phyllis of philistia-第19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！


ly　correct。〃

〃Read　the　paper　and　you　will　see　how　detestably　false　all　the　charges　are；〃　cried　Phyllis；　rising；the　servants　had　now　left　the　room；and　picking　up　the　/Spiritual　Aneroid/　from　where　Ella　had　laid　it　on　a　chair。

Herbert　Courtland　had　not　yet　opened　it。　He　took　it　from　her；　saying：

〃Thank　you；　Miss　Ayrton。　But　I　really　don't　see　that　it　concerns　me　very　much　whether　or　not　the　charges　brought　against　me　are　true　or　false。　The　matter　is　certainly　one　for　thetheah/Spiritual　Aneroid/　and　its　special　/clientele/。〃

〃But　a　question　is　to　be　asked　about　it　in　the　House　of　Commons。　I　said　so　just　now；〃　cried　Phyllis。

〃And　even　the　House　of　Commons　doesn't　matter　much；〃　said　Ella。

〃That　is　what　papa　thought；〃　said　Phyllis　meekly。　〃Only　I　know　that　if　Mr。　Courtland　thought　it　worth　noticing；　papa　would　be　quite　pleased　to　put　a　counter　question。　That　is　why　I　came　here　to…day。〃

〃It　was　so　good　of　you；〃　said　the　man。

〃My　Phyllis　is　all　that　is　good。　Let　us　return　to　the　drawing　room；〃　said　Ella；　rising。

They　returned　to　the　drawing　room；　but　when　they　had　been　in　the　apartment　for　perhaps　four　minutes；　certainly　not　five；　Phyllis　said　it　was　necessary　for　her　to　hurry　home　in　order　that　the　afternoon　letters　should　be　sent　to　her　father　at　the　House。

With　another　word　of　appreciation　of　her　kindness；　Mr。　Courtland　held　her　hand　a　second　longer　than　was　absolutely　necessary　to　maintain　a　character　for　civility。

〃She　is　the　most　charming　girl　in　the　world；〃　remarked　Ella　to　the　visitor；　who　remained　when　Phyllis　had　left。

〃Is　she？〃　said　he。

〃I　know　it。　Don't　you？〃　asked　she。

〃How　do　I　know？〃　he　said。　〃I　have　thought　nothing　about　it。　If　you　say　she　is　charming；　I　am　pleased　to　hear　it。　It　matters　no　more　to　me　that　the　world　is　full　of　charming　girls　than　that　the　kraken　is　still　at　the　bottom　of　the　sea。　One　woman　fills　all　my　thoughts。　My　heart　is　full　of　her。〃

〃And　you　want　her　to　risk　the　salvation　of　her　soul　for　you？〃

〃Yes；　that　is　just　what　I　want。〃

He　remained　with　her　for　another　hour。



CHAPTER　XIV。

THE　HONORABLE　MEMBER　IS　CLEARLY　OUT　OF　ORDER。

Mr。　Ayrton　met　his　daughter　the　next　morning　with　the　good　news　that　he　had　found　among　his　specimen　cases　of　phrases；　one　that　would　effectually　silence　the　member　from　Wales　who　had　been　nominated　by　the　Nonconformist　Eastern　Missionary　Society　to　put　that　question　to　the　minister　of　the　Annexation　Department　on　the　subject　of　Mr。　Courtland；　the　explorer。　Mr。　Ayrton　was　the　better　pleased　at　his　discovery；　because　of　the　inoffensive　nature　of　the　phrase　which　he　had　taken　out　of　its　case；　so　to　speak。　As　a　rule；　he　did　not　mind　being　offensive　if　only　his　phrase　was　apt。　Only　people　who　had　no　artistic　appreciation　found　fault　with　the　tone　of　some　of　his　most　notable　phrases。　He　did　not　mind　whether　they　were　just　or　unjust；　they　said。　As　if　a　man　can　be　both　honest　and　witty　at　the　same　time！

