A Parisian Romance — page 119: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

110 A PARISIAN ROMANCE. declarations, rolling up the whites of your eyes? By the way, you should conquer that habit, it is not becoming.” She crossed the room with the free, graceful step which was peculiar to her and which betrayed her profession, seated herself nonchalantly on the arm of a chair, and then asked in the most matter-of- fact manner possible: “If you adore me, as you pretend to do, what prevents your marrying me?” The baron chuckled gleefully. “She is charming, absolutely charming!” he ex- claimed. “Why, my wife, first of all.” “Your wife? Pooh!” replied Rosa, disrespect- fully, sweeping back her gorgeous draperies of silk and lace, and displaying one slender arched foot. “That is an absurd reason, my dear baron. You know, as well as I do, that we have divorce in France now. Your wife is no obstacle, therefore. I have not the honor of her acquaintance. But, like most fashionable women, she must be inclined at times to take the bit in her mouth, to make use of a horsey expression. You will be delighted to be rid of her, and Iam sure that the joy will be reciprocal.” “You are right,” said the baron, drawing closer to where she sat, “and who knows what may happen some day.” The doctor smlied grimly beneath his grizzled mustache. He was pretty confident that Rosa was too fond of her liberty to barter it away even for a GEomicbooks. com