Мхи старої садиби
The Birthmark
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"Nay,pluckit,"answeredAylmer,—"pluckit,andinhaleitsbriefperfumewhileyoumay.Theflowerwillwitherinafewmomentsandleavenothingsaveitsbrownseedvessels;butthencemaybeperpetuatedaraceasephemeralasitself."
ButGeorgianahadnosoonertouchedtheflowerthanthewholeplantsufferedablight,itsleavesturningcoal-blackasifbytheagencyoffire.
"Therewastoopowerfulastimulus,"saidAylmer,thoughtfully.
Tomakeupforthisabortiveexperiment,heproposedtotakeherportraitbyascientificprocessofhisowninvention.Itwastobeeffectedbyraysoflightstrikinguponapolishedplateofmetal.Georgianaassented;but,onlookingattheresult,wasaffrightedtofindthefeaturesoftheportraitblurredandindefinable;whiletheminutefigureofahandappearedwherethecheekshouldhavebeen.Aylmersnatchedthemetallicplateandthrewitintoajarofcorrosiveacid.
Soon,however,heforgotthesemortifyingfailures.Intheintervalsofstudyandchemicalexperimenthecametoherflushedandexhausted,butseemedinvigoratedbyherpresence,andspokeinglowinglanguageoftheresourcesofhisart.Hegaveahistoryofthelongdynastyofthealchemists,whospentsomanyagesinquestoftheuniversalsolventbywhichthegoldenprinciplemightbeelicitedfromallthingsvileandbase.
