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Ziska by Marie Corelli
page 97 of 240 (40%)
and taking his palette in hand, he began dabbing on the colors,
talking between whiles.

"Do you suppose," he said, keeping his voice carefully subdued,
"that you can intimidate me by showing me a score of wretched
black rascals whom you have placed on guard to defend you out
there? And why did you place them on guard? You must have been
afraid of me! Pardieu! I could snatch you out of their midst, if I
chose! You do not know me; if you did, you would understand that
not all the world, armed to the teeth should balk me of my
desires! But I have been too hasty--that I own,--I can wait." He
raised his eyes and saw that she was listening with an air of
amused indifference. "I shall have to mix strange tints in your
portrait, ma belle! It is difficult to find the exact hue of your
skin--there is rose and brown in it; and there is yet another
color which I must evolve while working,--and it is not the hue of
health. It is something dark and suggestive of death; I hope you
are not destined to an early grave! And yet, why not? It is better
that a beautiful woman should die in her beauty than live to
become old and tiresome ..."

"You think that?" interrupted the Ziska suddenly, smiling somewhat
coldly.

"I do, most honestly. Had I lived in the early days of
civilization, when men were allowed to have as many women as they
could provide for, I would have mercifully killed any sweet
favorite as soon as her beauty began to wane. A lovely woman, dead
in her first exquisite youth,--how beautiful a subject for the
mind to dwell upon! How it suggests all manner of poetic fancies
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