phyllis of philistia-第13节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


rls。　You　are　a　thoroughly　dangerous　young　woman；　Miss　Ayrton；　though　you　are　Mrs。　Linton's　dearest　friend。　By　the　way；　can　you　make　her　confide　in　you？〃

There　seemed　to　be　a　measure　of　curiosity；　not　to　say　anxiety；　in　the　tone　of　this　inquiry。

〃Well；　she　makes　me　confide　in　her。　I　wonder　if　that　is　just　the　same　thing；〃　said　Phyllis。

〃It's　not　exactly　the　same　thing；〃　said　he。　〃But　it's　the　proper　course　for　dearest　friends　to　adopt　toward　each　other。　For　the　maintenance　of　a　firm　friendship　between　any　two　persons；　only　one　should　confide；　the　other　should　be　strictly　the　confidante。　By　the　way；　I　wonder　what　is　the　average　duration　of　the　dearest　friendship　between　two　women。〃

〃Why　should　it　have　any　limits？〃　said　Phyllis　gravely。　〃What　is　the　duration　of　the　friendship　between　two　men？〃

〃It　mostly　depends　on　when　the　woman　makes　her　appearance；〃　said　he；　with　a　laugh。

〃Ah！　So　that　Ah；　never　mind。　Ella　was　my　dearest　friend　before　Mr。　Linton　put　in　an　appearance。〃

〃And　he　was　mine　before　she　put　in　an　appearance；〃　said　he。

〃I　didn't　know　that；〃　said　Phyllis。

〃There；　you　see；　is　my　contention　borne　out；〃　said　he。　〃You　are　the　one　who　confides；　she　is　the　one　who　receives　the　confidences；　and　respects　them；　I'm　sure。　I　hope　that　you　will　do　the　same；　Miss　Ayrton。　Don't　let　anyone　know　that　I　confided　in　you　all　that　I　think　on　the　subject　of　the　old　Adam　and　the　new　Eve。〃

〃No　one　except　Ella　Linton；　and　you　know　that　I　can　keep　nothing　from　her　if　we　are　to　remain　dearest　friends。　Perhaps　she　knows　already　the　limits　of　your　belief；　Mr。　Courtland。〃

〃She　doesshe　does。〃

At　that　moment　Ella　Linton　came　up　with　Lord　Earlscourt。

〃Has　Mr。　Courtland　been　telling　you　all　about　the　bird　of　paradise？〃　she　asked　of　Phyllis；　while　she　waved　the　tail　feathers　of　the　loveliest　of　the　birds　of　paradise　before　her　face。

〃The　bird？not　the　/bird/；〃　laughed　Phyllis。

〃But　the　topic　was　paradise？〃　Ella　joined　in　the　laughyes；　to　some　extent。

〃I　talked　of　Adamthe　old　one　of　that　name；〃　said　Mr。　Courtland。

〃And　Evethe　new　one　of　that　name；〃　said　Phyllis。

〃Theology　is　in　the　air！〃　cried　Ella。　〃Even　the　stage　of　a　theater　is　not　free　from　the　taint。　It　must　be　the　case　of　Mr。　Holland。　Where　is　Mr。　Holland；　by　the　way；　Lord　Earlscourt？〃

〃I　haven't　seen　him　for　some　time。　He　must　have　gone　away。　I'm　not　Mr。　Holland's　keeper；　thank　Heaven！〃　said　Lord　Earlscourt；　with　heartfelt　devoutness。

〃Now　you　know　that　everyone　holds　you　accountable　for　what　he　has　done！〃　said　Ella。

〃Then　that's　just　where　everyone　makes　a　mistake；〃　said　he。　〃Great　Lord！　is　it　your　idea　of　British　justice　to　persecute　the　wrong　man？　Why　doesn't　the　bishop　do　his　duty？　What　do　we　pay　him　for？〃

