The Price He Paid — page 118: what you’re looking at

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

THE BARON’S DECREE. 3 | 109 ence—a few sentimental phrases suffice to turn the head of a girl of seventeen; but this romantic trifling is too dangerous for me to ._permit it to go on longer. I shall remind Assessor Winterfeld of the barriers which separate him from the Baroness von Harder, from my niece, and that in a way which will impress itself on his memory. Henceforward you will neither see nor speak to him. I forbid this folly, once for all.” . He strove in vain to preserve his sarcastic tone; the terrible irritation which lay behind would break through at times. Gabrielle, indeed, did not remark this; she heard only the scornful derision of his words. The young lady now rose in her turn, vibrating with indignation. “You cannot do that, Uncle Arno,” she said, vehemently. “George has a claim on me which he will certainly vindicate. He has my word—my promise. Iam betrothed to him.” She made her confession boldly, unhesitatingly ; and now she paused, waiting for the coming storm, but none came. Raven replied not aword. <A gray pallor overspread his face, and his hand grasped convulsively the back of a great arm-chair that was near him, while he gazed with a strange, fixed look at Gabrielle. _ She stood before him silent and confused. It was not exactly fear which possessed her, but rather a secret, inexplicable dread growing up within her beneath that gaze, a vague presentiment of coming evil, against which she struggled in vain. After a minute’s pause, the baron spoke again: “This matter has certainly gone further than I supposed; and you have considered you were doing right in keeping it a secret from your mother and myself?” | | “We feared we should be parted if our attach- ment were known,” answered Gabrielle, in a low voice. “Oh! And what do you imagine will happen now?” “T do not know; but I am determined to keep my word to George, come what may, for I love him.” Gomicbooks (E(0)