a face illumined-第25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！



been　made　reckless　by　the　wilful　violence　that　she　was　doing　her

conscience；　and　also　by　her　deep　and　growing　dissatisfaction　with

herself；　that　was　like　an　irritating　wound。　　She　was　therefore

prepared　to　resent　any　interruption　to　the　whirl　of　excitement；

which　gave　her　a　kind　of　pleasure　in　the　place　of　the　happiness

that　was　impossible　to　one　in　her　condition。



〃You　call　that　a　pretty　picture！〃　she　said　disdainfully；　〃Miss

Burton　reading　a　newspaper　to　two　stupid　old　people　who　ought　to　be

abed！　　A　more　humdrum　scene　I　never　saw。　　Truly；　both　your　breath

and　your　words　show　that　you　have　been　drinking　too　much。　　But

you　need　not　expect　me　to　share　in　your　tipsy　sentiment　over　Miss

Burton。　　Did　Mr。　　Van　Berg　ask　you　to　show　me　this　matter…of…fact

group　which；　in　his　artistic　jargon；　you　call　a　picture？〃



〃If　he　had；　he　showed　you　a　greater　kindness　than　you　deserved。〃



〃Yes；　and　a　greater　one　than　I　asked　or　wished　from　him。〃



〃Then　you　are　going　back　to　dance　with　Sibley？〃



〃Yes；　I　am。〃



〃The　prospects　are；　that　you　and　Mrs。　Chints　and　a　couple　of

half…tipsy　men　will　soon　have　it　all　to　yourselves。　　I　suppose　the

old　adage　about　'birds　of　a　feather'　swill　still　hold　good。　　I　was

in　hopes；　however；　that　even　if　you　had　no　appreciation　of　what

was　beautiful；　refined；　and　unselfish　in　another　woman's　action；

you　still　had　some　self…respect；　or　at　least　some　fear　of　ridicule；

left。　　Since　you　won't　listen　to　me；　I　shall　warn　your　mother。

If　Sibley　and　two　or　three　others　drink　much　more；　Burleigh　will

interfere　for　the　credit　of　his　house。〃



〃You　have　been　drinking　as　well　as　Mr。　Sibley。〃



〃Well；　thanks　to　Van　Berg；　I　stopped　before　I　lost　my　head。〃



〃From　your　maudlin　sentiment　over　Miss　Burton；　I　think　you　have

lost　your　head　and　heart　both。〃



〃Go；　dance　with　Sibley；　then；〃　he　said　in　sudden　irritation；　〃dance

with　him　till　you　and　Mrs。　Chints　between　you　have　to　hold　him　on

his　feet。　　Dance　with　him　till　Burleigh　sends　a　couple　of　colored

waiters　to　take　him　from　your　embrace　and　carry　him　off　to　bed。〃



She　made　a　gesture　of　rage　and　disgust；　and　went　straight　to　her

room。



Sibley；　in　the　mean　time；　paid　a　lengthened　visit　to　his　brandy；

and　having　already　passed　the　point　of　discretion；　drank　recklessly。

When　he　descended　the　stairs　again　to　look　for　his　partner；　his

step　was　uncertain　and　his　utterance　thick。



Stanton　gave　Mr。　Burleigh　a　hint　that　the　young　man　needed　looking

after；　and　the　adroit　host；　skilled　in　managing　all　kinds　of　people

and　in　every　condition；　induced　him　to　return　to　his　room；　under

the　pretence　of　wishing　to　taste　his　fine　old　brandy；　and　then　kept

him　there　until　the　lethargic　stage　set　in　as　the　result　of　his

excess。　　And　so　an　affair；　which　might　have　created　much　scandal；

was　smuggled　out　of　sight　and　knowledge　as　far　as　possible。　　Mrs。

Mayhew　had　been　so　occupied　with　whist　that　she　had　not　observed

that　anything　was　amiss；　and　merely　remarked　that　〃Mr。　Sibley's

ball　had　ended　earlier　than　usual。〃











Chapter　XVI。　　Out　Among　Shadows。









The　expression　of　Ida　Mayhew's　face　was　cold　and　defiant　on　the

following　day。　　She　did　not　attend　church　with　her　mother；　but　remained