〃We　won't　abandon　our　charity　at　the　call　of　theology；〃　said　Ella。

〃Theologyrepresented　by　Lord　Earlscourt；〃　said　Mr。　Courtland。

〃You　don't　know　how　I've　been　abused　during　the　past　fortnight；　indeed　you　don't；〃　moaned　Lord　Earlscourt。　〃Why；　there's　my　own　wife；　she　abused　me　like　a　cab…driver　because　George　Holland　had　been　with　us　on　the　platform　when　the　Chinese　teetotalers　came　here　to　protest　against　the　public　houses　in　England；　she　says　that　his　backsliding　will　put　back　the　cause　a　quarter　of　a　century。　Then　there　are　the　other　churchwardens；　they　look　on　me　as　if　I　had　been　making　a　suggestion　to　raffle　the　sacred　plate。　George　Holland　has　a　run　for　his　money；　but　I've　had　no　fun　out　of　it。〃

〃It　does　seem　hard；〃　said　Courtland。　〃But　it's　plain　that　the　case　calls　for　persecution；　and　why　not　persecute　you？　Someone　must　be　persecuted；　you'll　admit。〃

〃Then　why　the〃

〃I　thought　that　your　good　old　Bunyip　would　look　in　on　us　before　long；〃　said　Courtland。　〃There's　no　possibility　of　discussing　delicate　points　in　theology　without　him。〃

〃I　think　we　had　better　go　home；〃　said　Ella。

〃We　must　have　some　consideration　for　our　host；〃　said　Courtland。　〃We　didn't　all　play　the　part　of　/Cagliostro/　to…night。〃

During　the　movement　of　her　circle　and　the　adjustment　of　wraps；　preparatory　to　the　delivery　of　a　valedictory　word　of　congratulation　to　the　great　actor；　Ella　said　in　a　low　tone　to　Herbert　Courtland：

〃Cagliostro？　No；　we　didn't　all　play　the　part；　butwell；　Cagliostro　was　a　weaver　of　spells。〃

There　was　a　pause　before　he　said：

〃Yes；　but　the　art　did　not　die　with　him。　He　had　a　daughter　to　whom　he　taught　his　art。〃

〃Not　that　I　ever　heard　of；〃　said　she。　〃What　do　you　think　of　Phyllis　Ayrton？〃

〃I　think　that　she　is　the　dearest　friend　of　my　dearest　friend；〃　he　replied。

〃And　I　should　like　her　to　become　the　dearest　friend　of　my　dearest　friend。〃

〃That　would　be　impossible；〃　he　said。

Then　the　felicitous　valedictory　word　was　said　to　the　great　actor　and　actress；　and　Mrs。　Linton's　carriage　received　Phyllis。　Lord　Earlscourt　took　a　seat　in　Mr。　Courtland's　hansom。

〃What　do　you　think　about　Mr。　Courtland？〃　inquired　Ella　of　her　dearest　friend；　as　they　lay　back　with　their　heads　very　close　together。

There　was　a　long　pause　before　Phyllis　replied：

〃I　really　don't　know　what　I　think　about　him。　He　is；　I　suppose；　the　bravest　man　alive　at　present。〃

〃What？　Is　that　the　result　of　your　half　hour's　chat　with　him？〃

〃Oh；　dear；　no！　but　all　the　same；　it's　pleasant　for　a　girl　to　feel　that　she　has　been　talking　to　a　brave　man。　It　gives　one　a　sense　ofofis　it　of　being　quite　safe？〃

〃Good　gracious；　no！　just　the　oppositethat　is　Oh；　you　don't　understand。〃

〃No；　I　don't。〃

〃Never　mind。　Tell　me　what　he　talked　about？〃

〃Oh；　everything！　God。〃

〃I　know　that　it　was　in　the　air。　He　has　ideas；　I　believe。　He　never　talked　on　that　topic　to　me。　I　hope　you　found　him　to　be　quite　sound；　theologically。〃

〃But　it　seems　rather　funny；　doesn't　it？〃　said　Phyllis；　〃but　I　really　don't　think　that　when　I　was　listening　to　him　I　considered　for　a　moment　whether　he　was　sound　or　the　opposite　in　his　views。〃

