a face illumined-第26章

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that　fixed；　vacant　stare　which　indicates　that　nothing　is　seen　save

by　the　eye　of　the　mind。



〃Father's　drunk　to…night；〃　she　moaned；　〃I　know　it　as　surely　as　if

I　saw　him。　　I　also　know　that　I'm　in　part　to　blame　for　it。　　Could

outward　beauty　mask　a　blacker　heart　than　mine？　　It　does　not　mask

it　from　him　who　sang　those　words；〃　and　she　buried　her　face　in　her

hands　and　sobbed；　until；　exhausted　and　disheartened；　she　sough　such

poor　rest　and　respite　as　a　few　hours　of　troubled　sleep　could　bring。











Chapter　XVIII。　　Love　Put　to　Work。









On　the　following　day　there　was　the　usual　bustle　of　change　and

departure　that　is　characteristic　of　a　large　summer　resort　on　Monday

morning。　　Stanton　found　Mrs。　Mayhew　very　ready　to　occupy　the　seats

he　had　obtained；　and　all　the　more　so　from　his　statement　of　the　fact

that　several　others　had　spoken　for　them。



〃Ida；　my　dear；〃　called　her　mother；　〃come　here；　I've　good　news　for

you。　　Ik　has　got　us　out　of　that　odious　corner　of　the　dining…room；

and　secured　seats　for　us　at　Mr。　Van　Berg's　table。〃



〃I　wish　no　seat　there；〃　she　said　decisively。



〃Oh；　its　all　arranged；　my　dear；　and　a　good　many　others　want　the

seats；　but　Ik　was　too　prompt。〃



〃I'll　stay　where　I　am；〃　said　Ida；　sullenly。



〃And　have　every　one　in　the　house　asking　why？〃　added　Stanton；

provokingly。　　〃Mr。　Van　Berg　treats　you　as　a　gentleman　should。　　Why

cannot　you　act　like　a　lady　toward　him？　　If　I　were　you　I　would　not

carry　my　preferences　for　the　Sibley　style　of　fellows　so　far　that

I　could　not　be　civil　to　a　man　like　my　friend。〃



〃You　misjudge　me；〃　cried　Ida；　passionately。



〃You　have　a　strange　way　of　proving　it。　　All　that　is　asked　of　you　is

to　sit　at　the　same　table　with　a　gentleman　who　has　won　the　respect

and　admiration　of　every　one　in　the　hotel；　whose　society　is　peculiarly

agreeable　to　your　mother　and　myself；　and　who　has　also　shown　unusual

courtesy　towards　you　ever　since　he　learned　who　you　were。　　What

else　can　I　thinkwhat　else　can　others　think；　than　that　your　taste

leans　so　decidedly　to　the　Sibley　style　that　you　cannot　even　be

polite　to　a　man　of　high　culture　and　genuine　worth？〃



〃You　are　too　severe；　Ik；〃　said　Mrs。　Mayhew。　　〃For　some　reason　that

I　cannot　fathom；　Ida　does　not　like　this　artist；　and　yet　I　think

myself　that　she　would　subject　herself　to　very　unpleasant　remarks

if　she　made　any　trouble　about　sitting　at　the　same　table　with　him。〃



〃Can　you　not　see；〃　retorted　Ida；　irritably；　〃that　Ik　has　not

considered　us　at　all；　but　only　himself？　　He　wishes　to　be　near　Miss

Burton；　and　without　giving　us　any　chance　to　object；　has　made　all

the　arrangements　so　that　we　must　either　comply　or　else　be　the　talk

of　the　house。　　It's　just　a　piece　of　his　selfishness；〃　she　concluded

with　tears　of　vexation　in　her　eyes。



〃Oh；　come　Ida！〃　said　her　mother　coaxingly；　〃I　can　see　only　a　mole…hill

in　this　matter；　and　I　wouldn't　make　a　mountain　out　of　it。　　As　far

as　I　am　concerned；　I　should　enjoy　the　change　very　much；　and；　as　you

say；　the　affair　has　gone　too　far　now　to　make　objection。　　I　do　not

intend　that　either　you　or　myself　shall　be　the　subject　of　unpleasant

remark。〃



And　so　the　matter　was　settled；　but　Ida's　coldness　and　constraint；

when　they　all　met　at　dinner；　very　clearly　indicated　that　the　change

had　been　made　without　her　consent。　　Van　Berg　addressed　her　affably

two　or　three　times；　but　received　brief　and　discouraging　answers。



〃Your　cousin　evidently　is　not　pleased　with　the　new　arrangement　you

have　brought　about。　　I　cannot　see　what　I　have　done　of　late　to　vex

her。〃



〃I'll　tell　you　the　trouble。　　You　offend　her　by　not　being　the

