The Price He Paid — page 98: what you’re looking at

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

AT THE BALL. 89 and assistance the baroness might this evening have made good her claim to be considered a beautiful woman, had it not been for the youthful, blooming daughter at her side. Before the grace and fresh- ness of that seventeen-year-old maiden, no artificial charm could hold its own; and by force of con- trast, the mother appeared that which, in point of fact, she really was, a faded, middle-aged lady. “Excuse me for keeping you waiting,” sail she, approaching her brother-in-law with her wonted sweetness of manner. “I did not know you were already inthe drawing-room, Arno; and none of the guests have arrived as yet. I hope Gabrielle has been amusing you in my absence.” | _ Raven made noreply. He was visibly annoyed by the interruption. “Our visitors will be here shortly,” he remarked, after a while; and, indeed, scarcely had he spoken the words, when the first carriage drove up. The baron offered his arm to his sister-in-law to lead her to her place at the upper end of the room, and as they went, he glanced with keen scrutiny from mother to daughter. “Gabrielle does not resemble you in the least, Matilda,” he said suddenly, and his tone betrayed a secret satisfaction. “Do you think not?” said the baroness, who would probably have preferred to hear a contrary opinion expressed. “It may be thatshe is more like her father——” “She does not bear the smallest resemblance to her father either,” interrupted Raven. “I do not see that she has inherited a single trait from either of her parents—thank God!” he added to himself. The baroness was silent, looking aggrieved, though she could not have caught the offensive words which concluded his speech. There was no denying the fact. that Gabrielle possessed neither the Harder features nor those of her mother’s family. She was as unlike both parents as she could possibly be. | The first arrivals now appeared, and were soon followed by others. Carriage after carriage rolled EOmichboo “S (E(0)