phyllis of philistia-第15节

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ad　never　slept　a　night　for　years　without　reading　a　chapter；　and　in　order　to　avert　the　possibility　of　her　own　feelings　or　fancies　of　the　moment　making　any　invidious　distinction　between　the　various　component　parts　of　a　book　which　is　profitable　in　every　line；　she　had　accustomed　herself　to　read　the　chapters　in　consecutive　order　from　The　Genesis　to　The　Revelation。　Sometimes；　when　she　found　herself　face　to　face　of　a　night　with　a　purely　genealogical　chapter；　Phyllis　of　Philistia　had　difficulty　in　crushing　down　her　unworthy　desire　to　turn　to　some　chapter　that　seemed　to　her　frail　judgment　to　contain　words　of　wider　comfort　to　the　children　of　men　than　a　genealogical　tree　of　the　Children　of　Israel；　but　she　had　never　yielded　to　so　unworthy　an　impulse。　Who　was　she　that　she　should　suggest　that　one　part　of　the　Sacred　Book　was　calculated　to　be　more　profitable　than　another？　Was　it　not　all　the　Bible？

She　had　plowed　her　way　through　the　slough　of　Hebrew　names　upon　these　occasions；　and　the　blessing　of　the　words　had　been　borne　to　her　in　the　form　of　a　sweet　sleep。

Her　chapter　for　this　night　was　that　which　describes　the　campaign　of　David；　during　which　he　and　his　hosts　were　besieged　in　their　earthworks；　and　how　the　three　mighty　men　had　made　a　sortie　through　the　camp　of　the　enemy　in　order　to　obtain　for　their　leader　a　cup　of　water。

She　continued　the　chapter　to　the　end；　but　all　through　it　those　words　were　ringing　in　her　ears：

〃It　is　the　price　of　blood；　it　is　the　price　of　blood。〃

And　as　she　knelt　down　beside　her　bed；　her　bare　white　feet　peeping　out　from　beneath　the　drapery　of　her　white　night…dress；　in　a　posture　that　would　have　made　the　most　human　atheist　believe　in　the　beauty　of　devotion；　those　words　were　still　in　her　ears：　〃The　price　of　blood；　the　price　of　blood。〃

Good　Heavens！　How　could　she　carry　that　feather　fan？　How　could　Ella　Linton　hold　it　up　to　her　facehold　her　face　down　to　it；　flutter　its　fairy　fluff　upon　her　cheeks？　It　was　the　price　of　blood。　Herbert　Courtland　had　run　a　greater　risk　to　obtain　those　feathers　than　David's　mighty　men　had　run　to　draw　the　water　from　the　well。　She　had　heard　all　about　the　insatiable　savagery　of　the　natives　of　New　Guinea。　Paradise？　Who　had　named　those　birds　the　birds　of　paradise？　She　recollected　how　the　feathers　which　Ella　had　whirled　about　had　held　in　the　very　center　of　every　wonderful　disc　of　rich　purple；　edged　with　unequal　radiating　lines　of　gold；　a　single　spot　of　brilliant　crimson；　with　a　tiny　star　of　silver　in　the　center。　The　effect　of　the　sunlight　glinting　over　this　combination　on　the　thousand　feathers　that　swept　after　the　bird　had　caused　Herbert　Courtland；　the　first　white　man　who　had　seen　this　glory　of　glories；　to　call　it　the　meteor…bird。　But　those　crimson　drops：　were　they　not　the　blood　of　the　men　who　had　perished　miserably　while　endeavoring　to　wrest　its　marvels　from　the　tropical　forests　of　that　great　island？

Paradise？

And　Ella　could　treat　those　feathers　as　though　they　had　been　plucked　from　a　tame　pheasant？　And　now　she　was　lying　in　her　bed　with　the　fan　on　the　pillow　beside　her！

