a face illumined-第97部分

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but　you　are　now　taking　counsel　of　passion　and　turning　your　back

on　duty。　　While　almost　insane　from　self…reproach　and　wounded　pride

you　are　taking　steps　that　may　blast　your　own　life　and　the　lives

of　others。　　To　my　mind　there　is　an　infinite　distance　between　the

error　you　naturally　fell　into　in　view　of　Miss　Burton's　loveliness

of　character　and　any　base　intent；　but　even　if　I　should　share　in

your　harsh　judgementwhich　I　never　canI　would　still　say　that　you

cannot　help　the　past；　and　you　are　now　bound　by　all　that's　sacred　to

ask　only　what　is　right；　and　to　do　that　at　every　cost　to　yourself。

You　are　pledged　to　Miss　Burton；　and　you　must　make　good　your　pledge。〃



〃What！　　I　go　to　that　snow…white　maiden　with　a　lie　on　my　lips！〃　he

exclaimed　indignantly。



〃No！　go　to　her　with　truth　on　your　lips　and　in　your　heart；　except

as　in　unselfish　loyalty　to　her　and　to　your　word　you　may　hide　some

truth　that　would　give　her　pain。　　Mr。　Van　Berg；　you　word　is　pledged。

You　have　won　her　love　and　this　is　your　only　honorable　course。　　Thus

far　you　have　not　done　her　intentional　wrong；　but　if　you　rush　away

from　duty　now　in　cowardly　flight　you　will　do　her　a　bitter　and　fatal

wrong；　for　she　loves　you　as　only　few　women　can　love。　　She　has　grown

wan　and　pale　in　your　absence；　and　it　touched　me　to　the　heart　to　see

her　yesterday；　though　she　made　such　brave　efforts　to　be　cheerful

and　to　encourage　father。　　O　God；　forgive　me　that　IGo　to　her　when

you　have　become　calmyour　true　self。　　Love　like　hers　will　take

what　you　can　give　till　you　can　give　more；　and　surely　one　so　lovely

will　soon　win　all。　　If　ever　I　have　seen　human　idolatry　in　any　face

it　has　been　in　hers；　and　she　will　soon　banish　all　this　wild　passion

from　your　mind。　　But　be　that　as　it　may　you　must　keep　your　word　if

you　would　keep　my　respect；　and　I　would　not　lose　my　respect　for　you

for　the　world。　　I　know　you　too　well　to　doubt　but　that　you　will　take

up　this　sacred　duty　and　seek　to　perform　it　with　the　whole　strength

of　your　manhood。〃



Never　for　a　moment　had　Van　Berg　removed　his　eyes　from　Ida's　face；

and　her　words　and　manner　seemed　both　to　awe　and　control　him。　　As

she　spoke；　his　expression　became　quiet　and　strong；　and　when　she

concluded　he　came　to　her　side　and　said　earnestly：



〃Miss　Mayhew；　since　it　is　still　possible；　I　will　keep　your　respect；

for　it　is　absolutely　essential　to　me。　　God　has　indeed　given　you　a

woman's　soul；　and　he　NEVER　MADE　A　NOBLER　WOMAN。　　You　are　a　friend

in　truth　and　not　in　name；　and　you　have　saved　me　from　madly　destroying

my　own　future；　and　perhaps　the　future　of　others；　which　is　of　far

more　consequence。　　If　I　fail　in　obeying　both　the　letter　and　spirit

of　your　words　it　will　be　because　I　cannot　help　myself。〃



Her　face；　which　had　been　so　sweet　and　luminous　with　her　generous

impulse　and　noble　thoughts；　was　growing　very　pale　now；　but　she

rose　and　gave　him　her　hand；　saying　with　a　faint　smile　that　was　like

the　fading　light　of　evening；　〃I　knew　you　would　not　disappoint　me；

I　was　sure　you　were　worthy　of　my　trust。　　Let　the　honest　right　be

our　motto　henceforth；　and　all　will　be　well　some　day。　　Good…by。〃



He　pressed　her　hand　in　both　of　his　as　he　said　fervently；　〃God　bless

you；　Ida　Mayhew！〃　　Then　he　turned　and　hastened　away；　flying　from

his　own　weakness　and　a　womanly　loveliness　which　at　the　moment　far

excelled　any　ideal　he　had　ever　formed。



He　had　scarcely　reached　the　road　before　he　remembered　that　he　had

left　his　sketch…book；　and　he　went　back　for　it；　but　as　he　turned

the　corner　of　the　shady　path　he　stopped　instantly。　　The　strong；

clear…eyed　maiden　who　had　rallied　the　forces　of　his　shattered

manhood；　and　given　him　the　vantage…ground　again　in　life's　battle；

had　bowed　her　head　on　the　arm　of　the　rustic　seat　and　was　sobbing

convulsively。　　Indeed；　her　grief　was　so　uncontrollable　and　passionate

that　in　his　very　soul　he　trembled　before　it。



〃Oh；　Jennie　Burton；〃　she　moaned；　〃it　would　have　been　easier　for

me　to　die　for　you　than　to　give　him　up。　　God　help　himGod　help　me

through　the　dreadful　years　to　come！〃



His　first　impulse　was　to　spring　to　her　side；　but　he　hesitated；

and　then　with　a　gesture　and　look　of　infinite　regret　he　turned　and

stole　silently　away。











Chapter　LIII。　　A　Night's　Vigil。









As　Van　Berg　left　Mr。　Eltinge's　grounds　he　had　the　aspect　of　a　man

who　had　seen　a　vision。　　He　had　seen　more；　for　the　human　face　expressive

of　absolute；　even　though　brief；　mastery　over　evil　is　a　nobler　object

