a face illumined-第87章

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His　bent　form　became　erect　and　almost　steely　in　its　tenseness。　　He

gently　but　firmly　placed　her　in　a　chair；　and　then　paced　the　room

rapidly　a　moment　or　two；　his　dark　eyes　glowing　with　a　strong　and

kindling　excitement。　　Ida　began　to　regard　him　with　wonder　and　almost

alarm。　　Suddenly　he　raised　his　hand　to　heaven；　and　said　solemnly：



〃This　shall　be　no　one…sided　affair　so　help　me　God！〃



Then　opening　his　valise；　he　took　out　a　bottle　of　brandy　and　thew

it；　with　a　crash；　into　the　empty　grate。



Ida　sprang　towards　him　with　a　glad　cry；　exclaiming；　〃O　father；　now

I　understand　you！　　Thank　God！　thank　God！〃



He　kissed　her　tearful；　upturned　face　again　and　again；　as　if　he

found　there　the　very　elixir　of　life。



〃Ida；　my　dear　little　Ida；〃　he　said；　huskily；　〃you　have　saved　your

father　from　a　drunkard's　endfrom　a　drunkard's　grave。　　I　was　in

a　drunkard's　hell　already。〃



Mr。　Mayhew　requested　that　supper　should　be　served　in　his　own　room；

for　neither　he　nor　his　daughter　was　in　a　mood　to　meet　strangers

that　evening。　　Ida　called　her　mother；　and　tried　to　explain　to　her

why　they　did　not　wish　to　go　down；　but　the　poor　woman　was　not　able

to　grasp　very　much　of　the　truth；　and　was　decidedly　mystified　by　the

domestic　changes　which　she　had　very　limited　power　to　appreciate；

and　in　which　she　had　so　little　part。　　She　was　not　a　coarse　woman；

but　matter　of　fact；　superficial；　and　worldly　to　the　last　degree。



Van　Berg　could　scarcely　believe　his　eyes　when　Mr。　Mayhew　came　down　to

breakfast　with　his　family　Sunday　morning。　　The　bondman　had　become

free；　the　slave　of　a　degrading　vice　had　been　transformed　into

a　quiet；　dignified　gentleman。　　His　form　was　erect；　and　while　his

bearing　was　singularly　modest　and　retiring；　there　was　nothing　of

the　old　cowering；　shrinking　manner　which　suggested　defeat；　loss　of

self…respect；　and　hopeless　dejection。　　All　who　knew　him　instinctively

felt　that　the　prostrate　man　had　risen　to　his　feet；　and　there　was

something　in　his　manner　that　made　them　believe　he　would　hold　his

footing　among　other　men　hereafter。



The　artist　found　himself　bowing　to　the　〃spiritless　wretch〃　with　a

politeness　that　was　by　no　means　assumed；　and　from　the　natural　and

almost　cordial　manner　in　which　Mr。　Mayhew　returned　his　salutation；

he　was　very　glad　to　believe　that　Ida　had　not　told　him　the　deeper

and　darker　secrets　of　her　experience　during　the　past　week。



〃This　is　her　work；〃　he　thought；　and　Ida's　radiant　face　confirmed

the　impression。　　She　then　felt　that　after　her　father's　words；　〃You

have　saved　me；〃　she　could　never　be　very　unhappy　again。　　A　hundred

times　she　had　murmured；　〃Oh；　how　much　better　God's　way　out　of

trouble　has　been　than　mine！〃



Mr。　Mayhew　had　always　had　peculiar　attractions　for　Miss　Burton；

and　they　at　once　entered　into　conversation。　　But　as　she　recognized

the　marvellous　change　in　him；　the　pleased　wonder　of　her　face　grew

so　apparent；　that　he　replied　to　it　in　low　tones：



〃I　now　believe　in　your　'remedies；'　Miss　Burton；　but　a　great　deal

depends　on　who　administers　them。　　My　little　girl　and　I　have　been

discovering　how　nearly　related　we　are。〃



Her　eyes　grew　moist　with　her　sympathy　and　gladness。　　〃Mr。　Mayhew；〃

she　said；　〃I'm　inclined　to　think　that　heaven　is　always　within　a

step　or　two　of　us；　if　we　could　only　take　the　right　steps。〃



〃To　me　it　has　seemed　beyond　the　farthest　star；〃　he　replied；　very

gravely。　　〃To　some；　however；　the　word　is　as　indefinite　as　the　place；

and　a　cessation　of　pain　appears　heaven。　　I　could　be　content　to　ask

nothing　better　than　this　Sabbath　morning　has　brought　me。　I　have

found　what　I　thought　lost　forever。〃



Jennie　Burton　became　very　pale；　as　deep　from　her　heart　rose　the

query；　〃Shall　I　ever　find　what　I　have　lost？〃　　Then　with　a　strong

instinct　to　maintain　her　self…control　and　shun　a　perilous　nearness

to　her　hidden　sorrow；　she　changed　the　subject。



It　was　touching　to　see　how　often　Mr。　Mayhew's　eyes　turned　towards

