第24章

VanBerghasteneddowneagerlytoassisthertoalight,forherreappearanceliftedaterribleloadofanxietyfromhismind.Inspiteofherselfthecolorrushedintothecheekswhichoflatehadbecomesopale,andthehandshegavehimtrembledashehelpedherfromthephaeton.

"IcannottellyouhowgladIamtoseeyouagain.I\'vebeenoppressedwithfearallday,"hecouldnotforbearsaying,inalowtone.

"Isupposeyounaturallyfeltthatyoucouldnottrustme,"shereplied,avertingherface."I\'vebeenspendingthedaywithafriend."

"Forgiveme,"hesaideagerly."Iseemfatedtowoundyou,butI

wishtheymighthereafterbethewoundsofafriend."

Shewouldnottrustherselftolookuptillshebecamemorecomposed,butcouldnotresisttheimpulsetosay:"Dofriendsgiveonlywounds?"

VanBergbithislipandfollowedherslowlyupthesteps.

"Iseefromyourbasket,"saidMissBurton,kindly,"thatyouhavebeenforaging.Ihopeyouhadgoodsuccess."

"Yes,IthinkI\'vebeensuccessful,"repliedIda,whowasdesperatelysorrythatMissBurtonhadinterceptedherandmustseeherburningcheeks."Ihavenotfoundroses,asyoudid,butperhapsthesearemoreinkeepingwithmyprosaicandmaterialnature;"andsheliftedthecoverandofferedthefruit.

"YoutreatmebetterthanIdidyou,"saidMissBurton,smilingly,andignoringanimpliedsatirewhichIdahadnotintended."Ididnotgiveyouanyofmyroses."

Idashotasideglanceattheartistwhichsaidtohimplainly:

"ButMr.VanBergdid,"andheflusheddeeply.

Thensheselectedasuperbpear,andafterlookingatitkeenlyamoment,handedittohimwiththelowwords:

"Ithinkyouwillfindthatnowormhasbeeninthat."

Hetookitwithevidentembarrassmentandwasabouttospeakeagerly,butshepassedquicklyin,andwenttoherroom.

"Iamjustlypunished,"saidVanBergfrankly."MissBurton,pleaseletmeexplainherallusion."

"Iwouldratheryouwouldnot,"sherepliedpromptly,"forMissMayhewmadeitinalowtone,showingthatsheintendeditforyourearonly."

"Well,thenImustcontentmyselfbysayingthatstandingnearthisspot,notlongsince,Iactedlikeafool."

"It\'sanexcellentsignofwisdom,Mr.VanBerg,"shesaidlaughingly,"thatyouhavediscoveredthefact.Theonlyfoolstobedespairedofarethosewhoneverfindthemselvesout."

"Didyoueverdoaveryfoolishthing,MissJennie?"

"Itwouldbeaveryfoolishthingformetolistentoanymoreofsuchmonstrousflattery.OrperhapsyouaresatiricalandtakethisroundaboutwayoftellingmethatI\'mhumanlikeyourself.

I\'mgoingdowntosupper,forIpreferMr.Burleigh\'stoasttosuchdoubtfulcompliments."

"MissJennie,Iprotest,Ineverofferedyouacomplimentinmylife,"hesaid,accompanyingher.

"InthenameoftheKing\'sEnglish,whatarecompliments,then?"

"Mereverbalsugar-plums,sweet,cloying,andoftenpoisonous.Myexpressionsofhonestopinionare,likeMr.Burleigh\'stoastyouaresofondof,madeofthefinestwheatoftruth,leavenedbymyirrepressibleadmiration,anddonetothenicestshadeofbrownbythewarmthofmyFRIENDLYregard."

"Oh,oh,OH!Yourcomplimentsareverbalballoons."

"Yes,thatfiguremightapplytothemalso,fortheseopinionsofmine——notcompliments,mark!——oftencarrymeupabovethecloudsandvaporsofearth."

"Whereyouwillfindtheatmosphereexceedinglythinandcold,I

assureyou,"saidMissBurton,withsomethinglikeseriousnessinhertone."Imustremindyou,Mr.VanBerg,thatevenJackBunsbydidnotgivehisopinionstilltheywereasked,andIwilltakesometoast,ifyouplease,intheirstead."

StantonandMrs.Mayhewnowappeared,andtheconversationbecamegeneral,inwhichtheformermaderatherfutileeffortstoconcealhisdejection.HisaunthadtoldhimthatIdahadmerelysaidshehadspentthedaywithafriend,andthatshewouldexplainherabsenceatthepropertime."Shehassuchadignifiedwayofspeaking,thatyouaremadetofeelitisaninsulttoaskaquestion,soI

shalljusttakeheratherword,andleavehertoherself,"concludedthelady.

"She\'llneverforgiveme,"mutteredStanton.

