Moths by Ouida — page 236: what you’re looking at

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

99 Saad MOTHS nakedness of vice much sooner than they ever will those stam less robes you share with the children and the angels?” | He ceased; eloguence when he was moved was habitual as song had been to him in his childhood when he had gathered his sheep and goats on the green alp. He paused abruptly, because, had he spoken more, he would have uttered words that could never have been recalled, words that would have been set forever between them like a gulf of flame. Vere had listened; her face had flushed a little, then had grown paler than was even usual to her. She understood now well enough—too well; an intense sweetness and a vague shame came to her with his words—the one that he should read her soul so clearly, the other that he should know her path so dark, her fate so hateful. She gathered the wood-flowers together and rose. ‘Tam fai from the angels, and you think too well of me,” she said, with a tremor in her voice. ‘*‘I think the sun is setting; it grows late.” Correze rose, with a sigh, to his feet. and raised her hat from the ground. ‘Yes, It will soon be dark,—very dark to me. Princess, will car of what I said? will you be on your guard with your oes?” ‘Who are they?” : ) ‘* All women, most men. In a word, a world that is not fit for your footsteps.” | Vere was silent, thinking. ‘*T have more courage than insight,” she said, with a little amile, at last; ‘‘and it is easier ta me to endure than to influence. I think I influence noone, It must bemy fault. They say lam wanting in sympathy.” ‘* Nay, the notes around you are too coarse to strike an echo _ from you: thatis all. You have a perfect sympathy with all that is noble, but they never give you that.” ‘* Let us move quickly: the sun is set,” she said, as she took her hat from him, and walked on down the forest-road. Neither spoke. Ina little time they had reached the sluices, were the imprisoned timbers lay awaiting the weekly rush of the waters. There a little low carriage with some mountain- ponies, lent her by the court, was awaiting her. Keeping his wild blossoms of the forests in one hand, she gave him the other, | *< [shall see you to-morrow?” she asked, with the frank sim- plicity and directness of her nature. He hesitated a moment, then answered, ‘*‘ To-night Igo up in- to the Thorstein ice-fields; we may be away some days; but when I come down from the mountains, yes; certainly yes, madame,, I will have the honor of saluting you once more. And I will. brin & you some edelweiss, It isthe flower they call you after in aris. . ‘* Do they? I did not know it. Adieu.” } _Her little postilion, ¢ boy from the Imperial stebles, with e silver horn and a ribboned and tasseled dress, cracked his whip, “y- -CO 4 f ' | comicbooks . : és f P V4 vé)