his　daughter；　as　if　to　reassure　himself　that　the　change　in　her

manner　towards　him　was　not　a　dream；　and　the　expression　of　her　face

as　she　met　his　scrutiny　seemed　to　brighten　and　cheer　him　like　a

coming　dawn。



〃What　heavenly　magic　is　transforming　Miss　Mayhew？〃　Jennie　Burton

asked　of　Van　Berg；　as　they　sauntered　out　on　the　piazza。



〃With　your　wonted　felicity；　you　express　it　exactly；〃　he　replied。

〃It　is　a　heavenly　magic　which　I　don't　understand　in　the　least；

but　must　believe　in；　since　cause　and　effect　are　directly　under　my

eyes。　　It　has　been　my　good　fortune　to　witness　as　beautiful　a　scene

as　ever　mortal　saw。　　Since　she　refers　naturally　and　openly　to　the

friends　whom　she　has　visited　during　the　past　week；　I　may　tell　you

about　Mr。　　Eltinge's　influence　and　teaching　without　violating　any

confidence；〃　and　in　harmony　with　the　frank　and　friendly　relations

which　he　now　sustained　to　Miss　Burton；　he　related　his　experience

of　the　previous　day；　remaining　scrupulously　reticent　on　every

point；　however；　that　he　even　imagined　Ida　would　wish　veiled　from

the　knowledge　of　others。　　〃I　cannot　tell　you；〃　he　concluded；　〃how

deeply　the　scene　affected　me。　　It　not　only　awoke　all　the　artist　in

me；　but　the　man　also。　　In　one　brief　hour　I　learned　to　revere　that

noble　old　gentleman；　and　if　you　could　have　seen　him　leaning　against

the　emblematic　tree；　as　I　did；　I　think　he　would　have　realized　your

ideal　of　age；　wholly　devoid　of　weakness　and　bleakness。　　And　then

Miss　Mayhew's　face；　as　she　read　and　listened　to　him；　seemed　indeed；

in　its　contrast　with　what　we　have　seen　during　the　past　summer；　the

result　of　'heavenly　magic。'　　It　will　be　no　heavy　task　to　fulfil　the

conditions　on　which　I　was　permitted　to　enter　the　enchanted　garden。

They　expect　more　pencil　sketches；　but　I　shall　eventually　give　them

as　truthful　a　picture　as　I　am　capable　of　painting；　for　it　is　rare

good　fortune　to　find　themes　so　inspiring。〃



Guarded　as　Van　Berg　was　in　his　narrative；　Miss　Burton　was　able

to　read　more　〃between　the　lines〃　than　in　his　words。　　He　did　not

understand　her　motive　when　she　said；　as　if　it　were　her　first　obvious

thought：



〃The　picture　which　you　have　presented；　even　to　the　eye　of　my　fancy；

is　uniquely　beautiful；　and　I　think　it　must　redeem　Miss　Mayhew

in　your　mind；　from　all　her　disagreeable　associations。　　But　in　my

estimation　she　appeared　to　even　better　advantage　in　the　greeting

she　gave　her　father　last　evening。　　Was　there　ever　a　more　delicious

surprise　on　earth；　than　that　poor　man　had　when　he　returned　and

found　a　true　and　loving　daughter　awaiting　him？　　With　her　filial

hands　she　has　already　lifted　him　out　of　the　mire　of　his　degradation；

and　to…day　he　is　a　gentleman　whom　you　involuntarily　respect。　　O

Mr。　Van　Berg；　I　cannot　tell　ou　how　inexpressibly　beautiful　and

reassuring　such　things　are　to　me！　　You　look　at　the　changes　we　are

witnessing　from　the　standpoint　of　an　artist；　I　from　that　of　poor

wounded　humanity；　and　what　I　have　seen　in　Ida　Mayhew　and　her　father；

is　proof　to　me　that　there　is　a　good　God　above　all　the　chaos　around

me；　which　I　cannot　understand　and　which　at　times　disheartens　me。

Their　happier　and　ennobled　faces　are　a　prophecy　and　an　earnest　of

that　time　when　the　sway　of　evil　shall　be　broken；　when　famishing

souls　and　empty　hearts　shall　be　filled；　when　broken；　thwarted　lives

are　made　perfect；　and　what　was　missed　and　lost　regained。〃



She　looked　away　from　him　into　the　summer　sky；　which　the　sun　was

flooding　with　cloudless　light。　　There　were　no　tears　in　her　eyes；

but　an　expression　of　intense　and　sorrowful　longing　that　was　far

beyond　such　simple　and　natural　expression。



〃Jennie　Burton；〃　said　Van　Berg；　in　a　low；　earnest　voice；　〃there

are　times　when　I　could　suffer　all　things　to　make　you　happy。〃



She　started　as　if　she　had　almost　forgotten　his　presence；　and　answered

quietly：　　〃You　could　not　make　me　happy　by　suffering。　　Only　as　I

can　banish　a　little　pain　and　gloom　here　and　there　do　I　find　solace。

But　I　can　do　so　very；　very　little。　　It　reassures　me　to　see　God

doing　this　work　in　hi