again for a week. I stood petrified with
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Speaker 1: horror and rage. I endeavored to reply, but my tongue
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Speaker 1: refused its office. At length, I turned on my heel,
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Speaker 1: livid with wrath, and inwardly consigning the whole tribe of
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Speaker 1: the Talbots to the innermost regions of Erebus. It was
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Speaker 1: evident that my considerate friend, Illinois Fanatico, had quite forgotten
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Speaker 1: his appointment with myself, had forgotten it as soon as
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Speaker 1: it was made. At no time was he a very
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Speaker 1: scrupulous man of his word. There was no help for it. So,
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Speaker 1: smothering my vexation as well as I could, I strolled
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Speaker 1: moodily up the street, propounding futile inquiries about Madame Lalande
20:01
Speaker 1: to every male acquaintance I met by report. She was known,
20:05
Speaker 1: I found to all to many by sight, but she
20:09
Speaker 1: had been in town only a few weeks, and there
20:11
Speaker 1: were very few therefore who claimed her personal acquaintance. These few,
20:17
Speaker 1: being still comparatively strangers, could not or would not take
20:21
Speaker 1: the liberty of introducing me through the formality of a
20:23
Speaker 1: morning call. While I stood thus in despair, conversing with
20:28
Speaker 1: a trio of friends upon the all absorbing subject of
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Speaker 1: my heart. It so happened that the subject itself passed by.
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Speaker 1: As I live there she is, cried one surprisingly beautiful,
20:40
Speaker 1: exclaimed a second, an angel upon earth ejaculated. A third
20:46
Speaker 1: I looked, and in an open carriage which approached us,
20:49
Speaker 1: passing slowly down the street, set the enchanting vision of
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Speaker 1: the opera, accompanied by the younger lady, who had occupied
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Speaker 1: a portion of her box. Her companion also wears remarkably well,
21:00
Speaker 1: said the one of my trio, who had spoken first.
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Speaker 1: Astonishingly said the second. Still quite a brilliant air. But
21:08
Speaker 1: art will do wonders upon my word. She looks better
21:12
Speaker 1: than she did at Paris five years ago. A beautiful woman. Still,
21:16
Speaker 1: don't you think so frousart, Simpson? I mean, still said I.
21:23
Speaker 1: And why shouldn't she be? But compared with her friend,
21:26
Speaker 1: she is as a rush light to the evening star,
21:28
Speaker 1: a glow worm to anter's ha ha ha, Why Simpson,
21:35
Speaker 1: you have an astonishing tact at making discoveries original ones?
21:39
Speaker 1: I mean? And here we separated, while one of the
21:43
Speaker 1: trio began humming a gay vaudeville of which I caught
21:46
Speaker 1: only the lines nenon nenon nenon a b a s
21:50
Speaker 1: a b a s nenon de Lanclo. During this little scene, however,
21:55
Speaker 1: one thing had served greatly to console me, although it
21:58
Speaker 1: fed the passion by which I was consumed. As the
22:02
Speaker 1: carriage of Madame Lolandi rolled by our group, I had
22:04
Speaker 1: observed that she recognized me, and more than this, she
22:08
Speaker 1: had blessed me by the most seraphic of all imaginable smiles.
22:11
Speaker 1: With no equivocal mark of the recognition. As for an introduction,
22:16
Speaker 1: I was obliged to abandon all hope of it until
22:18
Speaker 1: such time as Talbot should think proper to return from
22:21
Speaker 1: the country. In the meantime, I perseveringly frequented every reputable
22:25
Speaker 1: place of public amusement, and at length at the theater
22:29
Speaker 1: where I first saw her, I had the supreme bliss
22:32
Speaker 1: of meeting her and of exchanging glances with her once again.
22:36
Speaker 1: This did not occur, however, until the lapse of a fortnight.
22:41
Speaker 1: Every day in the interim I had inquired for Talbot
22:44
Speaker 1: at his hotel, and every day had been thrown into
22:46
Speaker 1: a spasm of wrath by the everlasting not come home
22:49
Speaker 1: yet of his footmen upon the evening in question. Therefore,
22:54
Speaker 1: I was in a condition little short of madness. Madame
22:58
Speaker 1: Lolandi I had been told was the Parisian had lately
23:01
Speaker 1: arrived from Paris. Might she not suddenly return return before
23:05
Speaker 1: Talbot came back? And might she not be thus lost
23:08
Speaker 1: to me forever? The thought was too terrible to bear.
23:12
Speaker 1: Since my future happiness was at issue, I resolved to
23:16
Speaker 1: act with a manly decision, in a word, upon the
23:19
Speaker 1: breaking up of the play, I traced the lady to
23:22
Speaker 1: her residence, noted the address, and the next morning sent
23:25
Speaker 1: her a full and elaborate letter, in which I poured
23:27
Speaker 1: out my whole heart. I spoke boldly, freely in a word,
23:32
Speaker 1: I spoke with passion. I concealed nothing, nothing, even of
23:36
Speaker 1: my weakness. I alluded to the romantic circumstances of our
23:41
Speaker 1: first meeting, even to the glances which had passed between us.
23:45
Speaker 1: I went so far as to say that I felt
23:47
Speaker 1: assured of her love. While I offered this assurance and
23:50
Speaker 1: my own intensity of devotion as two excuses for my
23:53
Speaker 1: otherwise unpardonable conduct. As a third, I spoke of my
23:58
Speaker 1: fear that she might quit the city before I could
24:00
Speaker 1: have the opportunity of a formal introduction. I concluded the
24:04
Speaker 1: most wildly enthusiastic epistle ever penned with a frank declaration
24:08
Speaker 1: of my worldly circumstances, of my affluence, and with an
24:11
Speaker 1: offer of my heart and of my hand. In an
24:15
Speaker 1: agony of expectation, I awaited the reply, after what seemed
24:19
Speaker 1: the lapse of a century. It came, Yes, actually came romantic.
