The Price He Paid — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

LIVING IN REBELLION. 55 content. After the boundless liberty she had en- joyed at Z——, the strict formal etiquette of the Government-house galled and irritated her. She could not reconcile herself to it; the less so that this etiquette was an -insuperable obstacle to the fre- quent meetings with George Winterfeld on which she had counted. Here in R——, the young people were completely separated. With the exception of a chance en- counter now and again, always in the presence of witnesses, they were fain to content themselves with acasual glimpse of each other ata distance, with some little secret signal, as when George would pass beneath the window and furtively wave his hand toa slender, white-robed figure above. He had attempted to approach her. His previous ac- quaintance with them justifying the step, he had paid a visit to the ladies. The baroness would have had no objection to receive the agreeable young man, as she had received him previously, but Raven gave her very decidedly to understand that he did not desire anything like intimacy between the ladies of his family and one of his young clerks who could have no claim to sucha distinction. So the visit was accepted, but no invitation to repeat it was given, and thus the attempt proved abortive. True, it was impatience, rather than actual trouble of mind, which made Gabrielle rebel against the restraint everywhere surrounding her. Since the baron had so calmly deposed her to the rank of a child, she had missed George’s tender and — yet passionate homage, which formerly she had ac- cepted as a thing of course. He never thought her education deficient and neglected, he never cate- chised her, or expected her to take wearisome les- sons, as did her guardian, who clearly did not know how young ladies of her age ought to be treated. In George’s estimation she was faultless; the one woman to be adored; he was happy when she just blew akissto himfrom afar. And yet she was angry with George, too. Why did he not try more to break through the barriers which separated them? Why did he remain at so respectfula distance? ™ EOmichboo <S (E(0)