The Opposite House: A Novel — page 266: what you’re looking at

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

The Opposite Flouse. 261 Gerrald did not seem tosee the gesture. He had risen and stood before the young man with an air of haughty reserve. “You apologize for your want of tact?” he asked, in a sharp, curt tone. “Yes, yes!” said Marie, hastily, and Count Hasso bowed his head in assent. “Quite right,” he said, in a tone of mingled em- barrassment and discomfort. “T am satisfied with your explanation,” said Traugott, after a brief pause. A glance at Marie’s blanched face calmed the angry excitement which the count’s absurd behavior aroused, and turning from him, he bowed to the young girl. ‘I hope you are satisfied, baroness.” He did not vouchsafe the hero of Frankfort draw- ing-rooms another glance. “Then everything is settled?’ Hasso uttered a sigh of relief. ‘ But in arranging this affair we have entirely forgotten todance. This is my polka, cousin.” A flush of joy crimsoned Marie’s cheeks. “T thank you, Herr Gerrald,” she murmured from the very depths of her heart, and then accompanied her impatient partner into the surging human sea which filled the ball-room. The german was drawing toa close. Gerrald brought his partner the fragrant little bouquet, and Comiclboolk<s C@