a face illumined-第44章

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little　frequented　at　that　hour；　saying；　as　he　did　so：



〃Let　us　get　away　from　prying　eyes。　　I　always　feel　when　with　you

that　three　is　an　enormous　crowd。〃



A　gentleman　who　had　been　smoking　rose　hastily　at　this　broad　hint；

which　he　could　not　help　overhearing；　and　walked　haughtily　away。



Ida；　with　a　regret　deeper　than　she　could　have　thought　possible；　saw

that　it　was　Van　Berg。　　Her　first　impulse　was　to　compel　her　companion

to　go　back；　but　that　would　look　like　following　him。　　Weary；　disheartened

by　the　fate　that　seemed　ever　against　her；　she　sank　into　the　chair

he　had　just　vacated。



For　a　time　she　did　not　heed　or　scarcely　hear　Sibley's　characteristic

flatteries；　but　at　last　he　said　plainly：



〃Miss　Ida；　do　you　know　that　you　are　the　one　woman　of　all　the　world

to　me？〃



〃Oh；　hush！〃　she　replied；　rising。　　〃I　know　you　say　that　to　every

pretty　woman　who　will　listen　to　you；　as　I　shall　no　longer　to…night。

Come。〃



Baffled　and　puzzled　also　by　the　moody　girl；　who　of　late　seemed　so

different　from　her　former　self；　he　had　no　resource　but　to　accompany

her　back　to　the　main　entrance。　　Here；　where　the　eyes　of　others　were

upon　her；　she　said　abruptly；　but　with　a　charming　smile：



〃Good…night；　Mr。　Sibley；〃　and　went　directly　to　her　room。



The　young　man　looked　rather　nonplussed　and　muttered　an　oath　as　he

walked　away　to　console　himself　after　the　fashion　of　his　kind。



〃Is　there　no　escape　from　this　wretched　life？〃　Ida　sighed　as　she

wearily　threw　herself　into　a　chair　on　reaching　her　room。　　〃A　man

whose　addresses　are　an　insult　is　my　lover。　　The　only　man　I　can　ever

love　associates　me　in　his　mind　with　this　low　fellow。　　My　father

obtains　what　little　comfort　he　gets　from　the　charity　of　a　stranger。

How　can　I　face　this　prospect　day　after　day。　　Oh；　that　I　had　never

come　here！〃



〃Ida；〃　said　her　mother　entering　hastily；　〃what　has　happened　to　put

your　father　out　so？　　I　had　a　headache　this　evening；　and　came　up

early。　　A　little　while　ago　he　stalked　in　with　his　absurd　tragic　air。

'What　is　the　matter；'　I　asked。　　'Look　to　your　daughter；'　he　said。

'What　do　you　mean？'　I　asked；　quite　frightened。　　'If　you　were　a　true

mother；'　he　replied；　'you　would　no　more　leave　her　with　that　roue

Sibley；　than　with　so　much　pitch。　　Yet　he　is　courting　her　openly；

and　what　is　worse；　she　receives　his　addresses；　and　permits　herself

to　be　identified　with　him。'　　'Oh；　pshaw；'　I　answered　carelessly；

'Sibley　is　about　on　a　par　with　half　the　young　men　in　society；　and

Ida　might　do　a　great　deal　worse。　　No　fear　of　her；　for　there　isn't

a　girl　living　who　knows　how　to　take　care　of　herself　better　than

she。'　　'Bah！'　he　said；　'if　she　knew　how　to　take　care　of　herself；

she　would　permit　a　snake　to　touch　her　sooner　than　that　man。　　Ida

might　do　worse；　might　she？　　God　knows　how：　　I　don't。　　A　pretty　family

we　shall　be　when　he　is　added　to　our　charming　group。　　The　mud　will

predominate　then；'　and　with　that　he　opened　a　bottle　of　brandy　and

drank　himself　stupid。〃



As　Mrs。　Mayhew　rattled　this　conversation　off　in　a　loud　whisper；

Ida　seemed　turning　into　stone；　but　at　its　close　she　said　icily：



〃In　speaking　of　such　a　union　as　possible；　my　parents　have　shown

their　opinion　of　me。　　Good…night。　　I　wish　to　be　alone。〃



〃But　did　anything　happen　between　you　to　set　your　father　off　so？〃

persisted　Mrs。　Mayhew。



〃Nothing　unusual。　　I　suppose　father　heard　one　of　Mr。　Sibley's

compliments；　and　that　was　enough　to　disgust　any　sensible　man。

Good…night。〃



〃My　gracious！　　You　might　as　well　turn　me　out　of　your　room。〃



〃Mother；　I　wish　to　be　alone；〃　said　Ida；　passionately。



〃A　pretty　life　I　lead　of　it　between　you　and　your　father；〃　sobbed

Mrs。　　Mayhew；　retreating　to　her　own　apartment。



〃A　hateful；　wretched　life　we　all　three　shall　lead　to　the　end

of　time；　for　aught　that　I　can　see；〃　Ida　groaned　as　she　restlessly

paced　her　room；　〃but　I　have　no　better　resource　than　to　follow

father's　example。〃



