The Price He Paid — page 266: what you’re looking at

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

THE CHALLENGE, 207 His face grew livid, and his right hand, closing on the paper, crushed it convulsively. A quiver of rage, or of pain, shook his mighty frame, and for a moment it seemed as though his emotion would master him. “T hope you have received no unpleasant news,” asked the police officer, with well-feigned accents of sympathy. The baron looked up. He fixed his stern, search- ing eyes on the face of the man before him, whose role, since the circumstances of Brunnow’s arrest, he had perfectly divined, and on whose features he now detected a slight derisive flicker, which showed his visitor was already acquainted with the contents of the document. That restored his strength, and brought back his composure. “Surprising news, to say the least,” he answered, laying the dispatch aside. “But there will be time to attend to that later on. Pray proceed with what you were saying.” The other hesitated. This wonderful self-com- mand produced a certain effect on him. Was the haughty, stubborn spirit, the arrogancce of this Raven, never to be broken? “We have discussed the principal topics under notice,” replied the superintendent, with a certain embarrassment. “If you have other claims on your time, I will not detain you.” “Go on, I beg!” The baron’s voice was low, but very steady. “Your excellency has no other recommendations to make to me?” “No; I can only recommend you to follow out your instructions as punctually as hitherto. In that case, some recognition of your services will surely follow.” . The other thought to feign bewilderment. “T do not understand your excellency. To what instructions do you allude?” , “To those you received before leaving the capital, when, together with the official duties of your ser- vice, a special surveillance was committed to you.” “Ah! the surveillance of the town, you mean? I Eomichoo <S (E(0)