a face illumined-第101节

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longer；　and　you're　all　right。〃



At　the　sound　of　Ida's　name　he　lifted　his　head　and　looked　around

till　he　met　her　eyes；　and　then　smiled　gladly。　　His　smile　satisfied

her　completely；　and　she　stepped　quietly　into　the　background。　　〃He

has　not　broken　his　pledge；　even　in　thought；〃　she　murmured。　　〃I　can

trust　him　still。〃



He　was　carried　up　the　steps　and　stairs　to　his　room；　followed　by　all

eyes。　　Ida　stole　to　Jennie　Burton；　and　kept　near　her　as　she　sought

to　quietly　gain　her　room　by　a　side　stairs。



〃You　are　faint；　Miss　Burton；〃　she　said　gently；　〃lean　on　me；〃　and

Jennie　did　lean　on　her　more　and　more　heavily　until　she　reached　her

room；　and　then　her　blue　eyes　closed；　and　the　day　she　so　dreaded

was　over；　as　far　as　she　had　consciousness　of　it。　　So　slight　and

fragile　had　she　become　that　even　Ida　was　able　to　carry　her　to　her

couch。　　Her　swoon　of　utter　exhaustion　was　long　and　deep；　and　when

she　rallied　from　it　there　were　symptoms　which　led　the　physician　to

say　that　she　must　have　absolute　quiet　and　sleep；　and　he　gave　her

strong　opiates　to　insure　the　latter。　　Jennie　only　reached　out　her

hand　for　Ida　and　whispered：　　〃Don't　leave　me；〃　and　then　passed　into

a　slumber　that　seemed　like　death。



With　her　old　imperious　manner　Ida　silenced　all　who　entered　the

room；　or　motioned　them　out　if　they　had　no　business　there。



Stanton　whispered：　　〃You　know　I　will　be　within　call　any　moment。〃

But　Ida's　reply　was：　　〃If　you　lover　her；　if　you　care　for　me；　don't

leave　him；　make　him　live。〃　　Thus；　in　restoring　rest　and　patient　vigils

the　night　wore　away。　　The　physician　found　that　while　Van　Berg's

leg　was　much　bruised　and　wrenched；　it　had　received　no　permanent

injury；　and　in　regard　to　Miss　Burton　he　said：　　〃If　she　wakes　quiet

and　sane；　all　danger　will　be　past；　I　think。〃



His　hopes　were　fulfilled。　　With　the　dawn　her　deep　stupor　passed

into　a　light　and　broken　slumber；　in　which　she　tossed；　and　moaned；

and　whispered；　as　if　the　light　of　thought　were　also　streaming　into

her　darkened　mind。　　At　last　she　opened　her　eyes　and　looked　at　Ida；

who　smiled　reassuringly。　　In　a　few　moments　the　events　of　the　past

day　came　back　to　her；　and　she　started　up　and　asked　earnestly：



〃Mr。　Van　Bergis　he　safe？〃



Ida　stooped　down　and　kissed　her　as　she　replied；　〃Mr。　Van　Berg　is

rallying　fast；　and　is　out　of　all　danger。〃



Jennie　leaned　back　among　her　pillows　with　a　smile　of　deep　content；

and　closed　her　eyes。　　When　she　opened　them　again　Ida　had　gone；　and

Mrs。　Burleigh　had　taken　her　place　as　watcher。



But　the　need　of　such　care　passed　speedily。　　The　doctor；　after　his

morning　call；　said　that　the　critical　moment　of　danger　had　gone　by。

So　it　had；　but　his　understanding　of　Jennie's　case　was　superficial

indeed；　and　he　ascribed　to　his　opiate　a　virtue　that　it　had　never

possessed。　　The　balm　that　had　soothed　her　wounded　spirit　was

the　thought　of　saved　life　and　the　happiness　that　might　result　to

those　in　whom　she　was　deeply　interested。　　The　dreaded　anniversary

had　passed；　and　she　was　profoundly　grateful　that　it　had　ended　in

physical　exhaustion　rather　than　in　vain　and　agonized　regret。　　She

readily　obeyed　the　physician's　injunction　to　keep　very　quiet　for

two　or　three　days；　for　memory　during　the　past　few　weeks　had　caused

a　fever　of　mind　that　was　scarcely　less　wearing　than　would　have

been　the　disease　against　which　rest　was　the　best　safeguard。　　The

condition　in　which　she　found　Van　Berg　suggested　some　light　on　the

dark　problem　of　her　life；　but　she　only　sighed　deeply：　　〃I　shall

never　know　in　this　world　why　he　does　not　come。〃



When　told　how　Ida　had　taken　care　of　her　and　watched　till　all　danger

was　passed；　she　murmured　to　herself；　〃Brave；　noble　Ida　Mayhew！　but

I　may　be　able　to　reward　her　yet。〃　　She　needed　very　little　care；

and　felt　no　surprise　that　Ida　now　permitted　others　to　render　these

attentions；　contenting　herself　with　brief　but　gentle　inquiries

concerning　her　welfare。　　Jennie　only　took　pains　to　learn　that　Ida

would　not　leave　the　Lake　House　till　Monday　of　the　following　week；

and　then　rested　and　waited。　　She　was　not　sure　of　Van　Berg；　and　until

she　was　she　would　shield　Ida　as　herself。　　But　if　it　were　true；　as

she　surmised　that　Van　Berg　imagined　that　honor　and　loyalty　bound

him　to　her；　while　his　heart　was　disposed　to　reward　the　maiden　who

had　given　him　hers；　she　hoped　that　a　little　wise　diplomacy　on　her

part　might　do　no　harm。　　She　very　justly　feared　that　Van　Berg's

gratitude　to　herself　would　be　so　strong　that　he　would　consider

