Moths by Ouida — page 257: what you’re looking at

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

Be White 3 en Je “om ©. ’ os 'MOTHS.. | 258. Zourofft blazed into a sullen passion, at which Madame de Son- aaz laughed, as was her wont, and turned her back on him, and ughted a cigar. | ‘* After all,” she said, ‘‘ what silly words we use! Duty!— honor!—obligation! ‘ Tout cela est si purement geographique,’ as was said at Marly longago. I read the other day of Albania, in which it is duty to kill forty men for one, and of another country in which it is duty for a widow to marry all her brothers-in-law. Let us hope our Vera’s views of geography will never change.” They were standing together in one of the long alleys of the forest, which was resounding with the baying of hounds and the shouting of beaters. For all reply Sergius Zouroff put his rifle to his shoulder; a bear was being driven down the drive. ‘A mov!” cried Madamé Jeanne. The great brown mass came thundering through the brushwood, and came into their sight; she raised her gun, and sent a bullet through its forehead, and snatched Zouroft’s breech-loader from him, and fired again. The bear dropped; there was a quick convulsive movement of allits paws, then it was still forever. ‘*T wish I could have married you!” cried Zouroff, enthusiast- ically. ‘‘ There is not another women in Europe who could have done that at such a distance as we are!” ‘* Mon vieux, we should have loathed each other,” said Madame Jeanne, in no way touched by the compliment. ‘‘In a conjugal capacity I much prefer my good Paul.” Zouroff laughed—restored to good humor—and drew his hunt- ing-knife to give the customary stroke for surety to her victim. The day was beautiful in the deep green gloom and balmy soli- tude of the forest, which was chiefly of pines. ‘¢ Sport is very stupid,” said Madame Jeanne, blowing her ivory horn to call the keepers. ‘‘ Vera is employing her time much bet- ter, Iam sure; she is reading metaphysics, or looking at her or- chids, or studying Nihilism.” | ‘‘Let me forget for a momeut that Vera exists,” said her hus- band, with his steel in the bear’s throat. Vere was studying Nihilism, or what has led to it, which comes to the same thing. The only town near Svir was one of great importance, a few miles inland, whose citizens were chiefly timber-traders, or own- ers of trading-ships, that went to and from the Baltic. It had some churches, some schools, some war of sects, and it had of late been in evil odor with the government for suspected socialist doctrines. ‘ It had been warned, punished, purified, but of late was supposed to have sinned again, and the hand of the Third _ Section had fallen heavily upon it. ! Vere this day rode over to it to visit one of its hospitals; her mother and other ladies drove there to purchase sables and — marten skins. | ) Lady Dolly had been so near—-at Carlsbad, a mere trifle of a few hundred miles—that she had been unable to resist the temp- tation of running over for a peep at Svir, which she was dying to) see, so she averred. She was as pretty as ever. She had changed the color of her curls, but that prevents monotony ot \ -- -comicboo <=