It　so　happened；　however；　that　the　party　to　which　Mr。　Ayrton　belonged　had　become　greatly　concerned　in　respect　of　an　element　that　had　just　come　to　the　surface　to　still　further　complicate　the　course　of　politics。　This　was　the　Nonconformist　Consciencehitherto　a　/quantite　negligeable/　in　the　calculations　of　the　leaders；　but　now　one　that　it　appeared　absolutely　necessary　to　take　into　account　as　a　factor。　To　be　sure；　there　were　a　good　many　people　who　put　their　tongues　in　their　cheeks　when　any　mention　was　made　of　the　Nonconformist　Conscience：　they　said　it　was　no　more　to　be　taken　seriously　than　the　Spector　on　the　Brocken　or　the　Athanasian　Creed。　It　was　only　the　trick　of　an　electioneering　agent　desirous　of　escaping　from　an　untenable　position。

There　were　other　persons；　however　（mostly　Nonconformists）；　who　were　found　ready　to　declare　that　the　Nonconformist　Conscience　was　a　Great　and　Living　Truth。　The　only　point　upon　which　statesmen　of　all　parties　were　agreed　was　that　it　was　worth　purchasing。　The　Nonconformists　themselves；　upon　whom　the　Great　and　Living　Truth　was　sprung；　had　no　notion　at　first　that　it　could　be　turned　into　a　negotiable　security　occupying　as　high　a　place　in　the　market　as；　say；　Argentine　bonds。　But　it　did　not　take　them　very　long　to　find　out　that　even　an　abstraction　such　as　this　could　be　turned　to　good　account　by　discreet　maneuvering。　Truth　sometimes　is　heard　on　an　election　platform；　and　yet　truth　is　but　an　abstract　quality。　Why；　then　should　not　a　Great　and　Living　Truth　become　a　regular　gold　mine　to　its　inventor？　It　was　as　great　an　invention　as　the　art　of　electroplating；　which　it　closely　resembled；　and　a　quite　as　nice　thing　could　be　made　out　of　it　by　a　little　dexterous　manipulation。　If　the　conscience　is　silver；　the　Nonconformist　Conscience　is　at　least　electroplate　of　a　first…class　quality；　it　was　argued；　and　a　political　manifesto；　which　was　practically　a　financial　prospectus；　was　issued　with　a　view　of　floating　the　Nonconformist　Conscience　Company；　Limited。

English　politics　cannot　by　any　possibility　be　regarded　as　an　exact　science；　and　thus　it　was　that　all　political　parties　were　at　this　time　making　bids　for　shares　in　the　enterprise。　The　leaders　of　one　party；　in　fact；　expressed　themselves　ready　to　buy　up　the　whole　concern；　and　they　actually　tendered　bills　payable　at　twelve　months　for　all　the　vendors'　interest；　and　it　was　only　when　these　bills　became　due　and　were　returned　dishonored　that　the　shadowy　character　of　the　transaction　was　made　plain；　and　the　country　was　convulsed　at　the　disclosure　of　the　fact　that　the　vendors　had　disposed　of　a　perfectly　worthless　invention；　and　that　the　purchasers　had　paid　for　it　by　promises　that　were　equally　worthless。

All　this　happened　later；　however；　when　the　fuss　was　made　about　the　atrocities　by　an　explorer　in　New　Guinea；　and　Mr。　Ayrton　was　contemplating　a　counter　question　that　should　cast　ridicule　upon　the　missionaries　and　their　champion；　he　was　given　to　understand　by　the　leaders　of　his　party；　who；　it　was　believed；　had　a　small　parcel　of　baronetcies　done　up　in　official　twine；　with　blank　spaces　for　the　name　and　address　in　each；　awaiting　distribution　at　the　first　change　of　Government；　that　he　must　take　no　step　that　might　jeopardize　the　relations　of　the　party　with　the　vendors　of　the　Nonconformists　Conscience。　The　/Spiritual　Aneroid/　was　the　leading　Nonconformist　organ；　and　it　would　not　do　to　sneer　at　the　missionaries　whom　it　supported。　It　would　be　better　that　all　the　explorers　who　had　ever　risked　their　lives　on　behalf　of　civilization　should　go　by　the　board　than　that　a　single　vote　should　be　lost　to　the　party；　he　was　assured　by　the　Senior　Whip。

