Moths by Ouida — page 147: what you’re looking at

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

MOTHS. 143 CHAPTER XV. | In the chilly spring weather, Lady Dolly, sitting on one chair with her pretty little feet on another chair, was at Hurlingham, ~ watching the opening match of the year and saying to her friend Lady Stoat of Stitchley, “‘Oh, my dear, yes, it is so sad, but you know my sweet child never was quite like other people—never: will be, I am afraid. And she never did care for me. It was all that horrid old woman, who brought her up so strangely, and divided her entirely from me in every way, and made qa perfect Methodist of her, really a Methodist! If Vere were not so ex- quisitely pretty she would be too ridiculous, As she is so hand- some, men don’t abuse her so much as they would if she were only just nice-looking. But she is very, very odd; and it is so horrible to be odd. I would really sooner have her ugly. She is so odd. Never would speak to me of the birth and death of her baby. Could you believe it? Not a word! not a word! What would you feel if Gwendolin—— Goodness! the duke and Fred have tied. Is it true, Colonel Rochfort? Yes? Thanks. A pencil one moment; thanks. Ah, you never bet, Adine, do you? But, really, pigeon-shooting’s very stupid if you don’t. Talking of bets, Colonel Rochfort, try and get ‘two monkeys’ for me on Tambour-Battant to-morrow, will you? I’ve been told a thing about his trainer; it will be quite safe, quite. As I was saying, dear, she never would speak to me about that poor, little, lost cherub. Was it not sad—terrible? Of course, she will have plenty of others; but, still, never to sorrow for it at all—so un- natural! Zouroff felt it much more; he has grown very nice, really very nice. Ah! that bird has got away; the Lords will lose, I am afraid, after all. Ah, my dear Lesterel, how are you? What are they saying of my child in your Paris?” The Marquis de Lesterel, secretary of legation, bowed smiling. “Madame la Princesse has turned the head of ‘tout Paris.’ It was too cruel of you, madame; had you not already done mischief enough to men, that you must distract them with atk loveliness in your daughter?’’ ‘All that is charming, and goes for nothing,” said Lady Dolly, | eood-humoredly. “I know Vera is handsome; but does she take? Hst-ce qu'elle a du charme? That is much more.” “But certainly!” rejoined the French marquis, with much emphasis: “she is very cold, it is true, which leave us all lament- ing: and nothing, or very little at least, seems to interest her.” “Precisely what I expected!’”? said Lady Dolly, despairingly. “Then she has not du charme. Nobody has who is not amused easily and amused often.”’ ‘Pardon!’ said the marquis. ‘‘There is charme and charme. There is that of the easily accessible and of the inaccessible, of the rosebud and of the edelweiss.”’ “Does she make many friends there?’ she continued, pursuing her inquiries, curiosity masked as maternal interest. ‘“‘Many women-friends, I mean; I am so afraid Vera does not like women much, and there is nothing that looks so unamiable,” <5 comicbhboo