a face illumined-第9章

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and　causing　it　to　seem　as　if　we　were　making　a　martyr　of　you。　　As

for　this　artist；　with　his　superior　airs；　I　detest　him。　　He　never

loses　a　chance　to　annoy　and　mortify　me。　　I've　no　doubt　he　hoped

you　would　come　home　and　tell　us；　as　you　have；　how　much　better　he

was　than…〃



〃There；　there；　quit　that　kind　of　talk　or　I'll　be　drunk　in　half

an　hour。〃　said　her　father；　harshly。　　〃If　you　had　the　heart　of　a

woman；　let　alone　that　of　a　daughter；　you　would　thank　the　man　who

had　unwittingly　kept　me　from　making　a　beast　of　myself　for　one　day

at　least。　　Go　down　to　your　dinner；　I'm　in　no　mood　for　eating。〃



She　went　without　a　word；　but　with　a　more　severe　compunction　of

conscience　than　she　had　ever　felt　before　in　her　life。　　Her　father's

face　and　words　smote　her　with　a　keen　reproach；　piercing　the　thick

armor　of　her　vanity　and　selfishness。　　She　saw；　for　a　moment；　how

unnatural　and　unlovely　she　must　appear　to　him；　in　spite　of　her

beauty；　and　the　thought　crossed　her　mind：



〃Mr。　Van　Berg　despises　me　because　he　sees　me　in　the　same　light。

How　I　hate　his　cold；　critical　eyes！〃



Even　at　his　far　remove　Van　Berg　could　see　that　she　was　ill　at

ease　during　the　dinner　hour。　　There　would　be　times　of　forced　and

unnatural　gayety；　followed　by　a　sudden　cloud　upon　the　brow　and

an　abstracted　air；　as　if　her　thoughts　had　naught　to　do　with　the

chattering　group　around　her。　　It　would　also　appear　that　her　appetite

was　flagging　unusually；　and　once　or　twice　he　thought　she　darted　an

angry　look　towards　him。



As　if　something　were　burdening　her　mind；　she　at　last　left　the　table

hastily；　before　the　others　were　through　with　their　dessert。



As　may　be　surmised；　she　sought　her　father's　room。　　Receiving　no　response

to　her　knock；　she　entered　and　saw　at　a　glance　the　confirmation　of

her　fears。　　Her　father　sat　in　an　arm…chair　with　his　head　upon　his

breast。　　A　brandy　bottle　stood　on　the　table　beside　him。　　At　the

sound　of　her　step　he　looked　up　for　a　moment　with　heavy　eyes；　and

mumbled：



〃He　ain't　of　your　style；　is　he？　　Nor　of　mine；　either。　　Froth　and

mud！〃



Ida　gave　a　sudden　stamp　of　rage　and　disgust；　and　whirled　from　the

room。



Van　Berg　happened　to　see　her　as　she　descended　to　the　main　hall…way；

and　her　face　was　so　repulsive　as　to　suggest　to　him　the　lines　from

Shakespeare：





〃In　nature　there's　no　blemish；　but　the　mind；

　None　can　be　called　deformed；　but　the　unkind；

　Virtue　is　beauty；　but　the　beauteousevil

　Are　empty　trunks；　o'er　flourished　by　the　devil。〃





That　afternoon　and　evening　her　reckless　levity　and　open　coquetry

secured　unfavorable　comment　not　only　from　the　artist；　but　from

others　far　more　indifferent；　whose　attention　she　half　compelled　by

a　manner　that　did　not　suggest　spring　violets。



Van　Berg　was　disgusted。　　He　was　less　versed　in　human　nature　than

art；　and　did　not　recognize　in　the　forced　and　obtrusive　gayety　the

effort　to　stifle　the　voice　of　an　aroused　conscience。　　Even　to　her

blunted　sense　of　right　it　seemed　a　hateful　and　disgraceful　truth

that　a　stranger　had　helped　her　father　towards　manhood；　an　that　she

had　destroyed　the　transient　and　salutary　influence。　　Her　complacency

had　been　disturbed　from　the　time　her　cousin　had　repeated　Van　Berg's

remark；　〃I　could　not　speak　civilly　to　a　lady　that　I　had　just　seen

giggling　and　flirting　through　one　of　Beethoven's　finest　symphonies；〃

and　now；　through　an　unexpected　chain　of　circumstances；　she　had；

for　the　first　time　in　her　life；　reached　a　point　of　self…disgust　and

self…loathing。　　Such　a　moral　condition　is　evil's　opportunity　when

a　disposition　towards　penitence　or　reform　is　either　absent　or

