phyllis of philistia-第31节

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s　arms　and　kissed　him！　Oh；　God；　forgive　me！〃

That　was　her　prayer　for　the　greater　part　of　the　night　as　she　lay　in　her　white　bed。

She　felt　that　she　had　sinned　grievously　in　thought　against　her　friend；　when　she　recalled　the　way　in　which　her　friend　had　thrown　herself　into　the　arms　of　her　husband。　That　was　the　one　action　which　the　girl　felt　should　entitle　Ella　Linton　to　be　the　subject　of　no　such　horrid　thought　as　had　been　for　a　shocking　instant　forced　upon　her　mind；　when　she　reflected　upon　the　strange　passion　which　had　tingled　through　Ella's　repetition　of　the　fiery　words　of　/Juliet/。

She　recalled　every　strange　element　in　the　incident　of　Ella's　appearance　in　the　drawing　room：　the　way　in　which　Ella　had　kissed　her　and　clung　to　her　as　a　child　might　have　done　on　finding　someone　to　protect　it；　she　recalled　the　wild　words　which　Ella　had　uttered；　and；　finally；　the　terrible　expression　which　had　appeared　on　her　face　as　she　whispered　that　reckless　answer　to　Phyllis'　question；　when　she　had　picked　up　her　wrap　and　flung　it　around　her　just　before　the　sound　of　footsteps　had　come　to　their　ears。　All　that　she　recalled　in　connection　with　that　extraordinary　visit　of　Ella's　was　quite　intelligible　to　her；　but　the　mystery　of　all　was　more　than　neutralized　by　her　recollection　of　the　way　Ella　had　thrown　herself　into　her　husband's　arms。　That　action　should；　she　felt；　be　regarded　as　the　one　important　factor；　as　it　were；　in　the　solution　of　the　problem　of　Ella's　moodElla's　series　of　moods。　Nothing　else　that　she　had　done；　nothing　that　she　had　said；　was　worthy　of　being　taken　account　of；　alongside　that　dominant　act　of　the　true　wife。

The　little　whisper　which　suggested　to　her　that　there　was　a　good　deal　that　was　mysterious　in　the　incident　of　her　friend's　visit　she　refused　to　regard　as　rendering　it　less　obligatory　on　herPhyllisto　pray　that　she　might　be　forgiven　that　horrid　suspicion　which；　for　an　instant；　had　come　to　her；　and　so　she　fell　asleep　praying　to　God　to　forgive　her　for　her　sin　（in　thought）　against　her　friend。

And　while　Phyllis　was　praying　her　prayer；　her　friend；　the　True　Wife；　was　praying　with　her　face　down　upon　her　pillow；　and　her　bare　arms　stretched　out　over　the　white　lace　of　the　bed：

〃Forgive　me；　O　God；　forgive　me！　and　keep　him　away　from　meforever　and　ever　and　ever。　Amen。〃

And　while　both　these　prayers　were　being　prayed；　Herbert　Courtland　was　sitting　on　one　of　the　deck　stools　of　the　yacht　/Water　Nymph/；　looking　back　at　the　many　lights　that　gleamed　in　clusters　along　the　southern　coast　of　England；　now　far　astern；　for　a　light　breeze　was　sending　the　boat　along　with　a　creaming；　quivering　wake。　In　the　bows　a　youth　was　making　the　night　hideous　through　the　agency　of　a　banjo　and　a　sham　negro　melody。　Amidships；　Lord　Earlscourt　and　two　other　men　were　playing；　by　the　light　of　a　lantern　slung　from　the　backstay；　a　game　called　poker；　Lord　Earlscourt；　at　every　fresh　deal；　trying　to　make　the　rest　understand　how　greatly　the　worry　of　being　held　responsible；　as　the　patron　of　the　living　of　St。　Chad's；　for　the　eccentricities　of　his　rector；　had　affected　his　nervesa　matter　upon　which　his　friends　assured　him；　with　varied　degrees　of　emphasis；　they　were　in　no　way　interested。

Within　a　few　feet　of　these　congenial　shipmates　Herbert　Courtland　sat　looking　across　the　shining　ripples　to　the　shining　lights　of　the　coast；　wondering　how　he　came　to　be　on　the　sea　instead　of　on　the　shore。　Was　this　indeed　the　night　over　which　his　imagination　had　gloated　for　months？　Was　it　indeed　possible　that　this　was　the　very　night　following　the　dayThursdayfor　which　he　had　engaged　himself　in　accordance　with　the　letter　that　he　still　carried　in　his　pocket？

How　on　earth　did　it　come　that　he　was　sitting　with　his　arm　over　the　bulwarks　of　a　yacht　instead　of　Oh；　the　thing　was　a　miraclea　miracle！　He　could　think　of　it　in　no　other　light　than　that　of　a　miracle。

Well；　if　it　were　a　miracle；　it　had　been　the　work　of　God；　and　God　had　to　be　thanked　for　it。　He　had　explained　to　Phyllis　once　that　he　thought　of　God　only　as　a　Principleas　the　Principle　which　worked　in　opposition　to　the　principle　of　nature。　That　was　certainly　the　God　which　had　been　evolved　out　of　modern　civilization。　The　pagan　gods　had　been　just　the　opposite。　They　had　been　founded　on　natural　principles。　The　Hebrew　tradition　that　God　had　made　man　in　his　own　image　was　the　reverse　of　the　scheme　of　the　pagan　man　who　had　made　God　after　his　own　image；　in　the　image　of　man　created　he　God。

But　holding　the　theory　that　he　heldthat　God　was　the　sometimes　successful　opponent　to　the　principles　of　nature　（which　he　called　the　Devil）Herbert　Courtland　felt　that　this　was　the　very　God　to　whom　his　thanks　were　due　for　the　miracle　that　had　been　performed　on　his　behalf。

