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Mosses of the old manor
In
the
latter
part
of
the
last
century
there
lived
a
man
of
science
,
an
eminent
proficient
in
every
branch
of
natural
philosophy
,
who
not
long
before
our
story
opens
had
made
experience
of
a
spiritual
affinity
more
attractive
than
any
chemical
one
.
He
had
left
his
laboratory
to
the
care
of
an
assistant
,
cleared
his
fine
countenance
from
the
furnace
smoke
,
washed
the
stain
of
acids
from
his
fingers
,
and
persuaded
a
beautiful
woman
to
become
his
wife
.
In
those
days
when
the
comparatively
recent
discovery
of
electricity
and
other
kindred
mysteries
of
Nature
seemed
to
open
paths
into
the
region
of
miracle
,
it
was
not
unusual
for
the
love
of
science
to
rival
the
love
of
woman
in
its
depth
and
absorbing
energy
.
The
higher
intellect
,
the
imagination
,
the
spirit
,
and
even
the
heart
might
all
find
their
congenial
aliment
in
pursuits
which
,
as
some
of
their
ardent
votaries
believed
,
would
ascend
from
one
step
of
powerful
intelligence
to
another
,
until
the
philosopher
should
lay
his
hand
on
the
secret
of
creative
force
and
perhaps
make
new
worlds
for
himself
.
We
know
not
whether
Aylmer
possessed
this
degree
of
faith
in
man
’
s
ultimate
control
over
Nature
.
He
had
devoted
himself
,
however
,
too
unreservedly
to
scientific
studies
ever
to
be
weaned
from
them
by
any
second
passion
.
His
love
for
his
young
wife
might
prove
the
stronger
of
the
two
;
but
it
could
only
be
by
intertwining
itself
with
his
love
of
science
,
and
uniting
the
strength
of
the
latter
to
his
own
.
Such
a
union
accordingly
took
place
,
and
was
attended
with
truly
remarkable
consequences
and
a
deeply
impressive
moral
.
One
day
,
very
soon
after
their
marriage
,
Aylmer
sat
gazing
at
his
wife
with
a
trouble
in
his
countenance
that
grew
stronger
until
he
spoke
.
"
Georgiana
,
"
said
he
,
"
has
it
never
occurred
to
you
that
the
mark
upon
your
cheek
might
be
removed
?
"
"
No
,
indeed
,
"
said
she
,
smiling
;
but
perceiving
the
seriousness
of
his
manner
,
she
blushed
deeply
.
"
To
tell
you
the
truth
it
has
been
so
often
called
a
charm
that
I
was
simple
enough
to
imagine
it
might
be
so
.
"
"
Ah
,
upon
another
face
perhaps
it
might
,
"
replied
her
husband
;
"
but
never
on
yours
.
No
,
dearest
Georgiana
,
you
came
so
nearly
perfect
from
the
hand
of
Nature
that
this
slightest
possible
defect
,
which
we
hesitate
whether
to
term
a
defect
or
a
beauty
,
shocks
me
,
as
being
the
visible
mark
of
earthly
imperfection
.
"
"
Shocks
you
,
my
husband
!
"
cried
Georgiana
,
deeply
hurt
;
at
first
reddening
with
momentary
anger
,
but
then
bursting
into
tears
.
"
Then
why
did
you
take
me
from
my
mother
’
s
side
?
You
cannot
love
what
shocks
you
!
"
To
explain
this
conversation
it
must
be
mentioned
that
in
the
centre
of
Georgiana
’
s
left
cheek
there
was
a
singular
mark
,
deeply
interwoven
,
as
it
were
,
with
the
texture
and
substance
of
her
face
.
In
the
usual
state
of
her
complexion
—
a
healthy
though
delicate
bloom
—
the
mark
wore
a
tint
of
deeper
crimson
,
which
imperfectly
defined
its
shape
amid
the
surrounding
rosiness
.
When
she
blushed
it
gradually
became
more
indistinct
,
and
finally
vanished
amid
the
triumphant
rush
of
blood
that
bathed
the
whole
cheek
with
its
brilliant
glow
.
But
if
any
shifting
motion
caused
her
to
turn
pale
there
was
the
mark
again
,
a
crimson
stain
upon
the
snow
,
in
what
Aylmer
sometimes
deemed
an
almost
fearful
distinctness
.
Its
shape
bore
not
a
little
similarity
to
the
human
hand
,
though
of
the
smallest
pygmy
size
.
Georgiana
’
s
lovers
were
wont
to
say
that
some
fairy
at
her
birth
hour
had
laid
her
tiny
hand
upon
the
infant
’
s
cheek
,
and
left
this
impress
there
in
token
of
the
magic
endowments
that
were
to
give
her
such
sway
over
all
hearts
.
Many
a
desperate
swain
would
have
risked
life
for
the
privilege
of
pressing
his
lips
to
the
mysterious
hand
.
It
must
not
be
concealed
,
however
,
that
the
impression
wrought
by
this
fairy
sign
manual
varied
exceedingly
,
according
to
the
difference
of
temperament
in
the
beholders
.
Some
fastidious
persons
—
but
they
were
exclusively
of
her
own
sex
—
affirmed
that
the
bloody
hand
,
as
they
chose
to
call
it
,
quite
destroyed
the
effect
of
Georgiana
’
s
beauty
,
and
rendered
her
countenance
even
hideous
.
But
it
would
be
as
reasonable
to
say
that
one
of
those
small
blue
stains
which
sometimes
occur
in
the
purest
statuary
marble
would
convert
the
Eve
of
Powers
to
a
monster
.
Masculine
observers
,
if
the
birthmark
did
not
heighten
their
admiration
,
contented
themselves
with
wishing
it
away
,
that
the
world
might
possess
one
living
specimen
of
ideal
loveliness
without
the
semblance
of
a
flaw
.
After
his
marriage
,
—
for
he
thought
little
or
nothing
of
the
matter
before
,
—
Aylmer
discovered
that
this
was
the
case
with
himself
.
