a face illumined-第48章

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vulgar　vice。　　I　don't　think　Van　will　sit　down　at　the　same　table

with　Sibley　again；　or　permit　Miss　Burton　to　do　so。〃



Ida　averted　her　face　still　farther；　but　said　nothing。



〃Indeed！〃　said　Mrs。　Mayhew；　〃and　has　Miss　Burton　given　him　the

rights　of　a　protector。〃



〃Sorry　to　disappoint　you；　aunt；　but　I　have　no　nice　bit　of　gossip

to　report。　　Miss　Burton　is　an　orphan；　and　so　any　friend　of　hers

has　a　right　to　protect　her。　　I　would　have　taken　this　matter　into

my　own　hands　were　it　not　out　of　consideration　for　you　and　Ida；

who　unfortunately　have　permitted　yourselves　to　be　identified　with

Sibley　as　his　especial　friends。　　Indeed；　most　in　the　house　regard

him　as　Ida's　favored　or　accepted　suitor。　　But　I　warn　you　to　cut

loose　from　him　at　once　or　you　may　suffer　a　severe　humiliation。　　If

you　and　Ida　will　continue　to　encourage　him；　then　I　tell　you　plainly

I　shall　follow　you　no　further　into　the　slough。〃



The　maiden　stamped　her　foot　and　made　an　emphatic　gesture　of　rage

and　protest；　but　did　not　trust　herself　to　answer　the　cruel　words；

each　one　of　which　was　like　the　thrust　of　a　knife。



But　Mrs。　Mayhew；　whose　desire　to　be　respectable　was　a　ruling　passion；

now　became　thoroughly　alarmed　and　said　hastily：



〃Mr。　Sibley　is　certainly　nothing　to　me；　and　I　hope　nothing　to　Ida。

Get　rid　of　him　any　way　you　can；　since　things　have　reached　the　pass

you　represent。　　If　society　is　going　to　put　him　under　ban；　we　must

cut　him；　that's　all　there　is　about　it；　and　his　behavior　at　dinner

gives　us　an　excuse。〃



During　this　conversation　Mr。　Mayhew　had　been　lying　on　the　sofa　with

closed　eyes；　and　as　motionless　as　if　he　were　dead。　　Now　he　said　in

low；　bitter　tones：



〃Mark　it　wellan　excuse；　not　a　reason。　　O；　virtue！　how　beautiful

thou　art！〃



〃You　are　the　last　one　in　the　world　to　speak　on　this　subject；〃　said

Mrs。　Mayhew；　angrily。



〃Right　again。　　You　see；　Ik；　my　family　never　before　met　a　man　who

promised　to　make　such　an　appropriate　addition　to　our　number。　　It's

a　pity　you　are　interfering；〃　and　he　poured　out　a　large　glass　of

brandy。



〃Would　to　God　I　had　died　before　I　had　seen　this　day！〃　cried　Ida

in　a　tone　of　such　sharp　agony　that　all　turned　towards　her　in　a

questioning　surprise；　but　she　rushed　into　her　own　room　and　locked

the　door　after　her。



〃Things　have　gone　farther　between　her　and　Sibley　than　we　thought；〃

said　Stanton；　gloomily。



〃Well；　Ik；〃　said　Mr。　Mayhew　with　a　laugh　that　was　dreadful　to　hear；

〃you　had　better　cut　loose　from　us。　　We　are　all　going　to　the　devil

by　the　shortest　cut。〃



〃Would　to　heaven　I　had　never　seen　you！〃　cried　Mrs。　Mayhew；

hysterically。　　〃YOU　are　the　one　who　is　dragging　us　down。　　If　my

nephew　deserts　us；　I　will　brand　him　as　a　coward　and　no　gentleman。〃



〃I'll　not　desert　you　unless　you　desert　yourself；〃　said　Stanton；　with

a　gesture　of　disgust　and　impatience；　〃but　if　you　persist　in　going

down　into　the　deepest　quagmires　you　can　find；　you　cannot　expect　me

to　follow　you；〃　and　with　these　words　he　left　the　room。



Mr。　Mayhew　was　soon　sunk　in　the　deepest　lethargy；　and　his　wife

spent　the　afternoon　in　impotently　fretting　and　fuming　against　her

〃miserable　fate；〃　as　she　termed　it；　and　in　trying　to　devise　some

way　of　keeping　up　appearances。











Chapter　XXVIII。　　Rather　Volcanic。









Stanton　was　glad　to　escape　from　the　house　after　the　interview

described　in　the　previous　chapter；　and　observing　that　Van　Berg

was　reclining　under　a　tree　at　some　little　distance　from　the　hotel；

stolled　thither　and　threw　himself　down　on　the　grass　beside　him。

But　his　perturbation　was　so　evident　that　his　friend　remarked：



〃You　are　out　of　sorts；　Ik。　　What's　the　matter？〃



〃I've　been　settling　this　Sibley　business　with　my　aunt　and　cousin；〃

snarled　Stanton；　〃and　some　women　always　make　such　blasted　fools　of

themselves。　　But　they　won't　have　anything　more　to　do　with　him；　at

least；　I'm　sure　my　aunt　won't。　　As　for　Idabut　the　less　said　the

better。　　I'm　so　out　of　patience　with　her　folly　that　I　can't　trust

