a face illumined-第67章

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not　dare　to　try。〃



〃With　her　usual　perversity；〃　replied　Stanton；　〃she　dislikes　Miss

Burton；　and　I　doubt　if　she　will　listen　to　her。〃



〃I　have　great　faith　in　her　tact　and　genuine　goodwill。　　It　was　wonderful

how　quickly　she　brought　Mr。　Mayhew　under　her　genial　spells。　　She

has　promised　to　see　your　cousin　this　evening。〃



〃I'm　sorry；〃　said　Stanton；　gloomily；　〃that　it　should　have　been

at　your　request　rather　than　mine。　　But　I　suppose　your　wishes　are

becoming　omnipotent　with　her。〃



〃No；　Ik；　I　regret　to　say　that　they　weigh　with　her　only　as　those　of

a　friend；〃　was　Van　Berg's　quiet　response。



〃Well；　well；　Van；　bear　with　me；　for　I'm　in　a　devil　of　a　scrape。〃



Even　Miss　Burton's　efforts　could　not　brighten　the　clouded　faces

that　gathered　at　the　supper…table。　　In　truth；　her　attempts　were

brief　and　fitful；　for　she　seemed　absorbed　in　thought　herself。　　She

heard　Mrs。　　Mayhew　whisper　to　Stanton；



〃If　I　were　a　perfect　stranger　she　could　not　keep　me　at　a　greater

distance。　　I　can　do　nothing　with　her　or　for　her。〃



To　their　surprise；　Ida　quietly　walked　in　and　took　her　place。　　Her

face　was　very　grave　and　very　pale；　the　traces　of　her　grief　were

still　apparent；　and　they　caused　in　Van　Berg　the　severest　compunction。

She　was　now　dressed　richly；　but　plainly　and　unobtrusively。　　Her

manner　was　quiet　and　self…possessed；　but　there　was　an　expression

of　desperate　trouble　in　her　eyes　that　soon　filled　Van　Berg　with　a

strong　and　increasing　uneasiness。　　She　returned　his　bow　politely；

but　distantly。　　Poor　Stanton　scarcely　dared　to　look　towards　her。　　At

supper；　on　the　previous　evening；　he　had　taken　no　pains　to　conceal

his　contempt　and　displeasure；　now　he　was　unable　to　hid　his

embarrassment　and　fear。　　As　in　the　parlor　on　the　previous　evening

so　now　again；　there　was　an　element　in　Ida　Mayhew's　appearance　or

in　herself　that　caused　deep　disquietude。



〃I'm　very　glad；　Ida；　you've　changed　your　mind　and　come　down；〃　began

Mrs。　Mayhew；　volubly。



〃I　have　not　changed　my　mind；〃　she　replied；　with　such　sad；　stern

emphasis　that　they　all　involuntarily　looked　at　her　for　a　moment。



Poor　Mrs。　Mayhew　was　so　quenched　and　depressed　that　she　did　not

venture　to　speak　again。



Only　Miss　Burton　was　able　to　maintain　her　self…possession　and　tact；

and　she　was　intently　but　unobtrusively　studying　Miss　Mayhew。　　Her

college…life　had　made　her　acquainted　with　so　many　strange　feminine

problems　that　she　had　the　nerve　and　experience　of　a　veteran；　but　she

could　not　penetrate　the　dark　mystery　in　which　Ida　had　now　shrouded

herself。　　Resolving；　however；　that　she　would　not　succumb　to　the

chill　and　restraint　that　paralyzed　the　others；　she　persisted　in

conversing　with　her　in　simple；　natural　tones。



Ida　replied　in　perfect　courtesy　and　not　with　unnecessary　brevity；

but　if　her　words　were　polished；　they　were　also　as　cold　and　hard

as　ice。　　Nothing　that　Miss　Burton　said　could　bring　the　glimmer　of

a　smile　athwart　her　features　that　were　growing　so　thin　and　transparent

that　even　an　approach　to　a　pleasant　thought　would　have　lighted　them

up　with　a　momentary　gleam。　　Miss　Burton　found　her　task　a　difficult

one。



〃She　affected　me　as　strangely；〃　she　afterwards　said　to　Van　Berg；

〃as　if　a　dead　maiden　were　sitting　at　my　side；　who　had　still；　by

some　horrible　mystery；　the　power　of　speech。〃



As　for　Van　Berg；　he　had　hitherto　supposed　that　his　quiet；　well…bred

ease　would　be　equal　to　every　social　emergency；　but　he　now　found

himself　tongue…tied　and　embarrassed　to　the　last　degree。　　He　could

not　speak　to　the　woman　whom　he　felt　he　had　so　deeply　wronged　in

his　thoughts　and　manner；　and　who　was　also　well　aware　of　the　fact。

He　felt　that　he　had　no　right　to　speak　to　her　until　he　had　first

asked　and　secured　her　forgiveness。　　This　could　not　be　done　in

public；　and　he　greatly　doubted　whether　she　ever　would　pardon　him。

As　a　chivalric　man　of　honor；　he　was　overwhelmed　with　a　sense　of

the　insult　he　had　unwittingly　offered　to　the　maiden　opposite　him；

