第26章

Butthemaidenherself——whydidhiseyesturnsooftentoher,andwhydidhe,unasked,introduceherintothesketchwithacareandlingeringdelicacyoftouchthatmadeevenherpencilledimageseemalivinggirl?Whennotaffectedorrenderedconventionalbysociety,hervoicewassingularlygirlishandnatural,andtherewouldoftenbeatoneinaplaintiveandminorkeythatvibratedlikealow,sweetchordinhisheartratherthaninhisears.Itmustbeadmittedthathegavelittleheedtothesacredwordssheread;buttheflexiblemusicofhervoice,mingledwiththemurmurofthebrook,therustleoftheleavesandtheoccasionalsongofabird,allcombinedtoformthesweetestsymphonyhehadeverheard.

Asanartistheexulted.Hishandhadnotlostitscunning,andhisrulingpassion,whichthestrangeexperiencesofthepastfewweekshadheldinabeyance,wasreassertingitselfwithafuller,richerpowerthanhehadknownbefore.ThatWASIdaMayhew\'sfacethatwasgrowingbeautifulandfullofhernewandbetterlifeunderhisappreciativeandskilfultouch,andtheconsciousnessofsuccessinthekindofeffortinwhichsuccessmeanttohimsomuch,filledhimwithastrongenthusiasm.

OnceortwiceIdaglancedshylyathim,andhisappearancedidnottendtofixherthoughtswhollyonthesacredtext.

AtlastMr.Eltingesaid:"Thatwilldoforto-day.Ithink,underthecircumstances,youhavegivenmostpraiseworthyattentiontowhatyouhaveread,andtowhatlittleIcouldsayinthewayofexplanation.Nowforthepicture,andIconfessI\'maseagerasachildtoseeit;"andtheycameandlookedoverVanBerg\'sshoulder.

AlmostinstantlyIdaclappedherhands,exclaimingwithdelight:

"Thetreeisperfect,andoh,Mr.Eltinge,Ishallalwayshaveyounow,withyourdearkindfaceturnedtowardsmeasIhaveseenitto-day!"Suddenlyhermannerchanged,andinatonefullofdisappointmentsheadded,"Oh,Mr.VanBerg,howcouldyouspoilmypicture?Youhaveputmeinit."

"Certainly,"hereplieddemurely,"youwereapartofthepicture."

"Notanecessarypart.Ididnotaskyoutodothat,"sheanswered,inawaythatprovedherfeelingswerehurt.

"Iamwillingtodomorethanyouask,andifyouinsistonitI

willeffaceyourimage,althoughIshouldmuchregrettodoso."

"Iprotestagainstthat,"criedMr.Eltinge."Sofarfromspoilingthepicture,yourbeingtheremakesitinvaluabletome.I\'mgoingtotaxMr.VanBerg\'sgenerosity,andaskforthisinthehopethathewillmakeanotherdrawingoftheoldmanandthetreeonly,foryou."

"Wouldyouliketohaveitsoverymuch?"saidIda,muchpleasedwiththisarrangement.

"Yes,mydear,verymuchindeed,andI\'llplaceitnearmyfavoritechimneycorner,whereIcanseeyouallwinter.Mr.VanBerg,Icongratulateyou;I\'mnotmuchofajudgeofart,butthisismylittlefriendhere,truetolife.YouhavebeenveryhappyincatchingtheexpressionwhichIamlearningtoknowsowell."

"Yourwordshaveafullermeaningthanyouthink,"repliedtheartist,heartily."Ihaveindeedbeenveryhappyinmywork.I

neverenjoyedamorningmoreinmylife."

"ButI\'mtogohomewithoutanypicture,"saidIda,tryingtohideherpleasurebyassumedreproachfulness.

"Thereisnopictureyet,foranyone,"heanswered,"thisisonlyasketchfromwhichIshalltrytomaketwopicturesthatwillsuggestasceneparticularlyattractivetooneofmycalling,tosaytheleast."

Asheplacedthesketchinhisbook,theworkhehadbeenengagedonthatmorningwhenIdamethimbytheroadside,droppedout,andshesawherselfleaningonthebalusterrailofthestaircase,withherhandhalfextendedasatokenofforgivenessandreconciliation.

Hercheeksflushedinstantly,butshewasabletoremarkquietly:

"Isupposethatisthewayyouartistskeepamemorandumofcurrentevents."

Herepliedgravely,butwithsomeansweringcoloralso:"Yes,MissMayhew,whenthecurrentisdeepandstrong."

VanBergfelthimselfhappyinsecuringfromMr.Eltingeaninvitationtocomeagain.Astheywereridinghome,Idaremarked,shyly:

"Ididnotknowyoucoulddrawsowell."

"NordidIeitherbefore.Thatoldgardenisenchantedground."

"Yes,"saidIda,"poorEvewasdrivenoutoftheGardenofEden,butIfeelasifIhadfoundmywayintoit.IonlywishIcouldstaythere,"andhersighwaslonganddeep.

"Doestheworldoutsideseemveryfullofthornsandthistles?"heasked,kindly.

Afteramomentshereplied,simplyandbriefly,"Yes."

Helookedathersympatheticallyforamoment,andthensaidearnestly:

"MissIda,pardonmeifIventureaprediction.Whereveryoudwell,hereafter,allthatisgoodandbeautifulinlifeandcharacterwhichthegardentypifieswillbegintotaketheplaceofthornsandthistles."

"Ihopeso,"shefaltered,"butthatinvolvesbleedinghands,Mr.

