Our story today is called "The Birthmark." It was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Here is Barbara Klein with the story.
A long time ago, there lived a skillful scientist who had experienced a spiritual reaction more striking than any chemical one.
He
had left his laboratory in the care of his assistant, washed the
chemicals from his hands and asked a beautiful woman to become his wife.
In those days new scientific discoveries such as electricity seemed to
open paths into the area of miracles. It was not unusual for the love of
science to compete with the love of a woman.
The scientist's name
was Aylmer. He had so totally given himself to scientific studies that
he could not be weakened by a second love. His love for his young wife
could only be the stronger of the two if it could link itself with his
love of science.
Such a union did take place with truly remarkable
results. But one day, very soon after their marriage, Aylmer looked at
his wife with a troubled expression.
"Georgiana," he said, "have you ever considered that the mark upon your cheek might be removed"?
"No,"
she said smiling. But seeing the seriousness of his question, she said,
"The mark has so often been called a charm that I was simple enough to
imagine it might be so."
"On another face it might," answered her
husband, "but not on yours. No dear, Nature made you so perfectly that
this small defect shocks me as being a sign of earthly imperfection."
"Shocks
you!" cried Georgiana, deeply hurt. Her face reddened and she burst
into tears. "Then why did you marry me? You cannot love what shocks
you!"
We must explain that in the center of Georgiana's left cheek
there was a mark, deep in her skin. The mark was usually a deep red
color. When Georgiana blushed, the mark became less visible. But when
she turned pale, there was the mark, like a red stain upon snow. The
birthmark would come and go with the emotions in her heart.
The
mark was shaped like a very small human hand. Georgiana's past lovers
used to say that the hand of a magical fairy had touched her face when
she was born. Many a gentleman would have risked his life for the honor
of kissing that mysterious hand.
But other people had different opinions. Some women said the red hand quite destroyed the effect of Georgiana's beauty.
Male
observers who did not praise the mark simply wished it away so that
they did not see it. After his marriage, Aylmer discovered that this was
the case with himself.
Had Georgiana been less beautiful, he
might have felt his love increased by the prettiness of that little
hand. But because she was otherwise so perfect, he found the mark had
become unbearable.
Aylmer saw the mark as a sign of his wife's
eventual sadness, sickness and death. Soon, the birthmark caused him
more pain than Georgiana's beauty had ever given him pleasure.
During
a period that should have been their happiest, Aylmer could only think
of this disastrous subject. With the morning light, Aylmer opened his
eyes upon his wife's face and recognized the sign of imperfection. When
they sat together in the evening near the fire, he would look at the
mark.
Georgiana soon began to fear his look. His expression would
make her face go pale. And the birthmark would stand out like a red
jewel on white stone.
"Do you remember, dear Aylmer, about the dream you had last night about this hateful mark?" she asked with a weak smile.
"None! None whatever!" answered Aylmer, surprised.
The
mind is in a sad state when sleep cannot control its ghosts and allows
them to break free with their secrets. Aylmer now remembered his dream.
He had imagined himself with his assistant Aminadab trying to remove the
birthmark with an operation. But the deeper his knife went, the deeper
the small hand sank until it had caught hold of Georgiana's heart.
Aylmer felt guilty remembering the dream.
"Aylmer,"
said Georgiana, "I do not know what the cost would be to both of us to
remove this birthmark. Removing it could deform my face or damage my
health."
"Dearest Georgiana, I have spent much thought on the subject," said Aylmer. "I am sure it can be removed."
"Then
let the attempt be made at any risk," said Georgiana. "Life is not
worth living while this hateful mark makes me the object of your horror.
You have deep science and have made great discoveries. Remove this
little mark for the sake of your peace and my own."
"Dearest wife," cried Aylmer. "Do not doubt my power. I am ready to make this cheek as perfect as its pair."
Her husband gently kissed her right cheek, the one without the red hand.
The
next day the couple went to Aylmer's laboratory where he had made all
his famous discoveries. Georgiana would live in a beautiful room he had
prepared nearby, while he worked tirelessly in his lab. One by one,
Aylmer tried a series of powerful experiments on his wife. But the mark
remained.
Georgiana waited in her room. She read through his
notebooks of scientific observations. She could not help see that many
of his experiments had ended in failure. She decided to see for herself
the scientist at work.
The first thing that struck Georgiana when
entering the laboratory was the hot furnace. From the amount of soot
above it, it seemed to have been burning for ages. She saw machines,
tubes, cylinders and other containers for chemical experiments. What
most drew her attention was Aylmer himself. He was nervous and pale as
death as he worked on preparing a liquid.
Georgiana realized that her husband had been hiding his tension and fear.
"Think
not so little of me that you cannot be honest about the risks we are
taking," she said. "I will drink whatever you make for me, even if it is
a poison."
"My dear, nothing shall be hidden," Aylmer said. "I
have already given you chemicals powerful enough to change your entire
physical system. Only one thing remains to be tried and if that fails,
we are ruined!"
He led her back to her room where she waited once
more, alone with her thoughts. She hoped that for just one moment she
could satisfy her husband's highest ideals. But she realized then that
his mind would forever be on the march, always requiring something
newer, better and more perfect.
Hours later, Aylmer returned carrying a crystal glass with a colorless liquid.
"The chemical process went perfectly," he said. "Unless all my science has tricked me, it cannot fail."
To
test the liquid, he placed a drop in the soil of a dying flower growing
in a pot in the room. In a few moments, the plant became healthy and
green once more.
"I do not need proof," Georgiana said quietly.
"Give me the glass. I am happy to put my life in your hands." She drank
the liquid and immediately fell asleep.
Aylmer sat next to his
wife, observing her and taking notes. He noted everything -- her
breathing, the movement of an eyelid. He stared at the birthmark. And
slowly, with every breath that came and went, it lost some of its
brightness.
"By Heaven! It is nearly gone," said Aylmer. "Success! Success!"
He
opened the window coverings to see her face in daylight. She was so
pale. Georgiana opened her eyes and looked into the mirror her husband
held. She tried to smile as she saw the barely visible mark.
"My
poor Aylmer," she said gently. "You have aimed so high. With so high and
pure a feeling, you have rejected the best the Earth could offer. I am
dying, dearest."
It was true. The hand on her face had been her
link to life. As the last trace of color disappeared from her cheek, she
gave her last breath.
Blinded by a meaningless imperfection and
an impossible goal, Aylmer had thrown away her life and with it his
chance for happiness. In trying to improve his lovely wife, he had
failed to realize she had been perfect all along.
"The Birthmark"
was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It was adapted and produced by Dana
Demange. Your storyteller was Barbara Klein.

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