The Opposite House: A Novel — page 222: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XXI. AN EXCELLENT MATCH. Baroness von Rotterswyl had returned from her visit to Frankfort. She looked somewhat pale and weary, her eyes had a strangely mournful expres- sion, and her gaze was pensive and often dewy with tears. Her mother thought that her daughter's manners were far more finished, and that she had acquired at Countess Raven’s entertainments the ease of bearing which a Baroness von Rotterswyl should possess under all circumstances. Marie uttered a sigh of relief when she again en- tered her quiet home. This peaceful room, with its bow-window, was so far above the confused tumult of the world, knew naught of all the heart- break below, and received the young girl like acozy, hidden nest, whither she could flee with all her sor- rows. ‘l'rue, there were no blossoms on the rose- bushes in the window; only a few Alpine violets were opening their petals on the sill, and nodded a greeting. The little songsters were still in charge (217] Comiclbooolk<s C@ 5}