The Price He Paid — page 236: what you’re looking at

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

EXCITEMENT INCREASING, 227 vovernment had warmly supported him, had loaded him with distinctions and -honors, and had kept silence on the subject of his arbitrary aibebheh? ments, which were perfectly well known to every man in office. For this post of R——, the ministers were in want of just such a representative, of one who, like Raven, would with rigid consistency and unsparing energy make his authority felt, and who would keep in check the rebellious discontent which leavened the province. The governor had been in- dispensable, and this fact outweighed all other con- siderations, and counteracted all the influences which were at work against him. But times had changed. During the last twelve months, especially, a revolution of opinion had come about, which threatened to overturn the present system. At any other time, a pamphlet such as Winterfeld’s would have’ been instantly sup- pressed, and its author would have paid for his audacity with the loss of his position; now the work, with its accusatory eloquence, was eagerly turned to account—made to serve as an arm against the object of their hatred; and the young official, who had furnished the welcome opportunity, was raised to hero-rank. George’s name, altogether un- known but a little while before, was now in every- body’s mouth. To the R—— province and its chief town, these printed pages had been, as the burgomaster ex- pressed it, as a spark ina powder-barrel; for they gave form and substance to the universal feeling, setting it forth in the most pvinted and striking terms. The crippling fear, the dread of the gover- nor’s omnipotence, was shaken; it was seen that he was assailable, vulnerable, like other mortals; and all the bitterness, so long cherished against him, now broke out with tempestuous violence. No one gave a thought to the benefit the town and province had reaped from the baron’s vigorous administra- tion. Not a voice was raised to recall them to mind. Hatred of the despotic yoke, beneath which the people had so long sighed, spoke loudly and alone; and, as often happens in this world, those who had Eomichboo gs) (€(0)