phyllis of philistia-第31部分

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〃You　did　wrong；〃　said　she；　and　she　felt　that　she　was　speaking　the　truth。

〃I　don't　think　so；〃　he　replied。　〃At　any　rate；　you　may　rest　perfectly　certain　that　Herbert　will　receive　my　letter　with　gratitude。〃

And　Mr。　Linton's　judgment　on　this　point　was　not　in　error。　Herbert　Courtland　received；　on　the　evening　of　the　third　day　after　leaving　Southampton；　the　letter　which　called　him　back　to　London；　and　he　contrived　to　conceal　whatever　emotion　he　may　have　felt　at　the　prospect　of　parting　from　his　shipmates。　They　accompanied　him　ashore；　however　they　had　worn　out　six　packs　of　cards　already；　and　were　about　to　buy　another　dozen　or　two；　to　see　them　safely　through　the　imposing　scenery　of　the　Hardanger　Fjord。

The　next　day　he　was　in　London；　and　it　was　on　the　evening　of　that　same　day　that　he　came　face　to　face　with　the　Rev。　George　Holland　outside　Miss　Ayrton's　drawing　room。



CHAPTER　XXV。

LIES！　LIES！　LIES！

〃You　should　have　come　a　little　sooner；〃　said　Phyllis　quite　pleasantly。　〃Mr。　Courtland　was　giving　me　such　an　amusing　account　of　his　latest　voyage。　Will　you　have　tea　or　iced　coffee？〃

〃Tea；　if　you　please；〃　said　George　Holland；　also　quite　pleasantly。　〃Has　Mr。　Courtland　been　on　another　voyage　of　discovery？　What　has　he　left　himself　to　discover　in　the　world　of　waters？〃

〃I　think　that　what　he　discovered　on　his　latest　voyage　was　the　effect　of　a　banjo　on　the　human　mind；〃　laughed　Phyllis。　〃He　was　aboard　Lord　Earlscourt's　yacht；　the　/Water　Nymph/。　Some　other　men　were　there　also。　One　of　them　had　an　idea　that　he　could　play　upon　the　banjo。　He　was　wrong；　Mr。　Courtland　thinks。〃

〃A　good　many　people　are　subject　to　curious　notions　of　the　same　type。　They　usually　take　an　optimistic　view　of　the　susceptibilities　of　enjoyment　of　their　neighborsnot　that　there　is　any　connection　between　enjoyment　and　a　banjo。〃

〃Mr。　Courtland　said　just　now　that　when　Dr。　Johnson　gave　it　as　his　opinion　that　music　was；　of　all　noises；　the　least　disagreeable；　the　banjo　had　not　been　invented。〃

〃That　assumes　that　there　is　some　connection　between　music　and　the　banjo；　and　that's　going　just　a　little　too　far；　don't　you　think？〃

〃I　should　like　to　hear　Dr。　Johnson's　criticism　of　Paderewski。〃

〃His　criticism　of　Signor　Piozzi　is　extant：　a　fine　piece　of　eighteenth　century　directness。〃

〃I　sometimes　long　for　an　hour　or　two　of　the　eighteenth　century。　You　remember　Fanny　Burney's　reference　to　the　gentleman　who　thought　it　preposterous　that　Reynolds　should　have　increased　his　price　for　a　portrait　to　thirty　guineas；　though　he　admitted　that　Reynolds　was　a　good　enough　sort　of　man　for　a　painter。　I　think　I　should　like　to　have　an　hour　with　that　man。〃

〃I　long　for　more　than　that。　I　should　like　to　have　seen　David　Garrick's　reproduction；　for　the　benefit　of　his　schoolfellows；　of　Dr。　Johnson's　love　passages　with　his　very　mature　wife。　I　should　also　like　to　have　heard　the　complete　story　of　old　Grouse　in　the　gun　room。〃

〃Told　by　Squire　Hardcastle；　of　course？〃

〃Of　course。　I　question　if　there　was　anything　very　much　better　aboard　the　/Water　Nymph/。　By　the　way；　Lady　Earlscourt　invited　me　to　join　the　yachting　party。　She　did　not　mention　it　to　her　husband；　however。　She　thought　that　there　should　be　a　chaplain　aboard。　Now；　considering　that　Lord　Earlscourt　had　told　me　the　previous　day　that　he　was　compelled　to　take　to　the　sea　solely　on　account　of　the　way　people　were　worrying　him　about　me；　I　think　that　I　did　the　right　thing　when　I　told　her　that　I　should　be　compelled　to　stay　at　home　until　the　appearance　of　a　certain　paper　of　mine　in　the　/Zeit　Geist　Review/。〃