〃Thank　Godthank　Godthank　God！〃　he　murmured；　looking　out　over　the　rippling　waters；　steel　gray　in　the　soft　shadow　of　the　summer's　night。

But　then　he　held　that　〃thank　God〃　was　but　a　figure　of　speech。

〃Tinky…tink；　tinky…tink；　tinky…tinky…tinky…tinky…tinky…tinky…tink；〃　went　the　youth　with　the　banjo　in　the　bows。



CHAPTER　XXIII。

ITS　MOUTHINGS　OF　THE　PAST　HAD　BECOME　ITS　MUMBLINGS　OF　THE　PRESENT。

It　was　very　distressingvery　disappointing！　The　bishop　would　neither　institute　proceedings　against　the　rector　of　St。　Chad's　nor　state　plainly　if　it　was　his　intention　to　proceed　against　that　clergyman。　When　some　people　suggested　very　delicatelythe　way　ordinary　people　would　suggest　anything　to　a　bishopthat　it　was　surely　not　in　sympathy　with　the　organization　of　the　Church　for　any　clergyman　to　take　advantage　of　his　position　and　his　pulpit　to　cast　sometimes　ridicule；　sometimes　abuse；　upon　certain　〃scriptural　characters〃that　was　their　phrasewho　had　hitherto　always　been　regarded　as　sacred；　comparatively　sacred；　the　bishop　had　brought　the　tips　of　the　fingers　of　one　hand　in　immediate；　or　almost　immediate；　contact　with　the　tips　of　the　fingers　of　his　other　hand；　and　had　shaken　his　headmournfully；　sadly。　These　signs　of　acquiescence；　trifling　though　they　were；　had　encouraged　the　deputation　that　once　waited　on　his　lordshiptwo　military　men　（retired　on　the　age　clause）；　an　officer　of　engineers　（on　the　active　list）；　a　solicitor　（retired）；　and　a　member　of　the　London　County　Council　（by　occupation　an　ironmonger）；　to　express　the　direct　opinion　that　the　scandal　which　had　been　created　by　the　disseminationthe　unrebuked　disseminationof　the　doctrines　held　by　the　rector　of　St。　Chad's　was　affording　the　friends　of　Disestablishment　an　additional　argument　in　favor　of　their　policy　of　spoliation。　At　this　statement　his　lordship　had　nodded　his　head　three　times　with　a　gravity　that　deeply　impressed　the　spokesman　of　the　deputation。　He　wondered　if　his　lordship　had　ever　before　heard　that　phrase　about　the　furnishing　of　an　additional　argument　to　the　friends　of　Disestablishment。　（As　a　matter　of　fact　his　lordship　had　heard　it　before。）

After　an　expression　of　the　deputation's　opinion　that　immediate　steps　should　be　taken　to　make　the　rector　of　St。　Chad's　amenable　to　the　laws　of　the　Church；

His　lordship　replied。

（It　was　his　facility　in　making　conciliatory　replies　that　had　brought　about　his　elevation　in　the　Church）：

He　referred　to　（1）　his　deep　appreciation　of　the　sincerity　of　the　deputation；　（2）　his　own　sense　of　responsibility　in　regard　to　the　feelings　of　the　weaker　brethren；　（3）　his　appreciation　of　the　value　of　the　counsel　of　practical　men　in　many　affairs　of　the　Church；　（4）　the　existing　position　of　the　Church　in　regard　to　the　laity；　（5）　the　friendly　relations　that　had　always　existed　between　himself　personally　and　the　clergy　of　his　extensive　diocese；　（6）　his　earnest　and　prayerful　desire　that　these　relations　might　be　strengthened；　（7）　the　insecurity　of　a　house　divided　against　itself；　（8）　the　progress　of　socialism；　（9）　the　impossibility　of　socialism　commending　itself　to　Englishmen；　（10）　the　recent　anarchist　outrages；　（11）　the　purity　of　the　Court　of　her　Majesty　the　Queen；　（12）　the　union　of　all　Christian　Churches；　（13）　the　impossibility　of　such　union　ever　becoming　permanent；　（14）　the　value　of　Holy　Scripture　in　daily　life；　（15）　his　firm　belief　in　the　achievement　of　England's　greatness　by　means　of　the　open　Bible；　（16）　the　note　of　pessimism　in　modern　life；　（17）　the　necessity　for　the　Church's　combating　modern　pessimism；　（18）　the　Church's　position　as　a　purveyor　of　healthy　literature　for　the　young；　（19）　his　reluctance　to　take　up　any　more　of　their　valuable　time；　and　（20）　his　assurance　that　the　remarks　of　their　spokesman　would　have　his　earnest　and　prayerful　attention。

The　deputation　then　thanked　his　lordship　and　withdrew。

But　still　the　bishop　made　no　move　in　the　matter；　and　the　friends　of　the　Rev。　George　Holland　felt　grievously　disappointed。　They　had　counted　on　the　bishop's　at　least　writing　a　letter　of　remonstrance　to　the　rector　of　St。　Chad's；　and　upon　the　publication　of　the　letter；　with　the　rector's　reply　in　the　newspapers；　but　now　quite　two　months　had　passed　since　the　appearance　of　〃Revised　Versions；〃　the　bishop　had　returned　from　the　Engadine；　and　still　there　were　no　indications　of　his　intention　to　make　the　Rev。　George　Holland　responsible　to　the　right　tribunalwhatever　that　wasfor　his　doctrines。　They　counted　on　his　martyrdom　within　six　months；　and；　consequently；　upon　his　election　to　a　position　of　distinction　in　the　eyes　of　his　fellow…country…menor；　at