all　the　morning　in　her　room。　　She　not　only　avoided　opportunities

of　speaking　to　Van　Berg　when　coming　down　to　dinner　and　during　the

afternoon；　but　she　would　not　even　look　towards　him；　and　her　manner

towards　her　cousin　also　was　decidedly　icy。



〃I　don't　know　what　is　the　matter　with　Ida；〃　her　mother　remarked　to

Stanton；　〃she　has　acted　so　strangely　of　late。〃



〃It's　the　old　complaint；　I　imagine；〃　he　replied　with　a　shrug。



〃What's　that？〃



〃Caprice。〃



〃Oh；　well！　she's　no　worse　than　other　pretty；　fashionable　girls；〃

said　Miss　Mayhew；　carelessly。



Stanton；　in　his　anger　on　the　previous　evening；　had　not　spoken　of

his　cousin　to　Van　Berg　in　a　very　complimentary　way；　but　the　artist

remembered　that　the　young　man　himself　was　not　in　a　condition　to

form　either　a　correct　or　charitable　judgment；　while　the　fact　that

Ida；　as　a　result　of　his　remonstrance；　had　gone　directly　to　her　room；

was　in　her　favor。　　He　still　resolved　to　suspend　his　final　opinion

and　not　to　give　over　his　project　until　satisfied　that　her　nature

contained　too　much　alloy　to　permit　of　its　success。　　He　paid　no　heed

therefore　to　her　coldness　of　manner；　and　when　at　last　meeting　her

face　to　face　on　the　piazza　Sunday　evening；　he　lifted　his　hat　as

politely　as　possible。



Sibley　did　not　appear　until　the　arrival　of　the　dinner　hour。　　He　was

under　the　impression　that　he　had　gone　a　little　too　far　the　night

before；　and　tried　to　make　amends　by　an　immaculate　toilet　and　an

urbane　yet　dignified　courtesy　towards　all　whom　he　knew。　　Society

very　readily　winks　at　the　indiscretions　of　wealthy　young　men。

Moreover；　he　had　been　inveigled　back　to　his　room　before　his　condition

had　been　observed　to　any　extent。　　There　fore　he　found　himself　so

well　received　in　the　main；　that　he　soon　fully　recovered　his　wonted

self…assurance。



Mrs。　Mayhew　was　particularly　gracious；　and　Ida；　who　at　first　had

been　somewhat　distant　towards　him　as　well　as　all　others；　concluded

that　she　had　not　sufficient　cause　to　be　ashamed　of　him；　and　so

it　came　about　that　they　spent　much　of　the　afternoon　and　evening

together。　　She　did　not　fail　to　note；　however；　that　when　he　approached

Van　Berg　he　received　a　cold　and　curt　reception。　　Was　jealousy

the　cause　of　this？　　In　her　elation　and　excitement　on　the　previous

evening；　she　had　been　inclined　to　think　so；　but　now　she　feared　that

it　was　because　the　artist　despised　the　man；　and　in　her　secret　soul

she　was　compelled　to　admit　that　he　had　reason　to　despise　himyes；

to　despise　them　both。　　She　felt；　with　bitter　humiliation；　that　his

superiority　was　not　assumed　but　real。



More　than　once　before　the　day　closed；　she　found　herself　contrasting

the　two　men。　　The　one　had　not　had　a　shred　of　true　worth　about　him。

Stanton；　to　teaze　her　and　to　justify　his　interference；　had　told　her

that　Mr。　Burleigh　had　been　compelled　to　take　charge　of　her　companion

in　order　to　prevent　him　from　disgracing　himself　and　the　house。

Although　too　proud　to　acknowledge　it；　she　still　saw　plainly　that

it　was　her　cousin's　interference；　and　indirectly　the　intervention

of　the　artist　that　had　kept　her　from　being　involved　in　that　disgrace。



Even　her　perverted　mind　recognized　that　one　was　a　gentleman；　and

the　otherwell；　〃a　fashionable　young　man；〃　as　she　would　phrase

it。　　The　one；　as　a　friend；　would　shield　her　from　every　detracting