24:25
Speaker 1: As all this may appear, I really received a letter
24:27
Speaker 1: from Madame Lalande, the beautiful, the wealthy, the idolized. Madame Lalande.
24:33
Speaker 1: Her eyes, her magnificent eyes, had not belied her noble heart,
24:38
Speaker 1: like a true frenchwoman as she was. She had obeyed
24:41
Speaker 1: the frank dictates of her reason, the generous impulses of
24:44
Speaker 1: her nature, despising the conventional pruderies of the world. She
24:48
Speaker 1: had not scorned my proposals. She had not sheltered herself
24:52
Speaker 1: in silence. She had not returned my letter unopened. She
24:57
Speaker 1: had even sent me in reply, one penned by her
25:00
Speaker 1: own exquisite fingers. It ran, thus, Monsieur Simpsonville, pardon me
25:05
Speaker 1: for not composed a beautiful tongue of his country so
25:08
Speaker 1: well as might. It is only the late that I
25:11
Speaker 1: am arrive and not yet ave du opera tonite fortwo
25:14
Speaker 1: Elletudier vid this apology for the moniere. I vill now
25:19
Speaker 1: say dat hellas Monsieur Simpson avenue guess, but the too
25:24
Speaker 1: true need I say de mour hellas am I not
25:29
Speaker 1: ready speak to Tue Mosha Eugenie Lalland this noble, spirited
25:35
Speaker 1: note I kissed a million times and committed no doubt
25:38
Speaker 1: on its account a thousand other extravagances that have now
25:41
Speaker 1: escaped my memory. Still Talbot would not return alas could
25:48
Speaker 1: he have formed even the vaguest idea of the suffering
25:50
Speaker 1: his absence had occasioned. His friend, would not his sympathizing
25:54
Speaker 1: nature have flown immediately to my relief. Still, however, he
25:58
Speaker 1: came not, I wrote. He replied he was detained by
26:04
Speaker 1: urgent business, but would shortly return. He begged me not
26:08
Speaker 1: to be impatient, to moderate my transports, to read soothing books,
26:13
Speaker 1: to drink nothing stronger than hawk, and to bring the
26:15
Speaker 1: consolations of philosophy to my aid. The fool. If he
26:20
Speaker 1: could not come himself, why in the name of every
26:23
Speaker 1: thing rational could he not have enclosed me a letter
26:26
Speaker 1: of presentation? I wrote him again, entreating him to forward
26:30
Speaker 1: one forthwith My letter was returned by that footman with
26:34
Speaker 1: the following endorsement in pencil. The scoundrel had joined his
26:38
Speaker 1: master in the country, left s yesterday for parts unknown,
26:43
Speaker 1: did not say where or when be back. So thought
26:46
Speaker 1: best to return letter, knowing your handwriting, and as how
26:49
Speaker 1: you is always more or less in a hurry, Yours, sincerely, Stubbs.
26:55
Speaker 1: After this it is needless to say that I devoted
26:58
Speaker 1: to the infernal deities, both Master and valet. But there
27:01
Speaker 1: was little use in anger, and no consolation at all
27:04
Speaker 1: in complaint. But I had yet a resource left in
27:08
Speaker 1: my constitutional audacity. Hitherto it had served me well, and
27:13
Speaker 1: I now resolved to make it avail me to the end. Besides,
27:17
Speaker 1: after the correspondence which had passed between us, what act
27:20
Speaker 1: of mere informality could I commit within bounds that ought
27:24
Speaker 1: to be regarded as indecorous by Madame Lalandi. Since the
27:27
Speaker 1: affair of the letter, I had been in the habit
27:30
Speaker 1: of watching her house, and thus discovered that about twilight
27:33
Speaker 1: it was her custom to promenade, attended only by a
27:36
Speaker 1: negro in livery, in a public square overlooked by her windows.
27:41
Speaker 1: Here amid the luxuriant and shadowing groves, in the gray
27:44
Speaker 1: gloom of a sweet midsummer evening. I observed my opportunity
27:48
Speaker 1: and accosted her, the better to deceive the servant in attendance.
27:52
Speaker 1: I did this with the assured air of an old
27:54
Speaker 1: and familiar acquaintance, with a presence of mine truly Parisian.
27:59
Speaker 1: She took the case kugh at once, and to greet me,
28:02
Speaker 1: held out the most bewitchingly little of hands. The valet
28:06
Speaker 1: at once fell into the rear, and now with hearts
28:09
Speaker 1: full to overflowing, we discoursed long and unreservedly of our love.
28:14
Speaker 1: As Madame Lalandi spoke English, even less fluently than she
28:17
Speaker 1: wrote it, our conversation was necessarily in French. In this
28:21
Speaker 1: sweet tongue so adapted to passion, I gave loose to
28:25
Speaker 1: the impetuous enthusiasm of my nature, and with all the
28:28
Speaker 1: eloquence I could command, besought her to consent to an
28:31
Speaker 1: immediate marriage. At this impatience, she smiled. She urged the
28:36
Speaker 1: old story of decorum, that bugbear which deeters so many
28:40
Speaker 1: from bliss, until the opportunity for bliss has forever gone by.
28:44
Speaker 1: I had most imprudently made it known among my friends.
28:47
Speaker 1: She observed that I desired her acquaintance, thus that I
28:51
Speaker 1: did not possess it. Thus again, there was no possibility
28:54
Speaker 1: of concealing the date of our first knowledge of each other.
28:58
Speaker 1: And then she adverted, with a blush to the extreme
29:01
Speaker 1: recency of this date, to wed immediately. Would be improper,
29:05
Speaker 1: would be indecorous, would beu tree. All this she said
29:09
Speaker 1: with a charming air of naivete, which enraptured while it
29:12
Speaker 1: grieved and convinced me. She went even so far as
29:15
Speaker 1: to accuse me laughingly of rashness of imprudence. She bade
29:21
Speaker 1: me remember that I really even knew, not who she was.
