a face illumined-第23节

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and　confidence。〃



〃I　assure　you　that　there　is　no　trust　in　this　business；〃　said　Mr。

Burleigh；　emphatically。　　〃I　can't　afford　to　indulge　in　sentiment；

gentlemen；　besides；　it　couldn't　be　any　more　becoming　in　me　than　in

Tom　Chints。　　I　wouldn't　take　an　unprotected；　unknown　female　into

my　house　if　she　came　with　a　pair　of　wings。　　But　Miss　Burton　brings

letters　that　establish　her　character　as　a　lady　as　truly　as　that

of　any　other　woman　in　the　house。　　I　ought　to　have　prevented　this

Chints　business；　but　then　five　hundred　is　a　nice　little　plum；　and

before　I　pulled　my　slow　wits　together　the　thing　was　done。〃



〃By　the　way；　Mr。　Burleigh；〃　remarked　Stanton；　〃I　hear　that　the

parties　who　are　now　at　my　friend　Van　Berg's　table　are　soon　to　leave

for　the　sea…shore。　　Can　you　give　me　three　seats　there　after　their

departure？〃



〃Certainly；　put　you　down　right　alongside　of　Miss　Burton。〃



〃Perhaps　Van　Berg　feels　that　he　has　the　first　claim　to　so　good　a

position？〃



〃No；　Stanton；　I　shall　not　place　a　straw　in　your　way。〃



〃You　never　were　a　man　of　straw；　Van。　　If　I　were　seeking　more　than

to　enjoy　the　society　of　this　young　lady；　who　seems　to　be　embodied

sunshine；　I　would　be　sorry　to　have　you　place　yourself　in　the　way。〃



〃Sunshine　brought　to　a　focus　kindles　even　green　wood；〃　remarked

Van　Berg；　with　a　significant　nod　at　his　friend。



〃Well；〃　said　Mr。　Burleigh；　rising；　〃if　I　had　not　found　my　mate；　I'd

be　a　burr　that　that　little　woman　wouldn't　get　rid　of　very　easily。

Good…night；　gentlemen。　　I'll　give　either　one　of　you　my　blessing。〃



〃Good…night；　Van；〃　said　Stanton；　also。　　〃I'm　not　going　to　stay　and

listen　to　your　absurd　predictions。　　Neither　shall　I　permit　you　to

enjoy　all　by　yourself　the　delicate　wine　of　that　woman's　wit。　　When

good　things　are　passing　round；　I　propose　to　have　my　share。　　My

presence　can't　hurt　your　prospects。〃



〃And　if　it　did；　Ik；　do　you　think　me　such　a　churl　as　to　try　to　crowd

you　away？〃



〃That's　magnanimous。　　I　suppose　you　and　my　cousin　can　manage　to

keep　the　peace　between　you。〃



〃I　think　the　change　will　be　far　more　disagreeable　to　Miss　Mayhew

than　to　me。〃



〃You　are　very　polite　to　say　so。　　Good…night。〃



〃Well；〃　mused　Van　Berg；　when　left　to　himself；　〃I've　made　progress

to…day　after　a　fashion。　　We　have　been　quite　thoroughly　introducedin

fact　'thrown　together；'　as　fate　and　all　her　friends　will　have　it。

I　might　have　been　weeks　in　gaining　as　much　insight　into　her　character

as　circumstances　have　given　me　in　a　few　brief　hours。　　But　what

a　miserable　revelation　she　has　made　of　herselfcowardice　this

morningfraud　this　afternoon；　and　cold　selfishness；　that　can

amuse　itself　with　the　mortification　and　misfortunes　of　others；　this

evening。　　This　is　the　moral　side　of　the　picture。　　But　when　I　came

to　'speer'　around　to　see　whether　she　had　any　mind　or　real　culture；

the　exhibition　was　still　more　pitiable。　　Ye　gods！　that　a　girl　can

