a face illumined-第94章

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my　studio　to…morrow　and　see　the　sketches；　and　if　Miss　Mayhew　would

give　me　one　or　two　sittings；　I　could　make　a　much　better　picture　for

Mr。　Eltinge　than　now　is　possible；　and　I'm　anxious　to　do　the　very

best　I　can　for　him。〃



〃I　would　be　very　glad　to　come；〃　said　Mr。　Mayhew；　and　his　pleased

expression　confirmed　his　words。　　〃Will　a　visit　before　I　go　down

town　be　too　early？〃



〃Not　at　all。　　I　am　always　at　work　early。〃



〃Well；　Ida；　does　Mr。　Eltinge　miss　your　visits　very　much？　　It's

selfish　in　me　to　let　you　stay　in　the　city。〃



〃He　does　indeed；　sir；〃　said　the　artist　answering　for　her。　　〃He

talked　to　me　continually　about　her　yesterday；　although　I　can't　say

I　tried　to　change　the　subject。〃



〃Father；　Mr。　Van　Berg　shall　not　shield　my　short…comings；〃　said　Ida；

with　crimson　cheeks。　　〃I　forgot　to　ask　about　Mr。　Eltinge。　　To　tell

the　truth；　we　were　talking　of　old　times。　　I　met　Mr。　Van　Berg　here

last　June　and　I　made　a　very　bad　impression　on　him。〃



〃And　I　at　the　same　time　made　a　worse　impression　on　Miss　Mayhew；〃

added　the　artist。



〃Well；〃　said　her　father；　with　a　doubtful　smile　and　a　puzzled　glace

from　one　to　the　other；　〃one　almost　might　be　tempted　to　believe　that

you　had　been　revising　your　impressions。〃



〃Mine　has　not　been　revised；　but　changed　altogether；〃　said　Van　Berg；

decisively。



〃Come；　father；　let　us　go　at　once　lest　Mr。　Van　Berg's　impressions

change　again；〃　and　her　mirthful　glance　as　she　gave　him　her　hand

in　parting　revealed　a　new　element　in　her　character。　　She　was　not

developing　the　cloying　sweetness　of　honey。











Chapter　XLVIII。　　Ida's　Temptation。









If　Van　Berg　had　given　thought　to　himself　that　evening　as　he　did　to

Ida　Mayhew　he　might　have　discovered　some　rather　odd　phenomena　in

his　varying　mental　states。　　Earlier　in　the　summer　he　had　been　a

very　deliberate　and　conscientious　wooer。　　He　had　leisurely　taken

counsel　of　his　reason；　judgment；　and　good　taste；　he　mentally

consulted　his　parents；　and　satisfied　himself　that　Miss　Burton　would

have　peculiar　charms　for　them；　and　so　it　had　come　to　seem　almost

a　duty　as　well　as　a　privilege　to　seek　that　young　lady's　hand。　　The

sagacity　and　nice　appreciation　of　character　on　which　he　had　so

greatly　prided　himself　led　to　the　belief　that　fortune　in　giving　him

a　chance　to　win　such　a　maiden　had　been　very　kind。　　That　his　pulse

was　so　even　and　his　heart　had　so　little　to　say　in　the　matter　was

only　a　proof　that　he　did　not　possess　an　unbalanced　head…long　nature

like　that　of　Stanton；　who　had　soon　become　wholly　mastered　by　his

passion。　　He　had　at　one　time　reasoned　it　all　out　to　his　satisfaction；

and　believed　he　was　paying　his　suit　to　the　woman　he　would　make　his

wife　in　an　eminently　proper　way。　　but　now　that　he　was　merely　trying

to　obtain　a　young　girl's　friendship；　the　cool　and　masterful　poise

which　he　had　then　been　able　to　maintain；　was　apparently　deserting

him。　　He　might　have　asked　himself　if　he　ever　remembered　being

such　an　enthusiastic　friend　before。　　He　might　have　considered　how

often　he　had　kept　awake　and　counted　the　hours　till　he　should　meet

a　friend　from　whom　he　had　just　parted。　　That　these　obvious　thoughts

and　contrasts　did　not　occur　to　him　only　proved　that　he　was　smitten

already　by　that　blindness　which　a　certain　spiritual　malady　usually

occasions　in　its　earlier　stages。



As　for　poor　Ida；　she　still　felt　that　her　little　boat　was　being

carried　forward　by　a　shining　tidewhither　she　dared　not　think。

She　had　come　to　the　city　to　escape　from　the　artist；　and　as　a　result

she　might　spend　long　hours　alone　with　him　in　his　studio　and　see

far　more　of　him　than　if　she　had　remained　in　the　country。　　She　had

not　sought　itshe　had　not　even　dared　to　hope　or　dream　of　such　a

thing；　but　now　that　this　exquisite　cup　of　pleasure　had　been　pressed

to　her　very　lips　by　other　hands　she　could　not　refuse　it。



Her　father　had　watched　her　keenly　but　furtively　since　she　had　been

