a face illumined-第43章

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Miss　Burton　soon　after　sought　her　room；　and　for　a　few　moments　paced

it　in　deep　disquiet；　and　her　whole　form　seemed　to　become　tense　and

rigid。　　In　low　tones　she　communed　with　herself：



〃Is　my　will　so　weak？　　Shall　I　continue　betraying　myself　at　any

unexpected　moment？　　Shall　I　show　to　strangers　something　that　I

would　hide　from　all　eyes　save　those　of　God？　　Let　me　realize　it　at

once；　and　so　maintain　self…control　henceforth。　　This　is　an　illusiona

mere　trick　of　my　overwrought　mind；　and　yet　it　seemed　so　like…〃



A　passion　of　grief　interrupted　further　words。　　Such　bitter；

uncontrollable　sorrow　in　one　so　young　was　terrible。　　She　writhed

and　struggled　with　this　anguish　for　a　time　as　helplessly　as　if　she

were　in　the　grasp　of　a　giant。



At　last　she　grew　calm。　　There　were　no　tears　in　her　eyes。　　She

was　beyond　such　simple　and　natural　expression　of　sorrow。　　She　had

ready　tears　for　the　troubles　of　others；　but　now　her　eyes　were　dry

and　feverish。



〃O　God；〃　she　gasped；　〃teach　me　patience！　　Keep　me　submissive。　　Let

me　still　say；　'Thy　will　be　done。'　　And　yet　the　time　is　drawing　near

whenoh；　hush！　hush！　　Let　me　not　think　of　it…



〃There；　there；　be　still；〃　she　said　more　quietly　with　her　hand　upon

her　side。　　〃Hundreds　of　other　hearts　besides　your　own　are　aching。

Forget　yourself　in　relieving　them。〃



She　bathed　her　face；　put　some　brighter　flowers　in　her　hair；　and

went　down　among　the　other　guests；　seemingly　the　very　embodiment

of　sunshine。　　All　eyes　save　those　of　Ida　Mayhew　welcomed　her；　the

children　gathered　round　her；　Stanton　and　Van　Berg　were　both　eager

for　her　society　in　the　dance；　or　better　still；　for　a　promenade；　but

she　saw　Mr。　Mayhew　looking　wistfully　at　her；　and　she　went　straight

to　him。



With　unerring　tact　she　found　out　the　subjects　that　were　interesting

to　him；　and　reviving　his　faith　in　his　own　intelligence；　led　his

mind　through　sunny；　breezy　ranges　of　thought　that　made　the　time　he

spent　with　her　like　an　escape　from　the　narrow　walls　and　stifling

air　and　gloom　of　a　prison。











Chapter　XXIV。　　A　Hateful；　Wretched　Life。









The　advent　of　half　a　score　of　young　men　from　the　city　naturally

made　dancing　the　order　of　the　occasion　on　Saturday　evening。　　Mr。

Burleigh；　however；　gave　Sibley　a　hint　that　the　features　he　had

introduced　the　previous　week　must　be　omitted　tonight；　since　nothing

that　would　in　the　slightest　degree　lower　the　character　of　his

house　would　be　tolerated。　　The　excitement　therefore　that　Sibley　had

formerly　received　from　Cognac；　he　now　sought　to　obtain　by　pursuing

with　greater　ardor　his　flirtation　with　Ida。　　Indeed；　to　such　a

nature　as　his；　her　beauty　was　quite　as　intoxicating　as　the　〃spirit

of　wine。〃　　There　was　a　brilliancy　in　her　appearance　to　night　and

a　piquancy　in　her　words　that　struck　him　as　very　unusual。



Nor　was　he　alone　in　his　admiration。　　The　young　men　from　the

city　thronged　about　her；　and　her　hand　was　soon　engaged　for　every

dance　until　late　in　the　evening；　but　on　this　occasion　she　had　no

opportunity；　as　before；　of　declining　invitations　from　Van　Berg。

The　solicitations　of　others　went　for　little；　the　admiring　eyes

that　she　saw　following　her　on　every　side　could　not　compensate　for

the　lack　of　all　attention　from　him。　　He　danced　several　times；　but

it　was　with　those　who　seemed　to　be　neglected　by　others。　　In　his

quiet；　dignified　bearing；　in　his　unselfish　affability　toward　those

who　otherwise　would　have　had　a　dull　evening；　he　appeared　to　her　in

most　favorable　contrast　to　the　giddy　young　fellows　who　fluttered

around　her；　and　whose　supreme　thoughts　were　always　of　themselves；

and　of　her　only　as　she　could　minister　to　their　pleasure。



〃Miss　Burton　has　so　plainly　won　him；〃　she　thought；　〃that　he　has

adopted　her　tactics　of　looking　after　those　whom　every　one　neglects。

I　could　soon　show　him　the　one　he　has　the　greatest　power　of　cheering；

and　I　know　that　she　has　the　deepest　need　of　cheer　of　any　one　in

