a face illumined-第68章

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People　who　stalk　along　through　life　with　elevated　noses；　are　not

pleasing　or　edifying　spectacles。〃



His　disquietude　soon　caused　him　to　return　to　the　hotel；　in　hopes

of　seeing　the　object　of　his　thoughts。



He　had　hardly　reached　the　piazza　before　Ida　appeared；　dressed　in　a

plain　walking　suit。　　She　hesitated　a　moment　in　the　door…way　as　if

undecided　in　her　course。　　A　party　of　gay　young　people　were　just

starting　on　a　stroll　to　a　neighboring　village。　　With　apparent

hesitancy；　she　said　to　one　of　the　young　girls：



〃I　have　an　errand　to　the　village；　may　I　walk　with　you　for　company？〃



〃Oh；　certainly；〃　replied　the　girl；　but　evidently　not　welcoming　this

addition　to　their　party；　and　Ida　went　away　with　them；　but　not　as

one　of　them；　isolated　more；　however；　by　her　own　manner　than　by　the

bearing　of　her　companions。



The　explanation　of　her　action　was　this：　　on　opening　her　drawer　after

returning　to　her　room；　she　found；　with　a　sense　of　dismayas　if　a

misfortune　had　occurred　instead　of　an　incident　that　gave　a　chance

for　better　thoughtthat　in　taking　the　opiate　the　night　before；

she　had　replaced　the　cork　in　the　phial　insecurely；　and　that　nearly

all　its　contents　had　oozed　away。　　Some　might　have　regarded　this

incident　as　an　omen　or　a　providential　interference；　but　Ida　was

neither　superstitious　nor　speculative　in　her　nature；　she　was　positive

and　willful；　rather；　and　the　current　of　her　purposes　always　flowed

strongly；　though　it　might　be　in　narrow　channels。



〃There　is　nothing　left　for　me　to　do；〃　she　muttered；　〃but　go　to　the

village。　　I　don't　know　whether　Mr。　Burleigh　has　laudanum；　and　my

asking　for　it　might　excite　suspicion。〃



It　was　terrible　to　see　her　fair　young　face　grow　hard　like　marble

in　her　stern　determination　to　carry　out　her　awful　design；　and　the

impress　of　this　remorseless　purpose　filled　Van　Berg　with　so　great

foreboding　that　he　could　not　resist　the　impulse　to　follow　the

desperate　girl。　　If　harm　should　come　to　her　through　the　harshness

of　others；　and　as　he　now　feared；　more　especially　his　own；　he　would

never　forgive　himself。



Mrs。　Mayhew　and　Stanton　did　not　see　her　departurethey　were　in

anxious　consultation　in　one　of　the　small　private　parlors；　and　the

artist；　to　disarm　suspicion　of　his　design；　entered　the　hotel；　and

passed　out　again　by　a　side　door；　from　which　he　took　a　short…cut

across　the　field　intending　to　watch　Ida；　without　being　himself

observed。



Having　found　some　dense　copse…wood　by　the　road…side；　and　near　to

the　village；　he　sat　down　and　waited。　　The　gay；　chattering　party

soon　passed；　Ida　walking　by　herself　on　the　opposite　side　of　the

road；　with　head　bowed　as　if　wholly　wrapped　in　her　own　thoughts。　　Her

unhappy　face　appealed　to　his　sympathy　even　more　than　her　graceful

carriage　to　his　sense　of　beauty；　and　he　longed　to　join　her　and　make

such　amends　as　were　possible。



He　now　followed　at　too　great　a　distance　for　recognition　in　the

deepening　twilight；　and　saw　the　young　people　enter　a　confectionery

shop；　but　observed；　with　increased　uneasiness；　that　Miss　Mayhew

parted　from　them　and　went　to　an　adjacent　drug…store。　　She　soon

joined　the　party　again；　however；　and　they　all　apparently　started

homeward。



Van　Berg　at　once　determined　to　go　to　this　drug…store　and　learn；　if

possible；　if　there　were　anything　to　confirm　the　horrible　suspicion

that　crossed　his　mind。　　He　remembered　that　despair　and　desperate

deeds　often　went　together；　and　the　daily　press　had　taught　him　how

many　people；　with　warped　and　ungoverned　moral　natures；　place　their

troubles　beyond　remedy　by　the　supreme　folly　of　self…destruction。



By　a　considerable　detour　through　a　side　street；　he　reached　the

store　unperceived；　and　found　the　druggist　rather　disquieted　himself。



〃Are　you　staying　at　Burleigh's？〃　he　asked。



〃I　am；〃　Van　Berg　replied。



〃Do　you　know　a　young　lady　boarding　there　with　large　dark　eyes　and

auburn　hair？〃



〃I　do。〃



〃Is　thereis　there　anything　wrong　about　her？〃