than　can　be　the　serene　visage　of　a　sinless　and　untempted　angel。



At　last　he　understood　Ida　Mayhew。　　If　he　had　deeply　honored　her　when

he　supposed　that　as　a　sincere；　honest　friend　only　she　had　spoken

her　strong；　true　words；　which　might　save　him　from　wrecking　his　life

from　impulses　of　shame　and　wounded　pride；　how　instantaneously　was

this　honor　changed　into　reverence　and　wonder　as　he　recognized　her

self…sacrifice　at　the　dictates　of　conscience。　　All　was　now　perfectly

clear。　　The　truth　of　her　love　had　flashed　out　from　the　dark　cloud

of　her　passionate　grief；　and　in　its　white　radiance　all　the　baffling

mystery　of　her　past　action　was　dissipated　instantly。　　Now　he　knew

why　the　brilliant　music　at　the　concert　garden　could　not　brighten

her　face；　and　the　end　of　the　symphony　saw　her　in　tears。　　Now　he

understood　why　she　could　not　be　Jennie　Burton's　friend；　even　though

capable　of　becoming　a　martyr　for　her　sake　from　a　sense　of　duty。　　The

despairing　farewell　letter　she　had　once　written　to　him　now　became

fraught　with　a　deeper　meaning；　and　he　saw　that　in　throwing　away

the　imperfect　rose…bud；　and　in　looking　at　her　as　a　creature　akin

to　Sibley；　he　had　inflicted　mortal　wounds　on　a　heart　that　gave　him

only　love　in　return。　　In　her　desperate　effort　to　conceal　an　unsought

love　she　had　sought　the　nearest　covert；　and　the　stains　Sibley　had

left　upon　her　were　no　more　hers　than　if　he　had　been　a　blackened

wall。　　After　all　her　woman's　soul　had　come　to　her　as　in　the　old

and　simple　times　when　even　water　nymphs　had　hearts；　and　love　was

still　the　mightiest　force　in　the　universe。



His　feeling　now　was　far　too　deep　for　his　former　half…frenzied

excitement。　　There　was　not　a　trace　of　exultation　in　his　manner；

and　there　was　indeed　no　ground　for　rapture。　　Only　the　knowledge

that　he　carried　away　her　respect；　and　that　he　was　going　to　the

performance　of　what　he　believed　a　sacred　duty；　kept　him　from　despair。



He　did　not　blame　himself　as　bitterly　as　might　have　been　supposed

that　he　had　not　discovered　her　secret　earlier；　and　it　increased

his　admiration　for　her；　if　that　were　possible；　that　she　had　so

carefully　maintained　her　maidenly　reserve。　　A　conceited　man；　or

at　least　a　man　whose　soul　was　infested　with　the　meanest　kind　of

conceitthat　of　imagining　that　the　woman　who　gives　him　a　friendly

word　or　smile　is　disposed　to　throw　herself　into　his　armswould　no

doubt　have　surmised　her　secret　before；　but　although　Van　Berg　was

intensely　proud；　as　we　have　seen；　and　had　been　rendered　self…complacent

and　self…confident　by　the　circumstances　of　his　lot；　he　had　none　of

this　contemptible　vanity。　　The　discovery　of　Ida's　love　caused　him

far　greater　surprise　than　when　he　recognized　his　own；　and　it　was　a

source　of　deep　satisfaction　to　him　that　this　modern　and　conventional

Undine　had　received　a　nature　of　such　true　and　womanly　delicacy　that

it　had　led　her　to　conceal　her　love　like　the　trailing…arbutus　that

hides　its　fragrant　blossoms　under　fallen　leaves。



The　light　had　been　so　clear　that　he　even　saw　the　temptation　which

he　unconsciously　had　suggested　to　her　while　in　the　city。　　Unlike

the　little　violet　that　weakly　bowed　its　head　and　died　because　the

brook　would　not　stop；　she　had　resolutely　set　about　the　task　of

making　him　stop；　and　yet　never　let　him　suspect　that　she　was　even

looking　at　him。　　Hence　her　attempt　to　penetrate　the　wilderness　of

knowledge　which　was　at　once　so　pathetic　and　comical；　hence　also

her　wish　to　learn　the　authors　and　subjects　which　interested　him。



〃And　she　had　every　reason　to　believe　that　she　might　have　won　me

from　the　one　honorable　allegiance　I　can　give；〃　he　exclaimed；　in

deep　humiliation；　〃and　probably　she　would　have　done　so　eventually

had　she　not　acted　liek　a　saint　rather　than　a　woman。　　I've　lost

faith　utterly　in　Harold　Van　Berg；　and　it　will　require　a　great　many

years　to　regain　it。〃



When　he　reached　a　dense　tract　of　woodland　through　which　the　road

ran；　he　concealed　himself　and　waited　till　she　should　pass。　　Two

hours　elapsed　before　she　did　so。　　The　passionate　grief　that　had

overwhelmed　her　was　no　slight　and　passing　gust。　　He　saw　that　she

leaned　back　weakly　and　languidly　in　the　phaeton；　and　had　hidden　her

face　by　a　vail　of　double　thickness。　　He　followed　her　at　a　distance

far　too　great　for　recognition　until　she　entered　the　hotel；　and

then　sought　to　obtain　a　little　rest　and　food　at　the　nearest　village

inn；　for　he　found　now　that　his　fierce　paroxysm　of　rage　and　mental

torment　was　over；　he　had　become　very　faint　and　exhausted。　　After

he