Barriers Burned Away · Chapter 29 (2/2)

She hesitated, but his look was so wistful that she could not well refuse, so with a slight smile she bowed assent, and placed the tips of her little gloved hand on his arm, which so trembled that she looked inquiringly and curiously into his face. It was very pale, as was ever the case when he felt deeply. He waited on her politely but silently at first. She sat in an angle, somewhat apart from the others. As he stood by her side, thinking how to refer to the morning in the showroom, she said: “Mr. Fleet, you are not eating anything, and you look as if you had been living on air of late⁠—very unlike your appearance when you so efficiently aided me in the rearrangement of the store. I am delighted that you keep up the better order of things.” Dennis’s answer was quite irrelevant.

“Miss Ludolph,” he said, abruptly, “I saw that I gave you pain that morning in the showroom. If you only knew how the thought has pained me!”

Christine flushed almost angrily, but said, coldly, “Mr. Fleet, that is a matter you can never understand, therefore we had better dismiss the subject.”

But Dennis had determined to break the ice between them at any risk, so he said, firmly but respectfully: “Miss Ludolph, I did understand all, the moment I saw your face that day. I do understand how you have felt since, better than you imagine.”

His manner and words were so assured that she raised a startled face to his, but asked coldly and in an indifferent manner, “What can you know of my feelings?”

“I know,” said Dennis, in a low tone, looking searchingly into her face, from which cool composure was fast fading⁠—“I know your dearest hope was to be among the first in art. You staked that hope on your success in a painting that required a power which you do not possess.” Christine became very pale, but from her eyes shone a light before which most men would have quailed. But Dennis’s love was so true and strong that he could wound her for the sake of the healing and life he hoped to bring, and he continued⁠—“On that morning this cherished hope for the future failed you, not because of my words, but because your artist eye saw that my words were true. You have since been unhappy⁠—”

“What right have you⁠—you who were but a few days since⁠—who are a stranger⁠—what right have you to speak thus to me?”

“I know what you would say, Miss Ludolph,” he answered, a slight flush coming into his pale face. “Friends may be humble and yet true. But am I not right?”

“I have no claim on your friendship,” said Christine, coldly. “But, for the sake of argument, grant that you are right, what follows?” and she looked at him more eagerly than she knew. She felt that he had read her very soul and was deeply moved, and again the superstitious feeling crept over her, “That young man is in some way connected with my destiny.”

Dennis saw his power and proceeded rapidly, for he knew they might be interrupted at any moment; and so they would have been had anything less interesting than eating occupied the attention of others.

“I saw in the picture what in your eyes and mine would be a fatal defect⁠—the lack of life and true feeling⁠—the lack of power to live. I did not know who painted it, but felt that anyone who could paint as well as that, and yet leave out the soul, as it were, had not the power to put it in. No artist of such ability could willingly or ignorantly have permitted such a defect.”

Christine’s eyes sank, their fire faded out, and her face had the pallor of one listening to her doom. This deeper feeling mastered the momentary resentment against the hand that was wounding her, and she forgot him, and all, in her pain and despair.

In a low, earnest tone Dennis continued: “But since I have come to know who the artist is, since I have studied the picture more fully, and have taken the liberty of some observation”⁠—Christine hung on his lips breathlessly, and Dennis spoke slowly, marking the effect of every word⁠—“I have come to the decided belief that the lady who painted that picture can reach the sphere of true and highest art.”

The light that stole into Christine’s face under his slow, emphatic words was like a rosy dawn in June; and the thought flashed through Dennis’s mind, “If an earthly hope can so light up her face, what will be the effect of a heavenly one?”

For a moment she sat as one entranced, looking at a picture far off in the future. His words had been so earnest and assured that they seemed reality. Suddenly she turned on him a look as grateful and happy as the former one had been full of pain and anger, and said: “Ah, do not deceive me, do not flatter. You cannot know the sweetness and power of the hope you are inspiring. To be disappointed again would be death. If you are trifling with me I will never forgive you,” she added, in sudden harshness, her brow darkening.

“Nor should I deserve to be forgiven if I deceived you in a matter that to you is so sacred.”

“But how⁠—how am I to gain this magic power to make faces feel and live on canvas?”

“You must believe. You yourself must feel.”

She looked at him with darkening face, and then in a sudden burst of passion said: “I don’t believe; I can’t feel. All this is mockery, after all.”

“No!” said Dennis, in the deep, assured tone that ever calms and secures attention. “This is not mockery. I speak the words of truth and soberness. You do not believe, but that is not the same as cannot. And permit me to contradict you when I say you do feel. On this subject so near your heart you feel most deeply⁠—feel as I never knew anyone feel before. This proves you capable of feeling on other and higher subjects, and what you feel your trained and skilful hand can portray. You felt on the evening of that miserable day, and sang as I never heard you sing before. Your tones then would move any heart, and my tears fell with the rain in sympathy: I could not help it.”

Her bosom rose and fell tumultuously, and her breath came hard and quick.

“Oh, if I could believe you were right!”

“I know I am right,” he said, so decidedly that again hope grew rosy and beautiful in her face.

“Then again,” he continued, eagerly, “see what an advantage you have over the most of us. Your power of imitation is wonderful. You can copy anything you see.”

“Good evening, Miss Ludolph. Where have you been hiding? I have twice made the tour of the supper-room in my search,” broke in the voluble Mr. Mellen. Then he gave Dennis a cool stare, who acted as if unconscious of his presence. An expression of disgust flitted across Christine’s face at the interruption, or the person⁠—perhaps both⁠—and she was about to shake him off that Dennis might speak further, when Miss Winthrop and others came up, and there was a general movement back to the parlors.