How　could　she　do　it？　That　was　what　the　girl　asked　herself　while　she　lay　awake　on　her　own　bed。　Would　Ella　not　see；　on　the　white　pillow　beside　her　head；　the　crimson　stains　of　the　feathers　that　had　been　snatched　out　of　the　dripping　red　hand　of　death；　but　the　man　who　had　not　feared　to　grapple　with　death　itself　in　that　hell　which　people　called　a　paradise？

But　the　man；　the　man　who　had　gripped　death　by　the　throat　and　had　torn　the　feathers　from　his　grisly；　fleshless　fingers；her　imagination　was　very　vivid　at　night；　especially　after　reading　a　thrilling　chapter　of　Hebrew　massacre；that　man　had　talked　with　her　upon　such　trifles　as　books　and　plays；　strange　pageants　enacted　among　paper　and　canvas　unrealities　of　life。　She　had　actually　been　leaning　against　some　of　these　painted　scenes　while　the　man　who　had　fought　his　way　into　the　depths　of　that　forest　which　no　white　man　but　himself　had　yet　penetrated；the　man　whose　life　had；　day　by　day　and　night　by　night；　been　dependent　upon　the　accuracy　of　his　rifle　aim；had　talked　with　her。

That　was　really　the　sum　of　all　her　thoughts。　She　did　not　try　to　recall　the　words　that　he　had　spoken；　it　was　simply　the　figure　of　the　man　who　had　been　before　her　that　now　remained　on　her　mind。　She　did　not　stop　to　think　whether　or　not　he　had　spoken　as　a　man　with　intellect　would　speak；　whether　he　had　spoken　as　a　man　whose　orthodoxy　was　beyond　suspicion　would　speak。　The　question　of　his　orthodoxy；　of　his　intellect　（which　may　be　just　the　opposite）；　did　not　occur　to　her。　All　she　felt　was　that　she　had　been　talking　face　to　face　with　a　man。

So　that　the　result　of　her　evening's　entertainment；　after　she　had　read　her　inspiring　chapter　in　the　Bible　and　said　her　bedside　prayer；　she　might　have　defined　in　precisely　the　same　words　as　she　had　spoken　to　her　friend　Ella　when　Ella　had　asked　her；　immediately　on　entering　the　carriage；　what　she　thought　of　Herbert　Courtland。

〃He　is　the　bravest　man　in　the　world　at　present。〃

She　did　not　fall　asleep　for　a　considerable　time。



CHAPTER　XI。

I'M　AFRAID　THAT　I　MUST　HAVE　PRINCIPLE　ON　MY　SIDE。

〃It　is　quite　ridiculous；　besides　being　untrue；〃　said　Phyllis；　when　she　had　read　the　article　in　the　newspaper　to　which　her　father　called　her　attention　one　morning；　a　week　after　the　criticism　on　〃Cagliostro〃　had　appeared。　The　article　was　headed：

