Moths by Ouida — page 287: what you’re looking at

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

N“ MOTHS. | 288 others to sing for you whom you can pay properly like artists? There are many.” ‘* Many singers like Correze? I am afraid not. But J induced him to come, not only for his singing, but because when he has saved your wife’s life it is as well you should look thankful, even if you do not feel so.” | ‘You grow as romantic as she is, in your old age, Nadine,” said Zouroff, with a shrug of his shoulders. ) ‘*In old age, perhaps, one appreciates many things that one overlooks in one’s youth,” said the princess, unrufiled, and with a little sigh. ‘* Twenty years ago 1 should not have appreciated your wife, perhaps, much more than you do.” | ‘Do you find her amusing?” he said, with a little laugh and a yawn. Later in that day Vere drove out alone. Madame Nelaguine was otherwise occupied, and her mother was away spending a day or two with a friend who had a villa at La Condamine. She had never once driven down the Promenade des Anglais since she had been on the Riviera this year, but this day her coachman took his way along that famous road because the house to which she was going, a house taken by Vladimir Zouroff, and at which his wife, a pretty Galician woman, lay ill, could notso quickly or so easily he reached any other way. She drove alone, her only companion, Loris, stretched on the opposite cushions, beside a basket of violets and white lilacs which she was taking toSophie Zouroff. The afternoon was brillant; the snow-white palaces, the green gardens, and the azure sea sparkled in the sunlight; the black Orloffs flew over the ground tossing their silver head- pieces and flashing their fiery eyes; people looked after themand told one another, ‘‘ That is the Princess Vera; look, that is the great Russian’s wife.” Vere, leaning back with Loris at her feet, had a white covering of polar bear-skins cast over her; she had on her the black sables which had been in her marriage corbeiille; the black and white in their strong contrast enhanced and heightened the beauty of her face and the fairness of her hair; in her hand she held on her lap a great cluster of lilies of the valley. ‘¢That beautiful, pale woman is Prince Zouroff’s wife; he must have strange taste to leave her,” said one man to another, as she assed. . There were many carriages out that day, as usual before sun- set: the black Russian horses dashed through the crowd at their usual headlong gallop, tossing their undocked manes and tails in restless pride. Close against them passed two bays at full trot; the bays were ina victoria; in the victoria was a woman, swarthy and lustrous-eyed, who wore a Russian kaftan and had black Russian sables thrown about her shoulders; she was smoking; she blew some smoke in the air and grinned from ear to ear as she went past the Zouroff carriage; in her own carriage, lying back in it, was Sergius Zouroff. | A slight flush, that went over Vere’s face to her temples and then faded to leave her white as new-fallen snow, was the only gign she gave that she had recognized her husband with the mee . =< ele Ss a Sh ee Pn Ecomicboo ‘S.CcO