Alittlelaterthantheothers,theobjectofhisthoughtscamedowntosupper.Thedeepcolorwhichtheunexpectedepisodewiththeartisthadcausednowlingeredonlyasafaintglowinhercheeks.Shehadfastenedafewpearleavesinherhair,andworenootherornament.Herthinwhitedresssuggestedratherthanreveatedtheexquisitesymmetryofherneckandarms,andVanBergwascompelledtoadmittohimselfthathistrainedandcriticaleyescouldscarcelydetectaflawinhermarvellousbeauty,orinthetasteshowninhercostume.

Buttherewassomethingabouthermannerwhichappealedtohimmorethanherbeautyeven.Theeveningbeforeshehadchilledtheirheartsbyherunnaturalandicywordsandbearing.Nowtherewasanexpressionofhumilityanddiffidencewhollyunlikeanythinghehadeverseenbefore.Shedidnotseeminclinedtoenterintoconversation,andyetshewasnotrepellantandcold,butratherseemedtoshrinkfromnotice,andtoindicatethatpastmemorieswereembarrassing.Butshewouldnotlookathercousin,forshestillfeltadeepresentmenttowardshim.Shewasnosaintbecauseshehadcherishedsomegoodthoughtsandimpulsesthatday,andasforpoorStanton,hebecamesodepressedthathelapsedintouttersilence.

MissBurtonwasbecomingdeeplyinterestedinIda.Whenshesawhercrimsonfaceastheartisthastenedtothephaeton,asuddenlighthadflashedintohereyes,andthethoughtcrossedhermind:

"Mr.VanBergisthemagicianwhoisunwittinglypractisinguponherandmakinghersounlikeherformerself,"andasshehurriedlyrecalledthepast,shefoundtherewasmuchinIda\'smannernotinconsistentwiththistheory.Stillitwasnotwithanyprying,gossipyinterest,thatsheobservedclosely,inordertodiscoverifthereweregoodreasonsforhersurmise.

ButIda\'smannerwassoquietandguardeditwouldhaverequiredkeenereyesthanevenJennieBurton\'stodetectthehiddenfire.

Themealpromisedtopass,withsomeconstraint,itistrue,butwithoutanyembarrassingincident,whenMrs.MayhewwasthemeansofplacingpoorIdainaverypainfuldilemma.Underageneralimpulsetoconciliateherdaughterandmakeamends,andwithherusualwantoftact,shesuddenlyandsententiouslysaid:

"Well,IthinkIda\'sverybravetobeabletodriveforherself."

Therewasamomentofembarrassedsilenceafterthisunexpectedremark,andthenMissBurtonmademattersfarworsebysaying,withthekindestintentions:

"AfterMissMayhew\'sadventureinthestagenoonecandoubthercourage,andI\'msureIadmireabravewomanmuchmorethanabraveman.Menarebraveasamatterofcourse."ThenshesawfromthesuddenscarletthatflamedupintoIda\'scheeks,andthemanneroftheartist,whosuddenlybecamewhollyabsorbedinhissupper,thatshehadmadeanunfortunateallusion.Therewasnothingtodobutpromptlychangethesubject,sosheturnedandasked:

"Whatisthegreatestnumberofmilesyouhaveeverdriveninaday,Mr.Stanton?"

"Ibegyourpardon!"saidthepreoccupiedyoungman,startingatthesoundofhisname.

MissBurtonrepeatedherquestion.ButinthemeantimeitwasevidentasevereconflictwasgoingoninIdaMayhew\'smind.HowcouldsheobeyMr.Eltinge\'sinjunctiontobehonestandtrue,ifsheletthisfalseimpressionconcerningherbehaviorinthestageremain?HowcouldshehopetowinaparticleofrespectfromVanBergifshereceivedagainthisundeservedpraise?Howcouldshelookherkindoldfriendinthefaceifshecontinuedsilent?Shefeltshemusteitherspeakortakethepearleavesoutofherhair.

Itwashard,bitterhardtospeakthenandtherebeforethemall,butherindecisionsoongaveplacetotheresolvetolayatoncewhatMr.Eltingehadcalledthecorner-stoneofcharacter.

"MissBurton,"shesaidabruptly,asStantonwastryingtocollecthiswitssoastomakeasuitablereply.

Theyalllookedatherinvoluntarily.Herfacewaspalenow,andhadthewhite,resoluteaspectoftenseeninthoseabouttofacegreatdanger.

"MissBurton,Iamsorrytosayyouhaveafalseimpressionofmyconductinthestage.Sofarfromshowingpresenceofmindandcourageonthatoccasion,Iwasterror-strickenand,Ibelieve,hysterical.Withallmyfaults,IshallatLEASTtrytotellthetruthhereafter."

"ByJupiter!"criedtheimpulsiveStanton,"that\'sthepluckiestthingIeversawawomando,ormaneither.Ida,fromthisdayI\'mproudofyou,thou

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