myself　to　speak　of　her。〃



〃Stanton；〃　said　Van　Berg；　gloomily；　〃you　have　no　idea　of　the　regret

and　disquiet　which　that　girl　has　caused　me　as　an　artist。　　I　have

seen　her　features　now　for　weeks；　and　I　cannot　help　looking　at　them；

for　they　almost　realize　my　idea　of　perfection。　　But　the　associations

of　this　beauty　are　beginning　to　irritate　me　beyond　endurance。〃



〃It　was　a　motley　crowd　that　I　was　the　means　of　bringing　to　your

table；〃　said　Stanton；　with　an　oath；　〃and　I've　no　doubt　you　have

wished　us　all　away　many　times。〃



Van　Berg　laid　his　hand　on　his　friend's　arm；　and　looked　into　his

eyes。



〃Ik；〃　he　said　slowly；　〃I　was　your　friend　when　I　came　hereI　am

your　friend　still。　　If　I　cannot　love　you　better　than　I　do　myself；

you　must　forgive　me。　　But　I　shall　never　take　one　unfair　advantage

of　you；　and　I　recognize　the　fact　that　you　have　equal　rights　with

myself。　　Ik；　let　us　be　frank　with　each　other　this　once　more；　and

then　the　future　must　settle　all　questions。　　The　woman　we　both　love

is　too　pure　and　good　for　either　of　us　to　do　a　mean　thing　to　win　her。

Do　your　best；　old　fellow。　　If　you　succeed；　I　will　congratulate　you

with　an　honest　heart　even　thought　it　be　a　heavy　one。　　I　shall　not

detract　from　you　in　the　slightest　degree；　or　cease　to　show　for　you

the　thorough　liking　and　respect　that　I　feel。　　It　shall　simply　be

a　maiden's　choice　between　us　two；　and　you　know　it　is　said　that　the

heart　makes　this　choice　for　reasons　inexplicable　even　to　itself。〃



〃Van；　you　are　a　noble；　generous　fellow；〃　said　the　impulsive　Stanton；

grasping　his　friend's　hand。　　〃I　must　admit　that　you　have　been　a

fair　and　considerate　rival。　　Even　my　jealousy　could　find　no　fault。〃

Then　he　added；　in　deep　despondency：　　〃But　it　is　of　no　use。　　You

have　virtually　won　her　already。〃



〃No；〃　said　Van　Berg；　thoughtfully；　〃I　wish　you　were　not　mistaken；

but　you　are。　　There　is　something　in　her　manner　towards　me　at　times

which　I　cannot　understand；　but　I　have　a　conviction　that　I　have　not

touched　her　heart。〃



〃She　does　not　avoid　you　as　she　does　me；〃　said　Stanton；　moodily。



〃No；　she　accepts　my　society　much　too　frankly　and　composedly；〃　answered

Van　Berg　with　a　shrug。　　〃I　fear　that　I　can　join　her　anywhere　and

at　any　time　without　quickening　her　pulse　or　deepening　the　color

in　her　cheeks。　　Now；　Ik；　we　understand　each　other。　　Happy　the　man

who　wins；　and　if　you　are　the　fortunate　one；　I'll　dance　at　your

wedding；　and　no　one　shall　see　that　I　carry　a　thousand　pounds　weight；

more　or　less；　in　my　heart。〃



〃I　can't　promise　to　do　as　much　for　you；　Van；〃　said　Stanton；　trying

to　smile。　　〃I　could　not　come　to　your　wedding。　　In　fact；　Van；　II

hardly　know　what　I　would　dowhat　I　will　do。　　A　few　weeks　since

and　the　world　was　abundantly　satisfactory。　　Now　it　is　becoming　a

vacuum。　　I　fear　I　haven't　a　ghost　of　a　chance；　and　IIdon't　like

to　think　of　the　future。　　Ye　gods！　　What　a　change　one　little　woman

can　make　in　a　man's　life！　　I　used　to　laugh　at　these　things；　and

for　the　past　few　years　thought　myself　invulnerable。　　And　yet；　Van；〃

he　added　with　sudden　energy；　〃I　think　the　better　of　myself　that　I

can　love　and　honor　that　woman。　　Did　I　regard　her　now　as　I　supposed

I　would　when　you　first　uttered　your　half…jesting　prophecy；　what　a

base；　soulless　anatomy　I　would　be…〃



〃SACRE！　here　comes　Sibley　and　others　of　the　same　ilk；　gabbling　like

the　unmitigated　fools　that　they　are。〃



Van　Berg　turned　his　back　upon　the　advancing　party　in　an　unmistakable

manner；　and　Stanton　smoked　with　a　stolid；　impassive　face　that　had

anything　but　welcome　in　it。　　Sibley　was　just　sufficiently　excited

by　wine　to　act　out　recklessly　his　evil　self。



〃What's　the　matter；　Stanton？〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃Your　phiz　is　as　long

as　if　the　world　looked　black　and　blue　as　a　prize…fighter's　eye。　　Is

Sunday　an　off　day　in　your　flirtation？　　Does　the　little　school…ma'am

take　after　her　Puritan　daddies；　and　say　'Hold　thy　hand　till　Monday？'

Get　her　out　of　the　crowd；　and　you'll　find　it