a face illumined-第8部分

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〃He　can　never　hope　for　anything　from　me。〃



〃Poor；　hopeless　wretch！〃　groaned　Stanton。　　〃How　can　he　sip　his　tea

yonder　so　complacently　oblivious　of　his　doom？〃



〃Mother；　I'm　in　earnest；〃　resumed　the　daughter。　　〃I　have　reasons

for　disliking　that　man；　and　I　do　not　wish　the　annoyance　of　his

acquaintance。〃



〃Well；　well；〃　said　Mrs。　Mayhew；　〃as　long　as　the　wind　blows　from

that　cool　quarter；　we　can　keep　cool　till　it　changes。　　If　I　mistake

not；　he　is　the　same　gentleman　who　met　us　in　the　corridor。　　I'm　sure

he　has　fine　manners。〃



〃If　it　is　fine　manners　in　a　man　to　nearly　run　over　two　ladies；　he

is　perfect。　　But　I　am　sick　of　hearing　about　him；　and　especially

of　seeing　him。　　I　insist；　Ik；　that　you　have　our　table　changed　to

yonder　corner；　and　then　arrange　it　so　that　I　can　sit　with　my　back

towards　him。〃



〃I　am　your　Caliban；　but　would　hint；　my　amiable　Coz；　that　you　should

not　bite　off　your　own　pretty　nose　in　spite。　　Must　all　your　kin　join

in　this　bitter　feud？　　May　I　not　smoke　with　my　ancient　familiar？〃



〃Oh；　be　off；　and　if　you　and　your　friend　disappear　like　your　cigars；

the　world　will　survive。〃



〃I　fear　it　is　because　my　friend　will　never　dissolve　in　sighs　that

you　are　so　willing　he　should　end　in　smoke。〃



Having　winged　this　Parthian　arrow　over　his　shoulder；　Stanton　strolled

out　on　the　piazza　whither　Van　Berg　had　preceded　him。











Chapter　V。　　Spite。









Miss　Mayhew　apparently　had　not　given　a　single　glance　to　the　artist；

as　he　sat　opposite　to　her　and　but　a　little　out　of　earshot。　　Indeed；

so　well　did　she　simulate　unconsciousness　of　his　presence；　that

were　if　not　for　an　occasional　glance　from　Mrs。　Mayhew　he　might　have

thought　himself　unnoticed；　but　something　in　that　lady's　manner；　as

caught　by　occasional　glances；　led　him　to　suspect　that　he　was　the

subject　of　their　conversation。



But　Ida's　indifference　was；　in　truth；　only　seeming；　for　although

she　never　looked　directly　at　him；　she　subjected　his　image；　which

was　constantly　flitting　across　the　retina　of　her　eye；　to　the　closest

scrutiny；　and　no　act　or　expression　of　his　escaped　her。　　She　was

piqued　by　the　fact　that　he　showed　no　disturbed　consciousness　of　her

presence；　and　that　his　glance　was　occasionally　as　free　and　natural

towards　her　as　towards　any　other　guest　of　the　house。　　His　bearing

annoyed　her　excessively；　for　it　seemed　an　easy　and　quiet　assertion

of　indifference　and　superioritytwo　manifestations　that　were　to

her　as　objectionable　as　unusual。　　Neither　in　looks　nor　manner　did

she　appear　very　agreeable　during　the　brief　time　she　spent　in　the

public　parlors。　　The　guests　of　the　house；　even　to　the　ladies　who

foresaw　an　eclipse　of　their　own　charms；　were　compelled　to　admit

that　she　was　very　pretty；　but　it　was　a　general　remark　that　her　face

did　not　make　or　leave　a　pleasant　impression。



Van　Berg　surmised　that　Stanton's　disposition　to　teaze　and　banter

would　lead　him　to　repeat　and；　perhaps；　distort；　anything　he　might

say　concerning　the　young　lady；　so　he　made　no　reference　whatever

to　the　Mayhews；　but　took　pains　to　give　the　impression　that　he　was

deeply　interested　in　the　scenery。



〃I　shall　probably　be　off　with　my　sketch…book　before　you　are　up；〃　he

said；　〃for　if　I　remember　correctly；　you　are　up　with　the　lark　only

when　you　have　been　up　over…night。〃



〃You　are　the　greater　sinner　of　the　two；〃　yawned　Stanton；　〃for　if　I

occasionally　keep　unseasonable　hours　at　night；　you　do　so　habitually

in　the　morning。　　Either　you　are　not　as　brilliant　as　usual　this

evening；　or　else　the　country　air　makes　me　drowsy。　　Good…night。　　We

will　take　a　ride　to…morrow；　and　you　can　sketch　five　miles　of　fence

if　you　find　that　you　cannot　resist　your　mania　for　work。〃



Perhaps　Stanton　HAD　found　his　friend　slightly　preoccupied；　for；　in

spite　of　the　constraint　he　had　put　upon　himself　to　appear　as　usual；

this　second　and　closer　view　of　the　face　which　had　taken　so　strong

a　hold　upon　his　fancy　did　not　dissipate　his　first　impressions。

Indeed；　they　were　deepened　rather；　for　he　saw　again　and　more　clearly

the　same　marvellous　capabilities　in　the　features；　and　also　their

exasperating　failure　to　make　a　beautiful　face。



He　dreamed　over　his　project　some　little　time　after　his　friend　had

retired；　and　the　conclusion　of　his　revery　was：



〃I　must　soon　make　some　progress　in　my　experiment　or　else　decamp；　for

that　girl's　contradictory　face　is　a　constant　incentive　to　profanity。〃



