The Opposite House: A Novel — page 279: what you’re looking at

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

274 The Opposite House. Then her fingers broke the seal, the covering of his unknown talisman fell, and the slender white hand was held out to him. But no, he was dream- ing—it was impossible. He was mad to believe that this was his cross—his locket. Oh, all was delusion—the girlish figure before him was a vision of his fevered brain, and the whole scene a mere illusion of his crazed fancy! He was still lying in the gloomy hospital. Would he not wake presently, and—but no! The fresh May breeze was blowing through the branches, the sun was laughing in the heavens, and the young girl was Marie, his own beloved Marie, who held in her hand his locket, his cross, which the lake had swallowed before his eyes! He rubbed his forehead and stared at the miracle in her fingers. He could not believe his eyes. “Marie!” he cried at last. “Am I awake? Am I out of my senses? Or do miracles happen still ?” Marie laughed joyously, and pressed the treasure into his hand: “Here, here, take it, dearest! It is your own property, which has so long accompanied you with my loveand my blessing. Oh, look at it, Traugott— your locket, your flower, your precious legacy! Surely you recognize it, only you don’t understand how it came into my possession, and deem love so weak, so timorous, that it cannot wrest its treasure Comicboolk<s