The Opposite House: A Novel — page 119: what you’re looking at

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

114 The Opposite House. pest of wrath raged in her soul, her wounded pride rebelled against the name which blended with hers as if it were a matter of course, yet which ought to remain for ever as alien as the fire which is quenched when it meets with water. Meanwhile the curtain, in response to the in- sistent applause, rose for the third time. Faust? clasped his Gretchen proudly in his embrace, and, as the curtain slowly fell, he whispered, softly : “What did the flower say, baroness ?”’ Marie, with quivering lips, silently shook her head ; but his glance met eyes which, with divine innocence, confessed : ‘I love you.” No one noticed it save one diabolical face peering through the branches of an oleander, above which nodded the cock’s plumes ina pointed hat—WMeph- wstopheles ! % * % rs * * One mild spring evening in Wiesbaden two men met each other in the Kurhaus grounds and ex- changed cordial greetings. ‘“ Now tell your story, brother of my heart,” said one. ‘ By all the imps of the nether world, Brand, you are a marvelously clever fellow, and if I did not feel your warm hand in my fingers, I might believe that you were the Old Nickin person! Pardon the compliment, it’s meant in all kindness, So you are ComicbooOoks.c©