The Opposite House: A Novel — page 44: what you’re looking at

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

The Opposite flouse. 39, made the nephew the murderer of his aristocratic uncle? And yet—might it not have been merely a fateful accident that she bestowed the sunny smile ona Gerrald? Hadthe blush and hasty retreat aught to do with him ? Traugott rushed into the main street; he wanted to see and hear his fellow-mortals. What interest should he feel in this aristocrat, who was also his enemy, and whom he had seen scarcely a moment? But how did it happen that he had never seen her before? Before! When did he come home in former days? Perhaps at midnight, when those sweet eyes had long been closedin sleep, when she had probably murmured a little prayer under the portrait of her despised ancestress, perchance be- sought mercy for all souls that were in evil paths and thus unconsciously for him, who, at this time, was throwing away his money on the green table or languishing at the feet of that frivolous French- woman. An impetuous desire seized upon the young man with overwhelming might: “To Heloise! I'll show her that I was a fool in those days!” He swiftly traversed the few intervening streets, and again stood before the door of the house in which he had formerly been a daily guest. Before ringing the bell he paused a moment, raised his Comicloo® S C@ 5}