The Price He Paid — page 299: what you’re looking at

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

290 REJOICING AT MAX’S HOME. George Winterfeld. As ministerial councilor he al- | ready filled a post of unusual importance for a man of his years. The governor who now administered the affairs of the R—— province was, in all re- spects, the opposite of his predecessor. Liberal in his opinions, mild and forbearing in action, innocent of anv Jeanine to that despotism which had once ruled the land with arod of iron, he was, it must be added, quite incapable of resolute, energetic action, the need of which would at times still make itself felt. Immediately after the catastrophe recorded in the last chapter, -Brunnow had left the town, yielding to his son’s earnest solicitations. Max implored him not to run the risk of a fresh imprisonment, to which his share in the late duel had rendered him hable, and which to aman of his advanced years, Shae by recent events, might probably prove atal. tect The doctor had, as is known, previously resolved on leaving his native land forever; so, before the news of the duel was bruited in the town, he quietly departed, returning to his haven in Switzerland. Thence he published to the world a statement, em- phatically worded, clearing the memory of his late friend. In this statement he declared that for years he had lived under an erroneous impression which Raven’s last disclosures had completely dispelled. Those accusations, so pregnant of disaster, had been untrue, and had done the dead man a cruel wrong. This testimony from the antagonist by whose hand the baron had fallen, naturally carried ereat weight, though the matter was no more sus- ceptible of proof now than it had been previously. Death took up the pleading for the defense, and, as is usual in such cases, won the day. That credence which would have been refused the living man, was accorded to the dead; and it was currently reported that with his dying breath the governor of. R—— had declared the shameful charge against him to be a calumny and a lie. Raven had provided largely for his servants; with | the exception, however, of their ample legacies, his comicbooks co