The Opposite House: A Novel — page 169: what you’re looking at

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

164 The Opposite Flouse. He groped over the table with an unsteady hand, and his trembling fingers poured the last drops from the bottle. A broad red stream stained the white table-cloth, and he dropped heavily back into his chair. His red head, with its glazed eyes, sank on his breast, his hoarse laugh became an unintelligible gurgle, and soon deep, rattling breathing announced that friend Wikke had gone to dreamland. Heloise gazed at the sleeper a moment with loath- ing. Then hastily approaching him, her trembling hands searched his breast-pocket. Yes—a letter- case. Heloise seized it with sparkling eyes, and examined the contents. A low cry of delight, and she began to scrutinize notes, letters and memo- randa. This lasted long enough to give the sleeper the rest he needed. ‘Then she rose, locked the precious pocketbook andits contents in her writing- desk, went up to the drunken man and shook him. “Herr Wikke !” she shrieked into hisear. ‘“ Herr Wikke !” He started and gazed around him with a stupid stare, then passed his hand across his brow and pondered. “Surely I haven’t been asleep, mademoiselle r’”’ he stammered in an embarrassed tone. “You have been nodding a little,” she said, smil- ing pleasantly. ‘It was excusable in the sultry at- ComicboOoks.c©