THE BIRTHMARK.docx

THE BIRTHMARK.docx

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THEBIRTHMARK

THEBIRTHMARK

Inthelatterpartofthelastcenturytherelivedamanof

science,aneminentproficientineverybranchofnatural

philosophy,whonotlongbeforeourstoryopenshadmade

experienceofaspiritualaffinitymoreattractivethanany

chemicalone.Hehadlefthislaboratorytothecareofan

assistant,clearedhisfinecountenancefromthefurnacesmoke,

washedthestainofacidsfromhisfingers,andpersuadeda

beautifulwomantobecomehiswife.Inthosedayswhenthe

comparativelyrecentdiscoveryofelectricityandotherkindred

mysteriesofNatureseemedtoopenpathsintotheregionof

miracle,itwasnotunusualfortheloveofsciencetorivalthe

loveofwomaninitsdepthandabsorbingenergy.Thehigher

intellect,theimagination,thespirit,andeventheheartmight

allfindtheircongenialalimentinpursuitswhich,assomeof

theirardentvotariesbelieved,wouldascendfromonestepof

powerfulintelligencetoanother,untilthephilosophershould

layhishandonthesecretofcreativeforceandperhapsmakenew

worldsforhimself.WeknownotwhetherAylmerpossessedthis

degreeoffaithinman'sultimatecontroloverNature.Hehad

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