29:24
Speaker 1: What were her prospects, her connections, her standing in society.
29:29
Speaker 1: She begged me, but with a sigh, to reconsider my proposal,
29:32
Speaker 1: and termed my love and infatuation a will o the wisp,
29:36
Speaker 1: a fancy or phantasy of the moment, a baseless and
29:39
Speaker 1: unstable creation rather of the imagination than of the heart.
29:43
Speaker 1: These things she uttered, as the shadows of the sweet
29:46
Speaker 1: twilight gathered darkly and more darkly around us, And then,
29:49
Speaker 1: with a gentle pressure of her fairy like hand, overthrew
29:53
Speaker 1: in a single sweet instant all the argumentative fabric she
29:56
Speaker 1: had reared I replied, as best I could, as own
30:00
Speaker 1: a true lover can I spoke at length and perseveringly
30:04
Speaker 1: of my devotion, of my passion, of her exceeding beauty,
30:08
Speaker 1: and of my own enthusiastic admiration. In conclusion, I dwelt
30:13
Speaker 1: with a convincing energy upon the perils that encompassed the
30:16
Speaker 1: course of love, that course of true love that never
30:19
Speaker 1: did run smooth, and thus deduced the manifest danger of
30:22
Speaker 1: rendering that course unnecessarily long. This latter argument seemed finally
30:27
Speaker 1: to soften the rigor of her determination. She relented. But
30:31
Speaker 1: there was yet an obstacle, she said, which she felt
30:34
Speaker 1: assured I had not properly considered. This was a delicate
30:38
Speaker 1: point for a woman to urge, especially so in mentioning it,
30:42
Speaker 1: she saw that she must make a sacrifice of her feelings. Still,
30:46
Speaker 1: for me, every sacrifice should be made. She alluded to
30:50
Speaker 1: the topic of age. Was I aware? Was I fully
30:54
Speaker 1: aware of the discrepancy between us that the age of
30:57
Speaker 1: the husband should surpass by a few years, even by
31:00
Speaker 1: fifteen or twenty. The age of the wife was regarded
31:04
Speaker 1: by the world as admissible, and indeed as even proper.
31:09
Speaker 1: But she had always entertained the belief that the years
31:11
Speaker 1: of the wife should never exceed in number those of
31:13
Speaker 1: the husband. A discrepancy of this unnatural kind gave rise
31:18
Speaker 1: too frequently alas to a life of unhappiness. Now she
31:24
Speaker 1: was aware that my own age did not exceed two
31:26
Speaker 1: and twenty, and I, on the contrary, perhaps was not
31:30
Speaker 1: aware that the years of my Eugenie extended very considerably
31:33
Speaker 1: beyond that sum. About all this there was a nobility
31:36
Speaker 1: of soul, a dignity of candor, which delighted, which enchanted me,
31:41
Speaker 1: which eternally riveted my chains. I could scarcely restrain the
31:45
Speaker 1: excessive transport which possessed me, My sweetest Eugenie, I cried,
31:50
Speaker 1: what is all this about which you are discoursing? Your
31:54
Speaker 1: years surpass in some measure my own? But what then,
31:58
Speaker 1: the customs of the world are so many conventional follies
32:02
Speaker 1: to those who love as ourselves? In what respect differs
32:05
Speaker 1: a year from an hour? I am twenty two, you say, granted, indeed,
32:11
Speaker 1: you may as well call me at once twenty three. Now, you, yourself,
32:16
Speaker 1: my dearest Eugenie, can have numbered no more then, can
32:19
Speaker 1: have numbered no more than, no more than than then
32:23
Speaker 1: than here I paused for an instant in the expectation
32:27
Speaker 1: that Madame Lalande would interrupt me by supplying her true age.
32:31
Speaker 1: But a frenchwoman is seldom direct, and has always, by
32:34
Speaker 1: way of answer to an embarrassing query, some little practical
32:38
Speaker 1: reply of her own. In the present instance, Eugenie, who
32:42
Speaker 1: for a few moments past had seemed to be searching
32:44
Speaker 1: for something in her bosom, at length, let fall upon
32:47
Speaker 1: the grass of miniature, which I immediately picked up and
32:49
Speaker 1: presented to her. Keep it, she said, with one of
32:53
Speaker 1: her most ravishing smiles. Keep it for my sake, for
32:57
Speaker 1: the sake of her, whom it too flatteringly represent. Besides,
33:02
Speaker 1: upon the back of the trinket you may discover perhaps
33:05
Speaker 1: the very information you seem to desire. It is, now,
33:09
Speaker 1: to be sure, growing rather dark, but you can examine
33:12
Speaker 1: it at your leisure in the morning. In the meantime,
33:15
Speaker 1: ye shall be my escort home to night. My friends
33:19
Speaker 1: are about holding a little musical levee. I can promise
33:22
Speaker 1: you too some good singing. We French are not nearly
33:26
Speaker 1: so punctilious as you Americans, and I shall have no
33:30
Speaker 1: difficulty in smuggling you in in the character of an
33:32
Speaker 1: old acquaintance. With this, she took my arm and I
33:37
Speaker 1: attended her home. The mansion was quite a fine one,
33:40
Speaker 1: and I believe furnished in good taste. Of this latter point, however,
33:46
Speaker 1: I am scarcely qualified to judge, for it was just
33:49
Speaker 1: dark as we arrived, and in American mansions of the
33:52
Speaker 1: better sort, light seldom during the heat of summer make
33:55
Speaker 1: their appearance at this the most pleasant period of the day.
