The Price He Paid — page 116: what you’re looking at

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

THE BARON’S DECREE. 107 up as the study-door opened. <A servant, whom he had sent to the baroness’ apartments to summon his ward to him, entered, and announced that the young lady would be with his excellency immedi- ately. A few minutes later, Gabrielle followed the mes- senger, and, coming into the study, closed the door behind her. She wore a plain white morning dress, the simplicity of which became her well, and even in the gray uncertain light of that autumn day her brightness shone undimmed. Last night’s ball had left no trace behind. Her elastic youth knew as yet neither languor nor lassitude. The baron himself must have had some sense of this. Herose, and advanced a few paces to meet his visitor. At sight of her, his features relaxed from their set sternness, and his voice, though very grave, was not harsh, as he addressed her: “T have several questions to put to you, Gabrielle. My words last night will have prepared you for them; and I shall expect to hear from you in re- ply the truth, and the whole truth.” He put forward a chair for her, and seated him- self opposite her. The young lady’s attitude be- spoke confidence rather than timidity. The baron, she knew, doubted her firmness with an incredulity fixed and, to the full as insulting, as that professed by George; and, strangely enough, she felt a far greater ‘satisfaction in convicting her cuardian of his error, than in raising her lover’s es- timate of her character. At this moment the romance of the situation was uppermost in her mind, outweighing any anxiety as to the issue of the impending conflict. “My questions concern Assessor Winterfeld,” be- gan the baron. “ Your mother tells me you met him in Switzerland. He frequently came to the house, and you probably held much free and unconstrained. intercourse with him.” “Yes,” said Gabrielle, somewhat disconcerted. The matter was not taking a dramatic turn at pres- ent. Her guardian spoke in the most tranquil of tones. Gomicbooks (E(0)