A moment
later she added: "Oh, I'm so glad for father's sake."
"Are you not a little glad for your own?"
"Oh, Harold! compare this--God's way out of trouble with the one
I chose!"
"The past has gone by forever, Ida, and you have received your
woman's soul in the good old-fashioned way. In my heart of hearts
I have changed your name from Ida to Ideal."
They had not noticed that Mr. Eltinge had come down the garden
walk to summon them to dinner. The old gentleman discovered that
there had been a transformation scene in his absence, although
he took off his spectacles twice, and wiped them before he seemed
fully satisfied of its reality.
"Ahem! I fear our plain dinner will be a very prosaic interruption;
but---" he began.
"Oh, Mr. Eltinge," cried Ida, springing to him, her cheeks putting
to shame any flower of his garden, "I owe all this to you!"
"Mr. Van Berg," said Mr. Eltinge, with the stately courtesy of the
old school, "with your permission I now shall take full payment,"
and stooping down he kissed her tenderly, with a fervent "God bless
you, my child! God bless you both! I thought it would all end in
this way."
It was late in the day when Ida drove up to the steps of the Lake
House and assisted Van Berg to alight with a care and solicitude
that Stanton, who was grimly watching them, thought a trifle too
apparent.
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