Moths by Ouida — page 96: what you’re looking at

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

92 pia MOTHS. Lady Stoat’s sweet temper rose a little under the words. ‘‘“You are very beautiful, my dear, but your manners leave very much to be desired,” she said, almost wave) “TF you were not poor little Dolly’s child I should not trouble myself to reason with you, but let you destroy yourself like an obstinate - baby as youare. What can be your objection to Prince Sergius? Now, be reasonable for once; tell me.” ‘¢T am sure he is a bad man.” ‘My love! What should you know about bad men, or good ones either?” ‘‘T am sure he is bad—and cruel.” . ‘‘What nonsense! Iam sure he has been charming to you, and you are very ungrateful. What can have given you such an impression of your devoted adorer?”’ Vere shuddered a little with disgust. *‘7 hate him!” she said, under her breath. Lady Stoat for a moment was startled. ‘* Where could she get her melodrama from?” she: wondered. ‘* Dolly was never melodramatic; nor any of the Herbert people; it really makes one fancy poor pussy must have had a petite faute with a tragic actor!” , Aloud she answered, gently:— *¢ You have a sad habit, my Vere, of using very strong words; it is not nice; and you do not mean one-tenth that you say in your haste. No Christian ever hat 2s, and in a girl such a feeling would be horrible—if you meant it; but you do not mean it.” Vere shut her proud lips closer. but there was a meaning upon them that made her companion hesitate, and feel uncomfortable and at a loss for words. ‘*How wonderful that pussy should ever have had a daughter like this!” she thought, and then smiled in a sweet, mild way. ‘‘ Poor Serge! That he should have been the desired of all Europe, only to be rejected by a child of sixteen! Really it is like—who was it?—winning a hundred battles and then dying of a cherry-stone! There is nothing he couldn’t give you, nothing he wouldn’t give you, you thankless little creature!” Vere, standing very slender and tall, with her face averted 'and her fair head in the glow of the sunset light, made no reply; but her attitude and her silence were all eloquent. Lady Stoat thought to herself, ‘‘ Dear, dear! what a charming Iphigenia she would look ina theater! but there is no use for all that in real life. How to convince her?” Even Lady Stoat was perplexed. | She began to talk vaguely and gorgeously of the great place of the Zouroff family in the world; of their enormous estates, of their Uraline mines, of their Imperial favor, of their right to sit covered at certain courts, of their magnificence in Paris, their -munificence in Petersburg, their power, their fashion, and their omp. ‘Vere waited, till the long discursive descriptions ended of themselves, exhausted by their own oratory. Then ghe said, very simply and very coldly: : | ~~ ‘comicbooks.co