live　to　her　age　and　know　so　little　that　is　worth　knowing！　　She

knows　how　to　dressthat　is；　how　to　enhance　her　physical　beauty；

and　that；　I　admit；　is　a　great　deal。　　As　far　as　it　goes　it　is　well。

But　of　the　taste　of　a　beautiful　and；　at　the　same　time；　intellectual

and　highly　cultivated　woman；　she　has　no　conception；　with　her　it　is

a　question　of　flesh　and　blood　only。〃



〃I　wonder　if　it　will　ever　be　otherwise？　　I　wonder　if　her　marvellous

beauty；　which　is　now　like　a　budding　rose；　that　partly　conceals　the

worm　in　its　heart；　will　soon；　like　the　overblown　flower；　reveal

so　clearly　what　mars　its　life　that　scarcely　anything　else　will　be

noticed。　　What　a　fate　for　a　manto　be　tied　for　life　to　a　woman

who　will；　with　sure　gradation；　pass　from　at　least　outward　beauty

to　utter　hideousness！　　Beauty；　in　a　case　like　this；　is　but　a　mask

which　time　or　the　loathsome　fingers　of　disease　would　surely　strip

off；　and　then　what　an　object　would　confront　the　disenchanted　lover！

It　would　be　like　marrying　a　disguised　death's…head。　　Never　before

did　I　realize　how　essential　is　mental　and　moral　culture　to　give

value　to　mere　external　beauty。



〃And　yet　she　seems　to　have　a　kind　of　quickness　and　aptness。　　She　is

not　wanting　in　womanly　intuition。　　I　still　am　inclined　to　believe

she　has　been　dwarfed　by　circumstances　and　her　wretched　associations。

Her　mind　has　been　given　no　better　means　of　development　than

the　knowledge　of　her　beauty；　the　general　and　superficial　homage

that　it　always　receives；　the　little　round　of　thought　that　centres

about　self；　and　the　daily　question　of　dress。　　That's　narrowing　the

world　down　to　a　cage　large　enough　only　for　a　poll…parrot。　　If　the

bird　within　has　a　parrot's　nature；　what　is　the　use　of　opening　the

door　and　showing　it　larks　singing　in　the　sky？　　I　fear　that's　what

I'm　trying　to　do；　and　that　I　shall　go　back　to　my　fall　work　with　a

meagre　portfolio　and　a　grudge　against　nature；　for　mocking　me　with

the　fairest　broken　promise　ever　made。〃











Chapter　XIV。　　A　Revelation。









The　next　day　threatened　to　be　a　dreary　one；　for　the　rain　fell　so

steadily　as　to　make　all　sunny；　out…of…door　pleasures　impossible。

Many　looked　abroad　with　faces　as　dismal　and　cloudy　as　the　sky；

for　the　number　of　those　who　rise　above　their　circumstances　with　a

cheery　courage　are　but　few。　　Human　faces　can　shine；　although　the

sun　be　clouded；　but；　as　a　rule；　the　shadow　falls　on　the　face　also；

and　the　regal　spirit　succumbs　like　a　clod　of　earth。



The　people　came　straggling　down　late　to　breakfast　in　the　dark

morning；　and；　with　a　childish　egotism　that　considers　only　self　and

immediate　desires；　the　lowering　weather　which　meant　renewed　beauty

and　wealth　to　all　the　land；　was　berated　as　if　it　were　a　small　spite

against　the　handful　of　people　at　the　Lake　House。　　Van　Berg　heard

Ida　Mayhew　exclaiming　against　the　clouds　as　if　this　spite　were

aimed　at　herself　only。



〃Some　of　her　friends　might　not　venture　from　the　city；〃　she　said。



〃They　youths　are　not　venturesome；　then；〃　remarked　Stanton；　who

