phyllis of philistia-第29部分

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cial　remonstrance　that　might　be　offered　to　him。　Still　he　made　no　sign。　He　preached　at　least　one　sermon　every　Sunday　morning；　and　whenever　it　was　known　that　he　would　preach；　St。　Chad's　was　crowded　and　the　offertory　was　all　that　could　be　desired。　The　bishop's　chaplain　no　longer　held　a　watching　brief　in　regard　in　regard　to　those　sermons。　He　did　not　think　it　worth　while　to　do　so　much；　George　Holland's　friends　said；　shaking　their　heads　and　pursing　out　their　lips。　Oh；　yes！　there　could　be　no　doubt　that　the　bishop　was　a　very　weak　sort　of　man。

But　then　suddenly　there　appeared　in　the　new　number　of　the　/Zeit　Geist　Review/　an　article　above　the　signature　of　George　Holland；　entitled　〃The　Enemy　to　Christianity；〃　and　in　a　moment　it　became　pretty　plain　that　George　Holland　had　not　in　his　〃Revised　Versions；〃　said　the　last　word　that　he　had　to　say　regarding　the　attitude　of　the　Church　of　England　in　respect　of　the　non…church…goers　of　the　day。　When　people　read　the　article　they　asked　〃Who　is　the　Enemy　to　Christianity　referred　to　by　the　writer？〃　and　they　were　forced　to　conclude　that　the　answer　which　was　made　to　such　an　inquiry　by　the　article　itself　was；　〃The　Church。〃

He　pointed　out　the　infatuation　which　possessed　the　heads　of　the　Church　of　England　in　expecting　to　appeal　with　success　to　the　educated　people　of　the　present　day；　while　still　declining　to　move　with　the　course　of　thought　of　the　people。　Already　the　braying　of　a　trombone　out　of　tune；　and　the　barbarous　jingle　of　a　tambourine；　had　absorbed　some　hundred　thousand　of　possible　church…goers；　and　though；　of　course；　it　was　impossible　for　sensible　men　and　womenthe　people　whom　the　Church　should　endeavor　to　grapple　to　its　soul　with　hooks　of　steelto　look；　except　with　amused　sadness；　at　the　ludicrous　methods　and　vulgar　ineptitude　of　the　Salvation　Army；　still　the　Church　was　making　no　effort　to　provide　the　sensible；　thinking；　educated　people　of　England　with　an　equivalent　as　suitable　to　their　requirements　as　the　Salvation　Army　was　to　the　requirements　of　the　foolish；　the　hysterical；　the　unthinking　people　who　played　the　tambourines　and　brayed　on　the　tuneless　trombones。　Thus　it　is　that　one　man　says　to　another　nowadays；　when　he　has　got　nothing　better　to　talk　about；　〃Are　you　a　man　of　intelligence；　or　do　you　go　to　church？〃

Men　of　intelligence　do　not　go　to　church　nowadays；　Mr。　Holland　announced　in　that　article　of　his　in　the　/Zeit　Geist/；　many　women　of　intelligence　refrain　from　going；　he　added；　though　many　beautifully　dressed　women　were　still　frequent　attenders。　There　was　no　blinking　the　fact　that　the　crass　stupidity　of　the　Church　had　made　church…going　unpopularalmost　impossiblewith　intelligent　men　and　women。　The　Church　insulted　the　intelligence　by　trying　to　reconcile　the　teachings　of　Judaism　with　the　teachings　of　Christianity；　when　the　two　were　absolutely　irreconcilable。　It　was　the　crass　stupidity　of　the　Church　that　had　caused　itfor　its　self…protection；　it　fanciedto　bitterly　oppose　every　truth　that　was　revealed　to　man。　The　Church　had　tortured　and　burned　at　the　stake　the　great　men　to　whom　God　had　revealed　the　great　facts　of　nature's　workingsthe　motion　of　the　earth　and　the　other　planets。　But　these　facts；　being　Divine　Truth；　became　accepted　by　the　world　in　spite　of　the　thumb…screws　and　the　fagotsthe　arguments　of　the　Church　against　Divine　Truth。　The　list　of　the　Divine　Truths　which　the　Church　had　bitterly　opposed　was　a　sickening　document。　Geography；　Geology；　Biologythe　progress　of　all　had；　even　within　recent　years；　been　bitterly　opposed　by　the　Church；　and　yet　the　self…　constituted　arbiters　between　Truth　and　falsehood　had　been　compelled　to　eat　their　own　wordsto　devour　their　own　denunciations　when　they　found　that　the　Truth　was　accepted　by　the　intelligence　of　the　people　in　spite　of　the　anathemas　of　the　Church。

