phyllis of philistia-第8节

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longest　campaign　on　record。　Yes；　Mr。　Courtland　said　so　two　days　ago。　I　think　I'll　try　some　more　of　that　lovely　cake：　it's　like　warm　ice；　isn't　it？　Oh；　you'll　not　be　so　foolish　as　to　throw　over　your　Mr。　Holland。〃

〃It　is　already　done；〃　said　Phyllis。　〃I'm　so　glad　that　you　like　the　cake。　It　is　very　subtle。　What　a　delightful　ideawarm　ice！〃

〃Never　mind　the　cake。　I　want　to　hear　more　of　this　matter　of　Mr。　Holland；〃　said　Ella。　〃Do　you　mean　to　tell　me　plainly　that　you　threw　over　Mr。　Holland　because　he　wrote　a　book　that　will　bring　him　fame　and　fortune？〃

〃I　have　thrown　over　Mr。　Holland　because　he　has　written　a　book　to　make　people　have　contempt　for　the　Bible；〃　said　Phyllis。

〃Then　all　I　can　say　is　that　you　were　never　in　love　with　the　man；〃　cried　Ella。

〃You　may　say　that　if　you　please。〃

〃I　do　say　it。　If　a　girl　really　loves　a　man；　she　will　marry　him　even　though　he　should　write　a　book　against　Darwin。　If　a　girl　really　loves　a　man　she　will　stand　by　him　all　the　closer　when　he　is　undergoing　a　course　of　honorable　persecution；　with　his　portrait　in　every　paper　that　one　picks　up。〃

〃I　dare　say　that　is　true　enough；〃　assented　Phyllis。　〃Perhaps　I　never　did　really　love　Mr。　Holland。　Perhaps　I　only　fancied　I　cared　for　him　because　I　saw　that　so　many　other　girlstook　to　wearing　chocolates　and　grays　and　kept　their　sleeves　down　just　when　sleeves　were　highest。〃

〃Of　course　it　was　only　natural　that　you　should　wish　towell；　colloquially；　to　wipe　the　eyes　of　the　other　girls。　How　many　girls；　I　should　like　to　know；　begin　to　think　of　a　man　as　a　possible　husband　until　they　perceive　that　the　thoughts　of　other　girls　are　turned　in　his　direction？〃

〃At　any　rate；　whatever　I　may　have　done　long　ago〃

〃Three　months　ago。〃

〃Three　months　ago。　Whatever　I　may　have　done　then；　I　know　that　I　don't　love　him　now。〃

〃Don't　be　too　sure；　my　dear　Phyllis。　If　there　is　one　thing　more　than　another　about　which　a　woman　should　never　be　positive；　it　is　whether　or　not　she　loves　a　particular　man。　What　mistakes　they　make！　No；　I'll　never　believe　that　you　turned　him　adrift　simply　because　he　wrote　something　disparagingly　about　Solomon；　or　was　it　David？　And　I　did　so　want　you　and　him　for　my　next　day；　I　meant　it　to　be　such　a　/coup/；　to　have　returned　to　town　only　a　week　and　yet　to　have　the　most　outrageously　unorthodox　parson　at　my　house。　Ah；　that　would　indeed　have　been　a　/coup/！　Never　mind；　I　can　at　least　have　the　beautiful　girl　who；　though　devoted　to　the　unorthodox　parson；　threw　him　over　on　account　of　his　unorthodoxy。〃

〃Yes；　you　are　certain　of　methat　is；　if　you　think　I　shouldif　it　wouldn't　seem　a　little〃

〃What　nonsense；　Phyllis！　Where　have　you　been　living　for　the　past　twenty…three　years　that　you　should　get　such　a　funny　notion　into　your　head？　Do　you　think　that　girls　nowadays　absent　themselves　from　felicity　awhile　when　they　find　it　necessary　to　becomewell；　disengagedyes；　or　divorced；　for　that　matter？〃

