The Opposite House: A Novel — page 245: what you’re looking at

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

240 The Opposite House. “No, aunt—-certainly not!” Marie declared, so promptly and sincerely that no doubt was possible. “Thank God!” said the Russian, with a sigh of relief. ‘‘ He is the very last person whom I should have desired fora nephew. But now let us hurry down, cherie. I’m famishing for candied fruit.” And, laughing merrily, she took the blue and silver gauze from the chair to wrap the young girl in its misty folds. Meanwhile, “my son Hasso” was pacing from one mirror to another in the green drawing-room below, sometimes scrutinizing his patent-leather shoes and sometimes twisting his elegant silk hand- kerchief, which was strongly scented with Flang- Flang, around his hands. Baroness von Rotterswyl] sat silently on her chair, smoothing the fingers of her hght kid gloves, and occasionally casting a swift glance at the young dandy, who now stopped before the piano, opened it, and took his seat, with his limbs stretched in front of him. “Oh, a song!” The old lady took her fan and lace handkerchief from her lap and laid it on the inlaid table at her side. “I have never heard you sing, Hasso.” “Sing? To night?’ replied the count, throwing back his head, as if considering the matter. “Really, aunt, I’m not capable of it before a ball. CoOMmicboooks.c©