第25章

MissBurton,withherkeen,delicateperceptions,recognizedthisdifferencemorefullythananyoftheothers;andherinstinct,ratherthananythingshesawinIda,enabledhertodivinethecauseinpart."IknowofbutonethingthatcanaccountforMissMayhew\'sbehavior,"shethought,"andthoughsheguardshersecretwell,shecannotdeceiveawomanwhohaspassedthroughmyexperience.

Ibegintoseeitall.SheusedSibleyasablind,andshewasblindherself,poorchild,whenshedidso,toeverythingsavetheonewomanlynecessityofhidinganunsoughtlove.Well,well,myoutspokenloverhaseyesforhersweet,chastenedbeautyto-night.

Perhapshethinksheisstudyingherfaceasanartist.Perhapsheis.ButitstrikesmethathehaslostthecriticalandjudicialexpressionwhichIhavenoticedhitherto,"andaglimmerofasmilethatdidnotintheleastsuggestthe"green-eyedmonster"hoveredforamomentlikearayoflightoverJennieBurton\'sface.

"Mother,"saidIda,inalow,sympathetictone,"Iseeoneofyourheadachescomingon.Letmebatheyourheadaftertea."

"Ida,"whisperedMrs.Mayhew,"youaresochangedIdon\'tknowyou."

Theyounggirlflushedslightly,andbyaquick,warninglookcheckedallfurtherremarkofthistendency.

"Sheisindeedmarvelouslychanged,"thoughtMissBurton."IfeelitevenmorethanIcanseeit.Theremustbesomeotherinfluenceatwork.Whoarethesefriendssheisvisiting,andwhosendherbacktousdailywithsomeunexpectedgrace?Yesterdayitwastruthfulness——to-dayanindescribablecharmofmannerthathasbanishedtheelementofearthinessfromherbeauty.IthinkIwilljoinmyfriend(whoimagineshimselfsomethingmore)inthestudyofaproblemthatisbecomingintenselyinteresting."

"MissMayhew,"VanBergfoundachancetosayaftersupper,"youarebecomingagreaterenigmatomethanever."

"Well,"shereplied,avertingherfacetohidethecolorthatwouldriseathisratherabruptandpointedaddress,"I\'dratherbeaChinesepuzzletoyouthanwhatIwas."

"AndInodoubthaveappearedtoyoulikeaChineseMandarin,GrandTurk,GreatMogul,notnameself-satisfiedPharisees,andallofthatilk."

"Ican\'tsaythatyouhave,andyetI\'vekeenlyfeltyoursuperiority.

Ithinkthecharacteryouarenowenactingismorebecomingthananyofthosewouldbe,however."

"Whatisthat?"heaskedquickly.

"Well,"shesaidhesitatingly,"Ihardlyknowhowtodescribeit,butitsuggestsalittlethekindnesswhich,theysay,makesalltheworldkin.Good-night,Mr.VanBerg."

"MissJennie,"hesaid,laterintheevening,"youhaveaninsightintocharacterwhichwegrossermortalsdonotpossess.DoyouthinkthatthereisamarkedchangetakingplaceinMissMayhew?"

"AndsoyouexpectmetoreadMissMayhew\'ssecretsandgossipaboutthemwithyou?"sheansweredwithoneofherpiquantsmiles.

"Whatasweetbrieryouare!NowtellmeinyourownhappywayhowyouwoulddescribethischangewhichyouseeandunderstandfarmoreclearlythanI."

"I\'llgiveyouonethoughtthathasoccurredtomeandthenleaveyoutosolvetheproblemforyourself.Haveyoueverseenapersonwhohadbeendeliriousorderangedbecomesandandquiet,simpleandnatural?AlthoughMissMayhew\'sexpressionandmanneraresodifferentfromwhatwehaveseenhitherto,shelooksandactsto-nightjustasoneinstinctivelyfeelssheoughtalwaystoappearinordertobehertrueself.Beforetherewasdiscord;nowthereisharmony."

"IfIhadyoureyesI\'dneverreadbooks.Yousuggesttheeffectperfectly,butwhatisthecause?"

"Wasamaneversatisfied?"

"Onecertainlyneveriswhereyouareconcerned,butwillalwaysechoOliverTwist\'splaintiveappealfor\'more.\'"

"Oconstantmoon!registerthatvow,"saidMissBurton,laughing.

"Mr.VanBerg,oneofthefirstrulesthatIteachmyyoungladiesistosaygood-eveningtoagentlemanwhenhegrowssentimental,"

andshesmilingvanishedthroughawindowthatopenedonthepiazza.

"JennieBurton,"hemuttered,"youareawraith,anexquisiteghostthatwillhauntmeallmydays,butonwhichIcanneverlaymyhands."

Thenextmorningtheartist,inhiskindlinginterest,wasguiltyofastratagem.Hetookanearlybreakfastbyhimself,underthepretencethathewasgoingonasketchingexpedition;buthewentstraighttothebrowofalittlehillthatoverlookedtheroadwhichIdamusttakeshouldshevisithernew-foundfriendsagain.

