The Price He Paid — page 184: what you’re looking at

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

ASSESSOR WINTERFELD'S FAMPHLET. 175 same courier brought me an assurance of the min- ister’s ‘sincere regret’ that it had not been possible to prevent the publication; the matter had now gone too far for suppression.” “That is strange!” said Wilten, in surprise. “More than strange. But it seems that the will so to act was wanting, and as they feared that I should energetically insist on such a course being pursued, they purposely left me in complete ignorance of the matter, and only warned me when it was too late for the intimation to be of use.” The colonel looked down meditatively. “You have few friends in the capital and at court —I told you so months ago. There are constant in- trigues on foot against you there, and no stone is left unturned to damage your credit and undermine your influence. If a fitting instrument has been found ready to hand—Assessor Winterfeld is en- gaged at the ministry now, I think?” “Yes,” said the baron, bitterly. “I opened its doors to him. I myself sent my denunciator to the capital.” “They have got hold of the young man at once, it being known that he came direct from your chancellery. Perhaps he only contributes his name, and the onslaught really comes from a far different quarter.” Raven shook his head moodily. “He is no instrument in the hands of others; he acts spontaneously, and the scheme cannot have been concocted in the few weeks which have elapsed since he left R——. The book is the result of much thought and labor. It has taken months, perhaps years, to prepare. Here in my own bureaux, under my very eyes, the plan of it has been sketched out and designed. Every word shows that it has been slowly, carefully written.” “ And the assessor never betrayed himself to you orany one?” asked Wilten. “He must have had associates, confidential friends.” The baron’s lips worked, and his eyes were fixed on the window-recess from which Gabrielle had yesterday stepped forth to welcome him. » comichboo cS (E(0)