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into　the　poor　little　rose…bud；〃　she　thought；　and　her　face　grew

more　rigid　and　inscrutable　under　his　gaze。　　as　early　as　possible

she　left　the　table。



〃I　wish　I　knew　just　what　her　trouble　was；〃　thought　the　artist。　　〃If

not　connected　with　that　wretch　Sibley；　I　could　pity　her　with　all

my　heart。　　Well；　take　all　the　good　the　gods　send；　I'll　sketch　her

face　this　afternoon　as　I　have　last　seen　it。〃



〃Your　cousin　begins　to　look　decidedly　ill；〃　he　said　to　Stanton；

after　dinner。



His　friend's　only　reply　was　an　imprecation。



〃Your　remark　is　emphatic　enough；　but　I　don't　understand　it　any

better　than　I　do　Miss　Mayhew。〃



〃It's　to　your　credit　you　don't。　　Her　mother　has　reason　to　believe

that　there　is　some　deviltry　on　foot　between　her　and　Sibley。　　I'm　to

find　out　and　thwart　her　if　I　can。　　I　suppose　I　shall　have　to　say；

in　substance：　　'Since　you　will　throw　yourself　away　on　the　fellow；

go　through　all　the　formalities　that　society　demands。　　In　such　case

your　family　will　submit；　if　they　can't　approve。　　You　see　I'm　frank

with　you；　as　I've　been　from　the　first。'　　Would　to　heaven　she　had

never　come　here；　and　now　　think　of　it　there　has　been　a　change　in

her　for　the　worse　ever　since　she　came。　　It　must　be　the　influence　of

that　cursed　Sibley。　　Some　women　are　fools　to　begin　with；　but　from

a　fool　infatuated　with　a　villain；　good　Lord　deliver　us！〃



〃You　fear　an　elopement　then？〃　said　Van　Berg；　his　face　darkening

into　his　deepest　frown。



〃I　fear　worse　than　that。　　Sibley　is　as　treacherous　as　a　quagmire。

If　a　woman　ventured　into　a　false　position　with　him　he　would　marry

her　only　when　compelled　to　do　so。　　I'm　savage　enough　to　shoot

them　both　this　afternoon。　　I　see　but　one　way　out。　　I　must　warn　her

promptly；　and　in　language　so　emphatic　that　she　will　understand　it；

that　everything　must　be　after　the　regulation　style。〃



Van　Berg　made　a　gesture　of　contempt；　but　said　to　his　friend：



〃Stanton；　I'm　sorry　for　you。　　Such　trouble　as　this　would　cut

me　deeper　than　any　other　kind。　　If　I　can　do　anything　to　help　you；

count　on　me。　　I'm　in　the　mood　myself　to　shoot　Sibley；　for　he　has

spoiled　for　me　the　fairest　face　that　evil　ever　perverted。〃



Van　Berg　did　not　sketch　Ida　Mayhew's　face　that　afternoon。　　On　the

contrary；　he　resolutely　sought　to　banish　her　image　from　his　mind。

When　last　he　saw　that　face；　it　seemed　made　of　Parian　marble。　　Now

it　rose　before　him　so　blackened　and　besmirched　that　he　thought　of

it　only　with　anger　and　disgust。



Ida　kept　herself　so　secluded　in　the　afternoon　that　Stanton　could

not　find　her；　but　this　very　seclusion；　which　the　poor　girl　sought

in　order　to　hide　her　wounds；　only　increased　his　own　and　Mrs。　Mayhew's

fears　deepened　their　suspicions。



She　was　a　little　late　in　appearing　at　the　super…table；　for　her

return　from　the　wanderings　of　the　afternoon　had　required　more　time

than　she　supposed。　　She　was　very　weary；　moreover；　the　hours　spent

in　solitude　with　nature　had　quieted　her　overstrung　nerves。　　The

sun　had　shone　upon　her；　though　the　world　seemed　to　frown。　　Flowers

had　looked　shyly　and　sweetly　into　her　face　as　if　they　saw　nothing

there　to　criticise。　　She　had　plucked　a　few　and　fastened　them　into

her　breast…pin；　and　their　faint　perfume　was　like　a　low；　soothing

voice。　　She　was　in　a　softened　and　receptive　mood；　and　a　kind　word；

even　a　kind　glance；　might　have　tuned　the　scale　in　favor　of　better

thoughts　and　better　living。



But　she　did　not　receive　them。　　Her　coming　to　the　table　was　greeted

with　an　ominous　silence；　for　each　one　was　conscious　of　thoughts

so　greatly　to　her　prejudice　that　they　scarcely　wished　to　meet　her

eye。　　Mrs。　　Mayhew　looked　excessively　worried　and　anxious。　　Stanton

was　flushed　and　angry。　　The　artist　was　icy　as　he　only　knew　how　to

be　when　he　deemed　there　was　sufficient　occasion；　and　in　his　opinion；

the　presence　of　the　prospective　and　willing　bride　of　the　man　who

had　attempted　his　life；　and；　what　was　far　worse；　insulted　the　woman

he　most　honored；　was　occasion；　indeed。



From　time　to　time　he　gave　her　a　cold；　curious　glance；　as　one　might

look　at　some　strange；　abnormal　thing　for　which　there　is　no　accounting；

but　his　slight　scrutiny　was　no　longer　furtive。　　He　looked　at　her

openly　as　he　would　at　an　OBJECT；　and　not　at　a　woman　whose　feelings

he　would　not　wound　for　the　world。　　His　thought　was：　　〃A　creature

akin　to　Sibley　deserves　no　consideration；　and　can　put　in　no　just

claim　for　delicacy。〃



