a face illumined-第90节

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and　it　was　another　deep　source　of　her　gladness　that　the　one　whom

she　had　seen　so　depressed　and　despairing；　now　looked　as　she　would

always　wish　him　to　appear。　　〃Oh；　it's　too　good　to　last；〃　she　sighed；

as　her　heart　fairly　ached　with　its　excess　of　joy。



After　dinner　Mr。　Mayhew　asked　Van　Berg　to　light　a　cigar　with　him　in

his　study；　but　the　artist　declined　and　followed　Ida　to　the　parlor。



〃Mr。　Van　Berg；〃　she　said；　with　a　great　show　of　surprise；　〃how　is　it

you　don't　smoke　this　evening？　　It　seemed　to　me　that　you　and　Cousin

Ik　were　drawn　to　a　certain　corner　of　Mr。　Burleigh's　piazza　with

the　certainty　of　gravitation　after　dinner；　and　then　you　were　lost

in　the　clouds。〃



〃On　this　occasion　I　have　taken　my　choice　of　pleasures　and　have

followed　you。〃



〃This　is　a　proud　moment　for　me；〃　she　said；　with　a　mirthful　twinkle

in　her　eyes。　　〃I　never　expected　to　rival　a　gentleman's　cigar；　and

I　don't　think　I　ever　did　before。〃



〃Another　proof　of　my　friendship；　Miss　Ida。〃



〃Yes；〃　she　replied　demurely；　〃an　act　like　this　goes　a　good　way

towards　making　me　believe　you　are　sincere。〃



〃Miss　Ida；　you　are　always　laughing　at　me。　　I　wish　I　could　find　some

way　to　get　even　with　you；　and　I　will　too。〃



〃You　do　me　injustice。　　I；　in　turn；　will　lay　an　offering　on　the

altar　of　friendship　and　will　go　with　you　this　evening　to　the　concert

garden。〃



〃I　think　you　exceedingly；　but　will　leave　the　offering　on　the　altar；

if　you　will　permit　me。　　I　would　much　rather　remain　in　your　parlor。〃



〃Why；　Mr。　Van　Berg；　you　are　bent　on　being　a　martyr　for　my　sake　this

evening。〃



〃Yes；　wholly　bent　upon　it。〃



〃How　amiable　gentlemen　are　after　dinner！〃　she　exclaimed。　　〃But　where

was　your　appetite　this　evening？　　Clearly　our　cook　knows　nothing　of

the　preparation　of　ambrosia　nor　I　of　nectar；　although　I　made　the

coffee　myself。〃



〃Did　you？　　That　accounts　for　its　divine　flavor。　　Don't　you　remember

I　took　two　cups？〃



〃I　saw　that　your　politeness　led　you　to　send　me　your　cup　a　second

time。　　I　suppose　you　accomplished　a　vast　deal　again　to…day　after

you　were　once　finally　rid　of　an　embodiment　of　April　weather？〃



〃I　would　lose　your　respect　altogether　if　I　should　tell　you　how　I

have　spent　the　afternoon。　　You　would　think　me　an　absurd　jumble　of

moods　and　tenses。　　I　may　as　well　own　up；　I　suppose。　　I　have　done

nothing　but　kill　time；　and　to　that　end　I　took　a　walk　through　Central

Park。〃



〃This　hot　afternoon！　　Mr。　Van　Berg；　what　possessed　you？〃



〃A　demon　of　impatience。　　It　seemed　as　if　old　Joshua　had　commanded

the　sun　to　stand　still　again。〃



〃You　must　indeed　by　a　genius；　Mr。　Van　Berg；　for　I've　always　heard

that　the　peculiarly　gifted　were　full　of　unaccountable　moods。〃



〃I　understand　the　satire　of　your　expression　'PECULIARLY　gifted；'

