Moths by Ouida — page 256: what you’re looking at

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

a ‘ ; y iy “9 by ~ 4 . ; ae : tS ‘ ‘ : 3 Mut arg : r ys ~ hy 7 ” , ’ a =. rn p ( yy e “f, , if : : r ; > + * x @ That the presence of Madame de Sonnazat Svir was as great an insult to her as that of Noisette in the Kermesse pavilion never entered her thoughts. She only as yet knew very imperfectly her world. ' “Ttis well sheis beautiful, for she is only a bit of still life,” said Prince Zouroff, very contemptuously, to some one who com- plimented him upon his wife’s loveliness. When she received their Imperial guests;at the foot of her staircase, with a great bouquet of lilies of the valley and orchids in her hand, she was a perfectly beautiful picture against the ebony and malachite of the balustrade; that he granted; but she might as well have been made of marble for aught of interest or animation that she showed. It angered him bitterly that the luxury and extravagance with which she was surrounded did not impress her more. It was so ~ very difficult to hurt a woman who cared for so little; her indif- “ae seemed to remove her thousands of leagues away from m. ‘‘You see it is of no use to be angry with her,” he said to his confidante, Madame Jeanne. ‘* You do not move her, She remains tranquil. She does not oppose you, but neither does she alter. She is like the snow, that is so white and still and softs but the snow is stronger than you: 1t will not stop for ou. f Madame Jeanne laughed a little. ‘‘ My poor Sergius! you would marry!” ' Zourott was silent; his eyebrows were drawn together in moody meditation. ) Why had he married? he wondered. Because a child’s coldness and a child’s rudeness had made her loveliness greuter for a mo- ment in his sight than any other. Because, also, for Vere, base as his passion had been, it had been more nearly redeemed by tenderness than anything he had evergknown. ‘* The snow is very still, it is true,” said Madame Jeanne, mus- ingly, ‘‘ but it can rise in a very wild tourmente sometimes. You must have seen that a thousand times.” ‘¢ And you mean——?”’ said Zouroff, turning his eyes on her, _. “IT meant that [think our sweet Verais just the person to ‘ have a coup de tete. and to forget everything in it.” ** She will never forget what is due to me,” said Zouroff, angrily and roughly. : . Madame de Sonnaz laughed. ** Do you fancy she cares about that? What she does think of ~~ is what is due to herself.. I diways told you she is the type of | woman that one never sees now—the woman whois chaste out ~~ of self-respect. It is admirable, it is exquisite, but all the same ‘ it is invulnerable; because it is only a finer sort of egotism.” 12a “She will never forget her duty,” said her husband, peremp- — _ torily, as though,closing the discussion. ° ) ae *‘ Certainly not,” assented his friend; ‘not as long as it ap- ) pears duty to her. But her ideas of duty may change; who can a “oe And, mon cher, you do not very often remember yoursto } ~ f * ‘ - F , oy > comicboo <s.com | @ Att - % 5 ’ a ‘a ‘ + fia / 2 rf ie Pt a basi ie - evi ,; . is , :