a face illumined-第60部分

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that　even　an　approach　to　a　pleasant　thought　would　have　lighted　them

up　with　a　momentary　gleam。　　Miss　Burton　found　her　task　a　difficult

one。



〃She　affected　me　as　strangely；〃　she　afterwards　said　to　Van　Berg；

〃as　if　a　dead　maiden　were　sitting　at　my　side；　who　had　still；　by

some　horrible　mystery；　the　power　of　speech。〃



As　for　Van　Berg；　he　had　hitherto　supposed　that　his　quiet；　well…bred

ease　would　be　equal　to　every　social　emergency；　but　he　now　found

himself　tongue…tied　and　embarrassed　to　the　last　degree。　　He　could

not　speak　to　the　woman　whom　he　felt　he　had　so　deeply　wronged　in

his　thoughts　and　manner；　and　who　was　also　well　aware　of　the　fact。

He　felt　that　he　had　no　right　to　speak　to　her　until　he　had　first

asked　and　secured　her　forgiveness。　　This　could　not　be　done　in

public；　and　he　greatly　doubted　whether　she　ever　would　pardon　him。

As　a　chivalric　man　of　honor；　he　was　overwhelmed　with　a　sense　of

the　insult　he　had　unwittingly　offered　to　the　maiden　opposite　him；

who　now　appeared　as　if　mortally　wounded。　　Beyond　a　few　forced

remarks　to　Stanton　and　Miss　Burton；　he　made　a　show　of　eating　his

supper　in　silence。　　But　he　longed　to　escape　from　his　present　ordeal；

and　resolved　to　leave　the　table　as　soon　as　appearances　permitted。



One　thing　in　Ida's　manner　perplexed　him　greatly。　　She　now　looked

at　him　as　if　he　were　an　object；　scrupling　not　to　meet　his　eye　with

her　strange；　unwavering　gaze。　　There　was　nothing　of　the　haughty

indifference　which　she　had　manifested　the　evening　before　in　her

occasional　glances。　　She　rather　looked　as　one　who　is　trying　to　fix

an　object　in　his　memory　that　he　may　carry　an　accurate　picture　of

it　away　with　him。



The　thought　crossed　his　mind　more　than　once；　〃We　have　wakened　our

Undine's　sleeping　mind　with　a　vengeance；　but　have　jostled　it　so

rudely　that　I　fear　the　frail　article　is　hopelessly　shattered。〃



Miss　Burton　tried　once　more　to　make　the　conversation　general；　but

her　effort　ended　rather　disastrously。



〃Mr。　Van　Berg；〃　she　said；　〃I've　been　reading　an　essay　this　afternoon

in　which　the　writer　tries　to　prove　that　science　has　done　more　for

humanity　than　art　and　religion　combined。　　Now　I　suppose　you　would

be　inclined　to　take　the　same　ground　in　regard　to　art　that　I　ought

in　respect　to　religion。〃



Van　Berg　was　about　to　reply；　when　his　attention　was　caught　by　a

vivid　gleam　in　the　face　of　Ida；　who　looked　up　as　if　she　wished　to

speak。



〃I　think　Miss　Mayhew　has　an　opinion　on　this　subject；〃　he　said；　with

a　bow。



She　looked　steadily　at　him　as　she　replied　promptly；　〃I　have　a

decided　opinion；　though　I　base　it　on　such　poor　and　narrow　grounds

as　personal　experience。　　I　think　art　is　by　far　the　most　potent。

It　has　accomplished　for　me　much　more　than　science　or　religion　ever

did；　or　could。〃



〃What　has　it　done　for　you；　Miss　Mayhew？〃　he　asked；　dreading　the

answer。



〃It　has　filled　me　with　despair；〃　she　replied　with　a　glance　and

tone　which　he　never　afterwards　forgot。　　Then；　with　the　same　cold；

quiet　manner　in　which　she　had　come；　she　left　the　table。



Van　Berg　turned　very　pale；　for　he　at　once　understood　her　reference

to　the　emblematic　rose…bud　he　had　thrown　away；　and　his　remark；　〃Art

can　tolerate　no　such　imperfection。〃



Her　words　and　manner　hopelessly　perplexed　the　others；　but　Van

Berg　believed　he　had　found　light　on　the　problem　that　had　hitherto

baffled　him；　but　so　far　from　being　reassured；　he　had　never　been　at

such　bitter　odds　with　himself　before。



He　also　soon　after　left　the　table；　hoping　to　find　an　opportunity

to　express　his　regret　that　he　had　been　so　harsh　by　prejudice；　but

Miss　Mayhew　was　not　to　be　found。



〃Can　it　be；〃　he　thought；　as　he　strode　off　into　the　shrubbery；　〃that

I　have　been　blind　to　the　very　effects　that　I　hoped　to　cause？　　Can

it　be　that　she　has　been　made　to　feel　her　imperfection　so　keenly；

and　in　such　a　way　as　to　create　only　utter　discouragement？　　She

evidently　understands　the　worm…eaten　rose…bud　I　tossed　away　to　be

the　emblem　of　herself。　　Oh；　the　curse　of　Phariseeismthe　'holier

than　thou'　business；　whatever　form　it　takes。　　It　has　made　an

egregious　fool　of　me。〃



〃But　her　relations　with　Sibley；　confound　it　all！　　I　can't　understand

them。　　Why　did　she　associate　with　him　so　constantly；　and　then　say；

'Congenial　society；　or　none　at　all'？　　Seems　to　me　she　ought　to

have　seen　what　he　was　before　he　showed　his　cloven　feet　so　plainly。

Well；　perhaps　the　most　rational　as　well　as　charitable　explanation