Indeed　he　felt　a　peculiar　vindictiveness　towards　her　to…night；　because

she　had　so　thwarted　him；　and　was　about　to　carry　her　extraordinary

dower　of　beauty　to　the　moral　slough　that　seemingly　awaited

her。　　Therefore；　his　glance　swept　carelessly　over　her　with　a　cold

indifference　that　chilled　her　very　soul。



But　these　transient　glances　caught　enough　to　trouble　him　with　a

vague　uneasiness。　　Although　he　was　steeled　against　her　by　prejudice

and　anger；　something　in　her　appearance　so　pleaded　in　her　favor

that　misgivings　would　arise。　　Once　he　thought　she　met　his　eyes　with

something　like　an　appeal　in　her　own；　but　he　would　not　look　long

enough　to　be　sure。　　A　moment　later　he　was　vexed　with　himself　that

he　had　not。



The　silence　or　the　forced　remarks　at　the　table　were　equally　oppressive；

and　Ida　immediately　felt　that　she　was　the　cause　of　the　restraint。

She　was　about　to　leave　the　table　in　order　to　relieve　them　of　her

presence；　when　Miss　Burton　unexpectedly　entered　and　took　her　chair；

which　hitherto　had　been　vacant。　　She　was　a　little　pale　and　wan；

but　this　only　made　her　look　the　more　interesting；　and　both　Stanton

and　Van　Berg　welcomed　her　as　they　would　the　sunshine　after　a　dreary

storm。　　Even　Mrs。　Mayhew　seemed　to　find　a　wonderful　relief　in　her

coming；　and　added　her　voluble　congratulations。



〃I　have　had　nervous　headaches　myself；　and　know　how　to　sympathize

with　you；〃　she　concluded。



〃She　does　not　know　how　to　sympathize　with　me；〃　sighed　her　daughter。



The　sigh　caught　Van　Berg's　attention；　and　he　was　surprised　to　see

that　the　maiden's　eyes　were　full　of　tears。　　She　bowed　her　head　a

moment　to　hide　them；　and　then　abruptly　left　the　table　and　the　room。



The　artist's　misgivings　ended　in　something　like　compunction；　as

he　thought：　　〃Her　tears　are　caused　by　the　contrast　between　the　icy

reception　we　gave　her；　and　the　cordial　welcome　we　have　just　given

Miss　Burton。　　Confound　it　all！　　I　wish　I　knew　the　exact　truth；　or

that　she　would　leave　for　parts　unknown　where　I　could　never　see　her

again。〃



Miss　Burton　glanced　wistfully　after　the　retreating　maiden；　but　no

explanation　was　offered。　　Then；　as　if　feeling　that　she　had　lost　a

day's　opportunity　for　diffusing　sunshine；　she　became　more　genial

and　brilliant　than　Van　Berg　had　ever　known　her　to　be。　　They　lingered

long　at　the　table；　Mr。　Burleigh　and　others　joined　them。　　Their

laughter　rang　out　and　up　to　the　dusky　room　in　which　poor　Ida　was

sobbing；



〃I　wish　I　were　dead　and　out　of　every　one's　way。〃



Van　Berg　laughed　with　the　others；　but　never　for　a　moment　did　he

lose　the　uneasy　consciousness　that　he　might　possibly　be　misjudging

Ida　Mayhew。　　Although　Mr。　Burleigh's　portly　form　occupied　her

chair；　it　did　not　prevent　him　from　seeing　a　pale　tearful　face　that

was　far　too　beautiful；　far　too　free　from　all　gross　and　sensual

elements；　to　harmonize　with　the　character　he　was　supposing　her　to

possess。　　He　re…called　what　she　had　said　about　the　〃fragrance〃　of

the　rose…bud　he　had　torn　and　tossed　away；　rising　to　him　like　〃a

low；　timid　appeal　for　mercy。〃　　Had　she　shyly　and　timidly　appealed

to　him　for　a　kinder　judgement　that　evening；　and　had　he　been　too

blind　and　prejudiced　to　see　anything　save　the　stains　left　by　Sibley's

name？　　If　she　proposed　to　go　to　Sibley；　why　was　she　not　like　him

in　manner？　　It　was　strange　that　one　akin　to　such　a　fellow　should

fasten　wild　flowers　on　her　bosom；　and　still　more　strange　that　they

should　be　so　becoming。



The　cool　and　sagacious　Van　Berg；　who　so　prided　himself　on　his

correct　judgment；　was　decidedly　perplexed　and　perturbed。











Chapter　XXXV。　　Desperately　Wounded。









Stanton　basked　in　Miss　Burton's　smiles　until　a　significant　look

from　Mrs。　Mayhew　reminded　him　of　his　disagreeable　task；　for　the

performance　of　which　there　seemed　a　greater　urgency　than　ever。

Ida's　rather　precipitate　withdrawal　from　the　supper…room　was　another

proof　in　their　eyes　that　some　mischief　was　brewing。



He　listened　at　her　door　for　a　moment；　and　could　not　fail　to　hear

the　stifled　sound　of　her　passionate　grief；　then　knocked；　but　there

was　no　response。



〃Ida；〃　he　said；　in　a　kinder　tone　than　usual；　〃I　want　to　see　you。〃



She　tried　to　quiet　her　sobbing；　and　after　a　moment　faltered：　　〃You

had　better　leave　me　to　myself。〃



〃No；　I　must　see　you；〃　he　said　kindly　but　firmly。　　〃I　have　something

to　say　to　you。〃



The　poor　girl　was　so　lonely　and　heart…broken；　that　she　was　ready

for　the　least　ray　of　comfort。　　She　now　saw　that　she　was　ignorant

and　exceedingly　faulty。　　She