The Price He Paid — page 303: what you’re looking at

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

294 REJOICING AT MAX’S HOME “T gay, George,” asked Max, in the course of their conversation, “how long is it to be before you are minister?” George laughed. “A good many years, probably. As a prelimi- nary, 1 am now ministerial councilor.” “And the right hand of the men in office, and the soul of the present administration. Oh, we are well up here as to all that is going on in the capital. My father-in-law keeps me exactly informed on the subject. The good city of R—— still does a little in the opposition line, the result, probably, of long ~ habit. The new governor is liberal to the back- bone, and tolerance itself. They cannot find any real fault with him, and this, of course, is aggra- vating to them.” “They miss the mighty personal influence which Raven exercised, and which compelled admiration even from his enemies,” said George. “The present governor is honest and well-meaning, but he is not a man of extraordinary mark. and is, perhaps, hardly equal to so important and responsibie a post. So the councilor still lives on in R—? [ thought he would migrate at last, in order to be near his daughter.” “The bare notion was an insult,” laughed Max. “You imagined that my father-in-law, the very quintessence of loyalty, would accord to a pitiful republic the honor of possessing him as a citizen? No, he will live and die under the wing of the most gracious sovereign. To tell the truth, I doubt whether things would always go smoothly, were the old gentleman and my father to be constantly in presence. They are too strongly in contrast ever to agree thoroughly.” Winterfeld glanced back at the house. “Max, it struck me that your father was looking very worn and aged.” Max shook his head. “He cannot get over Raven’s death. I thought time would assuage his grief—but no! Asa medical man, I may not conceal from myself the fact that he is going from us, I know the symptoms well.” Gomicbooks (E(0)