DOI article:
Cross, Victoria: Theodora: a fragment
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21805#0180
Theodora
176
And he stretched out a limp-covered pocket-album of mine.
I reddened slightly and tried to intercept his hand.
“ Nonsense, Digby. Give the book to me,” I said ; but
Theodora had already taken it, and she looked at me as I spoke
with one of those delicious looks of hers that could speak so clearly.
Now it seemed to say, “ If you are going to love me, you must
have no secrets from me.” She opened the book and I was
subdued and let her. I did not much care, except that it was
some time now since I had looked at it, and I did not know what
she might find in it. However, Theodora was so different from
girls generally, that it did not greatly matter.
“ Perhaps these are portraits of'your different conquests amongst
the Ranees, are they ? ” she said. “ I don’t see c my victims,’
though, written across the outside as the Frenchmen write on
their albums.”
cc No,” I said, with a smile, cc I think these are only portraits of
men whose appearance struck me. The great difficulty is to
persuade any Mohammedan to let you draw him.”
The very first leaf she turned seemed to give the lie to my
words. Against a background of yellow sand and blue sky, stood
out a slight figure in white, bending a little backward, and holding
in its hands, extended on either side, the masses of its black hair
that feil through them, tili they touched the sand by its feet.
Theodora threw a side-glance full of derision on me, as she raised
her eyes from the page.
cc I swear it isn’t,” I said hastily, colouring, for I saw she
thought it was a woman. “ It’s a young Sikh I bribed to let
me paint him.”
“ Oh, a young Sikh, is it ? ” said Theodora, bending over the
book again. “ Well it’s a lovely face ; and what beautiful hair ! ”
“ Yes, almost as beautiful as yours,” I murmured, in safety, for
the
176
And he stretched out a limp-covered pocket-album of mine.
I reddened slightly and tried to intercept his hand.
“ Nonsense, Digby. Give the book to me,” I said ; but
Theodora had already taken it, and she looked at me as I spoke
with one of those delicious looks of hers that could speak so clearly.
Now it seemed to say, “ If you are going to love me, you must
have no secrets from me.” She opened the book and I was
subdued and let her. I did not much care, except that it was
some time now since I had looked at it, and I did not know what
she might find in it. However, Theodora was so different from
girls generally, that it did not greatly matter.
“ Perhaps these are portraits of'your different conquests amongst
the Ranees, are they ? ” she said. “ I don’t see c my victims,’
though, written across the outside as the Frenchmen write on
their albums.”
cc No,” I said, with a smile, cc I think these are only portraits of
men whose appearance struck me. The great difficulty is to
persuade any Mohammedan to let you draw him.”
The very first leaf she turned seemed to give the lie to my
words. Against a background of yellow sand and blue sky, stood
out a slight figure in white, bending a little backward, and holding
in its hands, extended on either side, the masses of its black hair
that feil through them, tili they touched the sand by its feet.
Theodora threw a side-glance full of derision on me, as she raised
her eyes from the page.
cc I swear it isn’t,” I said hastily, colouring, for I saw she
thought it was a woman. “ It’s a young Sikh I bribed to let
me paint him.”
“ Oh, a young Sikh, is it ? ” said Theodora, bending over the
book again. “ Well it’s a lovely face ; and what beautiful hair ! ”
“ Yes, almost as beautiful as yours,” I murmured, in safety, for
the