THE PIRATES OF SEGXA. 307 



his gaze from the canvas. " Hush, maestro ! I be- 

 seech you. Question me not, for Heaven's sake ! I 

 cannot spare a word in reply. The original," con- 

 tinued he, after a hrief interval of close attention to 

 his object, and drawing as he spoke " the original is 

 still firmly fixed in my memory. I see its sharp out- 

 lines clear within me, and, as you well know and oft 

 have told me, a feature lost is lost for ever. Alas ! 

 alas ! those lines and angles around the mouth are 

 already fading into shadow." 



After he had thrown out these words, from time 

 to time, like interjections, and with Venetian rapidity 

 of utterance, nothing was audible in the saloon for 

 some minutes but the young artist's sharp and rapid 

 strokes upon the canvas. 



" Xo more of this, Antonio ! " at length exclaimed 

 the old painter with energy, after gazing for some 

 time at the gradual appearance of an old woman's 

 lean and wrinkled features, dried up and yellow as if 

 one of the dead, and yet lighted up by a pair of dark 

 deep-set eyes, which seemed to blaze with supernatural 

 life and lustre. At each touch of the artist, this 

 mummy-like and unearthly visage was brought out 

 into sharper and more disgusting relief, when Con- 

 tarini, no longer able to control his indignation, dashed 

 the charcoal from his pupil's hand. " Apage, Satan- 

 as ! " he shouted, " thy talent hath a devil in it. I 

 see his very hoof-print in that horrible design." 



Startled by this unexpected violence, the young 



