The Price He Paid — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

14 A DARK SPOT. “How often have I begged you not to speak of it- in that tone?” “Did I not express myself tenderly enough? There is plenty of romance in your love, I should fancy. A young middle-class Government clerk without fortune or prospects, and a high-born baron- ess and future heiress—secret meetings—prospective opposition of the whole family, struggles and emo- tions ad infinitum. I congratulate you on all these pleasant things. I should look on the business as an awkward one myself, I know.” “That I believe,” said George, with a touch of sar- casm; “but, my dear Max, you really are not com- petent to pronounce on such matters.” “My nature being an out-and-out prosaic one,” concluded Max, with perfect equanimity. “Well, I can’t say you there tell me anything new. My father perpetually impresses on my mind the fact that I lack all tendency to the ideal. He has con- scientiously striven to impart to me these more elevated views and notions, but, unfortunately, it has not answered. I donot belong to the class of ‘highly organized natures,’ such as yourself, for instance. You are far more to my father’s taste, and I think he could not hesitate a moment could he adopt you in my place.” A smile passed over George’s face. “If you agree to it, I have no objection.” “Just try it,” said Max, dryly. “He is exception-. ally gracious to you, because he happens to have taken aspecial fancy to you; but, in real truth, he is within an ace of turning misanthrope and man- hater. Nothing satisfies him. All his judgments are distorted, his views tinged by that bitter irrita- bility of spirit which he ascribes to an unappeased yearning after the ideal, and that is the ground of the incessant warfare betwen us. He cannot for- give me for finding myself tolerably comfortable in this miserable, worthless world, with which he himself is at perpetual loggerheads. In fact, mat- ters between us are growing more and more un- bearable day by day.” “You do your father an injustice,” said George, Eomichboo <S (E(0)