It just
reveals the low breed of them; they think death the worst thing,
therefore the greatest punishment. But Angelo prays for death,
that it may hide him from his shame: it is too good for him, and he
shall not have it. He must live to remove the shame from Mariana.
And then see how Lucio is served!"
While Malcolm talked, Lenorme went on painting diligently, listening
and saying nothing. When he had thus ended, a pause of some duration
followed.
"A goddess has a right to claim that one thing--has she not,
Mr Lenorme?" said Malcolm at length, winding up a silent train of
thought aloud.
"What thing?" asked Lenorme, still without lifting his head.
"Purity in the arms a man holds out to her," answered Malcolm.
"Certainly," replied Lenorme, with a sort of mechanical absoluteness.
"And according to your picture, every woman whom a man loves is a
goddess--the goddess of nature?"
"Certainly;--but what are you driving at? I can't paint for you.
There you stand," he went on, half angrily, "as if you were Socrates
himself, driving some poor Athenian buck into the corner of his
deserts! I don't deserve any such insinuations, I would have you
know."
"I am making none, sir. I dare never insinuate except I were
prepared to charge. But I have told you I was bred up a fisher lad,
and partly among the fishers, to begin with.
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