but　my　turn　will　come　before　the　evening　is　over；〃　and　he　leaned

luxuriously　back　against　the　sofa　cushion　with　a　look　of　infinite

content　with　the　prospect　before　him。　　〃Bless　me；　what　is　this　over

which　I　have　half　broken　my　back；〃　he　exclaimed；　and　he　dragged

out　of　its　partial　concealment　a　huge　volume。



〃Please　let　me　take　that　out　of　your　way；〃　said　Ida；　stepping

hastily　forward　with　crimson　cheeks。



〃Don't　trouble　yourself；　Miss　Mayhew；　fortune　is　favoring　me　once

more；　and　I　am　on　the　point　of　discovering　the　favorite　author　you

would　not　mention　this　morning。　　An　encyclopedia；　as　I　live！　from

A　to　B；　with　a　hair…pin　inserted　sharply　at　the　word　Amsterdam。

Really；　Miss　Ida；　I　can't　account　for　your　absorbing　interest　in

Amsterdam。〃



〃Mr。　Van　Berg；　there　is　no　use　in　trying　to　hide　anything　from　you。

You　find　me　out　every　time　and　I'm　really　growing　superstitious

about　it。〃



〃I　wish　your　words　were　true；　but；　for　the　life　of　me；　I　can't

understand　why　you　should　crave　encyclopaedias　as　August　reading；

nor　can　I　see　the　remotest　connection　between　the　exquisite　color

of　your　face　and　the　old　Dutch　city　of　Amsterdam。〃



〃Well；　the　Fates　are　against　me　once　more。　　Why　I　left　that　book

there　I　don't　know；　for　I'm　not　usually　so　careless。　　Mr。　Van　Berg；

I　scarcely　need　to　remind　you　of　a　fact　that　you　discovered　long

agoI　don't　know　anything。　　Do　you　not　remember　how　you　tried　to

talk　with　me　one　evening？　　You　touched　on　almost　as　many　subjects

as　that　huge　volume　contains；　and　my　face　remained　as　vacant　through

them　all　as　the　blank　pages　in　that　book　before　the　printed　matter

begins。〃



〃But　now；　Miss　Ida；　your　face　is　to　me　like　this　book　after　the

printed　matter　begins；　only　I　read　there　that　which　interests　me

far　more　than　anything　which　this　bulky　tome　contains；　even　under

the　word　Amsterdam。〃



〃You　imagine　far　more　than　you　see。　　I　think　artists　are　like　poets；

and　are　given　to　great　flights。　　Besides；　you　are　becoming　versed

in　my　small　talk。　　When　you　tried　it　on　the　evening　I　referred　to；

you　were　just　a　trifle　ponderous。〃



〃Yes；　I　can　now　see　myself　performing　like　a　lame　elephant。　　Did

you　propose　to　read　this　encyclopaedia　entirely　through？〃



〃I　might　have　skipped　art　as　a　subject　far　too　deep　for　me。〃



〃When　you　come　to　that　let　me　take　the　place　of　the　encyclopaedia。

I　will　sit　just　here　where　you　keep　your　book　and　give　you　a　series

of　familiar　lectures。〃



〃I　never　enjoyed　being　lectured；　sir！〃



〃Then　I'll　teach　you　after　the　Socratic　method；　and　ask　you

questions。〃



〃I　fear　some　of　them　might　be　too　personal。　　You　have　such　a　mania

for　solving　everything。〃



〃And　did　you　fear　that　at　some　of　the　many　sittings　I　shall　need

this　fall　I　might　again　broach　every　subject　under　the　sun；　and　so

you　were　led　to　read　an　encyclopaedia　to　be　prepared？〃



〃Is　that　what　you　mean　by　the　Socratic　method？　　I　decline　any　lessons

concerning　art　or　anything　else　on　that　plan；　for　you　would　find

out　everything。〃



〃I　shall；　anyway。　　How　long　ago　it　seems　since　we　took　that　stupid