33:59
Speaker 1: In about an hour or after my arrival, to be sure,
34:02
Speaker 1: a single shaded solar lamp was lit in the principal
34:04
Speaker 1: drawing room, and this apartment, I could thus see, was
34:08
Speaker 1: arranged with unusual good taste and even splendor. But two
34:11
Speaker 1: other rooms of the suite, and in which the company
34:13
Speaker 1: chiefly assembled, remained during the whole evening in a very
34:17
Speaker 1: agreeable shadow. This is a well conceived custom, giving the
34:21
Speaker 1: party at least a choice of light or shade, and
34:24
Speaker 1: one which our friends over the water could not do
34:26
Speaker 1: better than immediately adopt. The evening thus spent was unquestionably
34:31
Speaker 1: the most delicious of my life. Madame Lolande had not
34:35
Speaker 1: overrated the musical abilities of her friends, and the singing
34:38
Speaker 1: I here heard. I had never heard excelled in any
34:40
Speaker 1: private circle out of Vienna. The instrumental performers were many,
34:44
Speaker 1: and of superior talents. The vocalists were chiefly ladies, and
34:49
Speaker 1: no individuals sang less than well. At length, upon a
34:53
Speaker 1: peremptory call for Madame Lolande, she arose at once, without
34:57
Speaker 1: affectation or demur from the chaise life long upon which
35:00
Speaker 1: she had sat by my side, and accompanied by one
35:03
Speaker 1: or two gentlemen and her female friend of the opera
35:06
Speaker 1: repaired to the piano in the main drawing room. I
35:09
Speaker 1: would have escorted her myself, but felt that under the
35:12
Speaker 1: circumstances of my introduction to the house, I had better
35:15
Speaker 1: remain unobserved where I was. I was thus deprived of
35:19
Speaker 1: the pleasure of seeing, although not of hearing, her singing.
35:23
Speaker 1: The impression she produced upon the company seemed electrical, but
35:27
Speaker 1: the effect upon myself was something even more. I know
35:31
Speaker 1: not how adequately to describe it. It arose, in part,
35:34
Speaker 1: no doubt, from the sentiment of love with which I
35:37
Speaker 1: was imbued, but chiefly for my conviction of the extreme
35:40
Speaker 1: sensibility of the singer. It is beyond the reach of
35:43
Speaker 1: art to endow either air or reciditive, with more impassioned
35:47
Speaker 1: expression than was hers. Her utterance of the romance in Otello,
35:51
Speaker 1: the tone with which she gave the words so mio
35:54
Speaker 1: sasso in the Capuletti is ringing in my memory. Yet
35:58
Speaker 1: her lower tones were absolutely miraculous. Her voice embraced three
36:03
Speaker 1: complete octaves, extending from the contralto D to the D
36:07
Speaker 1: upper soprano, and, though sufficiently powerful to have filled the
36:10
Speaker 1: San Carlos, executed with the minutest precision every difficulty of
36:15
Speaker 1: vocal composition, ascending and descending scales, cadences or fire or tury.
36:21
Speaker 1: In the final of the Somnambula, she brought about a
36:24
Speaker 1: most remarkable effect at the words ah non ging human
36:28
Speaker 1: pensiero al contento on io sanpieno. Here, in imitation of Mollibran,
36:35
Speaker 1: she modified the original phrase of Bellini so as to
36:38
Speaker 1: let her voice descend to the tenor G, when, by
36:41
Speaker 1: a rapid transition, she struck the G above the treble stave,
36:44
Speaker 1: springing over an interval of two octaves. Upon rising from
36:49
Speaker 1: the piano. After these miracles of vocal execution, she resumed
36:53
Speaker 1: her seat by my side. When I expressed to her
36:55
Speaker 1: in terms of the deepest enthusiasm, my delight at her performance.
37:00
Speaker 1: Of my surprise, I said nothing, And yet was I
37:03
Speaker 1: most unfeignedly surprised for a certain feebleness, or rather a
37:07
Speaker 1: certain tremulous indecision of voice. In ordinary conversation had prepared
37:11
Speaker 1: me to anticipate that in singing she would not acquit
37:14
Speaker 1: herself with any remarkable ability. Our conversation was now long, earnest, uninterrupted,
37:20
Speaker 1: and totally unreserved. She made me relate many of the
37:24
Speaker 1: earlier passages of my life, and listened with breathless attention
37:28
Speaker 1: to every word of the narrative. I concealed nothing, felt
37:32
Speaker 1: that I had a right to conceal nothing from her
37:34
Speaker 1: confiding affection. Encouraged by her candor, upon the delicate point
37:39
Speaker 1: of her age, I entered, with perfect frankness, not only
37:42
Speaker 1: into a detail of my many minor vices, but made
37:45
Speaker 1: full confession of those moral and even of those physical infirmities,
37:49
Speaker 1: the disclosure of which, in demanding so much higher a
37:52
Speaker 1: degree of courage, is so much sure an evidence of love.
37:56
Speaker 1: I touched upon my college indiscretions, upon my extravagance, upon
38:00
Speaker 1: my carousals, upon my debts, upon my flirtations. I even
38:05
Speaker 1: went so far as to speak of a slightly hectic
38:08
Speaker 1: cough with which at one time I had been troubled,
38:11
Speaker 1: of a chronic rheumatism, of a twinge of hereditary gout,
38:15
Speaker 1: and in conclusion of the disagreeable and inconvenient, but hitherto
38:20
Speaker 1: carefully concealed weakness of my eyes. Upon this latter point,
38:25
Speaker 1: said Madame Lalandi, laughingly, you have been surely injudicious in
38:29
Speaker 1: coming to confession, for without the confession, I take it
38:32
Speaker 1: for granted that no one would have accused you of
38:34
Speaker 1: the crime. By the bye, she continued, have you any recollection?
38:39
Speaker 1: And here I fancied that a blush, even through the
38:41
Speaker 1: gloom of the apartment, became distinctly visible upon her cheek.
38:45
Speaker 1: Have you any recollection, mon cher army, of this little
38:48
Speaker 1: ocular assistant, which now depends from my neck. As she spoke,
38:53
Speaker 1: she twirled in her fingers the identical double eyeglass which
38:55
Speaker 1: had so overwhelmed me with confusion at the opera. Full well.
