The Price He Paid — page 167: what you’re looking at

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

158 | THE ICE BEGINS T0 THAW. ° “Well, that concerns myself alone, 1 think, un- less it be that you feel anxiety on my account.” She dared not reply in words; but the answer might be read in her eyes, which met his with an imploring, beseeching look. The baron bent down to her, and there was a thrill of breathless expecta- tion in his voice as he repeated: “Speak, Gabrielle; are you anxious about me?” “Yes,” came trembling from her lips. It was but a single word, yet it wrought a marvelous effect. Again Gabrielle saw his whole face kindle as with ablaze of light, met the ardent gaze which had struck her dumb once before; and the flame of that mighty up-springing passion melted the panoply of ice in which the proud man had wrapped himself. One moment sufficed to destroy the barriers which the self-control of weeks had ~~ laboriously built up. Thedream was notover. The sudden fire in his eyes flashed out his secret. Close to them the river ran with a loud and angry murmur, while out yonder in the autumnal forests the wind rustled and blew with sharper, stronger blasts. The wall of cloud, which rose more and more. threateningly in the west, parted, and once again the red sun shone out clear and full. “During the last few weeks, you too have thought me a tyrant, no doubt,” said Raven, in alow voice, carefully subdued, though every word vibrated with his inward agitation. Perhaps one day you will thank me for guarding you from the fault of over-precipitation. You were ignorant of your own heart and feelings, and yet you wished to bind your- self for ife. Winterfeld was the first man whe ap- proached you after you ceased to be a child, the first who ventured to speak to you words of love, and you shut your eyes and dreamed that you too loved, conjuring up the phantom of that which never existed. It wasachildish illusion—nothing more.” “No, no,” said Gabrielle, anxiously disclaiming the charge, and attempting to free her hand—at- tempting in vain, for the baron held it as ina vise, as he answered: Eomichooks co