FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121  
122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   >>   >|  
No, you needn't point your middle finger at me so, to ward off the evil eye. I'm neither Chaldean astrologer, nor Etruscan soothsayer. Come, tell me who you are, and whom you belong to?" Artemisia did not have the least idea what to say. Agias, partly through youthful love of adventure, partly because he felt that he was playing now for very high stakes and must risk a good deal, had thrown himself on the divan, and was holding Artemisia captive under his keen, genial eyes. She grew redder in face than before, began to speak, then broke off with more confused blushes. "She means to say," finally ventured Sesostris, "that she is Artemisia, the niece of Pratinas." "The niece of Pratinas!" exclaimed Agias, settling himself upon the cushions in a manner that indicated his intention to make a prolonged stay; "and does Pratinas keep his pretty niece shut up in a gloomy tenement, when she has the voice of one of the Graces, and more than their share of beauty! Shame on him; I thought he had better sense than that!" "Sir," ventured Artemisia, trying desperately to stand on her dignity, "I do not know you. My uncle will be greatly vexed to find you here. Will you go away at once?" "That I will not," replied Agias, firmly; and he drew from the hamper a baker's bun, and began to munch it, as though laying in provision for a lengthy stay. Artemisia and Sesostris exchanged glances of dismay. "What _shall_ I do?" said the girl to the Ethiop in a very audible whisper. "Sing," interrupted Agias. "Let me hear the rest of the Theocritus." "I don't like to sing those songs," objected Artemisia. "Pratinas makes me, I don't know why." "Well," said Agias, smiling, "I wouldn't for the-world make you sing against your will. Suppose you tell me about yourself. Tell me when your uncle is away, and when I may come and see you again." "He's away nearly all the time," said Artemisia, very incautiously. "But _who are_ you? Why do you want to come and see me?" "Why do I want to look at a flower? Why do I want to hear the nightingale sing? Why do I like a cup of good wine?" laughed Agias. "Then, fair mistress, you may look for my answer when _you_ have answered all of these questions of mine." "I don't see what you mean," said poor Artemisia, looking dreadfully puzzled. "I mean," exclaimed the other, "what Sappho meant of the bride,-- 'She like an apple turned red; which reddens far up on the tree-top:-- Upon t
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121  
122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Artemisia
 

Pratinas

 

Sesostris

 

ventured

 

exclaimed

 
partly
 
provision
 

Theocritus

 
laying
 

objected


lengthy

 

hamper

 
firmly
 

audible

 
whisper
 

replied

 
exchanged
 
Ethiop
 

glances

 

interrupted


dismay

 

dreadfully

 

puzzled

 

Sappho

 

answer

 

answered

 

questions

 

reddens

 

turned

 

mistress


Suppose

 
smiling
 

wouldn

 

laughed

 

nightingale

 
incautiously
 

flower

 
Graces
 

stakes

 
playing

adventure
 

thrown

 
redder
 
genial
 

holding

 

captive

 
youthful
 

finger

 
middle
 

Chaldean