The Price He Paid — page 79: what you’re looking at

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

70 DA HY, FORTUNE AND MARRIAGE. to his old quarters in that fortified place which he quitted by the somewhat unusual conveyance ofa ladder of ropes. The sentence formerly pronounced. on him still hangs over his head, so he has sent me as his representative.” , “You have full authority to act?” putin the as- sessor. “Unlimited; but there will be plenty of quibbles and delays, notwithstanding. My father’s flight and protracted absence will complicate matters, and my notorious socialist name will hardly predis- pose the judicial mind to any special affability toward me. Foreseeing all this, I have taken a rather long leave and I intend to stay in R—— un- til the business is settled. I count much on your legal advice and assistance.” “Tam altogether at your service. The first thing for you to do, however, is to give up your rooms at the hotel, and to come here to me.” “With your permission, I shall decline doing that,” said Max, dryly. “Why?” “Because I don’t wish to bring you into trouble with your superiors. Can you give me your word of honor that the visit you paid us this summer passed unremarked, that it has called down on you no word of blame?” George looked down. “Well, I certainly was favored with some rather sharp observations from the chief; but there are bounds even to his jurisdiction and to the regard I owe to my position. Ido not mean to offer up to it my friends and private connections.” “You need not doso,” returned the young sur- geon; “but there isno occasion to go out of your way to challenge a conflict. You know I have not a very high opinion of gratuitous sacrifices, and the invitation you are now so kind as to give me comes under that head. No use to argue, George. I shall remain at the hotel. You will compromise yourself quite sufficiently in the eyes of all loyal citizens by owning me as a friend at all.” The refusal was expressed in so decided a tone EGOmIichoo <S (EO)