The Price He Paid — page 246: what you’re looking at

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

THE CYNOSURE OF INTEREST. 237 think of her, and the count stepped into the adjoin- ing room with his wife. “What has happened?” asked the latter, uneasily. “T have heard some news which will affect Madame von Harder very painfully. It concerns her brother-in-law, Raven.” He had closed the drawing-room door; but to this smaller outer saloon there was a second entrance, masked only by a heavy curtain. Close to this the speakers were standing at the very moment that Gabrielle was about to enter on her way to the drawing-room. She caught the last words and the baron’s name, and that sufficed to chain her to the spot where she stood. Hidden behind the portiere, she listened in breathless suspense. “The governor has not given in his resignation, I hope?” asked the countess. “There is no question of that now,” said Selte- neck. “If it were so, he would only be sharing the fate of many high officers of State, who temporarily retire from the scene of action. The news I have just heard at my brother’s is of so grave a nature that, should it be confirmed—and we had it direct from the ministry—the baron will, politically speak- ing, have lived his day.” ‘The countess looked up at her husband with an expression of shocked surprise. He went onina carefully subdued tone, which, however, was quite audible to Gabrielle’s ears: : “The leading journal of R—— has published a article containing a series of damning charges against the governor. It has often been hinted vaguely that Raven himself was not quite a stranger to the last revolutionary movement; but then, how many allowed themselves to be led away at that time! These ideas are a form of youthful extravagance to which no weight is attached, so — long as they remain mere intangible ideas; but in this article it is stated that Raven was a member, a leader even, of the association with which Dr. Brun- -now—the same whose recapture created such a sen- sation lately—was connected, and as the reputed head of which that person was condemned, The (e(oyaniicel revo Ss (E(0)