“Why, Christine, what is the matter?” asked her friend. “You look as if you had a fever. What has Mr. Fleet been saying?”

“Oh, we have had an argument on my hobby, art, and of course don’t agree, and so got excited in debate.”

Miss Winthrop glanced keenly at them and said, “I would like to have heard it, for it was Greek meeting Greek.”

“To what art or trade did Mr. Fleet refer?” asked Mr. Mellen, with an insinuation that all understood.

“One that you do not understand,” said Christine, keenly.

The petted and spoiled millionaire flushed angrily a moment, and then said with a bow: “You are right, Miss Ludolph. Mr. Fleet is acquainted with one or two arts that I have never had the pleasure of learning.”

“He has at least learned the art of being a gentleman,” was the sharp retort.

The young man’s face grew darker, and he said, “From the sweeping nature of your remarks, I perceive that Mr. Fleet is high in your favor.”

“A poor pun made in poorer taste,” was all the comfort he got from Christine.

Dennis was naturally of a very jealous disposition where his affections were concerned. His own love took such entire possession of him that he could not brook the interference of others, or sensibly consider that they had the same privilege to woo, and win if possible, that he had. Especially distasteful to him was this rich and favored youth, whose presence awakened all his combativeness, which was by no means small.

Mr. Mellen’s most inopportune interruption and covert taunts provoked him beyond endurance. His face was fairly white with rage, and for a moment he felt that he could stamp his rival out of existence. In the low, concentrated voice of passion he said, “If Mr. Mellen should lose his property, as many do, I gather from his remarks that he would still keep up his idea of a gentleman on charity.”

Mr. Mellen flushed to the roots of his hair, his hands clenched. In the flashing eyes and threatening faces of the young men those witnessing the scene foresaw trouble. A light hand fell on Dennis’s arm, and Miss Winthrop said, “Mr. Fleet, I wish to show you a picture, and ask your judgment in regard to it.”

Dennis understood the act, and in a moment more his face was crimson with shame.

“Miss Winthrop, you ought to send me home at once. I told you I was unfit for society. Somehow I am not myself. I humbly ask your pardon.”

“So sincere a penitent shall receive absolution at once. You were greatly provoked. I trust you for the future.”

“You may,” was the emphatic answer. After that pledge Mr. Mellen might have struck him and received no more response than from a marble statue.

Mr. Mellen also took a sober second thought, remembering that he was in a lady’s parlor. He walked away with his ears tingling, for the flattered youth had never had such an experience before. The few who witnessed the scene smiled significantly, as did Christine half contemptuously; but Miss Winthrop soon restored serenity, and the remaining hours passed away in music and dancing. Christine did not speak to Dennis again⁠—that is, by word of mouth⁠—but she thought of him constantly, and their eyes often met;⁠—on his part that same eager, questioning look. She ever turned hers at once away. But his words kept repeating themselves continually, especially his last sentence, when the unlucky Mr. Mellen had broken in upon them⁠—“You can copy anything you see.”

“How noble and expressive of varied feeling his face is!” she thought, watching it change under the playful badinage of Miss Winthrop.

“How I would like to copy it! Well, you can⁠—‘You can copy anything you see.’ ” Then like a flash came a suggestion⁠—“You can make him love you, and copy feeling, passion, life⁠—from the living face. Whether I can believe or feel, myself, is very doubtful. This I can do: he himself said so. I cannot love, myself⁠—I must not; I do not wish to now, but perhaps I can inspire love in him, and then make his face a study. As to my believing, he can never know how utterly impossible his faith is to me.”

Then conscience entered a mild protest against the cruelty of the project. “Nonsense!” she said to herself; “most girls flirt for sport, and it is a pity if I cannot with such a purpose in view. He will soon get over a little puncture in his heart after I have sailed away to my bright future beyond the sea, and perhaps Susie will comfort him;” and she smiled at the thought. Dennis saw the smile and was entranced by its loveliness. How little he guessed the cause!

Having resolved, Christine acted promptly. When their eyes again met, she gave him a slight smile. He caught it instantly and looked bewildered, as if he could not believe his eyes. Again, when a little later, at the urgent request of many, he sang alone for the first time, and again moved his hearers deeply by the real feeling in his tones, he turned from the applause of all, with that same questioning look, to her. She smiled an encouragement that she had never given him before. The warm blood flooded his face instantly. All thought that it was the general chorus of praise. Christine knew that she had caused it, and surprise and almost exultation came into her face. “I half believe he loves me now,” she said. She threw him a few more kindly smiles from time to time, as one might throw some glittering things to an eager child, and every moment assured her of her power.

“I will try one more test,” she said, and by a little effort she lured to her side the offended Mr. Mellen, and appeared much pleased by his attention. Then unmistakably the pain of jealousy was stamped on Dennis’s face, and she was satisfied. Shaking off the perplexed Mr. Mellen again, she went to the recess of a window to hide her look of exultation.

“The poor victim loves me already,” she said. “The mischief is done. I have only to avail myself of what exists from no fault of mine, and surely I ought to; otherwise the passion of the infatuated youth will be utterly wasted, and do no one any good.”

Thus in a somewhat novel way Christine obtained a new master in painting, and poor Dennis and his love were put to use somewhat as a human subject might be if dissected alive.