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a face illumined-第16部分

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each very doubtful of the other。  At last the artist began:



〃I am well aware; Miss Mayhew; that this unexpected episode and

this enforced companionship give me no rights whatever。  I do not

propose to annoy you; after seeing you safely to the hotel; by

assuming that we are acquainted; nor do I intend to subject myself

to the mortification of being informed publicly; by your manner;

that we are not on speaking terms。  I would be glad to have this

question settled now。  I ask your pardon for anything that I may

have said or done to hurt your feelings; and having thus gone more

than half…way it would be ungenerous on your part not to respond

in like spirit。〃



〃You apologize; then?〃



〃No; I ask your pardon for anything that may have hurt your feelings。〃



〃You have said very disagreeable things about me; Mr。 Van Berg。〃



〃I did not know you then。〃



〃I do not think you have changed your opinion of me in the least。〃



〃I evidently have a much higher opinion of you than you of me; and

I am seeking your acquaintance with a persistence such as I never

manifested in the case of any other lady。  Thus the odds are all

in your favor。  Having been so unexpectedly thrown together…〃



〃'Thrown together;' indeedMr。 Van Berg; you ARE mocking me;〃 and

her eyes again filled with tears of vexation。



〃I assure you I am not;〃 said Van Berg earnestly。  〃I could not be

so mean as to twit you with an accident which you could not help;

and with an act which was wholly involuntary on your part。  Can we

not both let by…gones by by…gones and commence anew?〃



Miss Mayhew bit her lip and hesitated a few moments。



〃I think that will be the better way;〃 she said。  〃We will both let

by…gones; especially this ridiculous episode in the stage。  I'll

put you on your good behavior。〃



〃Thank you; Miss Mayhew。  I would take our late risk twenty times

for such a result。〃



〃I would not take it again on any account whatever。  Please refer

to it no more。  I declare; there comes Cousin Ik and Mr。 Burleigh

to meet us。  Was one's fortune ever so exasperating!  Ik will teaze

me out of all comfort for weeks to come。〃



〃Say little and leave all to my discretion;〃 said Van Berg; reassuringly;

〃and; by the way; you might limp a little more decidedly;〃 which

she immediately did。



〃My dear Miss Mayhew; I trust you are not seriously hurt;〃 began

Mr。  Burleigh while still several yards off。



Stanton's face was a study as he approached。  Indeed he seemed half

ready to explode with suppressed merriment; but before he could

speak a warning glance from Van Berg checked him。



〃Miss Mayhew might have been seriously and possibly fatally injured;〃

said the artist gravely; 〃had it not been for her self…control。

Although it seemed that the stage would be dashed to pieces every

moment; I told her that in my judgement it would be safer to remain

within it than to spring out upon the hard and stony road; and I

am very glad that the final event confirmed my opinion。〃



As they were by this time near to the hotel; others who had been

alarmed by seeing the horses tearing up to the stable door; now

hastily joined them; and last; but not least; Mrs。 Mayhew came

panting upon the scene。  Van Berg felt the hand of the young lady

trembling in nervous apprehension upon his arm; from which; in her

embarrassment; she forgot to remove it。  But the artist did not

fail her; and in answer to Mr。 Burleigh's eager questions as to

the cause of the accident; explained all so plausibly; and in such

a matter…of…fact manner as left little more even to be surmised。

His brief and prosaic history of the affair concluded with the

following implied tribute to his companion; which still further

relieved her from fear of ridicule:



〃Miss Mayhew;〃 he said; 〃instead of jumping out; after the frantic

terror…blinded manner of most people; remained in the stage and

so has escaped; I trust; with nothing worse than a slight lameness

caused by the violent motion of the vehicle。  I will now resign her

to your care; Mr。 Stanton; and I am glad to believe that the occasion

will require the services of the wheelwright and harness…maker only;

