The Price He Paid — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

A DARK SPOT. 15 soothingly. “The man who has given up, as he has given up, home, standing, and freedom, to that which he calls his ideal, has a right to apply a higher standard to the world and to his fellow- creatures.” “But Lamnot up to the bigher standard, you see,” declared the young surgeon, testily. “You are much nearer the mark. This my father de- tected at once, and sequestrated you to his own use accordingly. You would sink wonderfully in his estimation though, if he could guess that, in the very first days of your stay here, you committed the boundless folly of falling in love.” “Max, I beg of you,” his friend broke in angrily; but Max was now fairly under way, and was not to be stopped. “IT repeat whatI have said: it is folly,” he as- serted, roundly. “You, with your serious views of life, your unceasing toil, your ideal aims—very superfluous things in reality, no doubt, but with you they must be taken into account—and this per- verse spout child—this Gabrielle von Harder, who has been brought up in the midst of riches and in the lap of luxury,.and has been inoculated with all the prejudices of her aristocratic caste! Do you really iraagine that she will ever have the smallest under- standing for the things which interest. you? I tell you she will give you up directly the grave conse- quences of this holiday idyl become apparent to her, and the influence of her family makes itself felt. You will stake your all on this game, will waste your best strength in struggling with the re- lations only to be sacrificed at last to some count or baron who by birth will be a suitable partz for her young ladyship.” “No, no,” said George, with a burst of vehemence. “You hardly know Gabrielle. You have never been in her company more than a few minutes ata time, while I——” He stopped suddenly, then went onin asoftened voice: “I know well that there isa gap between us, a great divergence be- sides that of outward circumstances, but she is so Gomichboo 6S (E(0)