The Price He Paid — page 279: what you’re looking at

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

270 GABRIELLE’S RETURN.—RETROSPECTIVE. the drawing-room where the colonel awaited him. Their interview was of short duration. Scarcely a uarter of an hour later Wilten left the castle, and the baron returned to his study, sitting down once more to his writing-table. He had said truly. — It cost him a cruel pang to lose sight of Gabrielle, even for a few minutes, and yet he now remained absent from her a full hour. She could not be there at his side while he wrote to her that farewell letter. The unexpected arrival of the young baroness had caused some surprise at the castle, especially as she came without her mother; but the old. retainer, who had accompanied her soon vouchsafed the _ necessary information. His excellency had, by letter, summoned his ward and sister-in-law to him. Evening had now fully closed in. Gabrielle was still alone in her room, counting the minutes until Arno’s return. Colonel Wilten’s visit awakened no special surprise in her mind, for, before her depart- ure, conferences between him and the baron had been of very frequent occurrence. She had opened the window, and was leaning dreamily forward, looking out, when at length the longed for step sounded at her door. She flew to meet her visitor, and he clasped her to him as though that brief hour had been as a separation of years. “Now I am free,” said the baron, coming in; “altogether free, my Gabrielle. Now I am yours, and yours alone.” | Gabrielle looked upat him. His countenance was paler than usual, but it wore an expression of grave, deep calm. “The colonel brought you no bad news?” she asked apprehensively. | “No; only some necessary information,” replied Raven, very quietly, but withdrawing at once from the circle illumined by the lamp, and going up to the young girl at the window. The air without was cool, but mild as on a spring evening , and the country around lay bathed in bright moonlight. “T opened the window,” said Gabrielle; “the Eomicboo <S (E(0)