39:00
Speaker 1: Alas do I remember it, I exclaimed, pressing passionately the
39:05
Speaker 1: delicate hand which offered the glasses for my inspection. They
39:09
Speaker 1: formed a complex and magnificent toy richly chased and filigreed,
39:13
Speaker 1: and gleaming with jewels which, even in the deficient light
39:16
Speaker 1: I could not help perceiving were of high value. Ebien
39:21
Speaker 1: mon Amy, she resumed, with a certain impressment of manner
39:24
Speaker 1: that rather surprised me. Ebienne mon Ami, you have earnestly
39:29
Speaker 1: besought of me a favor which you have been pleased
39:31
Speaker 1: to denominate priceless. You have demanded of me my hand
39:35
Speaker 1: upon the morrow? Should I yield to your entreaties, and
39:39
Speaker 1: I may add to the pleadings of my own bosom,
39:42
Speaker 1: would I not be entitled to demand of you a very,
39:44
Speaker 1: a very little boon in return? Name it, I exclaimed,
39:49
Speaker 1: with an energy that had nearly drawn upon us the
39:51
Speaker 1: observation of the company, and restrained by their presence alone
39:55
Speaker 1: from throwing myself impetuously at her feet. Name it, my
39:59
Speaker 1: beloved Eugenie, my own name it. But alas it is
40:04
Speaker 1: already yielded, are named you shall conquer, then, mon Ami,
40:09
Speaker 1: said she, for the sake of the Eugenie whom you love.
40:12
Speaker 1: This little weakness which you have at last confessed, this
40:15
Speaker 1: weakness more moral than physical, and which, let me assure you,
40:19
Speaker 1: is so unbecoming the nobility of your real nature, so
40:22
Speaker 1: inconsistent with the candor of your usual character, and which,
40:27
Speaker 1: if permitted further control, will assuredly involve you sooner or
40:30
Speaker 1: later in some very disagreeable scrape. You shall conquer for
40:35
Speaker 1: my sake this affectation which leads you, as you yourself
40:39
Speaker 1: acknowledge to the tacit or implied denial of your infirmity
40:42
Speaker 1: of vision. For this infirmity you virtually deny in refusing
40:47
Speaker 1: to employ the customary means for its relief. You will
40:51
Speaker 1: understand me to say then, that I wish you to
40:53
Speaker 1: wear spectacles. Ah hush, you have already consented to wear them.
40:58
Speaker 1: For my sake. You shall accept the little toy which
41:01
Speaker 1: I now hold in my hand, and which, though admirable
41:05
Speaker 1: as an aid to vision, is really of no very
41:07
Speaker 1: immense value as a gem. You perceive that by a
41:11
Speaker 1: trifling modification, thus or thus it can be adapted to
41:15
Speaker 1: the eyes in the form of spectacles, or worn in
41:17
Speaker 1: the waistcoat pocket as an eye glass. It is in
41:21
Speaker 1: the former mode, however, and habitually, that you have already
41:24
Speaker 1: consented to wear it for my sake. This request must
41:28
Speaker 1: I confess it confuse me in no little degree, but
41:32
Speaker 1: the condition with which it was coupled rendered hesitation, of
41:35
Speaker 1: course a matter altogether out of the question. It is done,
41:40
Speaker 1: I cried, with all the enthusiasm that I could muster.
41:43
Speaker 1: At the moment it is done. It is most cheerfully agreed.
41:48
Speaker 1: I sacrifice every feeling for your sake. To night I
41:52
Speaker 1: wear this dear eye glass as an eye glass, and
41:55
Speaker 1: upon my heart. But with the earliest dawn of that morning,
41:58
Speaker 1: which gives me the pleasure of calling you wife, I
42:01
Speaker 1: will place it upon my upon my nose, and there
42:04
Speaker 1: were it ever afterward, in the less romantic and less fashionable,
42:07
Speaker 1: but certainly in the more serviceable from which you desire.
42:11
Speaker 1: Our conversation now turned upon the details of our arrangements
42:15
Speaker 1: for the moral Talbot. I learned from my betrothed had
42:19
Speaker 1: just arrived in town. I was to see him at
42:22
Speaker 1: once and procure a carriage. The soiret would scarcely break
42:26
Speaker 1: up before too, and by this hour the vehicle was
42:29
Speaker 1: to be at the door, when, in the confusion occasion
42:32
Speaker 1: by the departure of the company, Madame l could easily
42:35
Speaker 1: enter it unobserved. We were then to call at the
42:38
Speaker 1: house of a clergyman who would be in waiting there
42:41
Speaker 1: be married. Drop Talbot and proceed on a short tour
42:44
Speaker 1: to the east, leaving the fashionable world at home to
42:47
Speaker 1: make whatever comments upon the matter it thought best. Having
42:50
Speaker 1: planned all this, I immediately took leave and went in
42:54
Speaker 1: search of Talbot. But on the way I could not
42:57
Speaker 1: refrain from stepping into a hotel for the purpose of
42:59
Speaker 1: an expecting the miniature, And this I did by the
43:02
Speaker 1: powerful aid of the glasses. The countenance was a surpassingly
43:06
Speaker 1: beautiful one, those large luminous eyes that proud Grecian knows,
43:12
Speaker 1: those dark, luxuriant curls. Ah, said I exultingly to myself,
43:17
Speaker 1: this is indeed the speaking image of my beloved. I
43:21
Speaker 1: turned the reverse and discovered the words Eugenie Lalandi, aged
43:25
Speaker 1: twenty seven years and seven months. I found Talbot at
43:29
Speaker 1: home and proceeded at once to acquaint him with my
43:32
Speaker 1: good fortune. He professed excessive astonishment, of course, but congratulated
43:37
Speaker 1: me most cordially and proffered every assistance in his power.