this　crowded　house；　but　I'd　rather　die　than　give　one　hint　of　our

first　meeting　he　has　humiliated　me；　and　I　in　return　love　him！　　But

he　shall　never　know　it。　　My　looks　can　be　as　cold　as　his。〃



And　so　they　were　toward　him；　but　for　all　others　she　had　had　the

gayest　smiles　and　repartee。　　Vividly　conscious　of　the　secret　she

would　so　jealously　guard；　she　sought　by　every　means　in　her　power

to　mask　it　from　him　and　all　others。　　She　would　even　permit　her　name

for　a　time　to　be　associated　with　a　man　she　detested　and　despised；

since　thus　the　truth　could　be　more　effectively　concealed。



Sibley's　attentions　were　certainly　ardent　enough　to　attract　attention；

and　occasionally　there　was　a　boldness　in　his　compliments；　which

she；　even　in　her　reckless　mood；　sharply　resented。　　His　eyes　seemed

to　grow　more　wolfish　every　time　she　encountered　them；　and　more　than

once　the　thought　crossed　her　mind：



〃What　a　heaven　it　would　be　to　look　up　into　the　eyes　of　a　man　I

could　trust；　and　who　honored　me。〃



What　torture　it　was　to　see　such　a　man　present；　and　yet　to　feel　that

he　justly　scorned　her。



Excitement　and　her　strong　will　kept　her　up　for　a　long　time；　but　as

the　evening　advanced　despondency　and　weariness　began　to　gain　the

mastery。　　Sibley　came　to　her　and　said：　　〃Miss　Ida；　I　have　your　hand

for　the　next　waltz；　but　I　see　you　are　worn　and　tired。　　Let　us　go

out　on　the　cool　piazza　instead　of　dancing。〃



Listlessly　she　took　his　arm　and　passed　through　one　of　the　open

windows　near。　　Van　Berg　had　disappeared　some　time　before；　and　there

was　no　longer　any　motive　to　keep　up　the　illusion　of　gayety。



Hardly　had　she　stepped　on　the　piazza　before　she　heard　her　father

say：



〃Miss　Burton；　if　it　will　give　you　any　pleasure　to　know　that　you　have

made　this　evening　memorably　bright　to　one　whose　life　is　peculiarly

clouded；　you　can　certainly　enjoy　that　assurance　in　the　fullest

measure。　　You　have　kept　your　word　and　have　not　preached　at　me　at

all；　and　yet　I　feel　I　ought　to　be　a　better　man　for　this　interview。〃



〃O；　Miss　Ida；〃　exclaimed　Sibley；　〃this　is　the　opportunity　that　I

have　been　wishing　for　all　the　evening。　　I　cannot　tell　you　how　gladly

I　exchange　the　glare　of　that　room　for　the　light　of　your　eyes　only。

Would　that　life　were　but　one　long　summer　evening；　and　your　eyes

the　only　starts　in　my　sky。〃



〃Absurd；〃　she　carelessly　replied；　and　then　they　passed　out　of

hearing。



〃Good…night；　Miss　Burton；〃　said　Mr。　Mayhew　abruptly；　and　he　hastily

descended　the　steps　and　was　soon　lost　from　view　in　the　darkness。



His　daughter　and　the　man　who　seemed　to　be　the　companion　of　her

choice；　brought　back　at　once　the　old　conditions　of　his　life。　　The

prison　walls　closed　around　him　again；　the　air　seemed　all　the　more

foul　and　stifling　in　contrast　with　the　pure　atmosphere　which　he　had

been　breathing；　and　the　gloom　of　the　night　was　light　in　comparison

with　his　thoughts　as　he　muttered：



〃If　Ida　were　only　like　this　good　angel　she　might　save　even　me；　but

after　my　long　absence　she　leaves　me　wholly　to　myself　for　the　sake

of　a　man　who　ought　to　be　an　offence　to　her。　　If　I　tell　her　and

her　mother　what　his　reputation　in　New　York　is　they　will　not　listen

to　me。　　Although　he　is　the　known　slave　of　every　vice；　my　daughter

smiles　upon　him。　　Froth　and　mud　we　are　now　and　ever　will　be。　　After

a　glimpse　into　the　life　of　that　pure；　good　woman　who　has　tried　to

be　God's　messenger　to　me　to…night；　I　can　find　no　words　to　express

my　loathing　of　the　slough　in　which　I　and　mine　have　mired。　　My　only

child；　by　the　force　of　natural　selection；　bids　fair　to　add　to　our

number　a　drunkard　and　a　libertine；　and　I　am　powerless　to　prevent

it。　　The　mother　that　should　guard　and　guide　her　child；　is　blind　to

everything　save　that　he　is　rich。　　Froth　and　mud！　　Froth　and　mud！〃



Unable　to　endure　his　thoughts；　he　went　to　his　room　and　found　oblivion

in　the　stupor　of　intoxication。



On　reaching　the　end　of　the　long　piazza；　Sibley　led　Ida　to　a　veranda

little　frequented　at　that　hour；　saying；　as　he　did　so：



〃Let　us　get　away　from