The Price He Paid — page 44: what you’re looking at

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

A PLAIN TALK, 30 hand of her father’s favorite, hearing it daily pre- dicted that a great future was in store for him, and this prophecy being fulfilled, she did not feel that more was to be desired from life. Her husband re- sponded liberally to all her demands respecting a brilliant establishment and elegant toilets, and gave her an enviable position in society, so no differences rose between them. They lived together on what is supposed to be a very aristocratic footing, as much apart and as strange one to the other as pos- sible. This union, a pattern one in the eyes of the world, but childless, had been dissolved, about seven years before the events here recorded, by Madame von Raven’s death; and the baron, to whom the whole fortune descended by will, had taken to himself no second wife. On the morning succeeding the arrival of Baron- ess Harder and her daughter, the former lady was sitting with her brother-in-law in the boudoir which formed part of her suite of rooms. The baroness still showed traces of beauty, which, however, had years ago bloomed and faded. In the evening, per- haps, by the tempered luster of wax-lights, the num- berless arts of the toilet might have produced a de- lusive effect; but now, in the broad glare of day, the truth revealed itself mercilessly to the eyes of the governor as he sat opposite her. : “T cannot spare you these details, Matilda,” he said; “though I quite understand how painful they must be to you. The matter must be discussed be- tween us once, at least. By your wish 1 undertook the settlement of the baron’s affairs, so far as it was possible for me.to settle them at this distance. They proved to be in a state of absolute chaos, and even with the help afforded me by your solicitor, I had the greatest difficulty in mastering their com- plications. I have at length succeeded, and the re- sult of my labors I communicated to you in Switzer- land.” , The baroness pressed her handkerchief to her eyes. "% A comfortless result!” she said. “But one not unexpected. There was, I regret to Gomicbooks (E()