The Price He Paid — page 107: what you’re looking at

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

98 AT THE BALL. shone so radiantly, never had it produced so trium- phant an effect as now, when, yielding herself heart and soul to the pleasure of the dance, she sparkled in a very effervescence of happy excitement. The clear stream of light from a thousand sconces, the joyous music, the handsome rooms with their festive decorations—these were the surroundings, this the frame which best suited her figure; here she found her true element, wherein she freely breathed, and her glowing cheeks and bright eyes showed how en- trancing to this neophyte were the delights of her first ball. Her whole being seemed transfigured, illumined with radiant contentment, as she floated by in George’s arms. He, too, appeared to have forgotten the world about him, to have lost count of all else in he joy of seeing his dear one again, in the bliss of feeling her so near. Infinite happiness beamed in his eyes as they passed on, her arm resting on his, her breath fan- ning his cheek; those eyes spoke but too plainly the secret of his heart. A keen observer was near at hand. Raven still kept his place at the end of the room. A knot of gentlemen had gathered round him and the colonel, and he was apparently entering with zest into their conversation ; but his eyes, as by some fas- cination, remained fixed on the dancers. As he looked, his a Sa grew ever more ardent, more piercing, and it must have had in it some magnetic power of attraction, for, when Gabrielle came round a second time, she turned her head slowly, moved as it were by some mysterious influence, toward the spot where he stood. For a moment her guardian’s eyes met hers. Suddenly a deep glow spread over the young girl’s face, and the baron’s features lightéd up with one fiery, menacing flash. Then he turned away eet ie eek movement, ; is dance was followed by a lone pause for the taking of refreshmenté. The con pane lee the ball-room, where the heat was becoming intoler- able, and sought the buffet and adjoinin cool re- treats, dispersing at will through the various apart- Eomichooks.co