The Price He Paid — page 176: what you’re looking at

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

HIS FIRST LOVE. 167 come from Arno Raven’s lips; and as he pleaded, he clasped his arm tighter and tighter round the slender form at his side, and drew her gently, but irresistibly, toward him. Gabrielle yielded pas- sively. Again, as once before by the murmuring spring, a trance had fallen upon her—a trance half sweet, half troubling, holding her senses in thrall— and again, as then, she let herself be drawn unre- sistingly out of the bright sunlight, wherein she had hitherto breathed, down, down into unknown depths. A knock at the door startled Gabrielle and the baron, and brought them back to reality. “What is it?” asked Raven, with a start. “I will not be disturbed now.” “I beg pardon, your excellency,” said the ser- vant’s voice without. “A courier has just arrived from the capital. He has orders to deliver his dis- patches to your excellency in person, and asks to be admitted immediately.” The baron relaxed his hold on the young girl. “Thus am l awakened from my love-dreams!” he said bitterly. “They cannot grant me even a quarter of an hour’s respite. It would seem that love and dreams are forbidden fruit to me; that the thought of them even is forbidden me. The courier must wait a few minutes,” he added aloud. “I will send for him.” The servant retired. Raven turned to Gabrielle again, but stopped, in concern and surprise, as he caught sight of her face. “What ails you?” he said. “You have suddenly turned so deadly pale. Itis only some important message from the capital which is to fall into no hands but mine; some social matter, nothing more. It ae have come at a more opportune time, truly.” Gabrielle had indeed turned very white. <A pang shot through her. Was there some plot on foot to injure the baron? “T will go,” she said hastily. “ You must receive — this courier. Let me go.” Raven clasped her in his arms again. Gomicbooks (E(0)