who　now　appeared　as　if　mortally　wounded。　　Beyond　a　few　forced

remarks　to　Stanton　and　Miss　Burton；　he　made　a　show　of　eating　his

supper　in　silence。　　But　he　longed　to　escape　from　his　present　ordeal；

and　resolved　to　leave　the　table　as　soon　as　appearances　permitted。



One　thing　in　Ida's　manner　perplexed　him　greatly。　　She　now　looked

at　him　as　if　he　were　an　object；　scrupling　not　to　meet　his　eye　with

her　strange；　unwavering　gaze。　　There　was　nothing　of　the　haughty

indifference　which　she　had　manifested　the　evening　before　in　her

occasional　glances。　　She　rather　looked　as　one　who　is　trying　to　fix

an　object　in　his　memory　that　he　may　carry　an　accurate　picture　of

it　away　with　him。



The　thought　crossed　his　mind　more　than　once；　〃We　have　wakened　our

Undine's　sleeping　mind　with　a　vengeance；　but　have　jostled　it　so

rudely　that　I　fear　the　frail　article　is　hopelessly　shattered。〃



Miss　Burton　tried　once　more　to　make　the　conversation　general；　but

her　effort　ended　rather　disastrously。



〃Mr。　Van　Berg；〃　she　said；　〃I've　been　reading　an　essay　this　afternoon

in　which　the　writer　tries　to　prove　that　science　has　done　more　for

humanity　than　art　and　religion　combined。　　Now　I　suppose　you　would

be　inclined　to　take　the　same　ground　in　regard　to　art　that　I　ought

in　respect　to　religion。〃



Van　Berg　was　about　to　reply；　when　his　attention　was　caught　by　a

vivid　gleam　in　the　face　of　Ida；　who　looked　up　as　if　she　wished　to

speak。



〃I　think　Miss　Mayhew　has　an　opinion　on　this　subject；〃　he　said；　with

a　bow。



She　looked　steadily　at　him　as　she　replied　promptly；　〃I　have　a

decided　opinion；　though　I　base　it　on　such　poor　and　narrow　grounds

as　personal　experience。　　I　think　art　is　by　far　the　most　potent。

It　has　accomplished　for　me　much　more　than　science　or　religion　ever

did；　or　could。〃



〃What　has　it　done　for　you；　Miss　Mayhew？〃　he　asked；　dreading　the

answer。



〃It　has　filled　me　with　despair；〃　she　replied　with　a　glance　and

tone　which　he　never　afterwards　forgot。　　Then；　with　the　same　cold；

quiet　manner　in　which　she　had　come；　she　left　the　table。



Van　Berg　turned　very　pale；　for　he　at　once　understood　her　reference

to　the　emblematic　rose…bud　he　had　thrown　away；　and　his　remark；　〃Art

can　tolerate　no　such　imperfection。〃



Her　words　and　manner　hopelessly　perplexed　the　others；　but　Van

Berg　believed　he　had　found　light　on　the　problem　that　had　hitherto

baffled　him；　but　so　far　from　being　reassured；　he　had　never　been　at

such　bitter　odds　with　himself　before。



He　also　soon　after　left　the　table；　hoping　to　find　an　opportunity

to　express　his　regret　that　he　had　been　so　harsh　by　prejudice；　but

Miss　Mayhew　was　not　to　be　found。



〃Can　it　be；〃　he　thought；　as　he　strode　off　into　the　shrubbery；　〃that

I　have　been　blind　to　the　very　effects　that　I　hoped　to　cause？　　Can

it　be　that　she　has　been　made　to　feel　her　imperfection　so　keenly；

and　in　such　a　way　as　to　create　only　utter　discouragement？　　She

evidently　understands　the　worm…eaten　rose…bud　I　tossed　away　to　be

the　emblem　of　herself。　　Oh；　the　curse　of　Phariseeismthe　'holier

than　thou'　business；　whatever　form　it　takes。　　It　has　made　an

egregious　fool　of　me。〃



〃But　her　relations　with　Sibley；　confound　it　all！　　I　can't　understand

them。　　Why　did　she　associate　with　him　so　constantly；　and　then　say；

'Congenial　society；　or　none　at　all'？　　Seems　to　me　she　ought　to

have　seen　what　he　was　before　he　showed　his　cloven　feet　so　plainly。

Well；　perhaps　the　most　rational　as　well　as　charitable　explanation

is　that　her　eyes　were　opened　to　see　him　in　his　true　colors；　as

well　as　herself。　　Had　Titania's　eyes　been　disenchanted　when　she　was

fondling　the　immortal　Weaver；　she　might　have　perished　with　disgust；

and　it　is　scarcely　strange　that　Miss　Mayhew　should　be　ill　on　finding

that　she　was　infatuated　with　a　man　who　was　both　ass　and　villain。

She　evidently　sees　things　now　as　they　are；　and　since　her　vision　has

become　so　good；　I　am　very　sorry　I　do　not　appear　to　better　advantage。

People　who　stalk　along　through　life　with　elevated　noses；