a face illumined-第59章

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take　care　of　herself；　but　she'll　bear　watching　now。　　She　hasn't

been　like　herself　since　she　came　to　this　place。　　I　must　consult

Ik　at　once。　　Things　are　bad　enough　now；　heaven　knows；　but　if　Ida

should　do　anything　disgraceful；　I'd　have　to　throw　up　the　game。〃　　（Mrs。

Mayhew　was　an　inveterate　card…player；　and　her　favorite　amusement

often　colored　her　thoughts　and　words。）



Stanton　was　found　smoking　and　pretending　to　read　a　newspaper　in

a　retired　corner　of　the　piazza；　but　from　which；　nevertheless；　he

could　see　whether　Miss　Burton　made　her　appearance　during　the　morning。



Mrs。　Mayhew　explained　her　fears；　and　the　young　man　used　very　strong

language　in　expressing　his　disgust　and　irritation。



〃A　curse　upon　it　all！〃　he　concluded。　　〃Since　she　must；　and　apparently

will　gratify　this　low　taste；　can　you　not　return　to　New　York；　patch

up　the　fellow　into　some　sort　of　respectability　and　marry　them　with

a　blare　of　brazen　instruments　that　will　drown　the　world's　unpleasant

remarks？〃



〃That　would　be　better　than　the　scandal　of　an　elopement；〃　mused

perplexed　Mrs。　Mayhew。　　〃From　what　you　say；　Sibley　is　bad　enough；

and　Ida　seems　reckless　enough　to　do　anything。　　I　wish　we　had　never

come　here。〃



〃So　do　I；〃　groaned　Stanton。　　〃No；　I　don't；　either。　　In　fact　I'm　in

a　devil　of　a　mess　myself。　　You　know　it；　and　I　suppose　all　see　it。

I　can't　help　it　if　they　do。　　My　passion；　no　doubt；　is　vain；　but

it's　to　my　credit。　　Ida's　is　disgraceful　to　herself　and　to　us　all。

If　I'd　been　here　alone　and　Van　Berg　had　not　come；　I　might　have

succeeded；　but　NOW〃and　with　a　despairing　gesture　he　turned　away。



〃Ik；　come　back；〃　cried　his　aunt；　〃of　course　I　feel　for　you。　　You

are　independent；　and　can　marry　whom　you　please；　though　heaven　knows

you　could　do　better　than…〃



〃Heaven　knows　nothing　of　the　kind；〃　he　interrupted；　irritably；　〃and

if　you　were　nearer　heavenbut　there；　what's　the　use。〃



〃You're　right　now；　Ik。　　We　can't　afford　to　quarrel。　　You　must

talk　to　Ida。　　We　must　watch　her。　　Find　out　if　you　can　what　is　in

her　mind；　and　if　the　worst　comes　to　the　worst；　they　will　have　to

be　married。　　I　suppose　it　will　be　wise　to　hint　to　her　that　if　she

WILL　marry　Sibley　she　had　better　do　it　in　as　respectable　and　quiet

a　way　as　possible。〃



〃The　idea　of　anything　being　respectable　and　quiet　where　they　are

concerned！〃　snarled　Stanton。



〃Well；　well；〃　groaned　Mrs。　Mayhew；　〃do　your　best。〃



But　Ida　was　not　to　be　found。



She　appeared　at　dinner；　however；　and　not　a　few　looked　at　her；

and　stole　furtive　glances　again　and　again。　　Among　these　observers

was　the　artist；　and　it　was　evident　that　he　was　both　perplexed　and

troubled。　　Was　this　cold；　marble…cheeked　woman　the　butterfly　that

had　fluttered　into　the　country　a　few　weeks　since？



〃She　may　be　a　bad　woman；〃　he　thought；　〃but　she　has　become　a　woman

in　the　last　few　days。　　She　looks　years　older。　　I　thought　her　shallow；

but　she's　too　deep　for　me。　　For　some　reason　I　can't　associate

that　face；　as　it　now　appears；　with　Sibley；　and　yet　it　is　so　full

of　mingled　pain　and　defiance；　that　one　might　almost　think　she

meditated　a　crime。　　She　looks　ill。　　She　is　illshe　is　growing

thin　and　hollow…eyed。　　What　a　magnificent　study　she　would　make　of

a　half…famished　captive；　or　of　beauty　chainednot　married　to　a

man　hateful　and　hated；　or；　possibly；　of　innocence　meditating　guilt；

and　yet　seeking　vainly　to　disguise　the　dark　thoughts　by　a　marble

mask。　　There　is　some　transforming　process　going　on　in　Ida　Mayhew's

mind；　and　from　her　appearance　I　rather　dread　the　outcome；　but　her

face　is　becoming　a　rare　study。〃



Although　with　the　exception　of　a　slight　response　to　his　formal

bow　she　had　sought　to　ignore　his　presence　and　to　avoid　his　eyes；

she　was　still　conscious　of　this　furtive　scrutiny；　and　it　hurt

her　cruelly。　　It　seemed　as　if　he　were　studying　her　as　one　might　a

peculiar　specimen。



〃His　critical　eyes　are　trying　to　look　into　me　heart　as　they　did

