The Price He Paid — page 243: what you’re looking at

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

234 | THE CYNOSURE OF INTEREST. hear of the attack which had been made upon Raven, but she was far too superficial to appreciate the real importance of the well-directed blow, which in her eyes, was a Mere passing annoyance, such as the rioting in R—— for instance. It never,in the remotest degree, occurrred to her to suppose that the baron’s position might be imperiled. by what had happened. His affairs, indeed, only interested her in so far as her own future might be involved inthem. That her daughter would not dream of renewing her engagement to the assessor after the affront which the latter had put on the head of her family, this wise lady took for granted. All her care was given to preventing a meeting between the two, which was not difficult. George did not mix in the Selteneck circles; and here, amid these strange surroundings, Gabrielle was never left alone. She had, indeed, made no attempt to inform the young man of her presence in town, trembling at the very thought of meeting with him. How could she approach George, while her heart was beating high with love for another man? Though so much had lately come between herself and Arno, she could not forget; not even his harshness and in- justice could banish his image from her mind, and the knowledge that some danger threatened him served to quicken her affection. Winterfeld’s book, with its long list of charges, had set before the young girl’s eyes Raven’s true portrait, which she was forced to recognize as a faithful likeness, had displayed to her the darker side of his character— while, as opposed to it, George’s figure rose be- fore her, so pure and steadfast and nobly courageous in the sacrifice of his entire future and prospects to that which he deemed duty. But of what avail all this? Gabrielle’s whole soul went back to the somber, despotic man, who had won her to himself. In imagination she stood by his side through the fight; for his sake she grew anxious and apprehen- sive of the issue, while a feeling of bitterness rose up within her against George,for was it not he who had been the first to assail, insult the man she loved? The clock on the mantel-piece chiming the hour Eomichooks.co