The Price He Paid — page 40: what you’re looking at

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

A PLAIN TALK, ol these latter days, still preserved much of its medieval aspect. The main body of the building was exclusively as- signed to the governor’s use, the upper part being in- habited by him, while his bureaus, or “chancellery,” occupied the ground-floor. In the two side-wings were situated the other public offices and the quarters of such of the higher functionaries as were domiciled beneath its roof. Notwithstanding these very practical arrangements, the interior of the building, noless than the exterior retained its antique character, which, indeed, was ineffaceably stamped on every line of its architecture. The vaulted chambers with their deep door and window recesses belonged to the last century; long gloomy galleries and arched corridors met and crossed in every direction; echoing stone staircases led from one story to another, and the court and garden of the old stronghold were still maintained in their primitive condition. The “Castle” as it was briefly termed in all the neighboring country, was and had been from time immemorial, the pride and ornamenmt of the good city of R——. The present governor had now filled the post for a long series of year. Had it not been a fact well known that he was the son of asubaltern official who had died early, leaving no fortune, his middle- class origin would never have been. suspected, for the appearance he made in public and his style of living were as thoroughly aristocratic as his man- ners and person. How it had come to pass that Raven had become the favorite of the all-powerful minsister, no one knew. That minister’s penetrating glance had most probably detected rare ability in the young aspirant for honors. Some pretended to know that there were other and secret reasons which had combined with this; so much is sure, he was suddenly appointed secretary to his excellency, and in this new capacity ac- quired opportunities of developing his talents which he had not possessed in his former subordinate position. The secretary was soon promoted to be EOMmichboo “<S (EO)