counterpart　of　Mr。　Sibley；〃　said　Stanton；　irritably。



Van　Berg's　brow　darkened。　　〃Do　you　think；〃　he　asked　in　a　meaning

tone；　〃that　she　understands　what　kind　of　a　man　he　is？〃



〃Oh；　she　knows　that　he　can　dance；　flirt；　and　talk　nonsense；　and

she　asks　for　nothing　more　and　thinks　of　nothing　further。　　I'm　out

of　patience　with　her。〃



Stanton's　words　contained　the　most　plausible　explanation　of　Ida's

conduct　that　occurred　to　Van　Berg。　　The　episode　in　the　stage　had

made　them　acquainted；　and　her　preconceived　prejudice　and　hostility

had　been　so　far　removed　as　to　permit　a　certain　degree　of　social

companionship；　whose　result　would　now　seem　only　increased　dislike

and　distaste。　　As　he　supposed　she　would　express　herself；　〃he　was

not　of　her　style。〃　　Had　she　not　spent　the　greater　part　of　Sunday

afternoon　and　evening　with　Sibley？　　What　other　conclusion　was

there　save　that　he　was　〃of　her　style；〃　congenial　both　in　thought

and　character！　　And　yet　he　still　refused　to　entertain　the　belief

that　she　recognized　in　him　more　than　a　fashionable　man　of　the　world。



If　only　as　the　result　of　the　pique　originating　on　the　evening　of

the　concert；　Ida　Mayhew　had　stood　aloof　from　him；　he　could　hope　to

remove　this　early　prejudice　by　better　acquaintance。　　But　if　fuller

acquaintance　increased　her　aversion；　then　he　must　believe　that

the　defects　in　her　character　were　radical；　inwrought　through　the

whole　web　and　woof　of　her　nature。　　He　could　not　assume　the　〃Sibley

style〃　if　he　would；　and　would　not　if　he　could；　were　her　beauty　a

hundred…fold　greater；　were　that　possible。



He　was　fast　coming　to　the　conclusion；　therefore；　that　he　must　abandon

the　project　which　had　so　fascinated　him；　and　whose　success　had　so

strongly　kindled　his　imagination。　　And　yet　he　did　so　reluctantly；

very　regretfully；　chafing　as　only　the　strong…willed　do；　when

confronted　and　thwarted　by　that　which　is　only　apparently　impossible；

and　which　they　still　feel　might　and　ought　to　be　accomplished。



〃I　feel　as　the　old　alchemists　must　have　done；〃　he　often　thought。

〃Here　is　a　base　metal。　　Why　can　I　not　transmute　it　into　gold？〃



But　as　the　conviction　of　his　impotence　grew　upon　him　he　felt　something

like　resentment　toward　the　one　who　had　thwarted　his　purpose；　and　so

it　naturally　happened　that　when　they　met　again　at　the　supper…table；

his　cool　and　indifferent　manner　corresponded　with　that　of　Miss　Mayhew

to　a　degree　that　gave　her　a　deeper　pain　than　she　could　understand。



〃Why　should　she　care？〃　she　asked　herself　a　hundred　times　that

evening。　　But　the　unpleasant　truth　hourly　grew　more　plain　to　her

that　she　did　care。



Stanton　and　her　mother　quietly　ignored　her　〃foolish　pique；〃　as

they　termed　it。　　In　truth　the　former　was　so　preoccupied　with　Miss

Burton；　and　with　jealousy　of　his　friend；　that　he　had　few　thoughts

for　anything　else。



He　admitted　to　himself　that　he　had　never　before　been　so　thoroughly

fascinated　and　awakened；　and　it　was　in　accordance　with　his

pleasure…loving；　self…indulgent　nature　to　drift　on　this　shining

tide　withersoever　it　might　carry　him。



But　with　a　growing　feeling　of　disquietude　he　saw　that　Van　Berg

also　was　deeply　interested　in　Miss　Burton；　and；　what　was　worse；　he

thought　he　detected　an　answering　interest　on　her　part。



Occasionally；　when　the　artist's　face　was　turned　away　so　that　she

obtained　a　good　profile　view　of　it；　Stanton　observed　her　looking

at　him　with　an　expression　which　both　puzzled　and　troubled　him。　　She

seemed　to　forget　everything　and　every　one；　and　to　gaze　for　a　moment

with　a　wistful；　longing　intensity　that　he　would　give　his　fortune

for　were　the　glance　directed　toward　himself。　　And　yet　when　Van　Berg

