The Opposite House: A Novel — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

126 The Oppostte Flouse. She held out a dainty bit of pasteboard. ““« Verja, Baroness von Kartegg,’’’ Heloise read ; then turned to the Russian, with a winning air of surprise. ‘A very familiar name to me, baroness. Who has not heard of the star of our drawing- rooms? It is accident, not presumption, which led me to make your acquaintance. I am Heloise Chénois.”’ Like a flash of lightning Verja’s memory returned. She now knew where the little face had bewitched her. Satanella! Pride and curiosity struggled for an instant in her heart, but the latter conquered. “Mademoiselle Chénois?’ she exclaimed, in a jesting tone. ‘And you did not tell me so long ago, but quietly let me grope about in the darkness, when the light was so close at hand, you artiste par excellence ? I am extremely glad to make your ac- quaintance, fraulein.” Verja’s enthusiastic temperament instantly kin- died into eager admiration of this entertaining com- panion. How much she had heard of this woman! The romantic episode with Gerrald was enough to awaken a desire to know its heroine. She would have been glad to question Heloise about him and request an explanation of many things, but the fear of being indiscreet restrained her. And Brand? What had he not told her concerning the endless variety of Heloise’s whims and caprices ° Comicbooolk<s C@