After　seeing　Mrs。　Mayhew；　however；　he　felt　that　justice　required

him　to　admit　that　the　daughter　was　a　natural　and　logical　sequence；

and　in　the　mother　he　saw　an　element　more　hopelessly　inartistic　and

disheartening　than　anything　in　the　girl　herself；　for　even　if　the

latter　could　be　changed；　would　not　the　shadow　of　the　stout　and

dressy　mother　ever　fall　athwart　the　picture？



Van　Berg　retired　with　the　feeling　that　his　project　of　illuminating

a　face　by　awakening　a　mind　that；　as　yet；　had　slept；　did　not　promise

very　brilliantly。



Miss　Mayhew　tried　to　persuade　herself　that　it　was　a　relief　not　to

see　the　critical　artist　at　breakfast；　nor　to　meet　him　as　she　strolled

from　the　parlors　to　the　piazza　and　thence　to　the　croquet…ground；

where　she　listlessly　declined　to　take　part　in　a　game。



There　was；　in　truth；　great　need　that　her　mind　should　be　awakened

and　her　whole　nature　radically　changed；　if　it　were　a　possible

thing；a　need　shown　by　the　fact　the　fair　June　morning；　with　its

fragrance　and　beauty；　could　not　light　up　her　face　with　its　own

freshness　and　gladness。　　The　various　notes　of　the　birds　were　only

sounds；　the　landscape；　seen　for　the　first　time；　was　like　the　map

of　Switzerland；　that；　in　the　days　of　her　geography　lessons；　gave

her　as　vivid　an　idea　of　the　country　as　a　dry　sermon　does　of　heaven。

Although　her　ears　and　eyes　were　so　pretty；　she　was；　in　the　deepest

and　truest　sense　of　the　word；　deaf　and　blind。　　The　lack　of　some

petty　and　congenial　excitement　made　time　hang　heavily　on　her　hands

and　clouded　her　face　with　'ennui。'〃



Even　her　cousin　had　failed　her；　for　he　was　down　at　the　stables；

making　arrangements　for　the　care　of　his　bays　and　his　carriage。　　Thus

from　very　idleness　she　fell　to　nursing　her　small　spite　against　the

man　whose　voice　had　made　such　harsh　discord　with　the　honeyed　chorus

of　flattery　to　which　she　was　accustomed。　　She　wished　that　he　would

appear；　and　that　in　some　way　she　might　show　how　little　she　cared

for　him　or　his　opinion；　but　as　he　did　not；　she　at　last　lounged　to

her　room　and　sought　to　kill　a　few　hours　with　a　novel。



Her　wounded　pride；　however；　induced　her　to　dress　quite　elaborately

for　dinner；　for　she　had　faith　in　no　better　way　of　asserting　her

personality　than　that　afforded　by　the　toilet。　　She　would　teach　him；

by　the　admiration　she　excited　in　others；　how　mistaken　he　had　been

in　his　estimate；　and　her　vanity　whispered　that　even　he　could　not

look　upon　her　beauty　for　any　length　of　time　without　being　won　by

it　as　so　many　others　had　been。



The　change　of　seats　having　been　effected；　she　scarcely　thought　it

necessary　to　turn　her　back　upon　him　while　sitting　at　such　a　dim

distance。　　Indeed　she　was　inclined　to　regret　the　change；　for　now

her　toilet　and　little　airs；　which　she　imagined　to　be　so　pretty；

would　be　lost　upon　him。



It　would　seem　that　they　were；　for　Van　Berg　ate　his　dinner　as　quietly；

and　chatted　as　unconcernedly　to　those　about　him　as　if　she　had　no

existence。　　Never　had　a　man　ignored　her　so　completely　before；　and

she　felt　that　she　could　never　forgive　him。



After　the　event　of　the　day　was　over；　and　the　guests　were　circling

and　eddying　through　the　halls　and　parlors　and　out　on　the　piazza；

Ida　still　had　the　annoyance　of　observing　that　Van　Berg　was　utterly

oblivious　of　her　as　far　as　she　could　perceive。　　He　spoke　here　and

there　with　the　ease　and　freedom　of　one　familiar　with　society；　and

she　saw　more　eyes　following　his　tall　form　approvingly　than　were

turned　towards　herself。　　Few　gentlemen　remained　at　the　house　during

the　week；　and　Miss　Mayhew　was　not　a　favorite　with　her　own　sex。

Those　who　most　closely　resembled　her　in　character　envied　rather

than　admired　her；　and　those　who　were　better　endowed　and　developed

found　fault　even　with　her　beauty　from　a　moral　point　of　view；　as

Van　Berg　had　on　artistic　grounds。　　She　consoled　herself；　however；

with　the　thought　that　it　was　Saturday；　and　that　the　evening　boat

and　trains　would　bring　a　number　of　gentlemen；　among　whom　she　told

Stanton；　exultantly；　that　she　had　〃some　friends〃moths　rather

whose　wings　were　in　danger　of　being　singed。



As　the　afternoon　was　not　sultry；　Stanton　had　said　to　his　friend

that　they　could　enjoy　their　cigars　and　a　ride　at　the　same　time；　and

that　he　would　drive　around　for　him　in　a　few　minutes。　　Ida　overheard

the　remark；　and；　quietly　slipping　off　to　her　room；　returned　with

her　hat　and　shawl。　　As　her　cousin　approached　she　hastened　down　the

steps；　past　Van　Berg；　exclaiming：



〃Oh；　thank　you；　Ik！　　How　good　of　you！　　I　was　dying　for　a　ride。