Moths by Ouida — page 204: what you’re looking at

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

20 2. | MOTHS, - and to care much for his wife. The'day was clear and warm— not too warm—and a strong soft wind was tossing the white foam of the sea, and would blow brightly on the pretty pennons of the Kermesse pavilions. Vere rose earlier than any one, as her habit was, and walked out into the garden with Loris by her side. She was not in any way anxious; her mind was made up; and of anything that her husband might say or might do she had no fear. ‘¢ At the utmost he could but kill me,” she thought, with a lite tle contemptuous derision; ‘‘and that would not matter very much. No Herbert of the Border was ever insulted yet.” She walked over the grass above the sea, where the rose-thickets ew and the whole coast could be seen from the Honfleur to the ochers de Calvados. It was rather a rampart than a terrace, and the waves beat and fretted the wall below. | It was only nine o’clock: no one except herself rose so early at Felicite. As she walked, a stone fell at her feet. <A letter was tied to it. Instinctively she took it up, and on the note she read her own name. She hesitated a moment, then opened it. The writ- ing she did not know, It was very brief, and only said— ‘‘ Mademoiselle Noisette was called to: Paris last night. The Princess Zouroff is entreated by a humble well-wisher not to dis- turb herself any more on this matter. She can honorthe Kermesse | . Vere read it, and stood still in wonder. Could it be from the actress. herself? _The writing was that of a man, elegant, free, and clear, _/$he leaned over the gray stone wall of the gardenand searched the shore with her eyes. In a little skiff was a fisherman row- ing hard. She called to him, but he did not hear, or would not ‘ hear. She did not see his face, as it was bent over the oars, ‘¢ He must have thrown me the letter,” she thought. She felt rather annoyed than relieved. She would have been giad to have had cause to strike the blow in public; she wag weary of bearing patiently and in silence the faithless life of © Zouroft. ‘<if it be true, Iam sorry,” she thought, doubtfully, and then felt angered that any one should presume so to address her, and - tore the note in two and threw it in the sea below. She went and paid her morning visit to her horses, to her hot- houses, to the rest of the gardens, and at eleven returned, with neither haste nor interest, to the house. People were just down-stairs, being a little earlier that day by reason of the Kermesse. The Duchesse Jeanne—already in her Flemish dress with wonderful gold ornaments that she had bought once of a Mechlin peasant, an exquisite high cap, and bright-red stockings and real sabots—was very eagerly chattere ing, explaining, laughing, frowning, vociferating. Zouroff stood behind her, his brow as dark as a thunder-cloud., When his wife came in sight, a silence fell upon the group about the wooden shoes of the duchess, ‘ - “Eomicbooks: § BAe O05) (ee)