a face illumined-第50章

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whip　you　off　the　premises。〃



〃But　where　shall　I　go？〃　whined　Sibley；　now　thoroughly　cowed。



〃Go　to　the　nearest　kennel　or　sty　you　can　find。　　Either　place　would

be　more　appropriate　for　you　than　my　house。　　Mr。　Van　Berg　and　Mr。

Stanton；　I　think　you　for　your　conduct　in　this　affair。　　You　are

correct　in　supposing　that　I　wish　to　entertain　only　gentlemen　and

ladies。〃



Sibley　now　began　to　bluster　about　law　and　vengeance。



〃Be　still；　sir；〃　thundered　Mr。　Burleigh。　　〃One　of　the　carriages

will　take　you　to　the　depot　or　landing　as　you　choose。　　After　that；

trouble　me　or　mine　again　at　your　peril。　　Now；　be　off。　　No；　I'll　not

take　any　of　your　dirty　money；　and　if　these　friends　of　yours　wish

to　go　with　you；　they　are　welcome　to　do　so。〃



〃We　are　only　acquaintances　of　Mr。　Sibley's；〃　chorused　his　late

companions；　〃and　came　in　merely　to　see　fair　play。〃



〃Well；　you　haven't　seen　'fair　play；'〃　growled　Mr。　Burleigh。　　〃I've

treated　the　fellow　much　better　than　he　deserves。〃



Before　Sibley　could　realize　it；　a　carriage　whirled　him　and　his

baggage　away。　　His　reckless　anger　having　evaporated；　the　base　and

cowardly　instincts　of　his　nature　resumed　their　sway；　and　he　was　glad

to　slink　off　to　New　York；　thus　escaping　further　danger　and　trouble。











Chapter　XXIX。　　Evil　Lives　Cast　Dark　Shadows。









Changes　in　the　world　without　often　make　sad　havoc　in　our　content

and　happiness。　　Loss　of　fortune　and　friends；　removal　to　new　scenes；

death　and　disaster；　sometimes　so　alter　the　outlook　that　we　have

to　ask　ourselves：　　Is　this　the　same　earth　in　which　we　have　dwelt

hitherto？　　But　the　changes　that　can　most　blast　and　blacken；　or；　on

the　other　hand；　glorify　the　world　about　us；　are　those　which　take

place　within　our　souls。



Such　a　radical　change　had　apparently　taken　place　in　Ida　Mayhew's

world。　　She　was　bewildered　with　her　trouble；　and　could　not　understand

the　dreary　outlook。　　She　had　come　to　the　Lake　House　but　a　few　weeks

before；　a　vain；　light…hearted　maiden；　looking　upon　life　with　laughing

and　thoughtless　glances；　and　having　no　more　definite　purposes　than

the　butterfly　that　flits　from　flower　to　flower；　caring　not　which

are　harmless　and　which　poisonous；　so　that　they　yield　a　momentary

sweetness。



But　now；　for　causes　utterly　unforeseen　and　half…inexplicable；　all

flowers　had　withered；　and　the　old　pleasures　once　so　exhilarating

were　a　weariness　even　in　thought。　　Her　world；　once　a　pleasure

garden；　had　been　transformed　into　a　path　so　thorny　and　flinty　that

every　step　brought　new　bruises　and　lacerations；　and　it　led　away

among　shadows　so　cold　and　dark；　that　she　shivered　at　the　thought

of　her　prospective　life。



Her　heart　had　so　suddenly　and　thoroughly　betrayed　her；　that　she

was　overwhelmed　with　a　sense　of　helplessness　and　perplexity。　　The

spoiled　and　flattered　girl　had　always　been　accustomed　to　have　her

own　way。　　Self…gratification　had　been　the　rule　and　habit　of　her

life。　　If　Van　Berg　had　only　admired　and　complimented　her；　if　he

had　joined　the　honeyed　chorus　of　flattery　that　had　waited　on　her

sensuous　beauty；　his　voice　would　probably　have　been　unheeded　and

lost　among　many　others。　　But　his　sharp　demand　for　something　more

than　a　face　and　form　had　awakened　her；　and　to　her　dismay　she　learned

that　her　real　and　lasting　self　was　as　dwarfed　and　deformed　as　her

transient　and　outward　self　was　perfect。



The　artist　seemed　to　her　princely；　regal　even；　in　his　strong

cultivated　manhood；　his　lofty　calling　and　ambition；　and　his　high

social　rank。　　As　for　herself；　it　now　appeared　that　her　beauty；

whose　spell　she　had　thought　no　man　could　resist；　had　lured　him　to

her　side　only　long　enough　to　discover　what　she　was　and　who　she　was；

and　then　he　had　turned　away　in　disgust。



From　their　first　moment　of　meeting；　she　felt　that　she　had　been

peculiarly　unfortunate　in　the　impressions　she　had　made　upon　him。

Her　attendant　at　the　concert…garden　had　been　a　fool；　and　now　he

