The Price He Paid — page 267: what you’re looking at

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

258 THE CHALLENGE. think, in that respect, Ihave done my duty. Be- sides, the troubles are over now, and all that is at an end.” “Hxactly,” replied Raven, with a contemptuous smile; “and all relations between us at an end, too, as you will readily understand.” Without wasting another word on him, he turned his back on his visitor, and walked up to the win- dow. This might well have been construed into an insult, but it did not suit the superintendent’s policy to take offense; that might lead to unpleasant consequences. He took leave, therefore, with a courteous bow, which was not returned, and left the room. | Once outside, he drew a breath of relief. It had been disagreeable to him to find that the baron saw through him and accurately judged his line of con- duct, the more disagreeable that he had no cause to look on the governor as a personal enemy. He had merely acted in the discharge of “his mission” in ferreting out all that related to Raven’s past, and in securing the living key to that past, Dr. DBrunnow, so that the secret unearthed at last might safely be published to the world. Raven was left alone. He stood before his writing-table, and once again read through the fatal dispatch. It signified to him his dismissal from office, and was worded.in curt, almost offen- sive terms. No explanation, no defense was re- quired from this man against whom such heavy charges had been brought. Time, indeed, had not been allowed him to explain or to vindicate himself. He was condemned unheard. His lips twitched, and a fiery light gleamed in his eyes. All at once he stopped, as though a sudden thought had flashed upon him, and went slowly up to a side-table on which stood a box of small dimen- sions. A slight pressure on the spring caused the lid to fly open, and displayed a brace of elaborately- chased pistols. The baron took one out and ex- amined it carefully, to convince himself that it was in perfect order. For some minutes he held the pistol in his hand, gazing down at it lost in moody (E(0) Gomicbooks