walk　together　on　Mr。　Burleigh's　piazza！　　We　are　nearer　together

now；　Miss　Ida；　than　we　were　then。〃



〃Oh！　no；　indeed；〃　she　replied　quickly；　〃I　had　your　arm　on　that

occasion。〃



〃But　you　have　my　sincere　friendship　and　respect　now。　　I　can't　tell

you　how　pleased　I　was　when　I　saw　how　you　had　honored　the　little

emblematic　flower　I　gave　you　this　morning。　　That　you　wear　it

to…night　as　your　only　ornament　gives　me　hope　that　you　do　value　my

respect　and　regard。〃



〃I　think　I　had　better　let　the　rose…bud　answer　you；　and　I　confess

I　like　to　think　how　perfect　it　is　when　I　remember　the　meaning　you

gave　to　it；　though　how　you　can　respect　me　at　all　I　cannot　understand。

Still；　I　am　like　fathernext　to　God's　favor　the　respect　of　those

I　esteem　does　most　to　sustain　and　reassure　me。　　But；　oh！　Mr。　Van

Berg；　you　can't　know　what　an　honest　sense　of　ill…desert　I　have。　　It

is　so　hard　just　to　do　right；　no　matter　what　the　consequences　may

be。〃



〃The　trouble　with　me　is　that　I　am　not　trying　as　you　are。　　But　I

know；　with　absolute　certainty；　that　the　strongest　impulse　of　true

friendship；　or　at　least　of　mine；　in　this　instance；　is　to　render

some　service　to　my　friend。　　You　will　make　me　very　happy　if　you　will

tell　me　something　I　can　do　for　you。〃



〃You　are　helping　me　very　much　in　your　manner　towards　father；　and

I　do　thank　you　from　the　very　depths　of　my　heart。　　In　no　way　could

you　have　won　from　me　a　deeper　gratitude。　　Andwellyour　kindness

almost　tempts　me　to　ask　for　another　favor；　Mr。　Van　Berg。〃



He　sprang　to　her　side　and　took　her　hand。



Quickly　withdrawing　it；　she　said　with　a　little　decisive　node：　　〃You

must　sit　down　and　sit　still；　for　I　have　along；　tiresome　story　to

tell；　and　a　very　prosaic　favor　to　ask；〃　for　she　had　resolved；　〃he

shall　go　forward　now　with　his　eyes　open；　and　he　shall　never　say　I

won　him　by　seeming　what　I　was　not。　　If　I　can't　deal　right　by　Jennie

Burton；　I　will　by　him。〃



〃I　shall　find　no　service　prosaic；　see；　I'm　all　attention；〃　and　he

did　look　very　eager　indeed。



〃That　encyclopaedia　suggests　my　story；　and　I　may　have　to　refer

incidentally　to　myself。〃



〃Leave　the　book　out；　I'll　listen　for　ages。〃



〃I　should　be　out　of　breath　before　that。　　Mr。　Van　Berg；　I'm　in　earnest；

I　don't　know　anything　worth　knowing。　　My　life　has　been　worse　than

wasted；　and　the　only　two　things　I　understand　well　are　dancing　and

flirting。　　Now　I　know　you　are　disgusted；　but　its　the　truth。　　My　old；

fashionable　life　seems　to　me　like　the　tawdry　scenes　of　a　second…rate

theatre；　where　everything　is　for　effect　and　nothing　is　real。　　I

have　hosts　of　acquaintances；　but　I　haven't　any　friends　except　Mr。

Eltinge。〃



〃And　Harold　Van　Berg；〃　put　in　the　artist；　promptly。



〃It's　good　of　you　to　say　that　after　such　confessions；〃　she　continued；

with　a　shy　glance。　　〃I　hope　it　wasn't　out　of　politeness。　　Well；

I've　waked　up　at　last。　　I　think　you　first　startled　me　out　of　my

insufferable　stupidity　and　silliness　at　the　concert　garden；　and

I'm　very　much　obliged　to　you　for　the　remark　you　made　to　Cousin　Ik

on　that　occasion。