"I care as much
for my beauty as you for your fame. And I hold you to your promise. I was
to be first, and I shall be first. I haven't yet begun to live. You have
barely finished your experiments, and now you're planning my ruin. I will
not be balked."
"I vill not be balked by such selfishness," screamed Prof. Darmstetter,
his parchment face livid with rage; "_I_ vill be master of my own
vork."
My beauty! My hold on life and power and success and love! My only hope of
Ned, if he loves me--and God knows whether he does or no! See such beauty
multiplied by the thousand, the million? Never!
I forced myself to be calm. My anger left me in a moment. I knew how
useless it was, and I remembered that he himself had armed me for my
protection. I smiled and held out both my hands to him, and I could see
him falter as he looked.
"Look at me!" I said. My voice was a marvel even to myself, so rich and
full and musical! "Look at me! Of what use was it to make me beautiful if
you are now to make me unhappy? Ah, I beg of you, I implore you, don't be
just, but be kind! Let me have my own way and see--oh, see how I shall
thank you!"
His face changed as I moved toward him with a coaxing smile, and dropped
my hands on his shoulders.
Pages:
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274