The Price He Paid — page 76: what you’re looking at

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

LIVING IN REBELLION. 67 Gabrielle standing by his side. There was the hardly perceptible delay of a second, and then he pronounced his decree: “Send your people away. The work is not to be done.” “What! your excellency?” asked the mason, in astonishment. : “The demolition of the fountain would injure the garden. It is to remain. I will take other measures.” A wave of the hand dismissed the two men. They, of course, ventured on no reply, but surprise was plainly written on their countenances as they left the garden. It was the first time an order so circumstantially given by the governor himself had ever been withdrawn. Raven had stepped to the edge of the basin, and was watching the constantly falling shower. Ga- brielle had remained in her place by the parapet, but now she drew near slowly, hesitatingly—pres- ently, with a sudden movement, she held out both hands to him. “Thank you—oh, thank you!” He smiled, not with his usual sardonic smile. A ray of sunshine seemed to flit across his face, as he took the proffered hands, and gently raising Ga- brielle’s head, stooped to kiss her brow. There was nothing unusual inthis. He was in the habit of thus saluting her when she appeared at breakfast and wished him “Good-morning,” and hitherto she had received his caress most uncon- cernedly; while he, her guardian, had but in cool, grave fashion made use of his ‘fatherly rights.*” To-day, for the first time, the young girl in- voluntarily sought to evade it; and Raven felt that the hand he held in his own trembled a little. He drew himself up suddenly, without having touched her forehead with his lips, and dropped her hand. “You are right,” he said, in a troubled voice. “There is a magic in the Nixies’ Well. Let us go.” They turned away. Behind them the spring bab- bled and murmured, the fountain plashed, throw- ing its white vail of spray ever onhigh. That cruel GEomichboo Ss Eo