The　intelligence　of　the　Church　was　equal　only　to　the　duty　of　burning　witches。　It　burned　them　by　the　thousand；　simply　because　ancient　Judaism　had　a　profound　belief　in　the　witch　and　because　a　blood…thirsty　Jewish　murderer…monarch　had　organized　a　witch　hunt。

And　yet　with　such　a　record　against　ita　record　of　the　murder　of　innocent　men　and　women　who　endeavored　to　promulgate　the　Divine　Truths　of　naturethe　Church　still　arrogated　to　itself　the　right　to　lay　down　a　rule　of　life　for　intelligent　peoplea　rule　of　life　founded　upon　that　impossible　amalgamation　of　Judaism　and　Christianity。　The　science　of　the　Church　was　not　equal　to　the　task　of　amalgamating　two　such　deadly　opponents。

Was　it　any　wonder；　then；　that　church…going　had　become　practically　obsolete　among　intelligent　men　and　women？　the　writer　asked。

He　then　went　on　to　refer　to　the　nature　of　the　existing　services　of　the　Church　of　England。　He　dealt　only　casually　with　the　mockery　of　the　response　of　the　congregation　to　the　reading　out　of　the　Fourth　Commandment　by　the　priest；　when　no　one　in　the　Church　paid　the　least　respect　to　the　Seventh　Day。　This　was　additional　proof　of　the　absurdity　of　the　attempted　amalgamation　of　Judaism　and　Christianity。　But　what　he　dealt　most　fully　with　was　the　indiscriminate　selection　of　what　were　very　properly　termed　the　〃Lessons〃　from　the　Hebrew　Bible。　It　was；　he　said；　far　from　edifying　to　hear　some　chapters　read　out　from　the　lectern　without　comment；　though　fortunately　the　readers　were　as　a　rule　so　imperfectly　trained　that　the　most　objectionable　passages　had　their　potentiality　of　mischief　minimized。　He　concluded　his　indictment　by　a　reference　to　a　sermon　preached　by　the　average　clergyman　of　the　Church　of　England。　This　was；　usually；　he　said；　either　a　theological　essay　founded　upon　an　obsolete　system　of　theology；　or　a　series　of　platitudes　of　morality　delivered　by　an　unpractical　man。　The　first　was　an　insult　to　the　intelligence　of　an　average　man；　the　second　was　an　insult　to　the　intelligence　of　an　average　schoolgirl。

His　summing　up　of　the　whole　case　against　the　Church　was　as　logical　as　it　was　trenchant。　The　Church　had　surely　become；　he　said；　like　unto　the　Giant　Pagan　in　〃The　Pilgrim's　Progress；〃　who；　when　incapable　of　doing　mischief；　sat　mumbling　at　the　mouth　of　his　cave　on　the　roadside。　The　Church　had　become　toothless；　decrepit　either　for　evil　or　for　good。　Its　mouthings　of　the　past　had　become　its　mumblings　of　the　present。　The　cave　at　the　mouth　of　which　this　toothless　giant　sat　was　very　dark；　and　intelligent　people　went　by　with　a　good…natured　and　tolerant　laugh。

This　article　was　published　in　the　/Review/　on　Tuesday。　Phyllis　read　it　on　the　evening　of　that　day。　On　Wednesday　the　newspapers　were　full　of　this　further　development　of　the　theories　of　the　writer；　and　on　Thursday　afternoon　the　writer　paid　a　visit　to　Phyllis。

As　he　entered　the　drawing　room　he　found　himself　face　to　face　with　Herbert　Courtland；　who　was　in　the　act　of　leaving。