resisted。　　The　thought；　therefore；　of　her　father's　drunkenness　that

day；　and　of　herself　as　the　immediate　cause；　made　her　so　wretched　and

reckless　that　she　tried　to　forget　her　miserable　self　in　excitement；

as　he　had　in　lethargy。　　Even　her　mother　chided　her；　asking　if　she

did　not　〃remember　the　day。〃



〃Indeed；　I　shall　have　occasion　to　remember　it；〃　was　her　ambiguous

answer；　〃but　Mondays　in　the　country　are　always　blue；　and　I'll　do

my　repenting　then。　　If　I　were　a　good　Catholic　I'd　hunt　up　a　priest

to…morrow。〃



〃I'll　be　your　father…confessor　to…day；〃　said　a　black…eyed　young

man；　twirling　his　mustache。



〃You；　Mr。　Sibely？　　You　would　lead　me　into　more　naughtiness　than　you

would　help　me　out　of；　twice　over。　　For　my　confessor　I　would　choose

an　ancient　man　who　had　had　his　dinner。　　What　a　comfortable　belief

it　is；　to　be　sure！　　All　one　has　to　do　is　to　buzz　one's　sins　through

a　grating　（that　is　like　an　indefinite　number　of　key…holes）　to

a　dozing　old　gentleman　inside；　and　then　away　with　a　heart　like　a

feather；　to　load　up　again。　　I'd　bless　the　man　who　could　convert　me

to　a　Papist。〃



But　she　hated　the　man　who　had　made　her　feel　the　need　of　absolution；

and　who　seemed　an　inseparable　part　of　all　her　disagreeable　experiences。

Although　he　appeared　to　avoid　any　locality　in　which　she　remained；

she　observed　his　eyes　turned　towards　her　more　than　once　before　the

day　closed；　and　it　exasperated　her　almost　beyond　all　endurance　to

believe　that　their　expression　was　only　that　of　contempt。



She　might　have　been　a　little　better　pleased；　perhaps；　if　she　had

known　that　she　made　the　artist　almost　as　uncomfortable　as　herself。

Never　before　had　there　seemed　to　him　so　great　a　contrast　between

her　beauty　and　herself；　her　features　and　her　face。　　The　latter　could

not　fail　to　excite　his　increased　disgust；　while　the　former　was　so

great　that　he　found　himself　becoming　resolutely　bent　on　redeeming

them　from　what　seemed　a　horrid　profanation。　　In　accordance　with

one　of　his　characteristics；　the　more　difficult　the　project　seemed；

the　more　obstinately　fixed　became　his　purpose　to　discover　whether

she　had　a　mind　of　sufficient　calibre　to　transform　her　into　what　she

might　be；　in　contrast　with　what　she　was。　　The　more　he　saw　of　her

the　more　his　interest　as　an　artist；　and；　indirectly；　as　a　student

of　character；　was　deepened。　　If　she　had　no　mind　worth　naming　he

would　give　the　problem　up　to　the　solution　of　time；　which；　however；

promised　nothing　but　a　gradual　fading　away　of　all　beauty；　and　the

intensifying　of　inward　deformity　until　fully　reproduced　in　outward

ugliness。











Chapter　VII。　　Another　Feminine　Problem。









Early　on　Monday　morning；　Mr。　Mayhew　hastened　from　the　breakfast…table

to　the　stage。　　His　wife　and　daughter　were　not　down　to　see　him

off；　and　he　seemed　desirous　of　shunning　all　recognition。　　With

the　exception　that　that　his　eyes　were　heavy　and　bloodshot　from　his

debauch；　his　face　had　the　same　dreary；　apathetic　expression　which

Van　Berg　had　noted　on　his　arrival。　　And　so　he　went　back　to　his

city　office；　where；　fortunately　for　him；　mechanical　routine　brought

golden　rewards；　since　he　was　in　no　state　for　business　enterprise。



From　his　appearance；　Van　Berg　could　not　help　surmising　what　had　been

his　condition　the　previous　day。　　Indeed　Stanton；　with　a　contemptuous

shrug；　had　the　same　as　said　on　Sabbath　evening；　that　his　uncle　had

〃dropped　into　the　old　slough。〃　　Although　neither　of　the　young　men

knew　how　great　an　impetus　Ida　had　given　her　father　towards　such

degradation；　they　both　felt　that　if　his　wife　and　daughter　had　had

the　tact　to　detect　and　appreciate　his　better　mood；　produced　by　the