breath；　the　other；　if　given　a　chance；　would　inevitably　tumble　into

some　slough　of　infamy　himself；　and　drag　her　after　him　with　reckless

selfishness。



Still；　with　something　like　self…loathing；　she　saw　that　Sibley　was

her　natural　ally　and　companion；　and　that　she　had　far　more　in　common

with　him　than　with　the　artist。　　She　could　easily　maintain　with　him

the　inane　chatter　of　their　frivolous　life；　but　she　could　not　talk

with　the　artist；　nor　he　with　her；　without　an　effort　that　was　as

humiliating　as　it　was　apparent。



What　was　more；　she　saw　that　all　others　classed　her　with　Sibley；

and　that　the　people　in　the　house　who　were　akin　to　the　artist　in

character　and　high　breeding；　stood　courteously　but　coolly　aloof

from　both　herself　and　her　mother。　　She　also　felt　that　she　could

not　lay　all　the　blame　of　this　upon　her　poor　father。　　Indeed；　since

the　previous　miserable　Sunday　on　which　Van　Berg　had　tried　to　win

Mr。　Mayhew　from　his　evil　habit　for　one　day　at　least；　and　she　had

thwarted　his　kindly　intention；　she　had　begun　to　feel　that　she　and

her　mother　were　the　chief　causes　of　his　increasing　degradation。

Others；　she　feared；　and　especially　Van　Berg；　took　the　same　view。



With　such　thoughts　surging　up　in　her　mind　and　clouding　her　brow；

Sibley　did　not　find　her　altogether　the　same　girl　that　she　had　been

the　evening　before。　　Still；　as　has　been　said；　he　was　her　natural

ally；　and　she　tried　to　second　his　efforts　to　re…establish　a　good

character　and　to　keep　up　the　appearance　of　fashionable　respect。



Stanton　was　in　something　of　a　dilemma。　　He　did　not　like　Sibley；

and　was　ashamed　of　his　recent　excess；　but　having　drank　with　him；

and　so；　in　a　sense；　having　accepted　his　hospitality；　felt　himself

obliged　to　be　rather　affable。　　He　managed　the　matter　by　keeping　out

of　the　way　as　far　as　possible；　and　was　glad　to　remember　that　the

young　man　would　depart　in　the　morning。　　While　scarcely　acknowledging

the　fact　to　himself；　he　was　on　the　alert　most　of　the　day　to　find

an　opportunity　of　enjoying　a　conversation　with　Miss　Burton；　but

she　kept　herself　very　much　secluded。　　After　attending　church　at　a

neighboring　village　in　the　morning；　she　spent　most　of　the　afternoon

with　Mrs。　Burleigh；　assisting　her　in　the　care　of　the　cross　baby。



Van　Berg；　much　to　Stanton's　envy；　found　her　as　genial　and　cheery

as　ever　when　they　met　at　the　table。　　He　learned；　from　her　manner

more　than　from　anything　she　said；　that　the　day　and　its　associations

were　sacred　to　her。　　She　affected　no　solemnity　and　seemed　under

no　constraint；　only　her　thought　and　bearing　had　a　somewhat　soberer

coloring；　like　the　shading　of　a　picture。　　To　his　mind　it　was　but

another　example　of　her　entire　reticence　in　regard　to　herself；　while

her　smiling　face　seemed　as　open　as　the　light。



But　as　she　came　out　from　supper　the　children　pounced　upon　her；

clamorous　for　a　story。　　She　assented　on　condition　that　Mr。　Burleigh

would　give　them　the　use　of　one　of　the　private　parlorsa　stipulation

speedily　complied　with；　and　soon　she　had　nearly　all　the　small　folk

in　the　hotel　gathered　round　her。



〃I　shall　stand　without；　like　the　'Peri　at　the　gate；'〃　Stanton　found

a　chance　to　say。



〃The　resemblance　is　very　striking；〃　was　her　smiling　reply；　but　for

some　reason　he　winced　under　it　and　wished　he　had　not　spoken。



When　she　dismissed　her　little　audience　there　were　traces　of　tears

on　s