a face illumined-第9部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



steps；　past　Van　Berg；　exclaiming：



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

Don't　trouble　yourself。　　I　can　get　in　without　aid；〃　and　she　sprang

lightly　into　the　buggy　before　her　cousin　could　utter　a　word。



He　turned　with　a　look　of　comic　dismay　and　deprecation　to　his　friend；

who　stood　laughing　on　the　steps。　　Ida；　also；　could　not　resist

her　inclination　to　catch　a　glimpse　of　the　artist's　chagrin　and

disappointment；　but　she　was　provoked　beyond　measure　to　find　him

acting　as　if　Stanton　were　the　victim　rather　than　himself。　　As　the

sweep　of　the　road　again　brought　them　in　view　of　the　piazza；　this

impression　was　confirmed　by　seeing　Van　Berg　stroll　carelessly　away；

complacently　puffing　his　cigar　as　if　he　had　already　dismissed　her

from　his　mind。



〃Really；〃　grumbled　Stanton；　〃I　never　had　beauty　and　happiness　thrust

upon　me　so　unexpectedly　before。〃



〃Very　well　then；〃　retorted　Ida；　〃stop　your　horses　and　thrust　me

out　into　the　road。　　I'd　rather　go　back；　even　if　I　have　to　walk。〃



〃Oh；　no！　there　is　to　be　no　going　back　for　two　hours　or　more。　　I

once　cured　a　horse　of　running　away　by　making　him　run　long　after　he

wanted　to　stop。〃



〃You　seem　to　be　learning　your　friend's　hateful　manners。〃



〃I　asked　you　this　morning　if　you　would　take　a　drive；　and　you

declined。〃



〃I　changed　my　mind。〃



〃Very　abruptly；　indeed；　it　seemed。　　Since　you　took　so　much　touble

to　annoy　my　friend；　it's　a　pity　you　failed。〃



〃I　don't　believe　I　failed。　　He's　probably　as　cross　as　you　are　about

it；　only　he　can　keep　it　to　himself。〃



〃Dove…like　creatiah！　thanks。　　Will　you　please　drive　while　I　light

a　cigar？〃



〃I　don't　like　any　one　to　smoke　as　near　me　as　you　are。〃



〃If　your　theory　in　regard　to　Van　Berg　is　correct；　none　of　us　will

enjoy　what　we　like　this　afternoon。　　Of　course　I　never　smoke　without

a　lady's　permission；　but　unless　quieted　by　a　cigar；　I　am　a　very

reckless　driver；〃　and　he　enforced　his　words　by　a　sharp　crack　of

the　whip；　which　sent　the　horses　off　like　the　wind。



〃Oh；　stop　them；　smoke；　do　anything　hateful　you　wish；　so　you　don't

break　my　neck。　　I　will　never　ride　with　you　again；　and　I　wish　I　had

never　come　to　this　horrid　place；　and　if　your　sneering　painter　does

not　leave　soon；　I　will。〃



〃I'm　afraid　Van　would　survive；　and　you　only　suffer　from　your　spite。

But　come；　since　you　have　so　sweetly　permitted　me　to　smoke；　I'll

make　your　penance　as　light　as　possible；　and　then　we　will　consider

matters　even　between　us；〃　and　away　they　bowled　up　breezy　hills　and

down　into　shady　valleys；　Stanton　stolidly　smoking；　and　Ida　nursing

her　petty　wrath。　　Two　flitting　ghosts　hastening　to　escape　from　the

light　of　day；　could　not　have　seen　less；　or　have　felt　less　sympathy

with　the　warm　beautiful　scenes　through　which　they　were　passing。

There　is　no　insulation　so　perfect　as　that　of　small；　selfish　natures

preoccupied　with　a　pique。



When；　late　in　the　afternoon；　her　cousin；　with　mock　politeness；　assisted

her　to　alight　at　the　entrance　of　the　hotel；　Ida　was　compelled　to

feel　that　she　had　indeed　been　the　chief　victim　of　her　own　spite。

but；　with　the　usual　logic　of　human　nature；　she　never　thought　of

blaming　herself；　and　her　resentment　was　chiefly　directed　against

the　man　whose　every　word　and　glance；　although　he　was　but　a　stranger；

had　seemed　to　possess　a　power　to　annoy　and　wound　from　the　first。

She　felt　an　almost　venomous　desire　to　retaliate；　but　he　appeared

invulnerable　in　his　quiet　and　easy　superiority；　while　she；　who

expected；　as　a　matter　of　course；　that　all　masculine　thoughts　should

follow　her　admiringly；　had　been　compelled　to　see　that　his　critical

eyes　had　detected　that　in　her　which　had　awakened　his　contempt。



〃I'll　teach　him　this　evening；　when　my　gentlemen　friends　arrive；

how　ridiculous　are　his　airs；〃　she　muttered；　as　she　went　to　her　room

and　sought　to　enhance　her　beauty　by　all　the　arts　of　which　she　was

the　mistress。　　〃I'll　show　him　that　there　are　plenty　who　can　see

what　he　cannot；　or　will　not。　　Because　he　is　an　artist；　he　need　not

think　he　can　face　me　out　of　the　knowledge　of　my　beauty；　the　existence

of　which　I　have　been　assured　of　by　so　many　eyes　and　tongues　ever

since　I　can　remember。〃



When　she　came　down　to　await　the　arrival　of　the　stages　and　carriages；

she　was　indeed　radiant　with　all　the　beauty　of　which　she　was　then

capable。　　Her　neck　and　shoulders；　with　their　exquisite　lines　and

curves；　were　more　suggestively　revealed　than　hidden　by　a　slight