She　took　an　opiate；　and　so　escaped　from　thought　for　a　time　in　the

deep　lethargy　it　brought。











Chapter　XXV。　　Half…truths。









A　church　bell　was　ringing　in　a　neighboring　village　the　following

morning　when　Ida　awoke。　　The　sunlight　streamed　in　at　the　open　window

through　the　half…closed　blinds；　flecking　the　floor　with　bars　of

light。　　Birds　were　singing　in　the　trees　without；　and　a　southern

breeze　rustled　through　the　foliage　as　a　sweet　low　accompaniment。

Surely　it　was　a　bright　pleasant　world　on　which　her　heavy　eyes　were

opening。



Poor　child！　she　was　fast　learning　now　that　the　darkest　clouds　that

shadow　our　paths　are　not　the　vapors　that　rise　from　the　earth；　but

the　thoughts　and　memories　of　an　unhappy　and　a　sinful　heart。



The　sunlight　mocked　her；　and　her　spirit　was　so　out　of　tune　that

the　sweet　sounds　of　nature　made　jarring　discord。



But　the　church　bell　caught　her　attention。　　How　natural　and　almost

universal　is　the　instinct　which　leads　us　when　in　trouble　to　seek

the　support　of　some　Higher　power。　　No　matter　how　wayward　the　human

child　may　have　been；　how　hardened　by　years　of　wrong；　or　arrogantly

entrenched　in　some　phase　of　rational　philosophy；　when　the　darkness

of　danger　or　sorrow　blots　out　the　light　of　earthly　hopes；　or　hides

the　path　which　was　trodden　so　confidently；　then；　with　the　impulse

of　frightened　children　whom　night　has　suddenly　overtaken；　there　is

a　longing　for　the　Father's　hand　and　the　Father's　reassuring　voice。

If　there　is　no　God　to　love　and　help　us；　human　nature　is　a　lie。



Thus　far　Ida　Mayhew　had　no　more　thought　of　turning　Heavenward　for

help　than　to　the　philosophy　of　Plato。　　Indeed；　religion　as　a　system

of　truth；　and　Greek　philosophy　were　almost　equally　unknown　to　her。

But　that　church…bell　reminded　her　of　the　source　of　hope　and　help　to

which　burdened　hearts　have　been　turning　in　all　the　ages；　and　with

the　vague　thought　that　she　might　find　some　light　and　cheer　that　was

not　in　the　sunshine；　she　hastily　dressed　and　went　down　in　time　to

catch　one　of　the　last　carriages。　　When　she　reached　the　church；　she

found　her　mother　had　preceded　her；　and　that　her　cousin　Ik　Stanton

was　also　there；　but　she　correctly　surmised　that　the　only　devotion

to　which　he　was　inclined　had　been　inspired　by　Miss　Burton；　who　sat

not　far　away。　　She　was　soon　satisfied　that　Van　Berg　was　not　present。



As　a　general　thing；　when　at　church；　Ida　had　given　more　consideration

to　the　people　and　the　toilets　about　her　than　to　either　the　service

or　the　sermon；　but　to…day　she　wistfully　turned　her　thoughts　to

both；　in　the　hope　that　they　might　do　her　good；　although　she　had　as

vague　an　idea　as　to　the　mode　or　process　as　if　both　were　an　Indian

incantation。



But　she　was　thoroughly　disappointed。　　Her　thoughts　wandered　continually

from　the　services。　　With　almost　the　vividness　of　bodily　presence；

three　faces　were　looking　upon　herher　father's　with　an　infinite

reproach；　Sibley's；　with　smiling　lips　and　wolfish　eyes；　and　Van

Berg's；　first　coolly　questioning　and　exploring　in　its　expression；

and　then　coldly　averted　and　scornful　in　consequence　of　what　he　had

discovered。　　Not　houses；　but　minds　are　haunted。



The　clergyman；　however；　was　an　able；　forcible　speaker；　and　held

her　attention　from　the　first。　　His　sermon　was　topical　rather　than

textual　in　its　character；　that　is；　he　enlarged　on　what　he　termed

〃the　irreconcilable　enmity　between　God　and　the　world；〃　taking　as

his　texts　the　following　selections：



〃The　carnal　mind　is　enmity　against　God。〃



And　again；　〃Whosoever；　therefore；　will　be　a　friend　of　the　world；

is　the　enemy　of　God。〃



The　sermon　was　chiefly　an　argument；　and　the　point　of　it　was　that

there　could　be　no　compromise　between　these　contending　powersGod

on　one　side；　the　world　on　the　otherand　he　insisted　that　his　hearers

must　be；　and　were　with　one　party　or　the　other。　　The　trouble　was；

that　in　concentrating　his　thoughts　on　the　single　point　he　meant　to

make；　he　took　too　much　for　grantednamely；　that　all　his　hearers

understood　sufficiently　the　characte