〃I　really　can't　recollect　any　case　of〃

〃Of　course　you　can't。　They　don't　exist。　The　proper　thing　for　a　women　to　do　when　she　gets　a　divorce　is　to　take　a　box　at　a　theatre　and　give　the　audience　a　chance　of　recognizing　her　from　her　portraits　that　have　already　appeared　in　the　illustrated　papers。　The　block　printing　has　done　that　too。　There's　not　a　theatre　manager　in　London　who　wouldn't　give　his　best　box　to　a　woman　who　has　come　straight　from　the　divorce　court。　The　managers　recognize　the　fact　that　she　is　in　the　same　line　as　themselves。　But　for　you；　my　dear　Phyllisoh；　you　will　never　do　him　the　injustice　to　keep　your　throwing　over　of　him　a　secret。〃

〃Injustice？　Oh；　Ella！〃

〃I　say　injustice。　Good　gracious；　child！　cannot　you　see　that　if　it　becomes　known　that　the　girl　who　had　promised　to　marry　him　has　broken　off　her　engagement　to　him　simply　because　he　has　written　that　book；　the　interest　that　attaches　to　him　on　account　of　his　unorthodoxy　will　be　immeasurably　increased？〃

〃I　will　not　do　him　the　injustice　of　fancying　for　a　moment　that　he　would　be　gratified　on　this　account。　Whatever　he　may　be；　Ella；　he　is　at　least　sincere　and　single…minded　in　his　aims。〃

〃I　have　no　doubt　of　it；　my　only　joy。　But　however　sincere　a　man　may　be　in　his　aims；　he　still　cannot　reasonably　object　to　the　distinction　that　is　thrust　upon　him　when　he　has　done　something　out　of　the　common。　The　men　who　make　books　know　that　that　sort　of　thing　pays。　Someone　told　me　the　other　dayI　believe　it　was　Herbert　Courtlandthat　it　is　the　men　who　write　books　embodying　a　great　and　noble　aim　who　make　the　closest　bargains　with　their　publishers。　I　heard　of　a　great　and　good　clergyman　the　other　day　who　wrote　a　Life　of　Christ；　and　then　complained　in　the　papers　of　his　publishers　having　only　given　him　a　miserable　percentage　on　the　profits。　That　is　how　they　talk　nowadays；　the　profit　resulting　from　the　Life　of　Christ　is　to　be　measured　in　pounds；　shillings；　and　pence。〃

〃Mr。　Holland　is　not　a　man　of　this　stamp；　Ella。〃

〃I'm　sure　he　is　not。　At　the　same　time　if　he　isn't　prosecuted　for　heterodoxy　no　one　will　be　more　disappointed　than　Mr。　Holland；　unless；　indeed；　it　be　Mr。　Holland's　publisher。　Who　would　begrudge　the　martyr　his　halo；　dear？　Even　the　most　sincere　and　single…minded　martyr　has　an　eye　on　that　halo。　The　halo　of　the　up…to…date　martyr　is　made　up　of　afternoon　teas　provided　by　fair　women；　and　full…page　portraits　in　the　illustrated　papers。〃

〃And　all　this　leads　towhat？〃

〃It　leads　tolet　me　seeoh；　yes；　it　leads　to　your　appearance　at　my　little　gathering。　Of　course；　you'll　come。　Believe　me；　you'll　not　feel　the　least　uncomfortable。　You　will　be　The　Girl　who　Sacrificed　her　Love　for　Conscience'　Sake。　That's　a　good　enough　qualification　for　distinction　on　the　part　of　any　girl　in　these　hard　times。　But　I　might　have　known　long　ago　that　you　would　play　this　part。　That　sweetly　pathetic　voice；　with　that　firm　mouth　and　those　lovely　soft　gray　eyes　that　would　seem　to　a　casual　observer　to　neutralize　the　firmness　of　the　mouth。　Oh；　yes；　my　Phyllis；　you　have　undoubtedly　/la　physionomie　du　role/。〃

〃What　/role/？〃

〃The　/role/　of　the　girl　who　is　on　the　side　of　the　Bible。〃

〃I　am　certainly　on　the　side　of　the　Bible。〃

〃And　so　am　I。　So　I　will　look　for　you　to　be　by　my　side　on　Tuesday　week；　and　as　often　as　you　please　in　the　meantime。　By　the　way；　you　will　probably　meet　Herbert　Courtland　at　our　house。　He　is　the　New　Guinea　man；　you　know。〃