〃I'm　sure　that　you　did　the　right　thing　when　you　stayed　at　home。〃

〃And　in　writing　the　paper　in　the　/Zeit　Geist/？　You　have　read　it？〃

〃Oh；　yes！　I　have　read　it。〃

〃You　don't　like　it？〃

〃How　could　I　like　it？　You　have　known　me　now　for　sometime。　How　could　you　fancy　that　I　should　like　itthat　is；　if　you　thought　of　me　at　all　in　connection　with　it？　I　don't　myself　see　why　you　should　think　of　me　at　all。〃

He　rose　and　stood　before　her。　She　had　risen　to　take　his　empty　cup　from　him。

〃Don't　you　know　that　I　think　of　you　always；　Phyllis？〃　he　said；　in　that　low　tone　of　his　which　flowed　around　the　hearts　of　his　hearers；　and　made　their　hearts　as　one　with　his　heart。　〃Don't　you　know　that　I　think　of　you　alwaysthat　all　my　hopes　are　centered　in　you？〃

〃I　am　so　sorry　if　that　is　the　case；　Mr。　Holland；〃　said　she。　〃I　don't　want　to　give　you　pain；　but　I　must　tell　you　again　what　I　told　you　long　ago：　you　have　passed　completely　out　of　my　life。　If　you　had　not　done　so　before；　the　publication　of　that　article　in　the　/Zeit　Geist/　would　force　me　to　tell　you　that　you　had　done　so　now。　To　me　my　religion　has　always　been　a　living　thing；　my　Bible　has　been　my　guide。　You　trampled　upon　the　one　some　months　ago；　you　have　trampled　on　the　other　now。　You　shocked　me；　Mr。　Holland。〃

〃I　have　always　loved　you；　Phyllis。　I　think　I　love　you　better　than　I　ever　did；　if　that　were　possible；〃　said　he。　〃I　am　overwhelmed　with　grief　at　the　thought　of　the　barrier　which　your　fancy　has　built　up　between　us。〃

〃Fancy？〃

〃Your　fancy；　dear　child。　I　feel　that　the　barrier　which　you　fancy　is　now　between　us　is　unworthy　of　you。〃

〃What？　Do　you　mean　to　say　that　you　think　that　my　detestationmymy　horror　of　your　sneers　at　the　Bible；　which　I　believe　to　be　the　Word　of　Godof　the　contempt　you　have　heaped　upon　the　Church　which　I　believe　to　be　God's　agent　on　earth　for　the　salvation　of　men's　soulsdo　you　think　that　my　detestation　of　these　is　a　mere　girlish　fancy？〃

〃I　don't　think　that；　Phyllis。　What　I　think　is；　that　if　you　had　ever　loved　me　you　would　be　ready　to　stand　by　my　side　nowto　be　guided　by　me　in　a　matter　which　I　have　made　the　study　of　my　life。〃

〃In　such　matters　as　thesethe　value　or　the　worthlessness　of　the　Bible；　the　value　or　the　worthlessness　of　the　ChurchI　require　no　guide；　Mr。　Holland。　I　do　not　need　to　go　to　a　priest　to　ask　if　it　is　wrong　to　steal；　to　covet　another's　goods；　to　honor　my　father　Oh；　I　cannot　discuss　what　is　so　very　obvious。　The　Bible　I　regard　as　precious；　you　think　that　you　are　in　a　position　to　edit　it　as　if　it　were　an　ordinary　book。　The　Church　I　regard　as　the　Temple　of　God　upon　the　earth；　you　think　that　it　exists　only　to　be　sneered　at？　and　yet　you　talk　of　fanciful　barriers　between　us！〃

〃I　consider　it　the　greatest　privilege　of　a　man　on　earth　to　be　a　minister　of　the　Church　of　Christ。〃

〃Why；　then；　do　you　take　every　opportunity　of　pointing　to　it　as　the　greatest　enemy　to　Christianity？〃

