Moths by Ouida — page 101: what you’re looking at

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

pares MOTHS. ee ge he had made a mistake, and I, too. I told him’ so twenty times a day, and he only sighed and went out to his old women. I tell you this only to show you I know what Iam talking about. Love and marriage are two totally different things; they ought never to be named together; they are cat and dog; one kills the other. Pray do not stare so; you make me nervous.” ‘‘It is not wicked to love?” said Vere, slowly. ‘¢ Wicked? no; what nonsense! It amuses one; it doesn’t last.” ‘A great love must last, till death, and after it,” said the child, with solemn eyes. ‘* After it?” said Lady Dolly, with a little laugh. ‘‘I’m afraid that would make a very naughty sort of place of Heaven, Don’t look so shocked, child. You know nothing about it. Believe me, dear, where two lovers goon year after year, it is only for Pont de Veyle’s reason to Madame de Deffand: ‘ Nous sommes si - mortellement ennuyes lun de Vautre que nous ne pouvons plus nous quitier |?” Vere was silent. Her world of dreams was turned upside down, and shaken rudely. | | ‘*You have no heart, Vere; positively none,” said her mother, bitterly, resuming all the old argument. ‘‘I can scarcely think you are my child. You see me wearing myself to a shadow for | your sake, and yet you have no pity. What, in heaven’s name, can you want? You are only sixteen, and one of the first mar- riages in Europe opens to you. You ought to go on your knees in thankfulness, and yet you hesitate!” ‘‘T do not hesitate at all,” said Vere, quickly. ‘‘I refuse!” She rose as she spoke, and looked older by ten years. There was a haughty resolve in her attitude that cowed her mother for an instant. | ‘‘T refuse,” she said again. ‘* And, if you will not tell Mon- ts sieur Zouroft so yourself, I will tell him to-morrow. Listen, mother: I have written to Bulmer, and I will go back there. Grandmamma will not refuse to take me in. I shall be a trouble and care to you no longer. Iam not made for your world, nor it for me. I will go. I have some talent, they have always said, and at least I have perseverance. I will find some way of maintaining myself, I want so little, and I know enough of music to teach it; and so at least I shall be free and no burden upon any one.” ‘She paused, startled by her mother’s laughter—such laughter as she, in a later day, heard from Croizette when Croizette was acting her own deathbed on the stage of the Francais. Lady Dolly’s shrill, unnatural, ghastly laughter echoed through the room. ‘Ts that your scheme? To teach mnsic? And Correze to teach you, I suppose? Ola belle idee! Youlittlefool! you little idiot ! how dare you? Because you are mad, do you think we » are mad, too? Goto Bulmer now? Never! Lam your mother and you shall do what I choose. What I choose is thatyou sh f marry Zourofi.” ‘J will not.” | ‘Will not, will not? Isay you shall.” aad = ey -»- comicbooks.co , 4 ¥ 7 * \ 4 ' ey i eh ve. 1 ! Pf) tia