Moths by Ouida — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

MOTHS. One e them back. She was full of pain because her mother did not care for her; but, indeed, why should she care? said Vere to her- self; they had been so little together. She looked, almost without seeing it at first, at the picture underneath her,—the stream, which gradually swelled and grew larger, of beautifully-dressed fairy-like women, whose laughter every now and then echoed up to her. It was one unbroken current of harmonious color, rolled out like a brilliant ribbon on the fawn-colored sand against the azure sea. ‘“And have they all nothing to do but to enjoy themselves?” = thought Vere. It seemed so. If Black Care were anywhere at Trouville, as it was everywhere. else in the world, it took pains to wear a face like the rest and read its ‘‘ Figaro.” She heard the door underneath unclose, and from underneath the green veranda she saw her mother saunter out. Three other ladies were with her, and halfa dozen men. They were talking and laughing all at once, no one waiting to be listened to or seeming to expect it; they walked across the beach and satdown, | They put up gorgeous sunshades and outspread huge fans; they were all twitter, laughter, color, mirth. All this going to and fro of gay people, the patter of feet and flutter of petticoats, amused the girl to watch almost as muchas if she had been amidst it. There were such a sparkle of sea, such a radiance of sunshine, such a rainbow of color, that, though it would have composed ill for a landscape, it made a pretty | panorama. x Vere watched it, conjecturing in a youthful, fanciful, ignorant way all kinds of things about the persons who seemed so happy there. When she had gazed for about twenty minutes, making her eyes ache and getting tired, one of them especially attracted her attention by the way in which people all turned after him as he passed, and the delight that his greeting appeared to cause those with whom he lingered. He was a man of such remark- able personal beauty that this alone might have been cause enough for the eager welcome of the listless ladies; but there was even a greater charm in his perfect grace of movement and vivacity and airy ease; he stayed little time with any one, but wherever he loitered a moment appeared to be the center of all smiles. She did not know that he was her admirer of the noon- day, who had looked at her as he had sauntered along in his bathing-shroud and his white shoes; but she watched the easy graceful attitudes of him with interest as hefcast himself down on the sand, leaning on his elbow, by a group of fair women, ‘ “Can you tell me who that gentleman is?” she asked of her mother’s head-maid, the inimitable Adrienne. Adrienne looked and smiled. ut ** Oh, that is M. de Correze.” : | ‘‘Correze!” Vere’s eyes opened ina blaze of eager wonder, rf and the color rose in her pale cheeks. /‘‘Correze! Are you hi mpl sure?” | his namemmamntamimtee SC CAA tN ‘‘But yes, I am quite sure,” laughed Adrienne. ‘‘ Does mad | emoiselle feel emotion at the sight of him? She is only like alk others of her sex, Ah! le beau Correze!” , vie ‘comicbooks.com