〃Of　course　I　know。　You　talk　of　wanting　heroes　in　orthodoxy　at　your　house；　while　you　have　Mr。　Courtland；　the　New　Guinea　explorer；　drinking　his　tea　at　your　elbow？　Oh；　go　away！〃

〃I　hope　you　will　like　him。　We　saw　a　good　deal　of　him　in　Italy；　and　will　probably　see　a　good　deal　of　him　here。〃

〃I'm　certain　to　like　him：　you　like　him。〃

〃Ah；　that's　what　you　said　to　the　young　women　who　put　off　their　colors　and　took　to　sackcloth　in　the　presence　of　Mr。　Holland。　Don't　be　too　sure　that　you　will　like　any　man　because　other　women　like　him。　Now；　I　have；　as　usual；　remained　too　long　with　you。　I'm　greatly　impressed　with　the　situation　of　the　moment。　I　don't　say　that　I　think　you　are　wrong；　mind　you。　Girls　should　always　be　on　the　side　of　the　Bible。　At　any　rate　you　have；　I　repeat；　/la　physionomie　du　role/；　and　you　can't　be　far　astray　if　you　act　up　to　it。　Good…bye；　my　dearest。〃



CHAPTER　VII。

THE　DEFENSE　OF　HOLLAND。

Ella　Linton　drove　to　a　certain　shop　not　far　from　Piccadilly；the　only　shop　where　the　arranging　of　feathers　is　treated　as　a　science　independent　of　the　freaks　of　fashion；and　at　the　door　she　met　a　tall　man　with　the　complexion　of　mahogany　but　with　fair　hair　and　mustache。　People　nudged　one　another　and　whispered　his　name　as　they　walked　past　him　before　standing　at　the　shop　window；　pretending　to　admire　the　feathers；　but　in　reality　to　glance　furtively　round　at　the　man。

The　name　that　they　whispered　to　one　another　after　the　nudge　was　Herbert　Courtland。

He　took　off　his　hatit　was　a　tall　silk　one；　but　no　one　who　knew　anything　could　avoid　feeling　that　it　should　have　been　a　solar　toupee　when　Mrs。　Linton　stepped　from　her　victoria。

〃Oh；　you　here！〃　said　she。　〃Who　on　earth　would　expect　to　see　you　here？〃

〃You；〃　said　he。

〃What？〃

〃You　asked　me　a　question。　I　answered　it。〃

She　laughed　as　they　walked　together　to　the　door　of　the　feather　shop。

〃It　appears　to　me　that　you　have　a　very　good　opinion　of　yourself　and　a　very　bad　one　of　me；〃　she　remarked；　smiling　up　to　his　face。

〃That's　just　where　you　make　a　mistake；〃　said　he。

〃How？〃

〃If　I　did　not　think　well　of　you　I　should　not　have　ordered　Parkinson　to　make　you　a　fan　of　the　tail　of　the　meteor。〃

〃Oh；　Bertie；　you　have　done　that？〃

〃Why　should　I　not　do　it？〃

〃But　it　is　the　only　one　in　the　world。〃

〃Ah；　that's　just　it。　You　are　the　only　one　in　the　world。〃

She　laughed　again；　looking　up　to　his　face。

〃Well；　we'll　have　a　look　at　it；　anyway；〃　said　she。

They　went　into　the　shop　to　see　the　tail　feathers　of　that　wonderful　meteor…bird　which　Herbert　Courtland　had　just　brought　back　from　New　Guinea　with　himthe　most　glorious　thing　that　nature　had　produced　and　a　great　explorer　had　risked　his　life　to　acquire；　in　order　that　Mrs。　Linton　might　have　a　unique　feathered　fan。



About　the　same　time　the　Rev。　George　Holland　met　in　the　same　thoroughfare　his　friend　and　patron；　the　Earl　of　Earlscourt。

〃By　the　Lord　Harry；　you've　done　for　yourself　now；　my　hearty！〃　cried　the　earl。　〃What　the　blaz