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mumbled：
〃He ain't of your style； is he？ Nor of mine； either。 Froth and
mud！〃
Ida gave a sudden stamp of rage and disgust； and whirled from the
room。
Van Berg happened to see her as she descended to the main hall…way；
and her face was so repulsive as to suggest to him the lines from
Shakespeare：
〃In nature there's no blemish； but the mind；
None can be called deformed； but the unkind；
Virtue is beauty； but the beauteousevil
Are empty trunks； o'er flourished by the devil。〃
That afternoon and evening her reckless levity and open coquetry
secured unfavorable comment not only from the artist； but from
others far more indifferent； whose attention she half compelled by
a manner that did not suggest spring violets。
Van Berg was disgusted。 He was less versed in human nature than
art； and did not recognize in the forced and obtrusive gayety the
effort to stifle the voice of an aroused conscience。 Even to her
blunted sense of right it seemed a hateful and disgraceful truth
that a stranger had helped her father towards manhood； an that she
had destroyed the transient and salutary influence。 Her complacency
had been disturbed from the time her cousin had repeated Van Berg's
remark； 〃I could not speak civilly to a lady that I had just seen
giggling and flirting through one of Beethoven's finest symphonies；〃
and now； through an unexpected chain of circumstances； she had；
for the first time in her life； reached a point of self…disgust and
self…loathing。 Such a moral condition is evil's opportunity when
a disposition towards penitence or reform is either absent or
resisted。 The thought； therefore； of her father's drunkenness that
day； and of herself as the immediate cause； made her so wretched and
reckless that she tried to forget her miserable self in excitement；
as he had in lethargy。 Even her mother chided her； asking if she
did not 〃remember the day。〃
〃Indeed； I shall have occasion to remember it；〃 was her ambiguous
answer； 〃but Mondays in the country are always blue； and I'll do
my repenting then。 If I were a good Catholic I'd hunt up a priest
to…morrow。〃
〃I'll be your father…confessor to…day；〃 said a black…eyed young
man； twirling his mustache。
〃You； Mr。 Sibely？ You would lead me into more naughtiness than you
would help me out of； twice over。 For my confessor I would choose
an ancient man who had had his dinner。 What a comfortable belief
it is； to be sure！ All one has to do is to buzz one's sins through
a grating （that is like an indefinite number of key…holes） to
a dozing old gentleman inside； and then away with a heart like a
feather； to load up again。 I'd bless the man who could convert me
to a Papist。〃
But she hated the man who had made her feel the need of absolution；
and who seemed an inseparable part of all her disagreeable experiences。
Although he appeared to avoid any locality in which she remained；
she observed his eyes turned towards her more than once before the
day closed； and it exasperated her almost beyond all endurance to
believe that their expression was only that of contempt。
She might have been a little better pleased； perhaps； if she had
known that she made the artist almost as uncomfortable as herself。
Never before had there seemed to him so great a contrast between
her beauty and herself； her features and her face。 The latter could
not fail to excite his increased disgust； while the former was so
great that he found himself becoming resolutely bent on redeeming
them from what seemed a horrid profanation。 In accordance with
one of his characteristics； the more difficult the project seemed；
the more obstinately fixed became his purpose to discover whether
she had a mind of sufficient calibre to transform her into what she
might be； in contrast with what she was。 The more he saw of her
the more his interest as an artist； and； indirectly； as a student
of character； was deepened。 If she had no mind worth naming he
would give the problem up to the solution of time； which； however；
promised nothing but a gradual fading away of all beauty； and the
intensifying of inward deformity until fully reproduced in outward
ugliness。
Chapter VII。 Another Feminine Problem。
Early on Monday morning； Mr。 Mayhew hastened from the breakfast…table
to the stage。 His wife and daughter were not down to see him
off； and he seemed desirous of shunning all recognition。 With
the exception that that his eyes were heavy and bloodshot from his
debauch； his face had the same dreary； apathetic expression which
Van Berg had noted on his arrival。 And so he went back to his
city office； where； fortunately for him； mechanical routine brought
golden rewards； since he was in no state for business enterprise。
From his appearance； Van Berg could not help surmising what had been
his condition the previous day。 Indeed Stanton； with a contemptuous
shrug； had the same as said on Sabbath evening； that his uncle had
〃dropped into the old slough。〃 Although neither of the young men
knew how great an impetus Ida had given her father towards such
degradation； they both felt that if his wife and daughter had had
the tact to detect and appreciate his better mood； produced by the
morning ramble； they might have sustained him； and given him at
least one day that he could remember without shame and discouragement。
Van Berg found something pathetic in Mr。 Mayhew's weary and
disheartened manner。 It was like that of a soldier who has suffered
defeat； but who goes on with his routine in a mechanical； spiritless
manner； because there is nothing else to do。 He seemed to have no
hope； nor even a thought of retrieving the past and of reasserting
his own manhood。 Accustomed as the young artist had ever been to
a household in which affection； allied to high…bred courtesy and
mutual respect； made even homely daily life noble and beautiful；
he could not look on the discordant Mayhew family with the charity；
or the indifference； of those who have seen more of the wrong side
of life。 Had there been only poor； besmirched Mr。 Mayhew； and
stout； dressy； voluble Mrs。 Mayhew； he would never have glanced
towards them the second time； but his artist's eyes had fallen on
the contradictory being that linked them together。 Morally and
mentally she seemed one with her parent stock； but her beauty； in
some of its aspects； was so marvellous； that the desire to redeem
it from its hateful and grotesque associations grew stronger every
hour。
Instead； therefore； of going off upon solitary rambles； as he had
done hitherto； he mingled more frequently in the amusements of
the guests of the house； with the hope he would thus be brought so
often in contact with the subject of his experiment； that her pique
would wear away sufficiently to permit them to meet on something
like friendly terms。
As far as the other guests were concerned； he had not trouble。
They welcomed him to croquet； to walking and boating excursions；
and to their evening games and promenades。 Such of the ladies as
danced were pleased to secure him as a partner。 Indeed； from the
dearth of gentlemen during the week； he soon found himself more
in demand than he cared to be； and saw that even the landlord
was beginning to rely upon him to keep up a state of pleasurable
effervescence among his patrons。 His languid friend； Stanton； was
not a little surprised； and at last remarked：
〃Why； Van； what has come over you？ I never saw you in the role of
a society fellow before！〃
But his unwonted courtesies seemed wholly in vain。 He propitiated
and won all save one； and that one was the sole object of his effort。
While all others smiled； her face remained cold and averted。 Indeed
she took such pains to ignore and avoid him； that it was generally
recognized that there was a difference between them； and of course
there was an endless amount of gossiping surmise。 As the hostility
seemed wholly on the lady's side； Van Berg appeared to the better
advantage； and Ida was all the more provoked as she recognized the
fact。
She now began to wish that she had taken a different course。 As
Van Berg pursued his present tactics； her feminine intuition was
not so dull but that she was led to believe he wished to make her
acquaintance。 Of course there was； to her mind； but one explanation
of this facthe was becoming fascinated； like so many others。
〃If I were only on speaking and flirting terms；〃 she thought （the
two relations were about synonymous in her estimation）； 〃I might
draw him on to a point which would give me a chance of punishing
him far more than is now possible by sullenly keeping aloof。 As
it is； it looks to these people here as if he had jilted me instead
of I him； and that I am sulking over it。〃
But she had entangled herself in the snarl of her own previous
words and manner。 She