was　associating　her　with　a　man　whom　he　more　than　despised。　　She

believed　that　he　pitied　her　father　as　the　victim　of　a　wife's

heartlessness　and　a　daughter's　selfishness　and　frivolity；　and　that

he　felt　a　repugnance　toward　her　mother　which　his　politeness　could

not　wholly　disguise。　　He　was　probably　learning　to　characterize　them

in　his　mind　by　her　father's　horrible　words〃froth　and　mud。〃



Such　miserable　thoughts　were　flocking　round　her　like　croaking

ravens　as　she　sat　rigid　and　motionless　in　her　room；　her　form　tense

from　the　severity　of　her　mental　distress。　　Suddenly　Sibley's　loud

tones；　and　her　cousin's　voice　in　reply；　caught　her　attention；　and

she　opened　the　lattice　of　the　blinds。　　She　had　scarcely　done　so

before　she　saw　Stanton　strike　the　blow　which　had　felled　Sibley　to

the　earth。



With　breathless　interest　she　watched　the　scene　till　Van　Berg

stepped　forward。　　Then　she　sprang　to　a　drawer；　and　taking　out　a

small　field…glass　which　she　carried　on　her　summer　excursions　was

able　to　see　the　expression　of　the　young　men's　faces；　although　she

could　not　distinguish　their　words。　　The　stern；　menacing　aspect

of　the　artist　made　her　tremble　even　at　her　distance；　and　it　was

evident　that　his　words　were　throwing　Sibley　into　a　transport　of

rage；　and　when　in　his　passion　he　tried　to　shoot　Van　Berg；　she　could

not　repress　the　cry　that　attracted　their　attention。



Her　mother；　in　the　adjoining　room；　commenced　knocking　at　the　door；

asking　what　was　the　matter；　but　received　no　answer　until　Ida　saw

that　the　young　men　were　coming　toward　the　house。　　Then　she　threw

open　the　door；　and　told　Mrs。　Mayhew　that　she　had　seen　something

that　looked　like　a　large　spider；　and　that　nothing　was　the　matter。

Without　waiting　for　further　questioning　she　flitted　hastily

down…stairs　and　from　one　concealed　post　of　observation　to　another

until　she　saw　the　angry　party　enter　Mr。　Burleigh's　private　office。

A　small　parlor　next　to　it　was　empty；　and　once　within　it；　the　loud

tones　spoken　on　the　other　side　of　the　slight　partition　were　distinctly

heard。



As　she　listened　to　the　words　which　Van　Berg　and　Mr。　Burleigh

addressed　to　the　man　whom　all　in　the　house　had　regarded　as　her

accepted　lover；　or　at　least　her　congenial　friend；　her　cheeks　grew

scarlet；　and　when　he　was　dismissed　from　the　house；　she　fled　to　her

room；　wishing　that　it　were　a　place　in　which　she　might　hide　forever；

so　overwhelming　was　her　sense　of　shame　and　humiliation。



How　could　she　meet　the　guests　of　the　Lake　House　again？　　Worse　than

all；　how　could　she　meet　the　scornful　eyes　of　the　man　who　had　driven

from　the　place　the　suitor　that　she　was　supposed　to　favor　as　he

might　have　scourged　away　a　dog。



She　could　not　now　explain　that　Sibley　was　and　ever　had　been　less

than　nothing　to　herthat　she　had　both　detested　and　despised　him。

She　had　permitted　herself　to　touch　pitch；　and　it　had　of　necessity

left　its　stain。　　To　go　about　now　and　proclaim　her　real　sentiments

toward　the　man　who　apparently　had　been　her　favorite；　would　seem　to

others；　she　thought；　the　quintessence　of　meanness。　　She　felt　that

she　had　been　caught　in　the　meshes　of　an　evil　web；　and　that　it　was

useless　to　struggle。



Despairing；　hopeless；　her　cheeks　burning　with　shame　as　with　a　fever；

she　sat　hour　after　hour　refusing　to　see　any　one。　　She　would　not　go

down　to　supper。　　She　left　the　food　untasted　that　was　sent　to　her

room。　　She　sat　staring　at　vacancy　until　her　face　became　a　dim　pale

outline　in　the　deepening　twilight；　and　finally　was　lost　in　the

shadow　of　night。　　But　the　darkness　that　gathered　around　the　poor

girl's　heart　was　deeper　and　almost　akin　to　the　rayless　gloom　that

positive　crime　creates；　so　nearly　did　she　feel　that　she　was　associated

with　one　from　whom　her　woman's　soul；　perverted　as　it　was；　shrank

with　inexpressible　loathing。



〃Ida　is　in　one　of　her　worst　tantrums；〃　whispered　Mrs。　Mayhew　to

Stanton；　〃I　never　knew　her　to　act　so　badly　as　she　has　of　late。　　I

wouldn't　have　thought　that　such　a　man　as　you　have　found　Sibley　to

be　could　gain　so　great　a　hold　upon