Hesoonbecameverybusywithhissketch-book,butinsteadofoutlinesofthelandscapebeforehimtakingshapeonthepaper,youmighthaveseentheformofayounggirlonastairwaywithherheadbowedonherrightarmthatrestedonthebalusterrail,whichshetimidlyheldoutherlefthandinthepaceofwordsshecouldnotspeak.

ItwaswithaforebodingsighthatIdarealizedhowmuchshemissedhimatbreakfast.

BeforethemealwasoveraletterwashandedtoMrs.Mayhew.Itcontainedonlythesewordsfromherhusband:"InmemoryofmylastvisitIconcludeitwillbemutuallyagreeabletousallthatIspendSundayelsewhere.Youneednotdreadmycoming."

Shehandedthelettertoherdaughterwithafrownandtheremark:

"It\'sjustlikehim."

ButIdaseemedmuchpainedbyitscontents,andafteramomentsprangup,saying:"CousinIk,mayIspeakwithyou?"

Whentheywerealoneshecontinued:"Seewhatfatherhaswritten.Hemustcometo-nightorI\'llgotohim.Can\'tIsendhimatelegram?"

"Yes,Coz,andI\'lltakeitovertothedepotatonce."

"Ah,Ik,youaredoingmeagreaterkindnessthanyouknow.Butit\'salongdrive."

"Thelongerthebetter.Willyougowithme?"

"IwouldhadInotpromisedmyoldfriendsIvisitedyesterdayI\'dcomeagainto-day.Theyaredoingmegood.I\'lltellyouaboutitsometime,"andshewrotethefollowingtelegramtoherfather:

"CometoLakeHouseto-day.Veryimportant."

"IwishMissBurtonwouldgowithyou,"shesaidlookingupasthethoughtoccurredtoher."ShallIaskher?"

Stanton\'swistfulfaceprovedhowgreatlyhewouldenjoysuchanarrangement,butafteramomenthesaiddecisively:"No.Itwouldpainhertodecline,butshewould."

"Youareveryconsiderateofher."

"Sheissorryforme,Ida.Icanseethat.Shehasneverexultedamomentinherpoweroverme.Myloveisonlyanotherburdentohersadlife.Ican\'thelpit,butIcanmakeitaslightaspossible."

TearscameintoIda\'seyesandshefaltered:"Ik,Iunderstandyou."

Alittlelatertheybothdroveofftheirdifferentways.

Inspiteofeverything,Idafoundthatherheartwouldgrowlightandglandasshepursuedherwayalongthequietcountryroad,nowintheshadewherethetreescrowdedupontheeasternside,andagaininthesunlightbetweenwidestubblefieldsinwhichthequailswerewhistlingmellowlytoeachother.

VanBergwatchedhercomingwithaheartthatbeatalittlequicklyforsocoolandphilosophicalaninvestigator,andwasgladthatherquietoldhorseresumedaslowwalkatthefirstsuggestionofthehillonwhichhehadpostedhimself.

Idaleanedbackinthephaetonwiththeabandonofthosewhothinkthemselvesalone,andsangasnatchfromanoldEnglishhymnthatVanBergrememberedasonehismotherhadcroonedoverhimwhenachild.Thismelody,doublysacredtohimfromitsassociations,wouldhavegratedharshlyonhisearifithadbeensungbyIdaMayhewaweekbefore;but,strangetosay,thegirlishvoicethatfloateduptohimwasallthesweeterforthusblendingitselfwithsomeofhisdearestmemories.

Whentheascentwashalfmadetheartistsprangdownfromhisrockyperch,andhorseandmaidenweresostartledthattheybothstoppedinstantly.

"Donotbealarmed,"saidVanBerg,laughing;"I\'mnotaveryvicioustramp,andamarmedwithnothingworsethanasketch-book.

IfIcouldonlyinduceyoutobeanhourincomingupthishillI\'dputyouandthephaetoninit.Iwishitwerepossibletoputthesongin,too.Why,MissMayhew!AmIanogre,thatIfrightenyouso?"

"Iwasnotexpectingtoseeyou,"shefaltered,deeplyvexedthathercheekswouldcrimsonandherhandthatheldthereinstremblesoplainly."YounaturallythinkIhaveaveryguiltyconsciencetobesofrightened,"sheaddedafterasecond,andregainingalittleself-control.

"Thatquaintoldhymntunedidnotsuggestaguiltyconscience,"

hesaidkindly.

"IthinkImusthavehearditatchurch,"shereplied."It\'sbeenrunninginmyheadallthemorning."(Henowrememberedwithsuddenpitythatnomemoriesofsacredwordsandsongcouldfollowherfromherhomeandchildhood.)"ButIsupposeyouthinkitisstrangeIcansingatall,Mr.VanBerg,"shecontinuedgravely.

"YoumustthinkmeverysuperficialthatIdonotappeartorealizemoreacrimethatmakesitexceedinglykindofyoueventospeaktome,sinceyouknowaboutit.ButIhaverealizedthewickednessofthatactmorebitterlythanyoucaneverknow."

"MissMayhew,IadmitthatIcan\'tunderstandyouatall.Youhavebecomeagreatermysterytomethanever.Yousee,Iimitateyourtruthfulness."

"Thereisnonec

后续内容为VIP可读请开通VIP，或购买此章节