The Opposite House: A Novel — page 224: what you’re looking at

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

The Opposite Flouse. 219 frost-flowers with her breath, and looked across to his window, where he had once stood gazing mourn- fully up at the sky. How long ago that was, and how many changeful scenes life had unrolled be- tween the past and present ! The panes were covered with frost. The ancient house stood before her, rigid and lifeless as a tomb, like the enchanted palace in Uhland’s poem, in whose garret chamber white-haired Poesy sits at the buzzing wheel. Old Gretlis still lived in the lonely building, shadowy and busy as a good spirit weaving thread after thread into the long-desired shroud. The young baroness gazed thoughtfully across the street, then, with a heavy sigh, rested her head against the window-sash. The sight of the silent house pierced her to the heart, yet she could neither avert her eyes nor turn her thoughts from it. She had heard nothing from young Gerrald for a long time. Whom shouldshe ask? She did not know a single human being in Frankfort whom she could trust; no one was interested in Gerrald, no one knew him. Perhaps Count Hasso might have aided her, but she saw only too soon that it would be use- less to apply to him. Besides, she felt a positive aversion to Aunt Raven's idol, and the more the latter praised his talents and, with maternal blind- ness, lauded the young man to the skies, the more COMIGDOOKS C@ 5}