〃DYNAMITE　VERSUS　EVANGELIZATION；〃

and　it　came　out　in　a　weekly　paper　devoted　to　the　interests　of　Nonconformists。

　　〃It　is　with　the　deepest　regret　that　we　have　to　call　the　attention　　　of　our　readers　and　the　public　＇the　article　ran＇　to　the　series　of　　　charges　brought　by　the　Revs。　Joseph　Capper　and　Evans　Jones；　the　　　eminent　pioneers　of　the　Nonconformist　Eastern　Mission；　against　a　　　gentleman　to　whom　a　considerable　amount　of　honor　is　just　now　being　　　given　by　the　Royal　Geographical　Society；　the　Ethnological　　　Institute；　the　Ornithological　Association；　and　other　secular　　　organizations；　on　account　of　his　exploration　in　the　Island　of　New　　　Guinea。　It　is　scarcely　necessary　to　say　that　we　allude　to　Mr。　　　Herbert　Courtland。　The　position　which　has　been　occupied　for　　　several　years　by　the　two　distinguished　ministers　whose　self　　　sacrifice　in　endeavoring　to　spread　the　Light　through　the　dark　　　places　of　the　tropical　forests　of　a　savage　land　is　well　known　to　　　the　subscribers　to　the　N。　E。　M。；　precludes　the　possibility　of　a　　　mistake　being　made　in　this　matter；　and　yet　they　declare　in　a　　　letter　which　we　publish　this　morning　that　the　manner　in　which　Mr。　　　Courtland　pursued　his　so…called　explorations　in　the　forests　which　　　line　the　banks　of　the　Fly　River　has　practically　made　impossible　　　all　attempts　at　mission　work　in　that　region。　In　several　directions　　　it　is　not　denied　that　Mr。　Courtland　entered　into　friendly　　　relations　with　some　native　tribes；　but　instead　of　endeavoring　to　　　make　the　poor　benighted　creatures　acquainted　with　the　Truth；　he　　　actually　purchased　as　slaves　over　a　hundred　of　them　to　aid　him　in　　　penetrating　the　Kallolu　forest；　where；　it　will　be　remembered；　he　　　succeeded　in　shooting　the　much　illustrated　meteor…bird；　as　well　as　　　several　other　specimens　which　will　delight　the　members　of　the　　　Ornithological　Association　rather　than　professing　Christians。　Our　　　distinguished　correspondents　state；　and　we　have　no　room　to　doubt　　　their　word；　that　Mr。　Courtland　purchased　his　slaves　by　a　promise　　　to　assist　the　head　man　of　their　tribe　against　his　enemies　　　belonging　to　another　tribea　promise　which　he　only　too　amply　　　fulfilled；　the　result　being　an　indiscriminate　slaughter　of　savages　　　who；　though　avowed　cannibals；　might　eventually　have　embraced　the　　　truths　of　Nonconformity。　The　elephant　rifles　of　the　explorer　did　　　their　deadly　work　only　too　efficiently；　but　we　trust　that；　for　his　　　own　sake；　Mr。　Courtland　will　be　able　to　bring　forward　trustworthy　　　evidence　to　rebut　the　suspicion　of　his　having　upon　at　least　one　　　occasion　induced　even　the　friendly　natives　to　believe　that　he　　　possessed　the　power　of　the　Deity　to　perform　miracles；　and　upon　　　another　occasion　of　having　used　dynamite　against　them　by　which　　　hundreds　were　destroyed　in　cold　blood。　It　is　the　evil　influences　　　of　such　irresponsible　men　as　Mr。　Courtland；　whose　ill…directed　　　enterprise　we　cannot　in　justice　to　him　refrain　from　acknowledging；　　　that　retard　the　efforts　of　those　noble　pioneers　of　Nonconformity　　　who　have　already　made　such　sacrifices　for　the　cause；　and　who　　　rejoice　at　the　difficulties　with　which　they　find　themselves　beset。　　　We　understand　that　a　question　will　be　put　to　the　Minister　for　the　　　Annexation　Department　in　the　House　of　Commons　toward　the　latter　　　end　of　the　week；　on　the　subject　of　the　alleged　excesses　of　the　　　most　recent　explorer　（so…called）　of　New　Guineaexcesses　which　if　　　committed　in　Bulgaria　or　Armenia；　or　even　Ireland；　would　have　　　called　for　an　expression　of　the　horror　of　Christian　Europe；　and　we　　　may　mention　that　subscriptions　on　behalf　of　the　Revs。　Joseph　　　Capper　and　Evans　Jones　will　be　received　at　the　office　of　this　　　paper　to　enable　them　to　substantiate　the　truth　of　their　　　statements。〃

〃It　is　quite　ridiculous；　besides　being　untrue；　papa；〃　cried　Phyllis；　〃and　I　hope　that　you　will　not　fail　to　take　his　part　and　show　the　falsehood　of　such　accusations。　Could　any