Moths by Ouida — page 197: what you’re looking at

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

MOTHS. at: knew me, and asked for you all. He said he would only gtsy here an hour on his way to Paris, but would soon be back agzain, and then would come and see you. They took all my fish atthe Roches Noires, just at a word from him to the porter in the hall.” ‘* Tiens!” said the old woman, thoughtfully, and she kept her thoughts to herself. ‘* Where have you been, O ma belle matinale?” said the Duch- esse Jeanne, as Vere went up the steps of the sea-terrace to enter the anteroom of Felicite, where the duchess, just down-stairs at twelve o’clock, was breathing the morning air in the most charm- ing of dressing--gowns—a miracle of swams’ down and old Mech- lin, with a knot here and there of her favorite cardinal red. Zouroff was with her; both were smoking. af I have been a long drive,” answered Vere: ‘‘ you know Irise early.” ‘* Where did you go?” asked Zouroff, brusquely. ‘I object to those senseless long drives in the country.” ‘*T went as far as Villerville,” she answered. ‘‘I went to see a few fisher-people that live on the coast near there.” The hour before she would havesaid it without any other thought than what her words expressed. Now her remembrance of what the woman had said of Correze made her hesitate a little; and a certain color came into her face, that both her husband and her guest noticed. It seemed to the exquisite and loyal truthfulness of her temper that she had been guilty of a thing even meaner than a falsehood—a reservation. ‘‘Tt was where I lost my way the first day I was with my mother,” she said, and turned to her husband, as making the ex- cases only tohim. ‘‘Perhaps you remember? Every one aughed about it at the time.” ‘‘T think I remember,” said Zouroff, moodily. ‘‘It could scarcely be worth a pilgrimage.” ‘Unless she have a carte tendre du pays,” said the duchess, with a little laugh. ‘‘Oh, a million pardons, my sweet Vera; you never permit a jest, I know.” | | ‘‘T permit any jest if it be witty and have no offense in it,” said Vere, very coldly. ‘‘If you and the prince will allow me, I will go in-doors: I am a little tired and dusty, and Loris is more than a little.” | ‘‘“You had no intention in what you said, Jeanne?” muttered Zouroff to his companion, when Vere had entered the house. ‘* You cannot possibly mean——” ‘‘Mean! Of your pearl of women, your white swan, your em- blem of ice? Whatshould I mean? It amused me to see herlook angry; that is all. I assure you, if you made her angry much oftener, she would amuse you much more. Do you know, do you know, mon vieux, I should not be in the least surprised if, a few years later, you were to become a jealous husband! How funny it will be! But really you look quite Oriental in your wrath just now. Beangry more often. Believe me, your wife will entertain you more—especially as she will never deserve it.” Leaving that recipe behind her, fraught with all the peril it might bear, Madame Jeanne dragged her muslins and her Mech, : comicbooks