This　was　rather　irritating　to　the　artist　in　phrases；　because　it　stood　to　reason　that　the　majority　of　his　phrases　were　calculated　to　be　hurtful　to　his　opponents。　He　was　thus　quite　elated　when　he　came　upon　something　which　would；　he　felt　sure；　call　comment　in　the　press　at　the　expense　of　the　member　from　Wales　without　casting　any　slight　upon　Nonconformist　Missionary　enterprise。

He　read　out　the　thing　to　his　daughter；　and　he　was　surprised　to　find　that　she　was　not　appreciative　of　its　unique　charm。　This　was　rather　too　bad；　he　felt；　considering　that　it　was　she　who　had　enlisted　his　services　in　this　particular　matter。

〃I　don't　think　Mr。　Courtland　wants　anybody　to　take　his　part　in　Parliament　or　out　of　it；〃　said　she。　〃And　that's　why　I　think　it　would　be　better　to　let　that　Mr。　Apthomas　ask　his　question　without　interruption。　What　can　the　Minister　of　Annexation　say　except　that　he　has　no　information　on　the　subject；　and　that　if　he　had　he　could　not　interfere；　as　he　had　no　jurisdiction　on　the　Fly　River？〃

〃That　is　what　he　will　reply　as　a　matter　of　course；〃　said　her　father。　〃But　that　will　not　prevent　the　newspapers　that　are　on　the　side　of　Wales　and　the　missionaries　from　saying　what　they　please　in　the　way　of　comment　on　the　atrocities　in　New　Guinea。〃

〃Mr。　Courtland　will　not　mind　whatever　they　may　say；〃　cried　Phyllis。

〃That　was　the　view　I　took　of　the　matter　in　regard　to　Mr。　Courtland's　attitude　when　you　mentioned　it　to　me　at　first；〃　said　he。　〃I　didn't　suppose　that　he　was　the　man　to　be　broken　down　because　some　foolish　paper　attacks　him；　but　you　were　emphatic　in　your　denunciation　of　the　injustice　that　would　be　liable　to　be　done　if〃

〃Oh；　I　had　only　spoken　for　about　half　an　hour　to　Mr。　Courtland　then；〃　said　Phyllis。　〃I　think　I　know　him　better　now。〃

〃Yes；　you　have　spoken　with　him　for　another　half　hour；　you　therefore　know　him　twice　as　well　as　you　did；〃　remarked　her　father。　〃I　wonder　if　he　admitted　to　you　having　done　all　that　he　was　accused　of　doing。〃

He　saw　in　a　moment　from　the　little　uneasy　movement　of　her　eyes　that　he　had　made　an　excellent　guess　at　the　general　result　of　the　conversation　at　Mrs。　Linton's　little　lunch。　He　had　not　yet　succeeded　in　obtaining　any　details　from　his　daughter　regarding　her　visit　to　Ella。　She　had　merely　told　him　that　Ella　had　kept　her　to　lunch；　and　that　Mr。　Courtland　had　been　there　also。

〃Yes。　I　do　believe　that　he　admitted　everything；〃　he　continued；　with　a　laugh　as　he　thought　how　clever　he　was。　（He　had　frequent　reasons　for　laughing　that　laugh。）

〃No；〃　said　Phyllis　doubtfully；　〃he　did　not　admit　everything。〃

〃There　was　some　reservation？　Perhaps　it　was　melinite　that　he　employed　for　the　massacre　of　the　innocents　of　New　Guinea；　not　dynamite。