The Price He Paid — page 314: what you’re looking at

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

REJOICING AT MAX’S HOME. 305 “There are ladies inside,” said Winterfeld, as they approached the tiny building. “Some callers on my wife, I suppose,” replied Max, indifferently. “Ah! there is Agnes.” Madame Agnes did, indeed, at this juncture ap- pear on the scene, and exchanged a look of intelli- gence with her husband, who at once executed a maneuver simple as it was adroit. He let his un- suspecting friend walk on before him, then, without more ado, gave him a sudden push over the threshold and pulled the door to behind him. Then he turned to his wife in triumph. “There they arein the trap, andif George does not come out of that an affianced husband, may the Lord have mercy on him. Go into the house, Agnes, and tell my father it has succeeded magnifi- cently.” While Agnes went off to discharge her commis- sion, a brief but most comprehensive scene was being enacted in the pavilion. “Gabrielle!” cried George, and moved hastily for- ward, as though he would have rushed up to her; then, bethinking himself, he stopped _ short; “Baroness von Harder!” “George!” said Gabrielle, with gentle reproach in her tone. “Forgive me; I did not know—could not guess—— What brought you here?” Gabrielle cast down her eyes without speaking; but in her silence there was an encouragement, and George understood it. “What brought you to this place?” he repeated, with passionate insistence. “Gabrielle, speak! Did you know I was here?” “Yes,” was the low, but steady answer. George stood by her now, but as yet he did not even take her hand. “How amlIto interpret that?’ he asked, all the old tenderness surging up within him as he searched her face eagerly for his answer. “This is not our first meeting since the ‘day that we became strangers to each other, but I have always read_ in your eyes that strangers we were to remain. May Eomichooks.co