Moths by Ouida — page 189: what you’re looking at

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

MOTHS. i 4186 the train ran through the level green country towards Calvados, he said with good-humored gallantry to his wife— ‘* You have not invited me, Vera. The placeis yours, I have no business in it unless you wish for me.” | _ “The place is always yours, and I am yours,” she answered in a low tone. , From a woman who had loved him the words would have been tender; from her, they were but an acknowledgment of being purchased. His humor changed as he heard them; his face grew dark; he devoted himself to Madame Jeanne, who was traveling with them; she had refused to stay at Felicite, however, and haa taken for herself the little Chalet Ludoff at Trouville. ‘** You are a bear; but she makes you dance, Sergius,” whis- pered the duchess, with malice. Zouroft frowned. ‘* Bears do something besides dancing,” he muttered. ‘Yes; they eat honey,” replied Madame de Sonnaz. ‘* You have had more honey than was good for you all your days. Now you have got something that is not honey.” Vere, with her delicate straight profile against the light, sat looking at the green fields and the blue sky, and did not hear what was said. ‘* If she cared, or rather if she understood,” thought the Duch- esse Jeanne, as she glanced at her, ‘*she would rule him instead of being ruled; she could do it; but she would have to keep the bear on hot plates—as I did.” Zouroif, screened behind ‘‘ Figaro,” looked from one woman to the other, i ‘‘How grand dame she is!” he thought. ‘‘ Beside her Jeanne looks bizarre, ugly, almost vulgar, And yet Vera bores me when she does not enrage me, and enrages me whenshe does not bore me; while with the other, one is always on good terms with one’s self.” ‘¢ 1 know what you were thinking, my friend,” whispered the duchess under cover of the noise and twilight of the Martainville tunnel. -‘‘ But all the difference, I assure you, is that she is your wife and Iam Paul’s. If she were not your wife you-would be furiously in love with her, and were I your wife you wonld find me a chatte enragee with frightful greén eyes.” et Zourofi laughed grimly. He did not tell her that his thoughts pee been less complimentary than those she had attributed to paae rz ‘‘T could find it in me to tell you your eyes were green when you spite me by not coming to Felicite,” he murmured instead. Madame Jeanne twisted the ‘“‘ Figaro” about, and said, *‘ Chut! We shall meet more freely at the little Ludoff house.” Vere only heard the rustling of the ‘‘ Figaro” sheet. She was looking at the clock-tower of St. Tourin and the summer glory of the forest of Evreux. . Madame Jeanne stayed at Trouville. Vere, with her husband, drove in the panier, with four white ponies, that awaited them at the station, along the shady avenue that leads out of the val- ley of the Tourque toward Villers. The sunshine was brillant, cS) (ee) - 4 we { ’ nv a tea ; wth ,* ran tris " (e(@) mn (Cc 200 - ‘ f x , a2 “an OP ie AES sy 3 1A t Z ] - 4