The Girl who was Tired of Love

"Leonard Merrick (1864 – 1939) was a well known English novelist, who was popular with the likes of such as H. G. Wells, J. M. Barrie, G. K. Chesterton and William Dean Howells. Many of his stories have, over the years, been adapted to the screen. J. M. Barrie called Merrick the ""novelist's novelist.""

In ""The Girl who was Tired of Love"", Merrick tells the story of a wealthy widow whose beauty has faded with age, and who struggles to accept herself in the role of an old woman. One day she loses a valuable jewel and offers a substantial reward for the finder. A young and very beautiful young girl presents herself with the lost saphire to claim this finder's fee. She explains that the reward will enable her to buy a ticket to a village in Northern France where once a year the mysterious ""Face Exchange"" takes place. She hopes to sell her beauty for great riches. The wealthy widow is sceptical, but on investigation discovers that the miraculous face exchange really does take place... and so she makes a proposal to the young girl which both of them will live to regret....

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