drapery　of　gauze…like　illusion；　and　her　white　rounded　arms　were

bare。　　She　trod　with　the　light　airy　grace　of　youth；　and　yet　with

the　assured　manner　of　one　who　is　looking　forward　to　the　familiar

experiences　of　a　reigning　belle。



Van　Berg；　from　his　quiet　corner　of　observation；　was　compelled　to

admit　that；　seen　at　her　present　distance；　she　almost　embodied　his

best　dreams；　and　might　do　so　wholly　were　there　less　of　the　fashionable

art　of　the　hour；　and　more　of　nature　in　her　appearance。　　But　he　knew

well　that　if　she　came　nearer；　and　spoke　so　as　to　reveal　herself；

the　fatal　defect　in　her　beauty　would　be　as　apparent　as　a　black　line

running　athwart　the　sculptured　face　of　a　Greek　goddess。　　The　only

question　with　him　was；　did　the　ominous　deformity　lie　so　near　the

surface　that　it　could　be　refined　away；　or　was　it　ingrained　into

the　very　material　of　her　nature；　thus　forming　an　essential　part

of　herself？　　He　feared　that　the　latter　might　be　true；　or　that　the

remedy　was　far　beyond　his　skill　or　power；　but　every　glance　he　caught

of　the　girl；　as　with　her　mother　she　paced　the　farther　end　of　the

piazza；　deepened　his　regret；　as　an　artist；　that　so　much　beauty

should　be　in　degrading　bondage　to　a　seeming　fool。











Chapter　VI。　　Reckless　Words　and　Deeds。









Light　carriages　now　began　to　wheel　rapidly　up　to　the　entrance；

and　were　followed　soon　by　the　lumbering　and　heavily…laden　stages。

Joyous　greetings　and　merry　repartee　made　the　scene　pleasant　to

witness　even　by　one　who；　like　Van　Berg；　had　no　part　in　it。　　Stanton；

who　at　this　moment　joined　him；　drew　his　special　attention　to　a　thin

and　under…sized　gentleman　somewhat　past　middle　age；　who　mounted　the

steps　with　a　tread　that　was　as　inelastic　as　his　face　was　devoid　of

animation。



〃There　is　poor　Uncle　Mayhew；〃　remarked　the　young　man　indifferently。

〃I　suppose　I　must　go　and　speak　to　him。〃



〃Mr。　Mayhew？〃　said　Van　Berg；　in　some　surprise。　　〃You　have　not　spoken

of　him　before。　　I　was　not　aware　that　there　was　any　such　person　in

existence。〃



〃You　are　not　to　blame　for　that；〃　replied　Stanton　with　a　shrug。

〃You　might　have　been　one　of　the　friends　of　the　family　and　scarcely

have　learned　the　fact。　　Indeed；　poor　man；　he　only　about　half　exists；

for　he　has　been　so　long　overshadowed　by　his　fashionable　wife　and

daughter；　that　he　is　but　a　sickly　plant　of　a　man。〃



Van　Berg　saw　that　the　greeting　received　by　Mr。　Mayhew　from　his　wife

and　daughter　was　very　undemonstrative　to　say　the　least；　and　that

then　the　gentleman　quickly　disappeared；　as　if　fearing　that　he　might

be　in　the　way。



〃From　my　very　limited　means　of　judging；〃　Van　Berg　remarked；　〃I

cannot　see　anything　more　objectionable　in　the　head　of　the　family

than　in　the　other　members。〃



〃Your　phrase；　'head　of　the　family；'　as　applied　to　Mr。　Mayhew；　makes

me　smile。　　His　name　figures　at　the　head　of　the　large　family　bills；

but　scarcely　elsewhere　with　much　prominence。　　You　will　soon　learn；

if　you　remain　here；　that　Mr。　Mayhew　imbibes　rather　more　than　is

good　for　him；　so　I　may　as　well　mention　the　disagreeable　fact　at

once。　　But　to　do　the　poor　man　justice；　I　suppose　he　drinks　to　keep

his　spirits　up　to　the　ordinary　level；　rather　than　from　any　hope

of　becoming　a　little　jolly　occasionally。　　Why　my　aunt　married　him

I　scarcely　know；　and　yet　I　have　often　thought　that　he　might　be　a

very　different　did　she　not　so　quench　him　by　a　manner　all　her　own。

As　it　is；　his　life　seems　to　consist　of　toiling　and　moiling　all　the

week；　and　of　stolidly　and　joylessly　soaking　himself　into　semi…stupidity

on　Sunday。　　It　this　wretched　state　of　affairs　could　be　kept　secret

I　would　not　mention　it　even　to　you；　my　intimate　friend；　but；　since　it

continues　no　secret　wherever　they　happen　to　remain　for　any　length

of　time；　I　would　rather　tell　you　the　exact　truth　at　once；　than

permit　you　to　guess　at　it　through　distorted　rumors。　　As　you　artists

occasionally　express　yourselves　concerning　pictures；　so　I　suppose

you　will　think　that　this　family；　with　all　its　wealth　is　quite

lacking　in　tone。〃



〃Well；　Stanton；　I　must　admit　that　I　find　myself　chiefly　inclined

towards　the　subdued　and　neutral…tinted　Mr。　Mayhew。　　If　you　have　a

chance　I　wish　you　would　introduce　me　to　him。〃



〃Are　you　in　earnest？〃



〃Certainly。〃



〃Then　I'll　ask　him　to　smoke　with　us　after　supper。　　Well；　Van；

I　congratulate　you　again　that　your　correct　and　cultivated　taste

enabled　you　to　see　the　fatal　flaw　in　my　cousin's　beauty。　　If　you

had　been　bewitched　by　her；　and　had　insist