his　companion；　and　until　the　artist　had　accosted　her　the　evening

before　had　not　been　able　to　understand　the　depression　which　she

could　not　disguise　wholly　from　him；　but　the　light　and　welcome　that

flashed　into　her　face　when　greeting　Van　Berg　had　suggested　her

secret；　and　all　that　followed　confirmed　his　surmise。　　The　truth

was　plainer　still　when　she　came　down　to　their　early　breakfast　the

next　morning　with　color　in　her　cheeks　and　a　fitful　light　of　excitement

in　her　eyes。



As　he　realized　the　truth　he　fairly　trembled　with　apprehension　and

longing。　　〃Oh；　if　Ida　could　only　marry　that　man　I　would　be　almost

beside　myself　with　joy；〃　he　thought；　〃but　I　fear　it　is　rash　even

to　hope　for　such　a　thing。　　Indeed；　I　myself　am　the　obstacle　that

would　probably　prevent　it　all。　　The　Van　Bergs　are　a　proud　race；

and　this　young　man's　father　knows　me　too　well。　　O　God！　　I　could　be

annihilated　if　thereby　my　child　could　be　happy。〃



〃Ida；〃　he　said；　hesitatingly；　〃perhaps　I　had　better　not　go　with　you

this　morning。　　I　imagine　Mr。　Van　Berg　asked　me　out　of　politeness

rather　than　from　any　wish　to　see　me　andandI　think　I　had　better

not　go。〃



She　looked　up　at　him　swiftly；　and　the　rich　color　mantled　her　face；

for　she　read　his　thoughts　in　part。　　But　she　only　said　quietly：



〃Then　I　will　not　go。〃



〃That　would　not　be　right　or　courteous；　Ida；〃　but　I　think　you　young

people　will　get　on　better　without　me。〃



〃You　are　mistaken；　Father；　I　never　intend　to　get　on　without　you；

and　any　friend　of　mine　who　does　not　welcome　you　becomes　a　stranger

from　that　hour。　　But　I　think　you　are　doing　Mr。　Van　Berg　an　injustice。

At　any　rate　we　will　give　him　a　chance　to　show　a　better　spirit。〃



〃Ida；　my　child；　if　you　only　knew　how　gladly　I　would　sacrifice　myself

to　make　you　happy！〃



She　came　to　him　and　put　her　arms　around　his　neck　and　looking　up

into　his　face　said；　with　the　earnestness　and　solemnity　of　a　vow；

〃I　will　take　no　happiness　which　I　cannot　receive　as　your　loving

daughter。　　As　long　as　you　are　the　man　you　have　been　since　Sunday　I

will　stand　proudly　at　your　side。　　If　you　should　ever　be　weak　again

you　will　drag　me　down　with　you。〃



He　held　her　from　him　and　looked　at　her　as　a　miser　might　gloat　over

his　treasure。



〃Ida；　my　good　angel；〃　he　murmured。



〃Nonsense！〃　she　exclaimed；　trying　to　hide　her　feelings　by　a　little

brusqueness；　〃I'm　as　human　a　girl　as　there　is　in　this　city；　and　will

try　your　patience　a　hundred　times　before　the　year　is　out。　　Come；

let　us　go　and　visit　this　proud　artist。　　He　had　better　beware；　or

he　may　find　an　expression　on　my　face　that　he　won't　like　if　I　should

decide　to　give　him　a　sitting。〃



But　the　artist　did　like　the　expression　of　Ida's　face　as　he　glanced

up　from　his　work　with　great　frequency　and　with　an　admiring　glow　in

his　eyes　that　was　anything　but　cool　and　business…like。　　Even　her

jealous　love　had　not　detected　a　tone　or　act　in　his　reception　of

her　father　that　was　not　all　she　could　ask；　and　she　had　never　seen

the　poor　man　look　so　pleased　and　hopeful　as　when　he　left　the　studio

for　his　office。　　There　had　not　been　a　particle　of　patronage　in

Van　Berg's　manner；　but　only　the　cordial　and　respectful　courtesy　of

a　younger　gentleman　towards　an　elderly　one。　　Mr。　Mayhew　had　been

made　at　home　at　once；　and　before　he　left；　the　artist　had　obtained

his　promise　to　come　again　with　his　daughter　on　the　following　morning。



〃His　bearing　towards　father　was　the　perfection　of　good　breeding；〃

thought　Ida；　and　it　would　seem　that　some　of　the　gratitude　with

which　her　heart　overflowed　found　its　way　into　her　tones　and　eyes。



〃You　look　so　pleasantly　and　kindly；　that　you　must　be　thinking　of

Mr。　Eltinge；〃　said　Van　Berg。



〃You　are　not　to　paint　my　thoughts；〃　said　Ida；　with　a　quick　flush。



〃I　wish　I　could。〃



〃I'm　glad　you　can't。〃



〃You　do　puzzle　one；　Miss　Mayhew。　　On　the　day　of　our　visit　to　the

old　garden　your　thoughts　seemed　as　clear　to　me　as　the　water　of　the

little　brook；　and　I　supposed　I　saw　all　that　was　in　your　mind。　　But

before　the　day　was　over　I　felt　that　I　did　n