is　that　her　eyes　were　opened　to　see　him　in　his　true　colors；　as

well　as　herself。　　Had　Titania's　eyes　been　disenchanted　when　she　was

fondling　the　immortal　Weaver；　she　might　have　perished　with　disgust；

and　it　is　scarcely　strange　that　Miss　Mayhew　should　be　ill　on　finding

that　she　was　infatuated　with　a　man　who　was　both　ass　and　villain。

She　evidently　sees　things　now　as　they　are；　and　since　her　vision　has

become　so　good；　I　am　very　sorry　I　do　not　appear　to　better　advantage。

People　who　stalk　along　through　life　with　elevated　noses；　are　not

pleasing　or　edifying　spectacles。〃



His　disquietude　soon　caused　him　to　return　to　the　hotel；　in　hopes

of　seeing　the　object　of　his　thoughts。



He　had　hardly　reached　the　piazza　before　Ida　appeared；　dressed　in　a

plain　walking　suit。　　She　hesitated　a　moment　in　the　door…way　as　if

undecided　in　her　course。　　A　party　of　gay　young　people　were　just

starting　on　a　stroll　to　a　neighboring　village。　　With　apparent

hesitancy；　she　said　to　one　of　the　young　girls：



〃I　have　an　errand　to　the　village；　may　I　walk　with　you　for　company？〃



〃Oh；　certainly；〃　replied　the　girl；　but　evidently　not　welcoming　this

addition　to　their　party；　and　Ida　went　away　with　them；　but　not　as

one　of　them；　isolated　more；　however；　by　her　own　manner　than　by　the

bearing　of　her　companions。



The　explanation　of　her　action　was　this：　　on　opening　her　drawer　after

returning　to　her　room；　she　found；　with　a　sense　of　dismayas　if　a

misfortune　had　occurred　instead　of　an　incident　that　gave　a　chance

for　better　thoughtthat　in　taking　the　opiate　the　night　before；

she　had　replaced　the　cork　in　the　phial　insecurely；　and　that　nearly

all　its　contents　had　oozed　away。　　Some　might　have　regarded　this

incident　as　an　omen　or　a　providential　interference；　but　Ida　was

neither　superstitious　nor　speculative　in　her　nature；　she　was　positive

and　willful；　rather；　and　the　current　of　her　purposes　always　flowed

strongly；　though　it　might　be　in　narrow　channels。



〃There　is　nothing　left　for　me　to　do；〃　she　muttered；　〃but　go　to　the

village。　　I　don't　know　whether　Mr。　Burleigh　has　laudanum；　and　my

asking　for　it　might　excite　suspicion。〃



It　was　terrible　to　see　her　fair　young　face　grow　hard　like　marble

in　her　stern　determination　to　carry　out　her　awful　design；　and　the

impress　of　this　remorseless　purpose　filled　Van　Berg　with　so　great

foreboding　that　he　could　not　resist　the　impulse　to　follow　the

desperate　girl。　　If　harm　should　come　to　her　through　the　harshness

of　others；　and　as　he　now　feared；　more　especially　his　own；　he　would

never　forgive　himself。



Mrs。　Mayhew　and　Stanton　did　not　see　her　departurethey　were　in

anxious　consultation　in　one　of　the　small　private　parlors；　and　the

artist；　to　disarm　suspicion　of　his　design；　entered　the　hotel；　and

passed　out　again　by　a　side　door；　from　which　he　took　a　short…cut

across　the　field　intending　to　watch　Ida；　without　being　himself

observed。



Having　found　some　dense　copse…wood　by　the　road…side；　and　near　to

the　village；　he　sat　down　and　waited。　　The　gay；　chattering　party

soon　passed；　Ida　walking　by　herself　on　the　opposite　side　of　the

road；　with　head　bowed　as　if　wholly　wrapped　in　her　own　thoughts。　　Her

unhappy　face　appealed　to　his　sympathy　even　more　than　her　graceful

carriage　to　his　sense　of　beauty；　and　he　longed　to　join　her　and　make

such　amends　as　were　possible。



He　now　followed　at　too　great　a　distance　for　recognition　in　the

deepening　twilight；　and　saw　the　young　people　enter　a　confectionery

shop；　but　observed；　with　increased　uneasiness；　that　Miss　Mayhew

parted　from　them　and　went　to　an　adjacent　drug…store。　　She　soon

joined　the　party　again；　however；　and　they　all　apparently　started

homeward。



Van　Berg　at　once　determined　to　go　to　this　drug…store　and　learn；　if

possible；　if　there　were　anything　to　confirm　the　horrible　suspicion

that　crossed　his　mind。　　He　remembered　that　despair　and　desperate

deeds　often　went　together；　and　the　daily　press　had　taught　him　how

many　people；　with　warped　and　ungoverned　moral　natures；　place　their

troubles　beyond　remedy　by　the　supreme　folly　of　self…destruction。



By　a　considerable　detour　through　a　side　street；　he　reached　the

store　unperceived；　and　found　the　druggist　rather　disquieted　himself。



〃Are　you　staying　at　Burleigh's？〃　he　asked。



〃I　am；〃　Van　Berg　replied。



〃Do　you　know　a　young　lady　boarding　there　with　large　dark　eyes　and

auburn　hair？〃



〃I　do。〃



〃Is　thereis　there　anything　wrong　about　her？〃



〃Why　should　there　be？　　Why　do　you　ask？〃



〃She　has　just　been