The Opposite House: A Novel — page 202: what you’re looking at

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

The Opposete Flouse. 197 efforts, and gained for him the esteem and regard of his superior officers, rendered Haldern as proud and happy as though he himself was the bold rider. Gerrald was an original sort of fellow, and his fear- lessness frequently bordered upon a strange defiance of danger, when he essayed to push a perilous situ- ation to extremes. Yet Haldern’s keen eye did not fail to perceive that this scorn of death and exposure of his own life was from a morbid desire to court the perils of war as much as possible, that he was constantly throwing down the gauntlet to death, and yet had constantly escaped, frequently in a very remarkable way. The young baron even understood his friend’s dreams and thoughts when, at the close of a day of wild excitement, he was left to himself and his reveries ; and after gazing mournfully into the dis- tance, he buried his face in his hands witha gesture of despair, after covering the sealed mystery which he wore day and night like a talisman upon his heart with fervent kisses. “Gerrald,”’ the adjutant began, fixing his dark eyes earnestly upon his friend’s features, “ this is, perhaps, the last time I shall see you. What may have befallen us by to-morrow evening, we do not know, and I have a sad foreboding that | must tell you everything which burdens my heart to- day, since I may not be able to do so to-morrow.” C@ 3} a IGDOOkKS 5}