Village books

This advantage was still further enhanced
by a natural bell-like tone both sweet and fresh, which touched the
heart as delightfully as it did the ear. If the mother could no longer
see the signs of a noble destiny upon her daughter's brow, she could
study the transitions of her soul's development in the accents of that
voice attuned to love.

CHAPTER VI
A MAIDEN'S FIRST ROMANCE
To this period of Modeste's eager rage for reading succeeded the
exercise of a strange faculty given to vigorous imaginations,--the
power, namely, of making herself an actor in a dream-existence; of
representing to her own mind the things desired, with so vivid a
conception that they seemed actually to attain reality; in short, to
enjoy by thought,--to live out her years within her mind; to marry; to
grow old; to attend her own funeral like Charles V.; to play within
herself the comedy of life and, if need be, that of death. Modeste was
indeed playing, but all alone, the comedy of Love. She fancied herself
adored to the summit of her wishes in many an imagined phase of social
life.


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