Moths by Ouida — page 88: what you’re looking at

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

g4 MOTHS. thing that is rolled up’in a shell asleep?—and of love and mar: tiase my Vere is as unconscious as those china children yonder holding up the breakfast bouquets. Sheis cold, you know; that you see for yourself——” is “<< Un beau defaut!” ‘Un beau defaut in a girl,” assented Lady Dolly. ‘‘ Yes. 1 would not have her otherwise, my poor fatherless darling, nor would you, I know. But it makes it difficult to bring her to say ‘yes,’ you see; not because she has any feeling against you, but simply because she has no feeling at allas yet. Unless girls are precocious it is always so—hush! don’t let them overhear us. We don’t want it talked about at present, do we?” ‘¢ As you like.” said Zouroff, moodily. He was offended, and yet he was pleased—offended because he was used to instantaneous victory, pleased because this gray- eyed maiden proved of the stuff that he had fancied her. Fora moment he thought he would take the task of persuasion out of _ her mother’s hands and into his own, but he was an indolent man, and effort was disagreeable to him, and he was worried até ~ that moment by the pretensions of one of the actresses at the maisonette, a mile off across the park. ‘*My Vera is not very well this morning. She has got a little chill,” volunteered Lady Dolly to Madame Nelaguine and the table generally. ‘*1 saw Miss Herbert in the gardens as I went to bed at sun- tise,” said Fuschia Leach in her high, far-reaching voice. ‘I surmise morning dew is bad for the health.” People laughed. It was felt there was ‘‘ something” about Vere and her absence, and the women were inclined to think that, despite Loris and the silver collar, their host had not come to the point, and Lady Dolly was about to retreat. ‘‘ After all, it would be preposterous,” they argued. ‘‘A child, not even out, and one of those Mull Herberts without a penny.” ‘Won't you come down?” said Lady Dolly, sharply, to Vere a little later. ‘*T will come down if I may say the truth to Prince Zouroff.” ‘Until you aecept him you will say nothing to him. It is im- possible to keep you here boudané like this. It becomes ridicu lous. What will all these women say!.. . I will drive you over to Laure’s. We will stay there a few days, and you will hear reason.” ‘*T will not marry Prince Zouroff,” said Vere. *. After her first disgust and anger that subject scarcely troubled her. They could not marry her against her will. She had only to be firm, she thought; and her nature was.firm almost to stub- bornness. ‘We will see,” said her mother, dryly. ‘‘Get ready to go with me in an hour.” . , Vere, left to herself, undid the collar of Loris, made itina packet, and wrote a little note, which said: _ “T thank you very much, monsieur, for the honor that I hear At Una - comicbooks. i