Quotation from: Villette

Written by: Charlotte Bronte


The bonne turned again to survey me, and seeing my eyes wide open,
and, I suppose, deeming their expression perturbed and excited, she
put down her knitting. I saw her busied for a moment at a little
stand; she poured out water, and measured drops from a phial: glass in
hand, she approached me. What dark-tinged draught might she now be
offering? what Genii-elixir or Magi-distillation?


It was too late to inquire--I had swallowed it passively, and at once.
A tide of quiet thought now came gently caressing my brain; softer and
softer rose the flow, with tepid undulations smoother than balm. The
pain of weakness left my limbs, my muscles slept. I lost power to
move; but, losing at the same time wish, it was no privation. That
kind bonne placed a screen between me and the lamp; I saw her rise to
do this, but do not remember seeing her resume her place: in the
interval between the two acts, I "fell on sleep."

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Old Dominion University CS Dept
Designed by Joan A. Smith for the CRATE project
Created: 2007-2-22T12:35:29Z
Part of the CratePreservation Project
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Part of a series of experiments in web preservation under the direction of Michael L. Nelson, Ph.D.