a face illumined-第78章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



inconsistent　with　this　theory。　　Still　it　was　not　with　any　prying；

gossipy　interest；　that　she　observed　closely；　in　order　to　discover

if　there　were　good　reasons　for　her　surmise。



But　Ida's　manner　was　so　quiet　and　guarded　it　would　have　required

keener　eyes　than　even　Jennie　Burton's　to　detect　the　hidden　fire。



The　meal　promised　to　pass；　with　some　constraint；　it　is　true；　but

without　any　embarrassing　incident；　when　Mrs。　Mayhew　was　the　means

of　placing　poor　Ida　in　a　very　painful　dilemma。　　Under　a　general

impulse　to　conciliate　her　daughter　and　make　amends；　and　with　her

usual　want　of　tact；　she　suddenly　and　sententiously　said：



〃Well；　I　think　Ida's　very　brave　to　be　able　to　drive　for　herself。〃



There　was　a　moment　of　embarrassed　silence　after　this　unexpected

remark；　and　then　Miss　Burton　made　matters　far　worse　by　saying；　with

the　kindest　intentions：



〃After　Miss　Mayhew's　adventure　in　the　stage　no　one　can　doubt　her

courage；　and　I'm　sure　I　admire　a　brave　woman　much　more　than　a　brave

man。　　Men　are　brave　as　a　matter　of　course。〃　　Then　she　saw　from　the

sudden　scarlet　that　flamed　up　into　Ida's　cheeks；　and　the　manner

of　the　artist；　who　suddenly　became　wholly　absorbed　in　his　supper；

that　she　had　made　an　unfortunate　allusion。　　There　was　nothing　to

do　but　promptly　change　the　subject；　so　she　turned　and　asked：



〃What　is　the　greatest　number　of　miles　you　have　ever　driven　in　a

day；　Mr。　Stanton？〃



〃I　beg　your　pardon！〃　said　the　preoccupied　young　man；　starting　at

the　sound　of　his　name。



Miss　Burton　repeated　her　question。　　But　in　the　meantime　it　was

evident　a　severe　conflict　was　going　on　in　Ida　Mayhew's　mind。　　How

could　she　obey　Mr。　Eltinge's　injunction　to　be　honest　and　true；　if

she　let　this　false　impression　concerning　her　behavior　in　the　stage

remain？　　How　could　she　hope　to　win　a　particle　of　respect　from　Van

Berg　if　she　received　again　this　undeserved　praise？　　How　could　she

look　her　kind　old　friend　in　the　face　if　she　continued　silent？　　She

felt　she　must　either　speak　or　take　the　pear　leaves　out　of　her　hair。

It　was　hard；　bitter　hard　to　speak　then　and　there　before　them　all；

but　her　indecision　soon　gave　place　to　the　resolve　to　lay　at　once

what　Mr。　Eltinge　had　called　the　corner…stone　of　character。



〃Miss　Burton；〃　she　said　abruptly；　as　Stanton　was　trying　to　collect

his　wits　so　as　to　make　a　suitable　reply。



They　all　looked　at　her　involuntarily。　　Her　face　was　pale　now；　and

had　the　white；　resolute　aspect　often　seen　in　those　about　to　face

great　danger。



〃Miss　Burton；　I　am　sorry　to　say　you　have　a　false　impression　of　my

conduct　in　the　stage。　　So　far　from　showing　presence　of　mind　and

courage　on　that　occasion；　I　was　terror…stricken　and；　I　believe；

hysterical。　　With　all　my　faults；　I　shall　at　LEAST　try　to　tell　the

truth　hereafter。〃



〃By　Jupiter！〃　cried　the　impulsive　Stanton；　〃that's　the　pluckiest

thing　I　ever　saw　a　woman　do；　or　man　either。　　Ida；　from　this　day

I'm　proud　of　you；　though　you　have　little　occasion　to　be　so　of　me。〃



The　poor　girl　had　looked　steadily　at　Miss　Burton　while　speaking；

but　the　moment　the　ordeal　was　over　her　lip　quivered　like　that　of

a　child；　and　she　hastily　left　the　table。



She　had　scarcely　mounted　half　the　stairs　that　led　to　her　room　before

Van　Berg　was　at　her　side。



〃Miss　Mayhew；〃　he　said　eagerly；　〃I　did　not　sleep　last　night；　nor

can　I　to…night　until　assured　of　your　forgiveness。　　Myself　I　can

never　forgive。〃



Her　heart　was　full　and　her　nerves　overstrained　already。　　She　could

not　speak；　but　she　bowed　her　head　on　the　rail　of　the　balustrade；

hiding　her　face　against　her　arm；　and　strove　hard　to　check　the　rising

sobs。



〃Miss　Mayhew；〃　he　continued；　in　low；　pleading　tones；　〃in　all　my　life

I　never　condemned　myself　so　bitterly　as　I　have　for　my　treatment　of

you。　　I　can　only　appeal　to　your　generosity。　　I　NEED　your　forgiveness；〃

and　he　waited　for　her　answer。



But　she　could　not　answer。　　It　seemed　as　if　she　could　not　maintain

