The Price He Paid — page 185: what you’re looking at

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

176 ASSESSOR WINTERFELD’S PAMPHLET. “One of his confidants I know, at least,” he said; “and that one shall render account to me. As to the young man himself—well, we shall see later on. There can be but one manner of settling sucha matter between us two. Just at present I have to reckon with other enemies. It is of little conse- quence that an Assessor Winterfeld should rise up in virtuous indignation, and declare me a tyrant and my tenure of office a public calamity—others have done this before him. I have frequently found it necessary to clear the air a little by some sharp, decided action when the intrigues became too annoying to be borne in silence.” “You take too grave a view of the matter,” said the colonel, reassuringly ; “and it is strange in you, who generally meet every attack with absolute, unruffled calm. Why do you now allow yourself to be irritated by mere lies and calumnies?” The baron drew himself up proudly. “Who says they are lies? The animus which per- vades the book is stamped on every page, but it does not contain palpable untruths, and I have no intention of calling in question one of the facts adduced against me. Iam ready to answer for my acts, but only to those who are entitled to require an account from me, and not to the first man who may feel disposed to sit in judgment on me and my proceedings. To him and to his fellows. I shall give the one answer they deserve.” At this point of the conversation they were in- terrupted. A report was brought in to the governor, which the superintendent of police had just sent over from the town. Colonel Wilten rose to depart. “T will go and see that the measures we have agreed upon are taken at once. The baroness arrived safely, [hope? She came with us to town, but declined our escort up to the castle. And how is Fraulein von Harder? She must have seen some- thing of the rioting last night?” “T do not know,” said Raven shortly, almost roughly. “I have not seen her to-day, and I was too busy to receive my sister-in-law in person. I shall go over to them a little later.” (E(0) comicbooks