43:42
Speaker 1: In a word, we carried out our arrangement to the letter,
43:45
Speaker 1: and at two in the morning, just ten minutes after
43:48
Speaker 1: the ceremony, I found myself in a close carriage with
43:51
Speaker 1: Madame Mlandi with Missus Simpson, i should say, and driving
43:55
Speaker 1: at a great rate out of town in a direction
43:57
Speaker 1: northeast by north half north. It had been determined for
44:01
Speaker 1: us by Talbot that, as we were to be up
44:03
Speaker 1: all night, we should make our first stop at Sea,
44:06
Speaker 1: a village about twenty miles from the city, and there
44:09
Speaker 1: get an early breakfast in some repose, before proceeding upon
44:12
Speaker 1: our route. At four precisely therefore, the carriage drew up
44:17
Speaker 1: at the door of the principal inn. I handed my
44:20
Speaker 1: adored wife out and ordered breakfast forthwith. In the meantime,
44:24
Speaker 1: we were shown into a small parlor and sat down.
44:28
Speaker 1: It was now nearly, if not altogether, daylight, and as
44:32
Speaker 1: I gazed, enraptured at the angel by my side, the
44:35
Speaker 1: singular idea came all at once into my head that
44:39
Speaker 1: this was really the very first moment since my acquaintance
44:41
Speaker 1: with the celebrated loveliness of Madame Lalande, that I had
44:45
Speaker 1: enjoyed a near inspection of that loveliness by daylight at all.
44:49
Speaker 1: And now mon Ami said she taking my hand, and
44:52
Speaker 1: so interrupting this train of reflection, and now moncher Ami,
44:57
Speaker 1: since we are indissolubly won, since I have yielded to
44:59
Speaker 1: your passionate entreaties and performed my portion of our agreement,
45:04
Speaker 1: I presume you have not forgotten that you also have
45:06
Speaker 1: a little favor to bestow, a little promise which it
45:09
Speaker 1: is your intention to keep. Ah, let me see, let
45:14
Speaker 1: me remember, yes full easily do I call to mind
45:18
Speaker 1: the precise words of the dear promise you made to
45:21
Speaker 1: Eugenie last night. Listen you spoke. Thus it is done.
45:26
Speaker 1: It is most cheerfully agreed. I sacrifice every feeling for
45:32
Speaker 1: your sake to tonight. I wear this dear eyeglass as
45:35
Speaker 1: an eyeglass and upon my heart. But with the earliest
45:38
Speaker 1: dawn of that morning, which gives me the privilege of
45:40
Speaker 1: calling you wife, I will place it upon my upon
45:43
Speaker 1: my nose, And there were it ever afterward, in the
45:46
Speaker 1: less romantic and less fashionable, but certainly in the more
45:50
Speaker 1: serviceable form which you desire. These were the exact words,
45:55
Speaker 1: my beloved husband, Were they not? They were? I said,
45:59
Speaker 1: you have an excellent memory. And assuredly, my beautiful Eugenie,
46:04
Speaker 1: there is no disposition on my part to evade the
46:06
Speaker 1: performance of the trivial promise they imply. See. Behold, they
46:12
Speaker 1: are becoming, rather, are they not? And here, having arranged
46:17
Speaker 1: the glasses in the ordinary form of spectacles, I applied
46:20
Speaker 1: them gingerly in their proper position, while Madame Simpson, adjusting
46:24
Speaker 1: her cap and folding her arms, sat bolt upright in
46:27
Speaker 1: her chair in a somewhat stiff and prim and indeed
46:31
Speaker 1: in a somewhat undignified position. Goodness, gracious me, I exclaimed,
46:37
Speaker 1: almost at the very instant that the rim of the
46:39
Speaker 1: spectacles had settled upon my nose, My goodness, gracious me,
46:44
Speaker 1: Why what can be the matter with these glasses? And
46:47
Speaker 1: taking them quickly off, I wiped them carefully with a
46:50
Speaker 1: silk handkerchief and adjusted them again. But if in the
46:54
Speaker 1: first instance there had occurred something which occasioned me surprise,
46:58
Speaker 1: in the second this surprise came elevated into astonishment. And
47:02
Speaker 1: this astonishment was profound, was extreme, Indeed, I may say
47:06
Speaker 1: it was horrific. What in the name of everything hideous
47:10
Speaker 1: did this mean? Could I believe my eyes? Could I?
47:14
Speaker 1: That was the question? Was that? Was that? Was that rouge?
47:19
Speaker 1: And were those? And were those? Were those wrinkles upon
47:22
Speaker 1: the visage of Eugenie Lalandi, and no Jupiter and every
47:28
Speaker 1: one of the gods and goddesses little and big? What what? What?
47:32
Speaker 1: What had become of her teeth? I dashed the spectacles
47:36
Speaker 1: violently to the ground, and, leaping to my feet, stood
47:39
Speaker 1: erect in the middle of the floor, confronting Missus Simpson
47:43
Speaker 1: with my arms set akimbo and grinning and foaming, but
47:46
Speaker 1: at the same time utterly speechless with terror and with rage.
47:51
Speaker 1: Now I have already said that Madame Eugenie Lalandi, that
47:54
Speaker 1: is to say, Simpson spoke the English language, but very
47:58
Speaker 1: little better than she wrote it, And for this reason
48:00
Speaker 1: she very properly never attempted to speak it upon ordinary occasions.
48:05
Speaker 1: But rage will carry a lady to any extreme, and
48:08
Speaker 1: in the present Caret carried Missus Simpson to the very
48:10
Speaker 1: extraordinary extreme of attempting to hold a conversation in a
48:13
Speaker 1: tongue that she did not altogether understand well, Monsieur said
48:18
Speaker 1: she after surveying me in great apparent astonishment for some moments,
48:23
Speaker 1: Vell Monsieur and v den vat de matter? Now is
48:29
Speaker 1: it the dance of de Saint atuss dat uave? If
48:32
Speaker 1: not like me that for v y by the pig
48:34
Speaker 1: in the poke, you wretch, said I catching my breath.
