Белая птичка
A Confirmed Spinster
Not,indeed,thatIamaknave;Iamtolerablykind,Ibelieve,andmostinoffensive,agentleman,Itrust,evenintheeyesoftheladieswhosmileatmeasweconverse;theyareanever-increasingnumber,orsoitseemstometo-night.Ah,ladies,IforgetwhenIfirstbegantonoticethatsmileandtobemadeuneasybyit.IthinkIunderstanditnow,andinsomevaguewayithurtsme.IfindthatIwatchforitnowadays,butIhopeIamstillyourloyal,obedientservant.
Youwillscarcelycreditit,butIhavejustrememberedthatIoncehadafascinatingsmileofmyown.Whathasbecomeofmysmile?IswearIhavenotnoticedthatitwasgonetillnow;Iamlikeonewhorevisitinghisschoolfeelssuddenlyforhisoldknife.Ifirstheardofmysmilefromanotherboy,whosesistershadconsideredallthesmilestheyknewandplacedmineontop.Myfriendwasscornful,andIbribedhimtomentiontheplebiscitetonoone,butsecretlyIwaselatedandamazed.Ifeellostto-nightwithoutmysmiles.Iroseamomentagotolookforitinmymirror.
Iliketobelievethatshehasitnow.Ithinkshemayhavesomeotherforgottentriflesofminewithitthatmakethedifferencebetweenthatmanandthis.