addressed　her；　sought　her　society；　met　her　suddenly；　there　was　no

heightening　of　color；　nor　a　trace　of　the　〃sweet　confusion〃　that　is

usually　inseparable　from　a　new　and　growing　affection　in　a　maiden's

heart。



Apart　from　this　occasion；　furtive；　and　wistful　look　during　which

her　cheeks　would　grow　pale　and　she　appear　for　the　moment　oblivious

of　present　surroundings；　her　manner　toward　the　artist　was　as　frank

and　natural　as　toward　any　one　else。　　It　was　evident　that　she　liked

and　respected　him；　but　even　his　jealousy　could　not　detect　the

certainty　of　anything　more。



But　what　was　the　tendency　of　Van　Berg's　mind　toward　her？　　That　was

the　question　which　troubled　him　more　and　more　every　day。　　From　the

time　of　their　parting　on　the　previous　Sabbath　evening　there　had

been　a　growing　reluctance　on　the　part　of　each　to　speak　of　one　who

so　largely　occupied　the　thoughts　of　both。　　The　old　jest　and　banter

about　the　〃school　ma'am〃　ceased　utterly；　and　they　mentioned　her　only

occasionally　as　〃Miss　Burton。〃　　The　old　frank　confidence　between

them　diminished　daily；　and　in　their　secret　consciousness　they　began

to　recognize　the　fact　that　they　might　soon　become　open　rivals。



The　attitude　of　Van　Berg　toward　the　young　stranger　who　had　so　deeply

interested　him　from　the　first　hour　of　their　meeting；　was　peculiar

but　characteristic。　　His　reason　approved　of　her。　　Never　before

had　he　met　a　woman　who　had　seemed　endowed　with　so　many　attractive

qualities。　　She　was　not　beautiful；a　cardinal　virtue　with　himbut

her　face　often　lighted　up　with　something　so　near　akin　to　beauty

as　to　leave　little　cause　to　regret　its　absence　and　the　conviction

grew　upon　him　that　the　spirit　enshrined　within　the　graceful　and

fragile　form　was　almost　perfection　itself。



It　became　clearer　to　him　every　day　that　some　deep　experience　or

sorrow　has　so　thoroughly　refined　away　the　dross　of　her　nature　as

to　make　her　seem　the　embodiment　of　truth　and　purity。　　What　though

she　still　maintained　complete　reticence　as　to　the　past；　avoiding

in　their　conversation　all　allusion　to　herself；　as　far　as　possible；

he　still；　in　his　inmost　soul；　knew　he　could　trust　her；　and　that

while　her　smiling　face；　like　the　sunlit　rippling　surface　of　mountain

lakes　not　far　away；　might　hide　dark；　silent　depths；　it　concealed

nothing　impure。



He　also　felt　that　there　was　no　occasion　to　imagine　any　deep　mystery

to　be　part　of　her　past　history。　　The　facts　that　she　was　poor　and

orphaned　suggested　all　the　explanations　needed；　and　he　felt　sure

that　the　sorrows　she　so　sacredly　and　unselfishly　shrouded　from　the

general　view　would　be　frankly　revealed　to　the　man　who　might　win

the　right　to　comfort　and　sustain　her。



Could　he　win　that　right？　　Did　he　wish　to　win　it？　　As　day　after　day

passed　he　felt　this　question　to　be　growing　more　and　more　vitally

important。



He　was　not　one　he　believed　who；　like　Stanton；　could　be　carried　away

by　a　sudden　and　absorbing　passion。　　In　any　and　every　case；　reason；

judgment；　and　taste　would　offer　their　counsel；　and　their　advice

would　be　carefully　weighed。　　With　increasing　distinctness；　this

cabinet　within　his　own　breast　urged　him　to　observe　this　maiden　well

lest　the　chief　opportunity　of　his　life　pass　beyond　recall。



And　he　did　study　her　character　carefully。　　Stanton；　with　the　keen

pain　of　jealousy；　and　Ida　Mayhew　with　a　disquiet　and　sinking　of

heart　that　she　could　not　understand；　noted　that　he　very　quietly

and　unobtrusively　sought　her　society。　　When　she　spoke；　he　listened。

When　it　was　possible　without　attracting　attention　his　eyes　followed

her；　and　yet　his　conduct　was　governed　so　thoroughly　by　good　taste

and　chivalric　rega