"La Vénus d'Ille" by Prosper Mérimée is a fantastical short story written in 1835 and published in 1837. Set in a small town in the Pyrénées-Orientales, the tale follows an archaeologist who visits a local antiquarian to examine a recently unearthed statue of Venus. The beautiful bronze figure seems to possess a sinister quality, having already caused mysterious accidents. As a wedding approaches, strange incidents multiply around the statue, and an ominous inscription warns: "Beware if she loves you." (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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