CHAPTER　XXIV。

SHE　WAS　A　WIFE；　AND　SHE　HAD　A　LOVER　WHO　DISAPPOINTED　HER。

The　prayer　of　Ella　Linton　had　not　been　answered。　She　had　prayed；　not　that　her　heart　wherewith　she　loved　Herbert　Courtland　might　be　changed　that　she　knew　would　be　difficult；　not　that　her　love　for　Herbert　Courtland　might　ceasethat　she　believed　to　be　impossible；　but　simply　that　Herbert　Courtland　might　be　kept　away　from　herthat　she　knew　to　be　the　most　sensible　course　her　scheme　of　imploration　could　take。

She　was　well　aware　of　the　fact　that　God　had　given　her　strength　to　run　away　from　Herbert　Courtland；　and　for　that　she　was　sincerely　thankful；　she　did　not　pause　to　analyze　her　feelings；　to　ask　herself　if　her　thanks　were　due　to　her　reflection　upon　the　circumstance　of　her　husband's　return；　at　the　very　hour　when　she　had　appointed　to　meet　Herbert　Courtland；　she　only　felt　that　God　had　been　good　to　her　in　giving　her　sufficient　strength　to　run　away　from　that　appointment。　Then　it　was　that　she　had　prayed　that　he　might　be　kept　away　from　her。　Surely　God　would　find　it　easy　to　do　that；　she　thought。　Surely　she　might　assume　that　God　was　on　her　side；　and　that　he　would　not　leave　his　work　half　done。

But　when　she　began　to　think　of　the　thorough　manner　in　which　God　does　his　work　she　began　to　wish　that　she　had　not　prayed　quite　so　earnestly。　Supposing　that　God　should　think　it　fit　to　keep　him　away　from　her　by　sending　a　blast　from　heaven　to　capsize　that　yacht　in　the　deep　sea；　what　would　she　think　of　the　fervency　of　her　prayer　then？

The　terror　of　her　reflection　upon　the　possibility　of　this　occurrence　flung　her　from　her　bed　and　sent　her　pacing；　with　bare　feet　and　flying　lace；　the　floor　of　her　bedroom　in　the　first　pearly　light　of　dawn；　just　as　she　had　paced　the　floor　of　Phyllis'　drawing　room　beneath　the　glow　of　the　electric　lights。

She　wished　that　she　had　not　prayed　quite　so　earnestly　that　he　might　be　kept　apart　from　her。　But　one　cannot　pray　hot　and　cold；　she　felt　that　she　had　no　right　now　to　lay　down　any　conditions　to　Heaven　in　the　matter　of　keeping　Herbert　Courtland　away　from　her。　She　had　prayed　her　prayer；　only；　if　he　were　drowned　before　she　saw　him　again；　she　would　never　say　another　prayer。

This　feeling　that　she　would　be　even　with　Heaven；　so　to　speak；　had　the　effect　of　soothing　her。　She　threw　herself　upon　her　bed　once　more　and　was　able　to　fall　asleep；　she　had　a　considerable　amount　of　confidence　in　the　discrimination　of　Heaven。

But　before　she　had　come　down　to　the　breakfast　room　where　her　husband　was　reading　a　newspaper　in　the　morning；　she　had　thought　a　good　deal　upon　another　matter　that　disquieted　her　in　some　degree。　She　had　been　exuberant　（she　thought）　at　having　had　sufficient　strength　given　to　her　to　run　away　from　her　lover；　but　then　she　had　not　dwelt　upon　the　rather　important　circumstance　that　all　the　running　away　had　not　been　on　her　side。　What　were　the　facts　as　revealed　by　the　narrative　of　Mr。　Ayrton？　Why；　simply；　that　while　she　was　putting　on　that　supreme　toilet　which　she　had　prepared　for　the　delight　of　the　eyes　of　her　lover　（feeling　herself　to　be　a　modern　Cleopatra）；　that　lover　of　hers　was　sitting　on　the　cushions　of　a　first…class　carriage；　flying　along　to　Southampton；　and　while　she　had　been　lying　among　the　cushions　of　her　drawing　room；　waiting　tremulously；　nervously；　ecstatically；　for　the　dreary　minutes　to　crawl　on　until　the　clock　should　chime　the　hour　of　nine；　he　was　probably　lighting　his　first　pipe　aboard　the　yacht　/Water　Nymph/。　What　did　it　matter　that　she　had　lifted　her　hot　face　from　her　cushions　and　had　fled　in　wild　haste　to　the　arms　of　Phyllis