〃The　Church　of　to…day　represents　some　results　of　the　great　Reformation。　That　Reformation　was　due　to　the　intelligence　of　those　men　who　perceived　that　it　had　become　the　enemy　to　freedom；　the　enemy　to　the　development　of　thought；　the　enemy　to　the　aspirations　of　a　great　nation。　The　nation　rejoiced　in　the　freedom　of　thought　of　which　the　great　charter　was　the　Reformation。　But　during　the　hundreds　of　years　that　have　elapsed　since　that　Reformation；　some　enormous　changes　have　been　brought　about　in　the　daily　life　of　the　people　of　this　great　nation。　The　people　are　being　educated；　and　the　Church　must　sooner　or　later　face　the　fact　that　as　education　spreads　church…going　decreases。　Why　is　that；　I　ask　you？〃

〃Because　men　are　growing　more　wicked　every　day。〃

〃But　they　are　not。　Crime　is　steadily　decreasing　as　education　is　spreading；　and　yet　people　will　not　go　to　church。　They　will　go　to　lectures；　to　bands　of　music；　to　political　demonstrations；　but　they　will　not　go　to　church。　The　reason　they　will　not　go　is　because　they　know　that　they　will　hear　within　the　church　the　arguments　of　men　whose　minds　are　stunted　by　a　narrow　theological　course　against　every　discovery　of　science　or　result　of　investigation。　You　know　how　the　best　minds　in　the　Church　ridiculed　the　discoveries　of　geology；　of　biology；　ending；　of　course；　by　reluctantly　accepting　the　teachings　of　the　men　whom　they　reviled。〃

〃You　said　all　that　in　your　paper；　Mr。　Holland；　and　yet　I　tell　you　that　I　abhor　your　paperthat　I　shuddered　when　I　read　what　you　wrote　about　the　Bible。　The　words　that　are　in　the　Bible　have　given　to　millions　of　poor　souls　a　consolation　that　science　could　never　bring　to　them。〃

〃And　those　consoling　words　are　what　I　would　read　to　the　people　every　day　of　the　week；　not　the　words　which　may　have　a　certain　historical　signification；　but　which　breathe　a　very　different　spirit　from　the　spirit　of　Christianity。　Phyllis；　it　is　to　be　the　aim　of　my　life　to　help　on　the　great　work　of　making　the　Church　once　more　the　Church　of　the　peopleof　making　it　in　reality　the　exponent　of　Christianity　and　Judaism。　That　is　my　aim；　and　I　want　you　to　be　my　helper　in　this　work。〃

〃And　I　tell　you　that　I　shall　oppose　you　by　all　the　means　in　my　power；　paltry　though　my　power　may　be。〃

Her　eyes　were　flashing　and　she　made　a　little　automatic　motion　with　her　hands；　as　if　sweeping　something　away　from　before　her。　He　had　become　pale　and　there　was　a　light　in　his　eyes。　He　felt　angry　at　this　girl　who　had　shown　herself　ready　to　argue　with　him；in　her　girlish　fashion；　of　course；and　who；　after　listening　to　his　incontrovertible　arguments；　fell　back　resolutely　upon　a　platitude；　and　considered　that　she　had　got　the　better　of　him。

She　had　got　the　better　of　him；　too；　that　was　the　worst　of　it；　his　object　in　going　to　her；　in　arguing　with　her；　was　to　induce　her　to　promise　to　marry　him；　and　he　had　failed。

It　was　on　this　account　he　was　angry。　He　might　have　had　a　certain　consciousness　of　succeeding　as　a　theologian；　but　he　had　undoubtedly　failed　as　a　lover。　He　was　angry。　He　was　as　little　accustomed　as　other　clergymen　to　be　withstood　by　a　girl。

〃I　am　disappointed　in　you；〃　said　he。　〃I　fancied　that　when　Iwhen　I〃　It　was　in　his　mind　to　say　that　he　had　selected　her　out　of　a　large　number　of　candidates　to　be　his　helpmeet；　but　he　pulled　himself　up　in　time；　and　the　pause　that　he　made　seemed　purely　emotional。　〃When　I　loved　you　and　got　your　promise　to　love　me　in　return；　you　would　share　with　me　all　the　glory；　the　persecution；　the　work　incidental　to　this　crusade　on　behalf　of　the　truth；　but　now　Ah！　you　can　never　have　loved　me。〃

〃Perhaps　you　are　right；　indeed；〃　said　she　meekly。　She　was　ready　to　cede　him　this　point　if　he　set　any　store　by　it。

〃Take　care；〃　said　he；　with　some　measure　of　sternness。　〃Take　care；　if　you　fancy　you　love　another　man；　that　he　may　be　worthy　of　you。〃

〃I　do　not　love　another　man；　Mr。　Holland；〃