The Price He Paid — page 52: what you’re looking at

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

A PLAIN TALK, 43 more cordiality than his manner usually showed, signing tothe other to follow him into a smaller side-office, where he generally received his officials in single audience. “I am glad tosee you back - again. JI missed you greatly during the few days you were absent.” Court-councilor Moser, chief clerk and head of the bureaucratic staff, received this testimony to his indispensability with visible satisfaction. “Tl hastened my return as much as possible,” he replied, “Your excellency is aware that I only ap- plied for leave in order to fetch my daughter from the convent in which she has been educated. I had the honor of presenting her to your excellency yesterday, when we met in the gallery.” “It seems to me you have left the young lady rather too long under spiritual guidance,” remarked Raven; “she almost gives one the impression of a nun herself. I amafraid this convent education has completely spoiled her.” . The chief-clerk raised his eyebrows, and stared at his superior in dismayed astonishment. : “How does your excellency mean?” “T mean spoiled her for worldly purposes,” the baron corrected himself, a hardly pereptible smile hovering about his lips as he noticed the consterna- tion depicted in the other’s face. “Ah! yes, indeed, there your excellency is right” —the chief-clerk never neglected an opportunity of civing the governor his title, even though he had to repeat it three times in a single sentence—“but my Agnes’ mind was never given to the things of this world, and she will shortly renounce them alto- gether. She has resolved on taking the vail.” The baron had taken up some papers, and stood olancing over their contents as he quickly pursued his conversation with the old gentleman, the only official whom he admitted to anything like familiar terms. “Well, thatis hardly surprising,” he observed. “When a young girl is left ina convent from the age of fourteen to that of seventeen, one must be Eomichboo “S (E(0)