even　her　partial　self…control　a　moment　longer。　　Her　heart　forgave

him；　however；　and　she　wished　him　to　know　it；　so　without　lifting

her　head　she　held　out　her　hand　in　the　place　of　the　words　she　could

not　trust　herself　to　utter。　　He　seized　it　eagerly；　and　it　so　trembled

and　throbbed　in　his　grasp　that　it　made　him　think　of　a　wounded　bird

that　he　once　had　captured。



〃I　take　your　hand；　Miss　Mayhew；〃　he　said　earnestly；　〃not　as　a　sign

of　truce　between　us；　but　as　a　token　of　forgiveness；　and　the　pledge

of　reconciliation　and　friendship。　　Your　brave　truth…telling　to…night

has　atoned　for　your　past。　　Please　give　me　a　chance　at　least　to　try

to　atone　for　mine。〃



His　only　reply　was　a　faint　pressure　from　her　hand　and　then　she　sped

up　the　stairway。　　He　did　not　see　her　again　till　she　came　down　to

breakfast　the　following　morning；　when　she　treated　him　with　a　quiet；

distant；　well…bred　courtesy　that　did　not　suggest　the　sobbing　girl

who　had　fled　from　him　the　evening　before；　much　less　the　despairing；

desperate　woman　who　had　given　him　the　drug　with　which　she　had

intended　to　end　her　existence。　　They　who　see　conventional　surfaces

only　know　but　little　of　life。



Truthful　as　she　was　trying　to　be；　she　was　puzzling　him　more　than

ever；　although　he　was　giving　a　great　deal　of　thought　to　the　problem。











Chapter　XLIII。　　A　〃Heavenly　Mystery。〃









While　Ida's　manner　at　the　breakfast…table　was　quiet　and　self…possessed；

she　still　maintained　the　same　distant　bearing　which　had　been

characteristic　the　evening　before。　　It　was　evident　to　Van　Berg；

however；　that　pride；　wounded　vanity；　and　resentment　were　no　longer

the　motives　for　the　seclusion　in　which　she　sought　to　remain；　even

while　under　the　eyes　of　others。　　It　was　the　natural　shrinking　of

one　who　would　hide　weakness；　trouble；　and　imperfection。　　It　was

the　bearing　of　one　who　had　been　deeply　humiliated；　and　who　was

conscious　of　a　partial　estrangement　towards　those　having　a　knowledge

of　this　humiliation。　　Thus　far　he　could　understand　her；　and　in　the

proportion　she　was　depressed　and　withdrew　from　social　recognition

and　encouragement；　his　sympathy　and　respect　were　drawn　out　towards

her。



〃She　is　not　trivial　and　superficial；　as　I　supposed；〃　he　thought

twenty　times　that　morning。　　〃There　is　not　a　sudden　calm　after

the　storm　that　has　been　raging；　as　would　be　the　case　were　she　in

character　like　a　shallow　pool。　　Her　manner　now　proves　daily　the

largeness　of　the　nature　that　has　been　so　deeply　moved；　and　which；

like　the　agitated　sea；　regains　its　peace　but　slowly；〃　and　the　sagacious

Van　Berg；　whose　imagination　was　not　under　very　good　control　began

to　react　into　the　other　extreme；　and　query　whether　Ida　Mayhew's

moral　nature；　now　that　it　was　aroused；　was　not　her　chief　characteristic。



Meanwhile；　the　subject　of　his　many…colored　speculations　had　driven

away　in　the　low　basket　phaeton；　having　first　explained　briefly　to

her　mother　that　she　intended　to　spend　the　morning　again　with　the

two　old　people　she　had　visited　the　previous　day。



Stanton　volunteered　this　amount　of　information　to　his　friend；　and

there　was　much　surmise　and　curiosity　in　their　minds　in　regard　to

these　〃old　people；〃　and　her　motive　in　seeking　them。　　But　even　Mrs。

Mayhew　had　begun　to　realize　that　they　must　take　Ida　at　her　word

and　leave　her　to　herself。



It　was　with　something　even　more　than　hopefulness　that　Ida　drew　near

to　the　garden　again。　　She　was　alive；　that　fact；　in　contrast　with

what　might　have　been；　was　like　solid　ground　beneath　her　feet。　　Then；

again；　in　the　place　of　the　cold；　distant　manner　of　the　guests；　after

the　departure　of　Sibley；　she　had　already　noticed　friendly　glances

and　an　evident　disposition　to　make　amends。　　It　also　gave　her　not　a

little　satisfaction　that　her　cousin　and　the　artist　were　experiencing

such　sincere　compunctions；　and　were　realizing　the　enormity　of　their

offence。　　Ida　was　very　human；　and　always　would　be。　　She　was　also

a　little　elated　over　the　fact　that　she　had　been　able　to　tell　the

truth　the　eve