48:39
Speaker 1: You you, you villainous old hag A g o me
48:43
Speaker 1: not sober ole after all me not one single day
48:47
Speaker 1: mor dand eighty two eighty two I ejaculated, staggering to
48:53
Speaker 1: the wall eighty two hundred thousand baboons, the miniature said,
48:58
Speaker 1: twenty seven years and seven months. To be sure that
49:02
Speaker 1: is so ver true. But then to portrait has been
49:06
Speaker 1: take Fordece fifty five year. Then I go marry my
49:09
Speaker 1: sigondas band, Monsieur Lelande. At that time I had to
49:13
Speaker 1: portrait take for my daughter by my first us band,
49:15
Speaker 1: Monsieur Moisart. Moisart said, I yes, Moissart, said she, mimicking
49:21
Speaker 1: my pronunciation, which to speak the truth was none of
49:25
Speaker 1: the best. And that den that you know about de Moissart, nothing,
49:31
Speaker 1: you old fright. I know nothing about him at all.
49:35
Speaker 1: Only I had an ancestor of that name once upon
49:37
Speaker 1: a time, that name, and that you avve foresay to
49:42
Speaker 1: that name tis vergute name, and so is voice Art.
49:46
Speaker 1: That is vergute name too. My daughter, Mademoiselle Moissart, she
49:51
Speaker 1: married Vaughan Monsieur Voiicsart, and the name is bought for
49:54
Speaker 1: a respectable name. Moisart, I exclaimed, and voice art. Why
50:01
Speaker 1: what is it you mean that I mean? I mean
50:04
Speaker 1: Moissart and voice art, and for the matter of dat,
50:07
Speaker 1: I mean Coroissart and Frouisart too. If I only tink
50:10
Speaker 1: proper to mean it, my daughter's daughter, Mademoiselle voice Art,
50:15
Speaker 1: she marry Vaughan Monsieur Coroissart. And then again my daughter's
50:18
Speaker 1: grande daughter, Mademoiselle Croissart, she marry Vaughn Monsieur Froisart. And
50:23
Speaker 1: I suppose you say dat, dat is not Vaughan Ver
50:25
Speaker 1: a respectable name, Freuisart, said I, beginning to faint. Why
50:32
Speaker 1: surely you don't say mois Art and voice art and
50:34
Speaker 1: Coroissart and Froisart. Yes, she replied, leaning fully back in
50:40
Speaker 1: her chair and stretching out her lower limbs at great length. Yes,
50:44
Speaker 1: mois Art and voice art and Coroissart and Froissart. But
50:48
Speaker 1: Monsieur Frousart, he asked, Vaughan Ver. Big that you call fool,
50:52
Speaker 1: He asked Vaughan Ver great, big, dance like yourself for
50:55
Speaker 1: he left la belle France, for come to dis to
50:57
Speaker 1: piede Amerik, and then you get here, he went, and
51:00
Speaker 1: ave Vaughan ver stupid, von ver ver stupite son. So
51:04
Speaker 1: I hear, though I not yet a vi ad the
51:06
Speaker 1: plazier to meet vidim, neither me nor my companion to
51:10
Speaker 1: Madame Stephanie Lalandi, he is named a Napoleon Bonaparte frousart.
51:15
Speaker 1: And I suppose you say dat, dat too, is not
51:18
Speaker 1: Vaughan Ver a respectable name. Either the length or the
51:22
Speaker 1: nature of this speech had the effect of working up
51:24
Speaker 1: Missus Simpson into a very extraordinary passion. Indeed, and as
51:28
Speaker 1: she made an end of it with great labor, she
51:30
Speaker 1: jumped up from her chair like somebody bewitched, dropping upon
51:33
Speaker 1: the floor an entire universe of bustle. As she jumped
51:37
Speaker 1: once upon her feet, she gnashed her gums, brandished her arms,
51:41
Speaker 1: rolled up her sleeves, shook her fist in my face,
51:44
Speaker 1: and concluded the performance by tearing the cap from her head,
51:48
Speaker 1: and with it an immense wig of the most valuable
51:50
Speaker 1: and beautiful black hair, the whole of which she dashed
51:52
Speaker 1: upon the ground with a yell, and there trampled and
51:56
Speaker 1: danced a fandango upon it in an absolute ecstasy and
51:59
Speaker 1: agony of rage. Meantime, I sank aghast into the chair
52:03
Speaker 1: which she had vacated. Moisart and voice Art, I repeated thoughtfully,
52:09
Speaker 1: as she cut one of her pigeon wings, and Coissart
52:12
Speaker 1: and Froisart, as she completed another. Moisart and voice Art
52:17
Speaker 1: and Coissart and Napoleon Bonaparte Froisart. Why you ineffable, old serpent.
52:22
Speaker 1: That's me. That's me, d'ye here, that's me here, I
52:26
Speaker 1: screamed at the top of my voice. That's me e e.
52:30
Speaker 1: I am Napoleon Bonaparte Froisart. And if I haven't married
52:34
Speaker 1: my great great grandmother, I wish I may be everlastingly confounded.
52:40
Speaker 1: Madame Eugenie Lolandi Quasi Simpson, formerly Moisart, was, in sober
52:45
Speaker 1: fact my great great grandmother. In her youth she had
52:50
Speaker 1: been beautiful, and even at eighty two, retained the majestic height,
52:54
Speaker 1: the sculptural contour of head, the fine eyes, and the
52:57
Speaker 1: Grecian nose of her girlhood. By the aid of these
53:01
Speaker 1: of pearl, powder, of rouge, of false hair, false teeth,
53:05
Speaker 1: and false turnure as well as of the most skillful
53:08
Speaker 1: modists of Paris. She contrived to hold a respectable footing
53:11
Speaker 1: among the beauties and pou passes of the French metropolis.
