, 1854-02-04

l'C lH D'tOlt YOU rs louhllE M Nuu h' lN
examining you; he thinks lie can and viii
cure you'
Rose, is it not your hand which is now
touching any forohcadF
Do not talk, Frederick, and keep per-
fccty slill under The hands Of .hc doctor.
THE physician lifted my eycids, and, nj
most at the same moment, two dreadful
.puncturcs, two wounds from dagger shar-
pencd toa needles point, cNtorted from mc
cry Of anguish. A handkerchief for a
bandagc was thrown over my eyes The
handkerchief belonged to Rose, perhaps,
and there was nothing more to be said I'M
ill the next day.
The next day at evening, the Countess
lighted a small single watching lamp in my
room. She came to place herself before
me the doctor was not far OFF undOubt-
edly. There were many Others about me I;
and yet heard nothing in this crowd, so
attentive, so uneasy, and the silence Of
which had something alarming. Finally
the bandagc fell from my eyes, and you can
family imagine my joy, my happiness, my
delirum. The blind man was born again
to life and light. saw men, women, young
girls and the servants Of the house, who
smiled at the miracle Of such a rcsurrec-
ton. 1t seemed to me that should know
the countess without ever having seen ner.
And l said to myself, looking in turn at
the ladies who had the goodness to smile
upon me-Where is Rosel Where does
she hide herself? o Gcd restore me to
eternity of night, that / may recall her
beauty.
A voice whose sound made me tremble,
feigncd to reply to my thoughts l
Friedrich, said the Countess to me- 'af-
ter God, who has protected you, here is
your saviour; thank God in the first place,
and then thank DR.. Muhbof"
why should / thank the doctor? He
had cured me, but the Countess clone mad
saved me. My first look belonged to Rose,
and | had hastened to give it to her, as if
to say, To my deliyerer my grateful eye.
Oh, my friend, what a surprise, what
shame, what grief! This Rose SO pretty,
Rose, my well beloved, was a woman al
ready faded and SwFinkied By age. CON
fess it to you, almost tainted as ! knelt at
her feet; soon resumed my precious ban
dage; l became blind again by order of
the doctor; and found again in my heart
with the image Of the lovely person l had
imagined, the illusion Of my dream.
Every evening at the same hour they
accustomed me, in restoring to me my sight,
to bear the light of the watching lamp.
A lamp afterwards took the place of
this dim light, and l waited patiently the
time when this lamp too should be repla-
ced by the sun.
A strange thing, singular vision which
could only be an incident Of love and light,
Every evening in looking closely at her, l
thought discovered in the old age of my
protectress, grace which was not too
old a smile which had certain charm,
glances which did not lack coquetry, mys-
terious treasury, that love had forgotten to
resume in flying away with her youth. Ev-
cry day brought to my eyes a light more
brilliant than that of the previous one; and
at the same time, by miracle which
alarmed my reason, the days, the minutes
seemed for my pleasure to make the noble
face of the Countess grow younger. A Sc
cret voice murmured in the bottom of my
heart, yet one magic stroke, one touch on
this face which is undergoing metamor-
phosis, and the wonder will be complete.
TIE Countess of fifty will disappear, and
the Rose of hardly twenty-five will reap
pear to remain forever.
One fine morning, the sun Illuminated
the spectacle with a rare and charming
prodgality. This day, for the first time
/ had received from the Doctor the deli
cious privilege of contemplating the splen-
dors Of the celestial light. had just re-
turned to the saloon of the Countess, after
a long and magnificent walk. approached
Rose, who was alone, and perhaps expect
ing me. / trcmbled as | seated myself
near her; cast down my eyes for fear Of
seeing her, or rather l feared and wished
at the same time to look at her.
Frederick asked the Countess, do you
remember a pleasant scene that passed be-
tween us in my travelling to Berlinf You
were blind, and exactly because you were
so, you desired greatly to see your Anti
gone. Is itnot true, every one adores the
impossible
L rememberit, madam, and | am ashamed
of my curiosity-of my audacity,'
Il have forgiven you. 1t was not easy
for blind man to see well the face of a
woman. You remember in what way you
sought to find it QUITO discover to see 1t?
remember, madam
you said to me, with a singular fatuity,
know you, have looked at you--l
have seen you
spoke the truth madam
you repeated to me every moment, Ma
dam, you have beautiful black hair, great
blue eyes, a mouth always smiling, lips very
fresh, everything most lovely, madam, your
beauty is admirable
Il admired you, madam
fAlas nv dear Frederick, what are you