floral oil painting

He rose and came towards me, and I saw his face all kindled, and
his full falcon-eye flashing, and tenderness and passion in every
lineament. I quailed momentarily- then I rallied. Soft scene, daring
demonstration, I would not have; and I stood in peril of both: a
weapon of defence must be prepared- I whetted my tongue: as he reached
me, I asked with asperity, 'whom he was going to marry now?'
'That was a strange question to be put by his darling Jane.'
'Indeed! I considered it a very natural and necessary one: he had
talked of his future wife dying with him. What did he mean by such a
pagan idea? I had no intention of dying with him- he might depend on
that.'

'Oh, all he longed, all he prayed for, was that I might live with
him! Death was not for such as I.'
'Indeed it was: I had as good a right to die when my time came as
he had: but I should bide that time, and not be hurried away in a
suttee.'
'Would I forgive him for the selfish idea, and prove my pardon by a
reconciling kiss?'
'No: I would rather be excused.'
Here I heard myself apostrophised as a 'hard little thing'; and
it was added, 'any other woman would have been melted to marrow at
hearing such stanzas crooned in her praise.'