53:16
Speaker 1: In this respect, indeed, she might have been regarded as
53:19
Speaker 1: little less than the equal of the celebrated Nenon de Lanclos.
53:23
Speaker 1: She was immensely wealthy, and, being left for the second
53:26
Speaker 1: time a widow without children, she bethought herself of my
53:30
Speaker 1: existence in America, and for the purpose of making me
53:32
Speaker 1: her heir, paid a visit to the United States in
53:35
Speaker 1: company with a distant and exceedingly lovely relative of her
53:38
Speaker 1: second husband's, a Madame Stephanie Lalandi. At the opera, my
53:43
Speaker 1: great great grandmother's attention was arrested by my notice, and
53:48
Speaker 1: upon surveying me through her eye glass, she was struck
53:51
Speaker 1: with a certain family resemblance to herself. Thus interested, and
53:55
Speaker 1: knowing that the heir she sought was actually in the city,
53:58
Speaker 1: she made inquiries of her party respecting me. The gentleman
54:02
Speaker 1: who attended her knew my person and told her who
54:04
Speaker 1: I was. The information thus obtained induced her to renew
54:08
Speaker 1: her scrutiny. And this scrutiny it was which so emboldened
54:11
Speaker 1: me that I behaved in the absurd manner already detailed.
54:15
Speaker 1: She returned my bow, however, under the impression that by
54:19
Speaker 1: some odd accident I had discovered her identity. When deceived
54:23
Speaker 1: by my weakness of vision and the arts of the
54:26
Speaker 1: toilet in respect to the age and charms of the
54:28
Speaker 1: strange lady, I demanded so enthusiastically of Talbot who she was.
54:33
Speaker 1: He concluded that I meant the younger beauty, as a
54:35
Speaker 1: matter of course, and so informed me with perfect truth
54:39
Speaker 1: that she was the celebrated widow Madame Lalandi. In the
54:43
Speaker 1: street next morning, my great great grandmother encountered Talbot, an
54:48
Speaker 1: old Parisian acquaintance, and the conversation very naturally turned upon myself.
54:54
Speaker 1: My deficiencies of vision were then explained, for these were notorious,
54:58
Speaker 1: although I was entirely ig ignorant of their notoriety, and
55:01
Speaker 1: my good old relative discovered, much to her chagrin, that
55:04
Speaker 1: she had been deceived in supposing me aware of her identity,
55:07
Speaker 1: and that I had been merely making a fool of
55:09
Speaker 1: myself in making open love in a theater to an
55:13
Speaker 1: old woman unknown. By way of punishing me for this,
55:17
Speaker 1: imprudence she concocted with Talbot, a plot he purposely kept
55:22
Speaker 1: out of my way to avoid giving me the introduction.
55:25
Speaker 1: My street inquiries about the lovely widow Madame Lalande were
55:29
Speaker 1: supposed to refer to the younger lady, of course, and
55:32
Speaker 1: thus the conversation with the three gentlemen whom I encountered
55:35
Speaker 1: shortly after leaving Talbot's hotel will be easily explained, as
55:39
Speaker 1: also their allusion to Ninon Delanclo. I had no opportunity
55:43
Speaker 1: of seeing Madame Lalande closely during daylight and at her
55:47
Speaker 1: musical soret. My silly weakness in refusing the aid of
55:50
Speaker 1: glasses effectually prevented me from making a discovery of her age.
55:55
Speaker 1: When Madame Lalande was called upon to sing, the younger
55:58
Speaker 1: Lady was intended, and it was she who arose to
56:01
Speaker 1: obey the call my great great grandmother to further the deception,
56:05
Speaker 1: arising at the same moment and accompanying her to the
56:08
Speaker 1: piano in the main drawing room. Had I decided upon
56:12
Speaker 1: escorting her thither, it had been her design to suggest
56:14
Speaker 1: the propriety of my remaining where I was, But my
56:17
Speaker 1: own prudential views rendered this unnecessary. The songs which I
56:21
Speaker 1: so much admired, and which so confirmed my impression of
56:24
Speaker 1: the youth of my mistress, were executed by Madame Stephanie Lalandi.
56:29
Speaker 1: The eyeglass was presented by way of adding a reproof
56:32
Speaker 1: to the hoax, a sting to the epigram of the deception.
56:36
Speaker 1: Its presentation afforded an opportunity for the lecture upon affectation
56:40
Speaker 1: with which I was so especially edified. It is almost
56:43
Speaker 1: superfluous to add that the glasses of the instrument, as
56:46
Speaker 1: worn by the old lady, had been exchanged by her
56:49
Speaker 1: for a pair better adapted to my years. They suited me,
56:53
Speaker 1: in fact, to a t. The clergyman who merely pretended
56:58
Speaker 1: to tie the fatal knot was a boon companion of Talbot's,
57:01
Speaker 1: and no priest. He was an excellent whip, however, and
57:05
Speaker 1: having doffed his cassock to put on a greatcoat, he
57:08
Speaker 1: drove the hack which conveyed the happy couple out of town.
57:12
Speaker 1: Talbot took a seat at his side. The two scoundrels
57:16
Speaker 1: were thus in at the death, and through a half
57:18
Speaker 1: open window of the back parlor of the inn, amused
57:21
Speaker 1: themselves in grinning at the denima of the drama, I
57:25
Speaker 1: believe I shall be forced to call them both out. Nevertheless,
57:29
Speaker 1: I am not the husband of my great great grandmother,
57:32
Speaker 1: and this is a reflection which affords me infinite relief.
57:35
Speaker 1: But I am the husband of Madame Lalande, of Madame
57:38
Speaker 1: Stephanie Lalandi, with whom my good old relative, besides making
57:42
Speaker 1: me her sole heir when she dies, if she ever does,
57:45
Speaker 1: has been at the trouble of concocting me a match.
57:49
Speaker 1: In conclusion, I am done forever with billets due, and
57:52
Speaker 1: am never to be met without spectacles.