morning　ramble；　they　might　have　sustained　him；　and　given　him　at

least　one　day　that　he　could　remember　without　shame　and　discouragement。



Van　Berg　found　something　pathetic　in　Mr。　Mayhew's　weary　and

disheartened　manner。　　It　was　like　that　of　a　soldier　who　has　suffered

defeat；　but　who　goes　on　with　his　routine　in　a　mechanical；　spiritless

manner；　because　there　is　nothing　else　to　do。　　He　seemed　to　have　no

hope；　nor　even　a　thought　of　retrieving　the　past　and　of　reasserting

his　own　manhood。　　Accustomed　as　the　young　artist　had　ever　been　to

a　household　in　which　affection；　allied　to　high…bred　courtesy　and

mutual　respect；　made　even　homely　daily　life　noble　and　beautiful；

he　could　not　look　on　the　discordant　Mayhew　family　with　the　charity；

or　the　indifference；　of　those　who　have　seen　more　of　the　wrong　side

of　life。　　Had　there　been　only　poor；　besmirched　Mr。　Mayhew；　and

stout；　dressy；　voluble　Mrs。　Mayhew；　he　would　never　have　glanced

towards　them　the　second　time；　but　his　artist's　eyes　had　fallen　on

the　contradictory　being　that　linked　them　together。　　Morally　and

mentally　she　seemed　one　with　her　parent　stock；　but　her　beauty；　in

some　of　its　aspects；　was　so　marvellous；　that　the　desire　to　redeem

it　from　its　hateful　and　grotesque　associations　grew　stronger　every

hour。



Instead；　therefore；　of　going　off　upon　solitary　rambles；　as　he　had

done　hitherto；　he　mingled　more　frequently　in　the　amusements　of

the　guests　of　the　house；　with　the　hope　he　would　thus　be　brought　so

often　in　contact　with　the　subject　of　his　experiment；　that　her　pique

would　wear　away　sufficiently　to　permit　them　to　meet　on　something

like　friendly　terms。



As　far　as　the　other　guests　were　concerned；　he　had　not　trouble。

They　welcomed　him　to　croquet；　to　walking　and　boating　excursions；

and　to　their　evening　games　and　promenades。　　Such　of　the　ladies　as

danced　were　pleased　to　secure　him　as　a　partner。　　Indeed；　from　the

dearth　of　gentlemen　during　the　week；　he　soon　found　himself　more

in　demand　than　he　cared　to　be；　and　saw　that　even　the　landlord

was　beginning　to　rely　upon　him　to　keep　up　a　state　of　pleasurable

effervescence　among　his　patrons。　　His　languid　friend；　Stanton；　was

not　a　little　surprised；　and　at　last　remarked：



〃Why；　Van；　what　has　come　over　you？　　I　never　saw　you　in　the　role　of

a　society　fellow　before！〃



But　his　unwonted　courtesies　seemed　wholly　in　vain。　　He　propitiated

and　won　all　save　one；　and　that　one　was　the　sole　object　of　his　effort。

While　all　others　smiled；　her　face　remained　cold　and　averted。　　Indeed

she　took　such　pains　to　ignore　and　avoid　him；　that　it　was　generally

recognized　that　there　was　a　difference　between　them；　and　of　course

there　was　an　endless　amount　of　gossiping　surmise。　　As　the　hostility

seemed　wholly　on　the　lady's　side；　Van　Berg　appeared　to　the　better

advantage；　and　Ida　was　all　the　more　provoked　as　she　recognized　the

fact。



She　now　began　to　wish　that　she　had　taken　a　different　course。　　As

Van　Berg　pursued　his　present　tactics；　her　feminine　intuition　was

not　so　dull　but　that　she　was　led　to　believe　he　wished　to　make　her

acquaintance。　　Of　course　there　was；　to　her　mind；　but　one　explanation

of　this　facthe　was　becoming　fascinated；　like　so　many　others。



〃If　I　were　only　on　speaking　and　flirting　terms；〃　she　thought　（the

two　relations　were　about　synonymous　in　her　estimation）；　〃I　might

draw　him　on　to　a　point　which　would　give　me　a　chance　of　punishing

him　far　more　than　is　now　possible　by　sullenly　keeping　aloof。　　As

it　is；　it　looks　to　these　people　here　as　if　he　had　jilted　me　instead

of　I　him；　and　that　I　am　sulking　over　it。〃



But　she　had　entangled　herself　in　the　snarl　of　her　own　previous

words　and　manner