The Opposite House: A Novel — page 246: what you’re looking at

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

The Opposite Flouse. 241 I need repose, mood, inspiration for my perform- ances, and I’ve travelled by rail to-day from Frank- fort to D——. No, aunt, I can’t sing. I would b] rather play.” And he began to rattle out of time the notes of a polka. A smile difficult to interpret hovered around the lips of the baroness ; the most bitter irony, mingled with a faint, sorrowful regret, as though she were bidding farewell to a beautiful dream. The portzeres softly parted, and Verja’s radiant figure glided in, holding her handkerchief to her lips and imitating the swaying movements of the pianist, whose performance crimsoned her cheeks with suppressed laughter. Baroness von Rotterswyl shook her head and turned to glance at Marie, who stood slender and fair as a silvery cloud in the dark velvet framework of the fortires. She exchanged a mischievous glance with Verja, and then threw her beautiful arm tenderly around the old lady’s neck, pressing a loving kiss upon her cheek. Just at that instant Count Raven struck a few bold chords, let his outspread hands rest on the keys a moment, then rose with the weary, absent smile with which great artists are prone to respond to the plaudits of a crowded concert hall. “Bravo, Count Raven!” cried Verja, rolling up her eyes with simulated rapture. “Who would Comicbook<s