The Opposite House: A Novel — page 38: what you’re looking at

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

The Opposite House. a3 by handsome Zacharias Gerrald’s wild son, who was angry because his pale mother was a Von Rotters- wyl, and who went with his brother to the field as a bold cuirassier to fight the insolent Swedes. This Deithelm had fled from home because he had stabbed his mother’s proud nephew, Baron von Rotterswyl, in aduel. Those were gloomy days. On the other side of the way, another gable house, equally old, worm-eaten and weather-worn, leaned toward its smaller neighbors, which, crowded closely together, formed the narrow street. A stone stair- case led up to the arched door, above whose carved top was a huge gray escutcheon—a leaping horse and an empty field beneath. It was the home of the Barons von Rotterswyl. The two houses had faced each other for centu- ries, both equally ancient and venerated. Around the one with the coronet hovered the halo of a noble name. The other bore the praiseworthy crown of labor. Yet their aspect was as cold and hostile as though the narrow street were a yawning chasm, which neither bridge nor friendship could unite. It had been different once. Then nobleman and merchant clasped hands with fraternal affection. Then handsome Zacharias daily visited the house with the gray escutcheon and sat at the carved oaken table opposite to the master of the house to pledge comiclsoo “S