The Price He Paid — page 106: what you’re looking at

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

AT THE BALL. 97 “You should not, however, absolutely challenge danger. It is most imprudent for you to go into the town on foot and unaccompanied, no measures being taken to insure your safety. I wanted to speak to your excellency about it before, to beg you to desist from such ventures. We do not know whether the mob may not be systematically incited to violence. he whole burgher class is leagued together against you.” “So much the better,” said Raven, mechanically, his eyes still riveted on one particular spotin the scene before them. The colonel gave a little start of surprise. “Your excellency !” The movement recalled the baron to himself. He turned quickly to his interlocutor, “Pardon me, Iam somewhat absent. I—I hardly followed you. What were we saying?” “I was begging you to have more regard for your personal safety.” — “Ah! yes. You must excuse my inattention. A man, who is daily called on to give his mind to a hundred different matters, has some difficulty in shaking off the cobwebs, even on a festive occasion like the present.” “Really, the load of work you take on yourself is quite too heavy,” observed the colonel. “The most enduring strength must break down at last beneath such a constant strain. Look at those enviavie young people vonder, who have no suspicion as yet of all these cares. They dance, and laugh, and chatter. and are happy among themselves.” “And are happy among themselves,” repeated Raven. “Just so.” Deep bitterness lay in his words, and yet no brighter or more animated scene than the one be- fore them could well have presented itself. The handsome, spacious room flooded with light, the gayly sounding music, and the blooming, youthful crowd swiftly moving to its cadence; surely there was nothing here to arouse a bitter or a gloomy thought. Just then Gabrielle flew by with her part- ner. The colonel was right. Never had her beauty Eomichboo “S (E(0)