into　the　poor　little　rose…bud；〃　she　thought；　and　her　face　grew

more　rigid　and　inscrutable　under　his　gaze。　　as　early　as　possible

she　left　the　table。



〃I　wish　I　knew　just　what　her　trouble　was；〃　thought　the　artist。　　〃If

not　connected　with　that　wretch　Sibley；　I　could　pity　her　with　all

my　heart。　　Well；　take　all　the　good　the　gods　send；　I'll　sketch　her

face　this　afternoon　as　I　have　last　seen　it。〃



〃Your　cousin　begins　to　look　decidedly　ill；〃　he　said　to　Stanton；

after　dinner。



His　friend's　only　reply　was　an　imprecation。



〃Your　remark　is　emphatic　enough；　but　I　don't　understand　it　any

better　than　I　do　Miss　Mayhew。〃



〃It's　to　your　credit　you　don't。　　Her　mother　has　reason　to　believe

that　there　is　some　deviltry　on　foot　between　her　and　Sibley。　　I'm　to

find　out　and　thwart　her　if　I　can。　　I　suppose　I　shall　have　to　say；

in　substance：　　'Since　you　will　throw　yourself　away　on　the　fellow；

go　through　all　the　formalities　that　society　demands。　　In　such　case

your　family　will　submit；　if　they　can't　approve。　　You　see　I'm　frank

with　you；　as　I've　been　from　the　first。'　　Would　to　heaven　she　had

never　come　here；　and　now　　think　of　it　there　has　been　a　change　in

her　for　the　worse　ever　since　she　came。　　It　must　be　the　influence　of

that　cursed　Sibley。　　Some　women　are　fools　to　begin　with；　but　from

a　fool　infatuated　with　a　villain；　good　Lord　deliver　us！〃



〃You　fear　an　elopement　then？〃　said　Van　Berg；　his　face　darkening

into　his　deepest　frown。



〃I　fear　worse　than　that。　　Sibley　is　as　treacherous　as　a　quagmire。

If　a　woman　ventured　into　a　false　position　with　him　he　would　marry

her　only　when　compelled　to　do　so。　　I'm　savage　enough　to　shoot

them　both　this　afternoon。　　I　see　but　one　way　out。　　I　must　warn　her

promptly；　and　in　language　so　emphatic　that　she　will　understand　it；

that　everything　must　be　after　the　regulation　style。〃



Van　Berg　made　a　gesture　of　contempt；　but　said　to　his　friend：



〃Stanton；　I'm　sorry　for　you。　　Such　trouble　as　this　would　cut

me　deeper　than　any　other　kind。　　If　I　can　do　anything　to　help　you；

count　on　me。　　I'm　in　the　mood　myself　to　shoot　Sibley；　for　he　has

spoiled　for　me　the　fairest　face　that　evil　ever　perverted。〃



Van　Berg　did　not　sketch　Ida　Mayhew's　face　that　afternoon。　　On　the

contrary；　he　resolutely　sought　to　banish　her　image　from　his　mind。

When　last　he　saw　that　face；　it　seemed　made　of　Parian　marble。　　Now

it　rose　before　him　so　blackened　and　besmirched　that　he　thought　of

it　only　with　anger　and　disgust。



Ida　kept　herself　so　secluded　in　the　afternoon　that　Stanton　could

not　find　her；　but　this　very　seclusion；　which　the　poor　girl　sought

in　order　to　hide　her　wounds；　only　increased　his　own　and　Mrs。　Mayhew's

fears　deepened　their　suspicions。



She　was　a　little　late　in　appearing　at　the　super…table；　for　her

return　from　the　wanderings　of　the　afternoon　had　required　more　time

than　she　supposed。　　She　was　very　weary；　moreover；　the　hours　spent

in　solitude　with　nature　had　quieted　her　overstrung　nerves。　　The

sun　had　shone　upon　her；　though　the　world　seemed　to　frown。　　Flowers

had　looked　shyly　and　sweetly　into　her　face　as　if　they　saw　nothing

there　to　criticise。　　She　had　plucked　a　few　and　fastened　them　into

her　breast…pin；　and　their　faint　perfume　was　like　a　low；　soothing

voice。　　She　was　in　a　softened　and　receptive　mood；　and　a　kind　word；

even　a　kind　glance；　might　have　tuned　the　scale　in　favor　of　better

thoughts　and　better　living。



But　she　did　not　receive　them。　　Her　coming　to　the　table　was　greeted

with　an　ominous　silence；　for　each　one　was　conscious　of　thoughts

so　greatly　to　her　prejudice　that　they　scarcely　wished　to　meet　her

eye。　　Mrs。　　Mayhew　looked　excessively　worried　and　anxious。　　Stanton

was　flushed　and　angry。　　The　artist　was　icy　as　he　only　knew　how　to

be　when　he　deemed　there　was　sufficient　occasion；　and　in　his　opinion；

the　presence　of　the　prospective　and　willing　bride　of　the　man　who

had　attempted　his　life；　and；　what　was　far　worse；　insulted　the　woman

he　most　honored；　was　occasion；　indeed。



From　time　to　time　he　gave　her　a　cold；　curious　glance；　as