Moths by Ouida — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

86 MOTHS. make another pile,f[ dare say, by next year, and they'll ali get on their legs again. Your people, when they’re bowled over, lie down; ours jump up: I surmise it’s the climate. I lke your men best, though; they look such swells, even*when they’re in blanket coats and battered old hats, such as your cousin Mull wears.” “Ts it true that Frank wished to succeed Mr. James Fluke Dyson?” Vere asked, after asore struggle with her disgust. ‘Who's Frank?’ ‘‘My cousin Mull.” | “Tg he Frank? Dear life! Lalwaysthought dukes were dukes, even in the bosom of their families. Yes; he was that soft on me—there, they all are, but he’s the worstI ever saw. Isaid no, ‘but I could whistle him back. I’m ’most sorry I did say no, Dukes don’t grow on every apple-bough; only he’s poor, they 2, 99 ‘ He is poor,” said Vere, coldly, her disgust conquering all amusement, ‘¢; When I came across the Pond,” said Miss Leach, continuing her own reflections, ‘‘I said to mother, ‘I'll take nothing but a duke.” lalways had a kind of fancy fora duke. There’s sucha few of them. I saw an old print once in Broadway, of a Duch- ess of Northumberland, holding her coronet out in both hands. I said to myself then, that was how I’d be taken some day——” *‘Do you think duchesses hold their coronets in their hands, then?” | ay Well, no; I see they don’t; but I suppose one would ina pict- ure, **T think it would look very odd, even in a picture.” ‘“What’s the use of having one, then? There aren’t corona- tions every day. They tell me your cousin might be rolling in money if he liked. Is it true he’d have five hundred pounds sterling a day if he bored for coal?) One could live on that.” ‘*He would never permit the forest to be touched to save his life!” said Vere, indignantly, with a frown and a flush. ‘‘ The forests are as oldvas the days of Hengist and Horsa; the wild bulls are in them, and the red deer; men crept there to die after Otterbourne; under one of the oaks, King James saw Johnie Armstrong——” Fuschia Leach showed all her pretty teeth. ‘‘ Very touchin’, but the coal was under them before that, I guess! That’s much more to the point. I come from a business-country. If he'll hear reason about that coal, I’m not sure I won’t think twice about ycur cousin.” Vere, without ceremony, turned away. She felt angry tears swell her throat and rise into her eyes. ‘Oh, you turn up your nose!” said Fuschia Leach, vivaciously, You think it atrocious that new folks should carry off your. brothers and cousins and friends. Well, I’d like to know where it’s worse than all your big nobilivy going down at our feet for our dollars, I don’t say your English do it so much, bul they do do it, your younger sons and all that small fry; and abroad we can buy the biggest and best titles in all Europe for a few hun-- _ dred thousand dollars a:'year. That’s real mean! That's black: (E(@) comicbooks