never　lost　an　opportunity　to　tease。



〃Of　course　they　don't　wish　to　get　wet；〃　she　pouted。



〃And　yet　I'll　wager　any　amount　that　they　are　not　of　the　'salt　of

the　earth'　in　any　scriptural　sense。　　Well；　they　had　better　stay

in　town；　for　this　would　be　an　instance　of　'much　ventured；　nothing

gained。'〃



〃You　remind　me　of　a　certain　fox　who　could　not　say　enough　hard　things

about　the　grapes　that　were　out　of　reach。　　But　mark　my　words；　Mr。

Sibley　will　come；　if　it　pours。〃



〃He　wouldn't　risk　the　spoiling　of　his　clothes　for　any　woman　living。〃



〃You　judge　him　by　yourself。　　Oh；　dear；　how　shall　I　get　through　this

long；　horrible　day！　　You　men　can　smoke　like　bad　chimneys　through

a　storm；　but　for　me　there　is　no　resource　to…day；　but　a　dull　novel

that　I've　read　once　before。　　Let　me　see；　I'll　read　an　hour　and

sleep　three；　and　then　it　will　be　time　to　dress　for　dinner。　　Oh；

good…morning；　Mr。　　Van　Berg；〃　she　says　to　the　artist　who　had　been

listening　to　her　while　apparently　giving　close　attention　to　Mrs。

Mayhew's　interminable　tirade　against　rainy　days；　〃I　have　just　been

envying　you　gentlemen　who　can　kill　stupid　hours　by　smoking。〃



〃I　admit　that　it　is　almost　as　bad　as　sleeping。〃



〃I　see　that　you　have　a　homily　prepared　on　improving　the　time；　so

I　shall　escape　at　once。〃



On　the　stairs　she　met　Miss　Burton；　who　was　descending　with　a　breezy

swiftness　as　if　she　were　making　a　charge　on　the　general　gloom　and

sullenness　of　the　day。



〃Good…morning；　Miss　Mayhew；〃　she　said；　〃I'm　glad　to　see　you　looking

so　well　after　the　severe　shaking　up　you　had　yesterday。　　You　would

almost　tempt　one　to　believe　that　rough　usage　is　sometimes　good　for

us。〃



〃I　have　no　such　belief；　I　assure　you。　　Yesterday　was　bad　enough；

but　to…day　promises　to　be　worse。　　I　was　going　to　make　up　a　boating

party；　but　what　can　one　do　when　the　water　is　overhead　instead　of

under　the　keel？〃



〃Scores　of　things；〃　was　the　cheery　reply。　　〃I'm　going　to　have　a

good　time。〃



〃I'm　going　to　sleep；〃　said　Ida；　passing　on。



〃Miss　Burton；〃　said　Stanton；　joining　her　at　the　foot　of　the　stairs；

〃I　perceive；　even　from　your　manner　of　descending　to　our　lower　world；

that　you　are　destined　to　vanquish　the　dullness　of　this　rainy　day。

Don't　you　wish　an　ally？〃



〃Would　you　be　an　ally；　Mr。　Stanton；　if　you　saw　I　was　destined　to

be　vanquished？〃



〃Of　course　I　would。〃



〃Look　in　the　parlor　then。　　There　are　at　least　a　dozen　ladies

already　vanquished。　　They　are　oppressed　by　the　foul…fiend；　'ennui。'

Transfer　your　chivalric　offer　to　them　and　deliver　them。〃



〃Stanton；〃　laughed　Van　Berg；　〃you　are　in　honor　bound　to　devote

yourself　to　those　oppressed　ladies。〃



〃The　prospect　is　so　dark　and　depressing　that　I　shall　at　least　cheer

myself　first　with　the　light　of　a　cigar。〃



〃And　so　your　chivalry　will　end　in　smoke；〃　she　said。



〃Yes；　Miss　Burton；　the　smoke　of　battle；　where　you　are　concerned。〃



〃I　fear　your　wit　is　readier　than　your　sword。　　The　soldier　that

boasts　how　he　would　overwhe