a face illumined-第36节

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〃Do　you　enjoy　that？〃　he　asked；　incredulously。



〃I'm　not　a　star；〃　she　replied　looking　up　with　a　quiet　smile；　〃but

only　a　planetone　of　the　smaller　asteroidsand　shine　with　borrowed

light。　　These　little　women　enjoy　this　hugely；　and　I　receive　a　pale

reflection　of　their　pleasure。〃



〃You　are　certainly　happy　in　your　answer；　if　not　in　your　work；〃　he

remarked。



〃Mr。　Van　Berg；〃　said　one　of　the　children　emphatically；　〃Miss　Burton

is　the　best　lady　that　ever　lived。〃



〃I　agree　with　you；　my　dear；〃　responded　the　artist；　with　answering

emphasis。



〃Yes；　children；〃　said　Miss　Burton；　her　eyes　dancing　with　mischief；

〃and　I　want　you　to　appreciate　Mr。　Van　Berg's　genius　too。　　He　is　the

greatest　artist　that　ever　lived；　and　there　never　were　such　pictures

as　he　paints。〃



〃Miss　Burton；　I　beg　off；〃　interrupted　Van　Berg；　laughing。　　〃You

always　get　the　better　of　one。　　No；　children；〃　he　continued　in　answer

to　their　looks　of　wonder；　〃I　know　less　about　painting　pictures；　in

comparison；　than　you　do　of　dressing　dolls。〃



〃But　Miss　Burton　always　tells　us　the　truth；〃　persisted　the　child。



〃Now　you　see　the　result　of　our　folly；〃　said　the　young　lady；

shaking　her　head　at　him。　　〃We　have　given　this　child　an　example　of

insincerity。　　We　were　jesting；　my　dear。　　Mr。　Van　Berg　and　I　did

not　mean　what　we　said。〃



〃But　I　did　mean　what　I　said；〃　replied　the　child；　earnestly。



〃Since　only　downright　honesty；〃　the　artist　resumed　with　a　laugh；

〃is　permitted　in　this　little　group；　so　near　nature's　heart；　I　think

I　must　follow　this　small　maiden's　example；　and　stick　to　my　original

statement。　　For　once；　Miss　Burton；　we　have　won　the　advantage　over

you；　and　have　proved　that　yours　are　the　only　insincere　words　that

have　been　spoken。　　But　I　know　that　if　I　stay　another　moment　I　shall

be　worsted。　　So　I　shall　leave　the　field　before　victory　is　exchanged

for　another　reverse。〃



As　he　turned　laughingly　away　he　sawwhat　he　had　not　observed

beforethat　Ida　Mayhew　was　sitting　near。　　She　was　ostensibly

reading；　but　even　his　brief　glance　assured　him　that　her　downcast

eyes　were　not　following　the　lines。　　Her　face　was　so　pale；　so　rigid；

so　like　a　sculptured　ideal　of　some　kind　of　suffering　he　could　not

understand；　that　it　haunted　him。



He　had　given　but　little　thought　to　her　for　the　past　two　days；　and

indeed　had　rarely　seen　her。　　She　had　managed　to　take　her　meals　when

he　was　not　present；　and　on　one　or　two　occasions　had　had　them　sent

to　her　room；　pleading　illness　as　the　reason。　　Indeed　her　flagging

appetite　and　altered　appearance　did　not　make　much　feigning　on　her

part　necessary。



She　had　evidently　heard　the　conversation　just　narrated；　and　she

believed　that　Van　Berg　had　echoed　the　child's　belief　in　regard　to

Miss　Burton　more　in　truth　than　in　jest。



The　ruling　passion　of　the　artist　was　aroused。　　A　plain　woman　might

have　looked　unutterable　things；　and　he　would　have　passed　on　with　a

shrug；　or　but　a　thought　of　commiseration。　　But　that　oval；　downcast

face　followed　him。　　Its　sadness　and　pain　interested　him　because

conveyed　to　his　eye　by　a　perfect　contour。



〃Was　it　a　trick？〃　he　thought；　〃or　a　fortuitous　combination　of　the

features　themselves；　that　enabled　them　to　express　so　much！　　It　must

be　so；　for　surely　the　shallow　coquette　had　not　much　to　express。〃



〃A　plague　on　the　perversity　of　nature；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃to　give　the

