The Price He Paid — page 41: what you’re looking at

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

32 A PLAIN TALK. his master’s friend and confidant, was preferred and put forward on every occasion, and even ad- mitted into the great man’s family circle. The lower rungs of the official ladder were quickly climbed, and one day society in the capital was astounded by the news, which at first seemed to be too wondertul to be believed, that the minister’s elder daughter was betrothed to the young, newly appointed councilor. Shortly afterward the rank of baron was conferred on the bridegroom expec- tant, and therewith he was fairly launched on his career. The son-in-law of so influential aman found his way smoothed for him in every direction, but it was not this alone which bore him aloft with such dizzy speed. His really splendid abilities seemed only now to have found their proper field, and soon dis- played themselves in a manner which made all ad- ventitious aid superfluous. A very few years later, the “inexplicable” conduct ,of the minister who in- stead of opposing, had favored the mesalliance, be- came sufficiently intelligible. He had taken his son-in-law’s measure; he knew what was to be ex- pected from the young man’s future, and it is certain that his daughter, as Madame von Raven, played afar more brilliant part than her sister, who mar- ried a nobleman of high lineage, but of utter per- sonal insignificance. When the baron was nominated to the responsi- ble post of Governor of R——, he found matters there in a critical condition. The storm of faction, which some years before had convulsed the whole land, had no doubt spent itself for the time being, but signs were not wanting that it was merely repressed, and not completely and finally laid. In the —— province especially, a perpetual ferment was kept up, and great, populous R——, the chief city of that province, stood at the head of the opposition which arrayed itself against the government. Several high officials, succeeding each other in rapid order, had endeavored in vain to put an end to this state of things; they lacked either the necessary resolu- tion or the necessary authority, and confined them- Eomichooks. co