and not those of a surgeon;〃 and lifting his hat to Mrs。 Mayhew

and her daughter he bowed himself off the scene。



Ida; leaning on the arm of her cousin; limped appropriately to her

room; whither she had her dinner sent to her; more for the purpose

of gaining time to compose her nerves than for any other reason。



The impression that she had behaved courageously in peril was

rapidly increased as the story was repeated by one and another; and

she received several congratulatory visits in the afternoon from

her lady acquaintances; and when she came down to supper she found

that she was even a greater heroine than Miss Burton had been。  In

answer to many sympathetic inquiries; she said that she 〃felt as

well as ever;〃 and she tried to prove it by her gayety and careful

toilet。



But she was decidedly ill at ease。  Her old self…complacency was

ebbing away faster than ever。  From the time that it had first been

disturbed by the artist's frown in the concert garden; she had been

conscious of a secret and growing self…dissatisfaction。



It seemed to be this stranger's mission to break the spell vanity

and flattery had woven about her。  The congratulations she was now

receiving were secured by a fraudulent impression; if not by actual

falsehood; and she permitted this impression to remain and grow。

The one; who above all others she most feared and disliked; knew

this。  In smilingly accepting the compliments showered upon her

from all sides she felt that she must appear to him as if receiving

stolen goods; and she believed that in his heart he despised her

more thoroughly than ever。



To the degree that he caused her disquietude and secret humiliation;

her desire to retaliate increased; and she resolved; before the

day closed; to use her beauty as a weapon to inflict upon him the

severest wound possible。  If it were within the power of her art

she would bring him to her feet and keep him there until she could;

in the most decided and public manner; spurn his abject homage。

She would have no scruple in doing this in any case; but; in this

instance; success would give her the keenest satisfaction。



His very desire for her acquaintance; as she understood it; was

humiliating; and; in a certain sense; demoralizing。  Her other

suitors had imagined that she had good traits back of her beauty;

and hitherto she had been carelessly content to believe that she

could display such traits in abundance should the occasion require

them。  Here was one; however; who; while despising the woman; was

apparently seeking her for the sake of her beauty merely; and her

woman's soul; warped and dwarfed as it was; resented an homage that

was seemingly sensuous and superficial; and would; of necessity;

be transient。  In her ignorance of Van Berg's motives; and in the

utter impossibility of surmising them; she could scarcely come to

any other conclusion; and she determined to punish him to the utmost

extent of her ability。



Thus it came to pass that Miss Mayhew had designs against Van Berg

that were not quite as amiable as those of the artist in regard to

herself。



Stanton; in a low tone; remarked to her at the supper table; 〃Now

that fate has throw you and Van Berg together in such a remarkable

manner〃 (the young lady colored deeply at this unfortunate expression

and looked at him keenly); 〃I trust that you will yield gracefully

to destiny and treat him with ordinary courtesy when you meet。

Otherwise you may occasion surmises that will not be agreeable to

you。〃



〃Has he been telling you anything about this morning?〃 she asked

quickly。



〃Nothing more than he said in your presence。  Why; was there anything

more to tell?〃



〃Certainly not; but he made ill…natured remarks about me oncethat

is; you said he didand why should he not again?〃



〃Well; he has not。  I think he spoke very handsomely of you this

morning。  I hope he didn't exaggerate your good behavior。〃



〃If you prefer to believe ill of me you are welcome to do so。  For

my part; I believe you exaggerate what Mr。 Van Berg said at the

concert; and that he never meant to be so rude。  As far as I can

judge; he has shown no such unmannerly disposition since coming

here。〃



〃Indeed; you are right。  I think his disposition has compared

favorably with your own。〃



〃Well;〃 she replied; with a peculiar smile; 〃we are on speaking

terms for the present。〃



〃That smile bodes no good…will towards my friend; but for once you

will find a man who will not fall helplessly in love with your mere

beauty。〃



〃If you will glance at yonder table you can see that Miss Burton

has already so absorbed him that he has eyes for no one else。〃



〃They have jolly good times at that table。  I wish we were there。〃



〃Indeed! are you bewitched also?  I can't see what it is that people

find so attractive in that plain…looking girl。〃



〃Well; for one thing; she has a mind。  Beauty without mind is like

salad without dressing。〃



〃And do you mean to say that I have no mind?〃 Ida asked; with a

sudden flush。



〃My dear Coz; we were speaking solely of Miss Burton。  Indeed; I

think you have a very decided will of your own。〃



〃I understand you。  Well; in what other respects is Miss Burton my

superior?〃



〃I doubt if Miss Burton ever thinks of herself as superior to any

one; and that's another very amiable trait in her。〃



〃Can you not sum up her perfections a little more rapidly?  Life

is short;〃 remarked Ida; acidly。



〃Come; Coz; let me get you some sweet…oil before you finish your

supper。  You know you are the handsomest girl in the State; and

that's distinction enough for one woman。  To you; Miss Burton is

only a plain school…teacher。  Why s

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