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