Moths by Ouida — page 281: what you’re looking at

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

MOTHS. a, voi bi her salons and she thought, aiter all, one never new—— The next day Zouroff’s secretary sent his master’s card’ to the hotel where he learned that Correze was staying, and sent also an invitation to dinner at an early date. Correze sent his card in return, and a refusal of the invitation. based on the plea that he was leaving Nice. | | When he had written his refusal, Correze walked out into the _ street. He met point-blank a victoria with very gaudy liveries, and in the victoria, muffled in sables, sat a dark-skinned, ruby- lipped woman. The brilliant and insouciant face of Correze grew dark, and he frowned. The woman was Casse-une-Croute, ‘‘ The brute.” he muttered ~-‘If Isat at his table I should be choked—or I should choke him.” As he went on he heard the gay people in the street laughing, and saw them look after the gaudy liveries and the quadroon. ‘* His wife is much more beautiful, and as white as a lily,” one man said, ‘' That black thmg throws glasses and knives at him sometimes, they say.” ‘“T protected her from Noisette. I cannot protect her here,” thought Correze. ‘’ Perhaps she will not know it: God send her ignorance!” The talk of Nice was Casse-une-Croute, who had arrived but a week or so before. She had a villa in the town, she had her car- riage and horses from Paris, she spent about sixty napoleons a day, without counting what she lost at Monte Carlo; the city preferred her to any English peeress or German princess of them all. When the correspondents of journals of society sent their budgets from Nice and Monaco, they spoke first of all of Casse- une-Croute; the Princess Zouroff came far afterward with other great ladies-in their chronicles, When Casse-une-Croute after supper set fire to Prince Zouroff’s beard, and shot away her chandelier with a saloon pistol, her feats were admiringly recorded in type. Vere did not read those papers, so she knew nothing; and the ignorance Correze prayed for her remained with her; she did not even know that Casse-une- Croute was near her. A little later in that day Correze met Lady Dolly at Monte Carlo. She greeted him with effusion; he was courteous, but a. little cold. She felt it, but she would not notice it. ‘So you saved my Vere’s life yesterday, Correze?” she said, wee charming cordiality. ‘‘So like you! Alwaysin some beau role!” ‘‘It would be a beau role, indeed, to have saved the Princess Zouroff from any danger; but itis not forme. I warned her of the change in the weather; that was all,” “You are too modest. True courage always is. [think you rowed her boat home for her, didn’t you?” | ‘¢Part of the way—yes. The sea was heavy.” - She quite thinks you saved her life,” said Jizdy Dolly. ‘ My sweet Vera is always a little exaliee. you know ; you can see that ~ a 7 4 a * f ‘comicboo me / ~ (Ee) SF = ee, > \ te Sf ae foo ee ~<a - <r == > ot = — —— > 2 . “ _ a a