VanBerg.Iamnotcastinheroicmould.Iamweakandwavering,andasaproofIamdwellingontheverysubjectthatIhadforbidden.

Itrustthatyouwillbetoomanlytotakeadvantageofmyweaknesshenceforthandwilltrytohelpmeforgetmyself."

"Thatmaybeahardertaskthanyouthink,butIwillattemptwhateveryouask,"andfromherpleasedandinterestedexpressionitwouldseemthatduringthenexthalfhourhesucceededremarkablywell.Suddenly,asifahappythoughthadstruckhim,hesaidalittleabruptly:

"IforeseethatyouandMissBurtonaredestinedtobecomegreatfriends.Youhavenotyetlearnedwhatalovelycharactershepossessesandhowbroadanddeeparehersympathies."

Ida\'ssilencecausedhimtoturnandlookather,andhesawthatthelightandcolorhadfadedfromherface,butshesaid,emphatically:

"MissBurtonisevenmoreadmirablethanyouthinkhertobe,ifthatwerepossible."

"Iampleasedtohearoneladyspeaksostronglyandgenerouslyofanother.Itisnotusual.Ishalldomyutmosttomakeyoubetteracquaintedwitheachother,andinthispleasanttaskamsureI

shallrenderyouaverygreatservice."

"Mr.VanBerg,Ibegyouwillnot,"sheexclaimed,hastily,andhesawwithsurprisethatsheappearedpainfullyembarrassed.

"Pardonme,MissMayhew,"hesaid;"Ididnotmeantobeofficious."

Idasawnowayofextricatingherselfsavebypromptlychangingthesubject,andthisshedid;butshecouldnotfailtoobservethathercompanionwashurtbyherapparentunfriendlinesstowardsoneonwhomhebelievedhehadbestowedthebestamancouldgive.Theremainderofthedrivewasnotenjoyedbyeitherofthemastheearlierparthadbeen,andsomethinglikeconstrainttingedthemannerandwordsofboth.

AstheydroveuptothehotelStantongavealowwhistleofsurprise,butwasinnomoodforhisold-timebanter.

ChapterXLV.ProblemsBeyondArt.

WhenVanBergleftthegardenhethoughthehadlearnedtounderstandIdaalmostasclearlyashesawthepebblybedofthelittlebrookthroughthelimpidcurrentthatflowedoverit,andyetwithinabriefhalf-houranotherbafflingmysteryhadarisen.WhydidshedislikeJennieBurton?WhysheHADdislikedherwasplain,butitseemedtofollowinevitablythatonewhocouldloveoldMr.Eltingemustalsofindacongenialfriendinthewomanhesogreatlyadmired.

Astheremainderofthedaypassed,thisnewclouddarkenedandseemedtoshadowevenhimself.Whilehecoulddetectnoflawinhercourtesy,hecouldnothelpfeelingthatshemadeaconsciousefforttoavoidthemboth.Atdinnersheconversedchieflywithhercousin.VanBerg\'seyeswouldwanderoftentoherface,butsheneverlookedtowardshimunlesshespoketoher.WhenheorMissBurtonaddressedhertherewasnotatraceofcoldnessinhermannerofresponding;asuperficialobserverwouldmerelythinktheywerepeopleinwhomshewasnotespeciallyinterested.

"Poorchild,"thoughtJennieBurton,"sheactsherpartwell,"andshepuzzledtheartiststillfurtherbytakinglessnoticeofIdathanusual.

"ButwhenIthinkofit,"hemused,"it\'sjustlikemyuniquelittlefriend.Onlythoseintroubleinteresther,andMissMayhewisonastraightroadtohappinessnow,shebelieves,althoughtheyoungladyherselfseemstodreadaworldfullofthornsandthistles,andherfatherandmother,atleast,willinsureanabundanceofbothinherownhome.ButherrepulsionfromMissBurton,theveryonetowardswhomIsupposedshewouldbeattractedinhernewlife,iswhatperplexesmemost.Iimagineallwomenaremysterieswhenyoucometoscrutinizetheirmotivesandimpulsesclosely.Thetwowhohaveoccupiedmythoughtsthissummercertainlyare,andI\'llsticktopaintingifIevergetoutofthismuddle."

AfterdinnerhefoundachancetoaskStantonifMr.Mayhewwasexpectedthatevening.

"Yes,"wasthereply."InmemoryoflastSundayhewrotehewouldnotcome,butIdasentatelegramaskinghimtobeherewithoutfail.Itookitovertothestationforher,andmadesurethatmyunclereceivedit.Shewillpuzzlehimmorethanshehastherestofus,Isuppose,andIamquitecurioustoseetheresult."

Theartistmadenoreply,butwenttohisroomandtriedtoworkonhispictures.Hewasmorethancurious——hewasdeeplyinterested,butfeltthathewastrenchingondelicateground.Therelationsbetweenthefatheranddaughterweretoosacred,hebelieved,forevensympatheticobservationonhispart.

Hesoonthrewasidehiswork.Theinspirationofthemorningwasallgone,andinitsplacehadcomeanunaccountabledissatisfactionwithhimselfandtheworldingeneral.Hehadleftthegardenwithasenseofexhilarationthatmadelifeappearbeautifulandfullofrichestpromise.Hehadbeensavedfromdisasterthatwouldhavebeencrushing;hisobjectincomingtothecountryhadbeenaccomplished,andtheUndinehediscoveredHADreceivedawoman\'ssoulthatwasblendingtheperfectbutdiscordantfeaturesintoanexquisitelybeautifulface.Theresult,certainly,hadnotbeenbroughtaboutasheexpected,norinawaytendingtoincreas

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