The Price He Paid — page 72: what you’re looking at

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

LIVING IN REBELLION, 63 was announcing a dogma which had become to him indisputable. The bitterness of spirit pervading his profession of faith escaped, indeed, in a great measure his girlish hearer, who listened half- amazed, half-indignant—listened and wondered. “But, finally, there comes a time when the ever- lasting combat sickens,” Raven went on; “when a man comes toask himself whether, after all, the once dreamed-of greatness were worth the stake of all he possessed, when he counts the sum of victories achieved by constant wrestling and unremitting ex- ertions, and, counting them, grows heartily weary of the game he has played so long. Iam weary of it often—very weary !” | He leaned back, and gazed out into the distance. There was gloomy care in his look, and the deep weariness of which he spoke re-echoed in his. voice. Gabrielle was silent, greatly embarrassed by the serious turn the conversation had taken, and feel- ing herself led away into quite unknown paths. Hitherto she had seen in her guardian the master only—the master, iron of will and inaccessible to sentiment. For the first time this taciturn, rigidly reserved nature expanded in a moment of self-forgetfulness. Gabrielle looked down into a depth whereof she had not dreamed; but instinctively she felt that she must not move, must not conjure up the strong emotions stirring below the surface. A long pause followed. The two looked out silently atthe broad landscape lying before them in the warm light of a mellow August day. The month had nearly run its course, and summer seemed before her departure to be shedding all her bountiful stores of loveliness over the earth. Re- splendent sunshine streamed over the ancient city spread at the foot of the castle-hill, flooded the pas- ture lands and fields, gleamed on the hamlets which dotted the country far and near, and sparkled in the ripples of the river winding its way majestically through the valley. Eek: : Inclosing this valley stood the circling hills, some with softly modulated lines, some rising boldly, Eomichboo <S (E(0)