The Opposite House: A Novel — page 249: what you’re looking at

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

244 Lhe Opposite Flouse. think, Marie, I shall dance half the sets with Fritz to-night. I shall be jealous of him, he looks so handsome with the long beard he grew during the campaign !” Marie followed as though in a dream, trembling at the thought of the happiness of this first meeting. What torture it would be to utter formal words of welcome in the presence of the multitude! ae mS * * * * The spacious ball-room resembled an ocean of light and splendor, through whose countless flames waved the joy-banner of peace. From the vaulted ceiling garlands and slender green boughs twined around pillars and pilasters, fastened by escutch- eons and military emblems, above which fluttered the colors of united Germany, while white marble busts of heroes, throned on pedestals, were sur- rounded by the names of the victories which had rendered them immortal in the book of fame. Uniforms of every variety mingled in motly con- fusion. Bearded faces, before whose eyes so shorta time ago war had unrolled its pictures of horror and despair, and whose gaze now rested upon the fairest shield of domestic happiness, the smiling faces of German maidens. Near the door, tall, haughty and handsome as the statue of Mars above him, waving his glittering sword amid the green leafage, stood a young officer Comicboooks.c©