girl　such　features。　　If　Jennie　Burton　had　them；　she　would　be　the

ideal　woman　of　the　world。〃



The　practical　result；　however；　was　that　he　half　forgot　during　dinner

that　she　was　〃the　best　woman　that　ever　lived〃　in　his　furtive　effort

to　study　Ida's　face　in　its　present　aspect；　and　that　he　also　spent

most　of　the　afternoon　in　his　room　sketching　it　from　memory。











Chapter　XXII。　　A　Vain　Wish。









As　the　witch…hazel　is　believed　to　have　the　power　of　indicating

springs　of　water　however　far　beneath　the　surface；　so　Miss　Burton；

by　a　subtle　affinity；　seemed　to　become　speedily　conscious　of　the

sorrows　and　troubles　of　others；　even　when　sedulously　hidden　from

general　observation。



She　discovered　that　something　was　amiss　with　Ida　almost　as　soon　as

did　the　troubled　girl　herself；　but　for　once　her　quick　perception

of　causes　failed　her。　　She　had　explained　Ida's　apparent　antipathy

to　Van　Berg　on　the　ground　of　the　natural　resentment　of　a　frivolous

society　girl　toward　the　man　who　had；　by　his　manner　and　character；

asked　her　to　think　and　be　a　woman。　　It　appeared　to　her；　from　her

limited　acquaintance；　that　Ida　was　developing　into　the　counterpart

of　her　mother；　and　for　such　a　person　as　Mrs。　Mayhew；　Van　Berg　could

never　have　anything　more　than　polite　toleration。



Miss　Burton　was　aware　that　the　artist's　manner　toward　Ida　had

indeed　been　humiliating。　　During　the　previous　week　he　had　sought

her　society；　but　in　the　emphatic　language　of　his　action；　he　had

almost　the　same　as　said　of　late：



〃Even　for　the　sake　of　your　beauty　I　cannot　endure　your　shallowness

and　moral　deformity。〃



Little　wonder　that　the　flattered　belle　should　feel　hate　or　at　least

spite　toward　the　man　who　had　virtually　given　her　such　a　stinging

rebuke。



But　while　this　fact　and　the　differences　of　character　explained　Ida's

manner　toward　the　artist；　it　did　not　account　for　the　expression

of　pain　and　perplexity　that　she　occasionally　detected　in　the　young

girl's　face。　　It　did　not　explain　why　she　should　sit　for　an　hour　at

a　time；　as　she　had　that　morning　in　the　parlor；　her　eyes　fixed　on

vacancy；　and　her　face　full　of　dread　and　trouble；　as　if　there　were

something　present　to　her　mind　from　which　she　shrank　inexpressibly。

She　tried　several　times　to　make　advances　toward　the　unhappy　girl；

but　was　in　every　instance　repelled；　coldly　and　decidedly。



〃What　IS　preying　upon　Miss　Mayhew's　mind？〃　she　queried　with

increasing　frequency。　　Her　experience　as　a　teacher　of　young　girls

made　her　quick　to　detect　the　presence　of　those　dangerous　thoughts

which　beset　the　entrance　on　mature　womanhood。　　With　a　frown　that

formed　a　marked　contrast　with　her　customary　gentle　and　genial

expression；　she　surmised：　〃Can　Sibley；　or　any　one　else；　be　seeking

to　tempt　and　lead　her　astray？〃



As　the　most　plausible　explanation　she　finally　concluded　that　Ida

was　brooding　over　her　father's　unhappy　tendencies。　　Mrs。　Burleigh

had　told　Miss　Burton　the　whole　story；　and　she　had　listened；　not

as　to　a　bit　of　scandal；　but　as　to　another　instance　of　that　kind　of

trouble　which　ever　evoked　from　her　more　of　sympathy　than　censure。



Ida　might　treat　her　fancied　rival；　therefore；　as　coldly　as　she

chose；　but　the　fact　of　suffering　and　the　shadow　resting　upon　her　from

her　father's　course；　would　bind　Jennie　Burton　to　her　as　a　watchful

friend　with　a　tie　that　only　returning　happiness　could　sunder。



Stanton　and　Van　Berg　were　standing　together　on　Saturday　evening；

when　Mrs。　Mayhew　and　her　daughter　came　down　to　await　the　arrival　of

the　stage。　　Ida　did　not　see　them　at　first；　and　Van　Berg　was　again

struck　by　the　pallor　and　stony　apathy　of　her　face。　　She　looked　like

one　wearied　by　conflict　of　mind；　but　the　quiet　of　her　face　was　not

that　of　peace　or　decision。　　It　was　simply　the　vacancy　and　languor

of　one　worn　out　with　contending　emotions。



〃I　once　said；〃　thought　Van　Berg；　〃that　she　would　be　beautiful　if

she　were　dead；　and　her　frivolous　mind　could　no　longer　mar　the　repose

of　her　features　with　the　suggestion　of　petty　thoughts　and　ignoble

vices。　　By　Jove；　I　never　realized　how　true　my　words　were。　　As　her

motionless　figure　and　pallid　expression　appear　in　yonder　door…way；

she　would　make　a　good　picture　of　the　clay　of　Eve；　before　God　breathed

life　into　the　perfect　form。　　Oh！　that　I　had　such　power！　　I　would

give　years　to　light　up　that　face　there　with　the　expressions　of

which　it　is　capable。〃



Then　Ida　saw　him；　and　she　turned　hastily　away；　but　not　before　he

caught　a　glimpse　of　the　blood　mounting　swiftly　to　her　face。　　She　was

beginning　to　puzzle　him；　and　to　suggest　that　possibly　his　estimate

of　her　character　had　been　superficial。



〃Your　cousin　has　not　seemed　well　for　the　past　few　days；〃　he　remarked

to　Stanton。



〃Oh！　Ida　is　as　full　of　moods　as　an　April　day；　only　they　scarcely

have　a　vernal　simplicity；〃　was　the　satirical　answer。　　From　some

caprice　or　other　she　is　affecting　the　pale　and　interesting　style　now。

See！　　she　has　dressed　herself　this　evening　with　severe　simplicity；

but　the　minx　knows　that　thin　white　drapery　is　more　becoming　to

her　marble　cheeks　and　neck　than　the　richest　colors。　　Besides；　she

remembers　that　it　is　a　sultry　evening；　and　so　gets　herself　up　as

cool　as　a　cucumber。　　By　all　the　jolly　gods！　but　she　is　statuesque；

isn't　she？　　Say　what　you　please　Van；　the　best　of　you　artists

couldn't　imagine　a　much　fairer　semblance　of　a　woman　than　you　see

yonderbut　when　you　come　to　her　mental　and　moral　furniturethe

Good　Lord　deliver　us！〃



〃'Tis　pity；　'tis　pity；〃　said　Van　Berg；　in　a　low；　regretful　tone。



〃An'　pity　'tis；　'tis　true；〃　added