Moths by Ouida — page 297: what you’re looking at

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

MOTHS. 908 Vere felt a faintness steal over her; she felt terror—she knew not of what nor why. “Then my mother deceived me!” His eyes looked at her strangely in a fleeting glance, ‘Yes, she deceived you,” he said, briefly. ‘‘ In a sense she was afraid of me; but not so—not so.” | His dark brows frowned, and his face grew very troubled and full-of a dusky red of shame. Vere was mute. ‘‘itis of no use speaking of it now; your mother never could be true to any one. I am—sorry,” hesaid, with anefiort. ‘** You were misled; but it is of no use now—it is too late. Give the sables to the first beggar you meet. That damned singer was right last night; you are a cup of gold, and I—like best the trough where the swine drink!” Vere stood inotionless and mute; a vague terror of some un- known thing unnerved her and paralyzed her dauntless courage, her proud tranquillity; she felt that for her mother this man who was before her had a scorn as boundless as any he could feel for the basest creatures of the world; and for once she was a coward, for once she dared not ask the truth. Zouroff stood still a moment, looked at her wistfully, then bowed to her with deep respect, and turned away in silence. A little while later he was driving rapidly through Eza to the Casino of Monte Carlo. His sister came to Vere anxiously as she saw his horses drive @way. pal i hope he was not violent, my dear?’ $F INO,” ‘¢ And he did not speak of your driving on that road?” ‘‘He did not enforce it.” Vere spoke feebly; her teeth chattered a little, as with cold; she had sat down by the balustrade of the terrace, and had a stupefied look, like the look of some one who has had a blow or fall. ‘‘T am thankful my children died at their birth,” she said, after some moments, in a voice so low that it scarcely stirred the air. Then she got up, drew a shawl about her, and went once more toward the house. A great darkness was upon hor: she felt as in the Greek tragedies which she had read in her childhood those felt who were pursued, innocent, yet doomed, by the Furies for their mothers’ sins. Meanwhile her husband was driving aguinst the hot southeast wind across the Plave du Palais of Monaco. He was thinking: ‘‘ The quadroon is a beast of prey, but she is honesty itself beside half the women in society, the delicate, dainty dames that we flirt with in the ball-room alcoves, and lift our hats to as they go by in the parks !” A little while later he went up the steps of the great temple of Hazard. He met the mother of Vere coming out between the columns from the vestibule; it was sunset; she had been playing | since three o’clock, and had amused herself, she had won a thon- gand francs or 60; she was going home to dinner contented any S comicboo J ~~ ‘ - A ‘ $ mLeit - ds Wa x ot eh! j