Moths by Ouida — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

14) - MOTHS. and angered with all his ways of life, yet knew that he would ne more change them than will swine change theirs. ‘‘- You have married a young saint. It is infinitely droll!” said the Duchesse de Sonnaz, who was always called by her society Madame Jeanne, one day to Sergius Zouroff, as he sat. with her ‘in her boudoir, that was full chinoiseries and Indian wares and Persian potteries. Jeanne de Sonnaz was a woman thirty-three years old, and had been one of the few really great ladies who had condescended to accept the Second Empire. Born of the spendid Maison de Merilhac, and. married to the head of the scarce less ancient Maison de Sonnaz, she belonged, root and branch, to the wievlle souche, and her people all went annually to bow the knee at Frohsdorf. But Madame Jeanne, wedded at sixteen to a man who was wax in her hands, had no fancy for sacrifice and seclu- sion for the sake of a shadow and a lily. She was a woman who loved admiration and who loved display. She had conde- scended to accept the Second Empire, because it was the millen- nium of these her twin passions. She had known that it would not last, but she had enjoyed it while it did. ‘‘ C’est un obus va s’eclater,” she had'always said, cheerfully, but meanwhile she had danced on the shell:till it exploded, and now danced on its debris, The Duchesse de Sonnaz dressed better than any living being, was charming, without having a good feature in her face, ex- cept her eyes, and was admired where Helen or Venus might have been overlooked. She was not very clever, but she was very malicious, which is more successful with society, and very violent, which is more successful with lovers. She had the power of being very agreeable.» Tothe young Princess Zouroff she made herself even unusually so. Vere did not notice that even a polite society could not help a | smile when it saw them together. ‘‘You have married a young saint. It is very droll,” the duchess now said, for the twentieth time, to Zouroff. ‘*‘ But do you know that I like her? Is not that very droll, too?” ‘“‘Tt is very fortunate for me,” said Zouroff, dryly, wondering if she were telling him a lie, and, if so, why she told one. She was not lying; though, when she had first heard of his in- tended marriage, she had been beside herself with rage, and had even rung violently for them to send her husband to her, that she might cry aloud to him, ‘‘ You never revenge yourself, but you must and you shall revenge me.” Fortunately for the peace of Europe, her husband was at the club, and by the time he had returned thence she had thought better of it. ‘ ‘What will you do with a saint?” she continued now. ‘It is not a thing for you. Itmust be like that White Swan in ‘Lohens rin.’ ” | ‘‘ She is stupid,” said Zouroff; ‘‘ but she is very honest.” ‘‘ How amusing a combination!” ‘*T do not see much of her,” Zouroff added, with an air of fatigue. ‘‘I think she will be always the same. She does not adapt herself. It is a pity her children should not live. She is the sort of woman to be a devoted mother.” hea a) i ; : | , : 3 4 7 - ‘¢ 4 bg i ' ok } . - ae | f MO) rte _ ’ é , ot’ - Af ‘ : wh rat Rigg eu as LP ae Pe 5 7 » ee t " as € J vy Wet oe yg A AS / “1 fies 4 7 yi *2 ; . : : - io) - ny” a ITR hee eh lie Ege ayy TL NAR SAT Ee) AAUP ay 1 ee Se RED YOA NG See ANA Boe Os ie I Meas Cid ie : Wee pin FM adds * PY, CIS di Aha. a a AP * We “ny eb ee | AY ase oe ; we) eee i! A feo stay lh ASEM ONT... Ce ; “s : * Ay Dae pg ea 4s fi wWeithu eS) of “EET wiitee Yes 7 aah Ly. HY Pa Fi wire, 144 ti OF ‘7s "tw fy e far BT it ke FE Pt ry rah Aves a oie * @ s “ : . art i ye’ y/™ T. ett * oe »