〃Funny？　It　would　have　been　rather　funny　if　you　had　done　that；〃　laughed　Ella。　〃The　question　that　a　healthy　girland　you　are　a　healthy　girl；　Phyllisasks　herself　after　talking　to　such　a　man　as　Herbert　Courtland　is　not；　Is　his　theology　sound？　What　healthy　girl　cares　the　fraction　of　a　farthing　about　the　theology　of　a　man　with　a　face　like　Herbert　Courtland's　and　arms　like　Herbert　Courtland's？　You　talked　with　him　for　half　an　hour；　and　then　come　to　me　and　say　that　you　suppose　he　is　the　bravest　man　alive　in　the　world。　That　was　rightquite　right。　That　is　just　what　every　healthy　girl　should　say。　We　understand　a　man's　thews　and　sinews；　we　likewise　understand　what　bravery　in　a　man　is；　but　what　do　we　know；　or；　for　that　matter；　care　about　his　theology；　whether　it　is　sound　or　the　opposite？　Nothing。　We　don't　even　care　whether　he　has　any　theology　or　not。〃

〃Good　gracious；　Ella！　one　would　fancy　that　you　thought〃

〃Thought　what？〃

〃I　don't　quite　know。　You　see　I　met　Mr。　Courtland　quite　casually；　just　as　I　met　a　dozen　men　at　various　places　during　the　week。　Why　should　you　question　me　more　closely　about　him　than　about　the　dozen　other　men？　He　only　talked　a　little　more　widely；　and　perhaps　wildly。　His　bravery　is　no　more　to　me　than　his　theology。〃

〃Of　course　it　isn't；　Phyllis。　But　there　was　the　case　of　George　Holland〃

〃That　is　very　different；　Ella。　I　had　engaged　myself　to　marry　George　Holland。　It　would　be　impossible　for　me　to　marry　any　man　who　had　shown　his　contempt　forfor　everything　that　I　regard　as　sacred。〃

〃I　believe　it　would；　if　you　didn't　love　that　man。　But　if　you　loved　the　man　Oh；　when　you　come　to　know　what　it　means　to　love　you　will　understand　all。　A　woman　before　she　loves　iswhat　is　she；　an　egg　before　it　is　hatched？　That　sounds　ridiculous。　Better　say　a　green　chrysalis　before　it　breaks　into　a　butterfly；　for　the　transition　comes　at　once。　Theology！　Oh；　my　Phyllis；　haven't　you　read　in　history；　true　historynovels　written　by　men　who　know　us　and　how　we　were　created；　and　whyhaven't　you　read　what　women　do　when　they　truly　love　a　man？　How　they　fling　every　consideration　to　the　winds：　heavenhomehusband　GodMrs。　Grundy？　Theology！　Ah；　you　are　a　healthy　girl。　You　never　cared　a　scrap　for　George　Holland。　You　were　glad　when　the　excuse　presented　itself　in　order　to　throw　him　over。〃

〃Yes；　I　believe　that　is　quite　true。〃

Ella's　cry　of　surprise；　and　her　laugh　that　followed；　shocked　her　companion；　and　feeling　that　this　was　the　case；　the　one　who　laughed　hastened　to　make　her　apologies。

〃Don't　be　annoyed　with　me；　dear；〃　she　cried。　〃But　I　really　couldn't　help　that　laugh　when　I　thought　of　your　earnestness　the　week　before　last。　Then；　you　will　remember；　you　were　in　great　pain　because　of　the　heterodoxy　of　George　Holland。　Didn't　I　tell　you　at　that　time　that　you　had　never　loved　him？　You　were　ready　to　assure　me　that　you　had；　and　that　you　were　making　a　great　sacrifice　to　your　principles？〃

〃I　remember　very　well；〃　said　Phyllis；　with　a　sound　that　was　not　far　removed　from　a　sob。

〃Ah；　you　are　a　puzzle　to　yourself；　you　poor　little　chrysalis；〃　said　Ella；　putting　the　meteoric　feathers　playfully　down　upon　the　serious　face　of　Phyllisits　seriousness　was　apparent　beneath　the　light　of　the　carriage　lamp。　〃No；　don't　make　the　attempt　to　explain　anything　to　me。　Don't　try　to　reconcile　your　frankness　now　with　your　pretense　then；　because　you'll　certainly　make　a　muddle　of　it；　and　because　no　such　attempt　is　ne