nothing　else；　and　she　also　feared　that　in　order　to　accomplish　her

kind　intentions　towards　them；　it　might　become　necessary　for　her

to　tell　him　the　sad　story　of　her　lifea　story　which　she　had　never

yet　put　in　words。　　Therefore　she　sought　to　obtain　the　strength　and

tranquility　of　mind　which　this　effort　might　tax　to　the　utmost。　　She

also　imagined　that　if　she　could　only　see　Ida　and　Van　Berg　together

a　few　times；　her　course　would　be　clearer。



Van　Berg's　vital　forces　had　not　been　drained　by　weeks　of　mental

distress；　and　he　rallied　rapidly。　　Stanton　took　care　of　him　with　a

sort　of　grim　faithfulness　which　his　friend　appreciated；　but　neither

of　them　made　any　reference　to　the　subject　uppermost　in　their　minds。

On　the　afternoon　of　the　day　following　his　rescue；　he　was　able　to

use　crutches；　and　seated　in　his　arm…chair　was　carried　down　to　the

hotel　parlor。　　The　guests　thronged　around　him　with　congratulations；

and　Ida　came　forward　promptly　with　the　others　but　her　manner　was

the　most　undemonstrative　and　quiet　of　any　who　spoke　to　him。　　His

earnest　look　and　the　pressure　of　his　hand　meant　so　much　to　her；

however；　that　she　soon　retreated　to　the　solitude　of　her　room；　and

her　smile　was　almost　glad　as　she　murmured：



〃Oh；　how　much　better　it　is　to　just　take　God　at　his　word　and　do

right！　　If　I　had　yielded　to　my　strong　temptation　I　would　not　have

won　him；　for　now　he　is　bound　to　Miss　Burton　by　every　motive。　　But

by　doing　right　I　have　kept　his　respect。　　Thank　God　for　the　glance

I　have　just　received；　for　it　is　worth　far　more　than　any　expressions

of　dishonorable　passion。　　My　conscience　is　light；　if　my　heart　is

heavy！〃



In　the　quiet　and　friendly　courtesy　that　Van　Berg　and　Ida　maintained

towards　each　other；　a　casual　observer　would　have　seen　nothing　to

excite　remark；　and　the　gossips　at　the　house　believed　they　had　been

misled　by　the　facts　that　the　artist　had　followed　Ida　to　the　city；

and　returned　with　her　as　if　by　arrangement。　　They　now　all　agreed

that　he　could　not　do　less　than　bestow　himself　as　a　reward　upon

the　〃pretty　little　school　ma'am；〃　as　some　of　the　tattling　genus

persisted　in　calling　Miss　Burton。　　Mr。　Mayhew　had　written　that

unexpected　business　complications　had　arisen　which　required　his

whole　attention；　and　as　he　was　acting　in　trust　for　others　he　could

not　give　his　time　just　then　to　making　the　change　that　Ida　had

wished；　but　that　he　would　arrange　matters　so　he　could　enter　on　his

vacation　the　following　week；　and　then　would　take　Ida　wherever　she

wished　to　go。　　He　wrote　daily；　and　his　letters　were　sources　of

double　cheer　to　Ida；　for　she　read　between　the　lines　her　father's

deep　sympathy　and　in　the　lines　found　increasing　proof　that　he　was

a　changed　man。



Now　that　events　had　taken　their　strange　and　unexpected　turn；　she

was　not　sorry　to　remain。　　She　had　no　belief　that　change　of　place

would　make　any　difference　in　her　feelings；　and　she　found　that　her

heart　clung　strongly　to　the　scenes　with　which　were　associated　her

recent　deep　experiences。　　There　was　nothing　in　Van　Berg's　manner

now　that　made　it　embarrassing　for　her　to　meet　him。　　While　in　his

honest　effort　to　keep　his　pledges；　she　saw　that　he　apparently　gave

the　most　of　his　thoughts　to　Miss　Burton；　and　daily　had　conveyed

to　her　room　the　rarest　flowers　and　fruits　he　could　obtain；　sending

to　the　city　for　them　as　well　as　having　the　country　scoured　for

its　choicest　treasures；　she　also　occasionally　caught　a　glimpse　of

the　truth　that　he　honored　and　reverenced　her　from　the　depths　of

his　heart。　　Although　in　her　sincere　diffidence　she　did　not　regard

herself　as　worthy　of　such　esteem；　still　the　poor　girl；　who　had　been

so　deeply　humiliated　and　discouraged；　was　comforted　and　sustained

by　his　strong　and　silent　homage。　　She　would　also　be　very　sorry　to

forego　her　daily　visits　to　Mr。　Eltinge。



As　Thursday　was　warm；　Van　Berg　spent　the　greater　part　of　it

on　the　cool　piazza；　for　he　was　now　able　to　move　about　on　crutches

very　well。　　He　had　no　lack　of　company；　but　all　found　him　reticent

concerning　his　accident　and　the　causes　which　had　led　to　it。　　The

most　persistent　gossip　in　the　house　learned　no　more　than　the　bare

facts；　and　was　inclined　to　believe　there　was　nothing　more　to　learn。

That　Stanton　was　so　distant　was　explained　by　the　fact　that　he　was

an　unsuccessful　rival。　　Both　Van　Berg　and　Ida　puzzled　Stanton　as

far　as　he　gave　them　thought；　but　in　his　honest　loyalty　his　heart

was　in　the　darkened　room　in　which　poor　Jennie　was　resting；　more

from　her　long　passionate