〃Why　should　there　be？　　Why　do　you　ask？〃



〃She　has　just　been　in　here；　and　she　looked　sick　and　strangely；　and

all　she　wanted　was　a　large　phial　of　laudanum。　　Somehow　her　looks

and　purchase　have　made　me　uneasy。　　I　never　saw　so　white　a　face　in

my　life；　and　she　seemed　weak　and　very　tired。　　If　she's　sick；　how

comes　it　she's　walking　to　the　village？　　Besides；　she　seemed　to　have

very　little　to　do　with　the　party　she　joined　after　leaving　here。〃



Van　Berg　controlled　himself　only　by　a　powerful　effort；　and　was　very

glad　that　the　brim　of　his　soft　hat　concealed　the　pallor　of　his　own

face。　　He　managed　to　say　quietly：



〃The　young　lady　you　describe　has　not　been　well；　and　has　probably

found　the　walk　longer　and　more　wearisome　than　she　supposed。　　As

for　the　laudanum；　that's　used　in　many　ways。　　Some　cigars；　if　you

pleasethank　you。　　I'll　join　the　lady　and　see　that　she　reaches　home

safely；〃　and　he　hastily　left　the　store　and　walked　swiftly　away。



〃He　wouldn't　go　as　fast　as　that　if　he　wasn't　a　little　uneasy；　too；〃

muttered　the　druggist；　whose　dearth　of　business　gave　him　abundant

leisure　to　see　all　that　was　going　on；　and　to　imagine　much　more。



Van　Berg　determined　to　overtake　Ida　before　she　reached　the　hotel；

and　his　strides　were　as　long　and　swift　as　mortal　dread　could　make

them。



In　the　meantime；　while　the　artist　was　making　the　detour　necessary

to　reach　the　drug…store　without　meeting　Ida；　she　and　her　companions

had　started　homeward。　　As　they　approached　a　church　on　the　outskirts

of　the　village；　the　bell　in　the　steeple　commenced　tolling。



〃What's　that　for？〃　asked　a　young　man　of　the　party　of　a　plain；

farmer…like　appearing　man；　who　was　just　about　to　enter。



〃For　prayer…meetin'；〃　was　the　good…natured　reply。　　〃It　wouldn't

hurt　you　to　come　to　it；〃　and　the　speaker　passed　into　the　lecture…room。



〃I　call　this　frivolous　assemblage　to　order；〃　cried　the　youth；

turning　around　to　his　companions。　　〃If　any　one　of　our　number　has

ever　attended　a　prayer…meeting；　let　him　hold　up　his　right　hand。

I　use　the　masculine　pronoun；　because　the　man　always　embraces　the

womanwhen　he　gets　a　chance。〃



No　hands　were　held　up。



〃Heathen；　every　mother's　son　of　us；〃　cried　the　first　speaker。

〃The　daughters　are　angels；　of　course；　and　don't　need　to　go　to

prayer…meetin'；　as　he　of　the　cowhide　sandals　just　termed　it。　　But

for　the　novelty　of　the　thing；　and　for　the　want　of　something　better

to　do；　I　move　that　we　all　go　to…night。　　If　it　should　be　borous；

why；　we　can　come　out。〃



The　proposition　pleased　the　fancy　of　the　party；　and　with　gay　words

and　laughter　that　scarcely　ceased　at　the　vestibule；　they　entered

the　place　of　prayer　and　lighted　down　among　the　sober…visaged；

soberly…dressed　worshippers　like　a　flock　of　tropical　birds。



Ida　reluctantly　followed　them。　　At　first　she　half　decided　to　walk

home　alone；　but　feared　to　do　so。　　She　who　had　resolved　on　facing

the　〃King　of　Terrors〃　shrank；　with　a　woman's　instinct；　from　a　lonely

walk　in　the　starlight。



She　sat　in　dreary　preoccupation　a　little　apart　from　the　others　and

paid　no　more　heed　to　the　opening　services　than　to　their　ill…concealed

merriment。



the　minister　was　away　on　his　August　vacation。　　Prayer…meetings

were　out　of　season；　and　very　few　were　present。　　The　plain　farmer

was　trying　to　conduct　the　service　as　well　as　he　could；　but　it　was

evident　he　would　have　been　much　more　at　ease　holding　the　handle　of

a　plow　or　the　reins　of　his　rattling　team；　than　a　hymn…book。　　Dr。

Watts　and　John　Wesley　might　have　lost　some　of　their　heavenly　serenity

could　they　have　heard　him　read　their　verses；　and　certainly　only　a

long…suffering　and　merciful　God　could　listen　to　his　prayer。　　And

yet　rarely　on　the　battle…field　is　there　more　moral　courage　displayed

than　plain　Thomas　Smith　put　forth　that　night　in　his　conscientious

effort　to　perform　an　unwonted　task；　and　when　at　last　he　sat　down

and　said；　〃Bruthren；　the　meetin'　is　now　open；〃　he　was　more　exhausted

than　he　than　he　would　have　been　from　a　long　day　of　toil。