The Opposite House: A Novel — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

The Opposite House. 29 few weeks before would have elevated him to the skies, which he would probably have longed to frame like a jewel in gold, he now touched with the tips of his fingers, reluctantly, timidly, as if the little flourishing letters burned like fire. ‘¢Gerrald,” ran the lines, ‘‘ another week has passed without any news, any sign of life from you. Tyrant, do you wish to force me to beg for your presence? Oh, you men are terrible, when you know that you are beloved. 1 respect your grief for Frau Gertrude, but its duration is wearisome. It cannot help the dead, and it troubles me. You wish suddenly to play virtuous, as people say. Nay, you even count the meal-bags! Do not make yourself ridiculous by an idea which, in a short time, will seem horribly stupid. Consider your beautiful hands. If you will not be sensible, be vain. And—don’t be tiresome, Gerrald. I hate tiresome people. Come to me—at once. Aum revoir, mon cher. Bring mea smile! HELOISE.” A gloomy frown darkened his brow, his blue eyes flashed contemptuously, almost angrily as they rested on the lines. The familiar tone, the frivo- lous judgment of his improvement, wounded him to the very depths of his soul. Good heavens! And he might have loved thiswoman! Loved her, about whom there was nothing true or genuine, ex- cept the levity under the rouge. He drew himself up proudly. Hisslender figure seemed to grow with the long breath that expanded his chest, and slowly, with almost contemptuous composure, he tore up the little note. Scrap after scrap fluttered down into the rippling mill-stream, Comicboookk<s C@