Stanton basked in Miss Burton's smiles until a significant look from Mrs.Mayhew reminded him of his disagreeable task,for the performance of which there seemed a greater urgency than ever.
Ida's rather precipitate withdrawal from the supper-room was another proof in their eyes that some mischief was brewing.
He listened at her door for a moment,and could not fail to hear the stifled sound of her passionate grief;then knocked,but there was no response.
"Ida,"he said,in a kinder tone than usual,"I want to see you."She tried to quiet her sobbing,and after a moment faltered:"You had better leave me to myself.""No,I must see you,"he said kindly but firmly."I have something to say to you."The poor girl was so lonely and heart-broken,that she was ready for the least ray of comfort.She now saw that she was ignorant and exceedingly faulty.She was ready to admit the fact that she had acted very foolishly and unwisely,and that circumstances were against her.Ill-omened circumstances have brought to condemnation and death innocent men.Ida would not now claim that she was innocent of blame,but events had seemed so unfortunate of late,that she was half ready to think that some vindictive hand was shaping them.
But she did not feel that she was now worse than she had been.
On the contrary,she had longings for a better life and a broader culture such as she had never experienced before.The artist's eyes,in searching for her woman's soul,revealed to her that she had been a fool;but now she would gladly become a woman if some one would only point out the way.
"Mother and Ik might learn that I am not wholly bad if they would only take the trouble to find out,"she murmured."Ik used to be kind-hearted,and I thought he cared a little for me,in spite of our sparing.Why is he so hard on me of late?Why can't he believe that I am just as capable of detesting Sibley as he is?Perhaps he does mean to say a kind word,and give me a chance to explain."These thoughts passed through her mind as she lighted the gas and bathed her face,that she might,to some extent,remove the evidences of grief.
Stanton misunderstood her wholly.The new Ida,that deep feeling and recent events were developing,was unknown to him,and he had been too preoccupied to see the changes,even had they been more apparent.He did feel a sort f commiseration for her evident suffering,for he was too kind-hearted not to sympathize even when he believed pain to be well-deserved.But he thought he must still deal with her as a wayward,passionate child,as he had in the past,when she cried till she obtained what she wished,right or wrong.He now believed that she was as fully bent on carrying out her own unreasonable will,but remembered that she was no longer a child,and might be guilty of folly that society would not forgive as childish.Therefore he wished to see her face,and was disposed to be wary and observant.
He gave her a quick,keen glance as he entered and then said:
"What's the matter,Ida?Why do you sit here in the shadows?It's as dark as a pocket;"and he turned the gas higher.
She did not answer,but sat down with her face averted from him and the light."He has come here as a spy,and not as a comforter,"she thought.
He looked at her a moment,mistook her silence as an expression of the settled obstinacy of her purpose.
"Well,Ida,"he said,a little irritably,"I know you of old.Isuppose you will have your own way as usual.If we must submit,why then we must;but you can't expect us to do so with any grace.
If you won't give up this Sibley,for heaven's sake let your mother arrange the matter after the fashion of the day!Out of regard for your family,go through all the regular formalities."She started violently and then leaned back in her chair as if she were faint,and half stunned by a blow.He regarded her manner as evidence of guilt,or,at least,of proposed criminal imprudence on her part,and went on still more plainly:
"If you can't exist without Sibley--why,marry him;but see to it that there is a plenty of priest,altar,and service;for you know,or you ought to,that he's a man who can't be trusted a hair's breadth."She averted her face still farther,and said in a low constrained tone:
"My family,then,consent that I should marry Mr.Sibley?""No;we submit to the marriage as an odious necessity,on condition that you put the whole matter into your mother's hands and allow her to arrange everything according to society's requirements.""Please let me understand you,"she said in a lower voice."My family offer to submit to the marriage as a dire necessity lest my relations with Mr.Sibley cover them with a deeper shame?""Well,in plain English,yes."
"It is indeed extraordinarily plain English--brutally plain.And does--does Mr.Van Berg share in your estimate of me?"Her manner and words began to puzzle Stanton,and he remembered the artist's question--"Are you absolutely sure that Sibley is the cause of her trouble?"He thought that perhaps it might be good policy to contrast the two men.
"To be frank,"he replied,"I think Mr.Van Berg has both wished and tried to think well of you.He admired your beauty immensely,and sought to find something in your character that corresponded with it.Even after your studied rudeness to him,your open preference of Sibley's society to his,and your remark explaining your course,'congenial society or none at all'"(Ida fairly groaned as he recalled her folly),"he tried to treat you politely.That you should refuse the society of a gentleman like my friend for the sake of such a low fellow as Sibley,is to us all a disgusting and fathomless mystery.The belief that you could throw yourself and your rare beauty into this abominable slough,was so revolting to Van Berg,that he never would wholly accept of it until to-day."She rose to her feet and turned upon him.Her eyes were fairly blazing with indignation,and her face was white and terrible from her anger.In tones such as he had never heard any woman use before,she said: