phyllis of philistia-第38部分

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〃By　no　means。　That　is　a　question　which　I　leave　entirely　to　your　own　decision。　My　own　idea　is　that　you　would　like　a　free　hand。　You　will　have　to　leave　the　Church　sooner　or　later。　A　man　with　your　advanced　ideas　cannot　regulate　your　pace　to　that　of　an　old　woman。　In　twenty　years　the　Church　will　think　precisely　as　you　think　to…day。　That　is　the　way　with　the　Church。　It　opposes　everything　in　the　way　of　an　innovation。　You　stated　the　case　very　fairly　in　your　paper。　The　Church　opposes　every　discovery　and　every　new　thing　as　long　as　possible。　It　then　only　accepts　grudgingly　what　all　civilization　has　accepted　cordially。　Oh；　yes；　you'll　find　it　impossible　to　remain　in　the　Church；　Mr。　Holland。　'Crabbed　age　and　youth；'　you　know。〃

〃I　should　part　from　the　Church　with　the　greatest　reluctance；　Mr。　Linton。〃

〃Then　don't　part　from　it；　only　don't　place　yourself　in　its　power。　Don't　be　beholden　to　it　for　your　income。　Don't　go　to　the　heads　of　the　Church　for　orders。　Be　your　own　master　and　in　plain　words；　run　the　concern　on　your　own　lines。　The　widow　of　the　founder　will　have　no　power　to　interfere　with　you　in　the　matter　of　such　arrangements。〃

〃I　shall　have　to　give　the　matter　a　good　deal　of　thought。　I　should　naturally　have　to　reform　a　good　deal　of　the　ritual。〃

〃Naturally。　The　existing　ritual　is　only　a　compromise。　And　as　for　the　hymns　which　are　sung；　why　is　it　necessary　for　them　to　be　doggerel　before　they　are　devotional？〃

〃The　hymns　are　for　the　most　part　doggerel。　We　should　have　a　first…rate　choir　and　anthemsnot　necessarily　taken　from　the　Bible。　Why　should　not　Shakspere　be　sung　in　churchesShakspere's　divine　poetry　instead　of　the　nonsense…rhymes　that　people　call　hymns？　Shakspere　and　Milton；　Shelley　I　would　not　debar；　Wordsworth's　sonnets。　But　the　scheme　will　require　a　great　deal　of　thought。〃

〃A　great　deal；　that　is　why　I　leave　it　in　your　hands。　You　are　a　thinking　manyou　are　not　afraid　of　tradition。〃

〃Traditiontradition！　the　ruts　made　in　the　road　by　the　vehicles　that　have　passed　over　it　in　years　gone　by！〃

〃The　road　to　the　Church　is　sadly　in　need　of　macadamizing；　Mr。　Holland　or；　better　still；　asphalting。　Make　a　bicycle　road　of　it；　and　you　are　all　right。　Now；　come　with　me　to　my　club　and　have　lunch。　We'll　talk　no　more　just　now　about　this　matter。〃

They　went　out　together。



CHAPTER　XXX。

THERE　IS　NO　ONE　I　LIKE　BETTER　THAN　PHYLLIS。

Phyllis　Ayrton　had　spent　a　considerable　time　pondering　over　that　problem　of　how　best　to　save　a　man　and　a　woman　from　destruction　social；　perhaps；　eternal；　for　certain。　She　felt　that　it　had　been　laid　upon　her　to　save　them　both；　and　she　remembered　the　case　of　one　Jonah；　a　prophet；　who；　in　endeavoring　to　escape　from　the　disagreeable　duty　with　which　he　had　been　intrusted；　had　had　an　experience　that　was　practically　unique；　even　among　prophets。　She　would　not　try　to　evade　her　responsibility　in　this　matter。

A　few　days　after　Herbert　Courtland　had　witnessed　by　the　side　of　Ella　the　representation　of　〃Carmen；〃　he　had　met　Phyllis　at　an　At　Home。　He　had　seen　her　in　the　distance　through　a　vista　of　crowded　rooms；　and　had　crushed　his　way　to　her　side。　He　could　scarcely　fail　to　see　the　little　light　that　came　to　her　face　as　she　put　out　her　hand　to　him；　nor　could　her　companion　of　the　momenthe　was　one　of　the　coming　men　in　science；　consequently　like　most　coming　men；　he　had　been　forced　into　a　prominent　place　in　the　drawing　roomfail　to　perceive　that　his　farewell　moment　with　that　pretty　Miss　Ayrton　had　come。　She　practically　turned　her　back　upon　him　when　Herbert　Courtland　came　up。

For　some　moments　they　chatted　together；　and　then　it　occurred　to　him　that　she　might　like　some　iced　coffee。　His　surmise　proved　correct；　and　as　there　was　at　that　moment　a　stream　of　people　endeavoring　to　avoid　the　entertainment　of　the　high…class　pianoforte　player　which　was　threatened　in　a　neighboring　apartment；　Phyllis　and　her　companion　had　no　trouble　in　slipping　aside　from　the　panic…stricken　people　into　the　tea　room。

It　was　a　sultry　day；　and　the　French　windows　of　the　room　were　open。　It　was　Phyllis　who　discovered　that　there　was　a　narrow　veranda；　with　iron…　work　covered　with　creepers；　running　halfway　round　the　house　from　window　to　window；　and　when　he　suggested　to　her　that　they　might　drink　their　coffee　on　this　veranda；　she　hailed　the　suggestion　as　a　very　happy　one。　How　did　it　come　that　none　of　the　rest　of　the　people　had　thought　of　that？　she　wondered。

In　another　instant　they　were　standing　together　at　the　space　between　the　windows　outside；　the　long…leaved　creepers　mingling　with　the　decorations　of　her　hat；　and　making　a　very　effective　background　for　his　well…shaped　head。

For　the　next　half…hour　people　were　intermittently　coming　to　one　of　the　windows；　putting　their　heads　out　and　then　turning　away；　the　girls　with　gentle　little　pursings　of　the　mouth　and　other　forms　that　the　sneer　feminine　assumes；　the　men　with　winks　and　an　occasional　chuckle；　suggestive　of　an　exchange　of　confidence　too　deep　for　words。

One　woman　had　poked　her　head　outit　was　gray　at　the　roots　and　golden　at　the　tipsand　asked　her　companion　in　a　voice　that　had　a　large　circumference　where　was　Mrs。　Linton。

Now；　Herbert　Courtland　had　not　lived　so　long　far　from　the　busy　haunts　of　men　（white）　as　to　be　utterly　ignorant　of　the　fact　that　no　young　woman　but　one　who　is　disposed　to　be　quite　friendly　with　a　man；　would　adopt　such　a　suggestion　as　he　had　made　to　her；　and　spend　half　an　hour　drinking　half　a　cup　of　iced　coffee　by　his　side　in　that　particular　place。　The　particular　place　might　have　accommodated　six　persons；　but　he　knew；　and　he　knew　that　she　knew　also；　that　it　was　one　of　the　unwritten　laws　of　good　society　that　such　particular　places　are　overcrowded　if　occupied　by　three　persons。　It　was　on　this　account　the　old　men　and　maidens　and　the　young　men　and　matronsthat　is　how　they　pair　themselves　nowadayshad　avoided　the　veranda　so　carefully；　refusing　to　contribute　to　its　congestion　as　a　place　of　resort。

Herbert　Courtland　could　not　but　feel　that　Phyllis　intended　to　be　friendly　with　himeven　at　the　risk　of　being　within　audible　distance　of　the　strong　man　who　was　fighting　a　duel　/a　outrance/　with　a　grand　piano；　and　as　he　desired　to　be　on　friendly　terms　with　a　girl　in　whom　he　was　greatly　interested；　he　was　very　much　pleased　to　find　her　showing　no　disposition　to　return　to　the　tea　room；　or　any　other　room；　until　quite　half　an　hour　had　gone　by　very　pleasantly。　And　then　she　did　so　with　a　start：　the　start　of　a　girl　who　suddenly　remembers　a　duty　and　regrets　it。

That　had　pleased　him　greatly；　he　felt　it　to　be　rather　a　triumph　for　him　that　by　his　side　she　had　not　only　forgotten　her　duty　but　was　glad　she　had　forgotten　it。

〃Oh；　yes！〃　she　said；　in　answer　to　his　question；　〃I　have　two　other　places　to　go　to。　I'm　so　sorry。〃

〃Sorry　that　you　remembered　them？〃　he　had　suggested。

She　shook　her　head　smiling。

〃What　would　happen　ifI　had　continued　forgetting　them？〃　she　asked。

〃That　is　the　most　interesting　question　I　have　heard　in　some　time。　Why　not　try　to　continue　forgetting　them？〃

〃I'm　too　great　a　coward；〃　she　replied；　putting　out　her　hand　to　him；　for　now　her　victoria　had　drawn　up　and　the　footman　was　standing　ready　to　open　the　door。

〃Good…by；〃　said　he。

〃Oh；　no！　only　/au　revoir/；〃　she　murmured。

〃With　all　my　heart/au　revoir/　at　The　Mooring；〃　said　he。

That　/au　revoir/　had　reference　to　the　circumstance　that　they　were　to　be　fellow…guests　at　Mrs。　Linton's　house　at　Hurley…on…Thames；　known　as　The　Mooring。　Phyllis　had　told　him　that　she　was　about　to　pay　that　visit；　and　when　he　said：

〃Why；　I　am　going　as　well；〃　she　had　raised　her　eyes　to　his　face；　an　unmistakable　look　of　pleasure　on　her　own；　as　she　cried：

〃I　am　so　glad！　When　do　you　go？〃

〃On　Thursday。〃

〃I　go　on　Tuesdaytwo　days　sooner。〃

The　tone　in　which　she　spoke　made　him　feel　that　she　had　said：

〃What　on　earth　shall　I　do　during　those　dreary　two　days？〃　or　else　he　had　become　singularly　conceited。

But　even　if　she　had　actually　said　those　words　they　would　not　have　made　him　feel　unduly　vain。　He　reflected　upon　the　fact　which　he　had　more　than　once　previously　noticednamely；　that　the　girl；　though　wise　as　became　a　daughter　of　a　Member　of　Parliament　to　be　（considering　that　she　had　to　prevent；　or　do　her　best　to　prevent；　her　father　from　making　a　fool　of　himself）；　was　in　many　respects　as　innocent　and　as　natural　as　a　girl　should　be。　She　had　only　spoken　naturally　when　she　had　said　that　she　was　glad　he　was　to　be　of　the　riverside　partywhen　she　had　implied　by　her　tone　that　she　was　sorry　that　two　whole　days　were　bound　to　pass　before　he　should　arrive。

What　was　there　in　all　that　she　had　said；　to　make　such　a　man　as　he　vain　in　all　that　she　had　implied？　If　she　had　been　six　years　old　instead　of　twenty…three；　she　would　probably　have　told　him　that　she　loved　him。　The　innocence　of　the　child　would　have　made　her　outspoken；　but　would　his　vanity　have　been　fostered　by　the　confession？　It　was　the　charming　naturalness　of　the　girl　that　had　caused　her　to　speak　out　what　it　was　but　natural　she　should　feel。　She　and　he　had　liked　each　other　from　the　first；　and　it　was　quite　natural　that　she　should　be　glad　to　see　him　at　Hurley。

That　was　what　he　thought　as　he　strolled　to　his　rooms　preparatory　to　dressing　for　some　function　of　the　night。　He　flattered　himself　that　he　was　able　to　look　at　any　situation　straight　in　the　face；　so　to　speak。　He　flattered　himself　that　he　was　not　a　man　to　be　led　away　by　vanity。　He　was；　as　a　rule；　on　very　good　terms　with　himself；　but　he　was　rather　inclined　to　undervalue　than　overestimate　the　distinction　which　he　enjoyed　among　his　fellow…men。　And　the　result　of　his　due　consideration　of　his　last　meeting　with　Phyllis　was　to　make　him　feel　that　he　had　never　met　a　girl　who　was　quite　so　nice；　but　he　also　felt　that；　if　he　were　to　assume　from　the　gladness　which　she　had　manifested　not　merely　at　being　with　him　that　day；　but　at　the　prospect　of　meeting　him　up　the　river；　that　he　had　made　an　impression　upon　her　heart；　he　would　be　assuming　too　much。

But　all　the　same；　he　could　not　help　wishing　that　Ella　had　asked　him　to　go　to　The　Mooring　on　Tuesday　rather　than　Thursday；　and　he　felt　when　Tuesday　arrived　that　the　hot　and　dusty　town　with　its　ceaseless　roll　of　gloomy　festivities　contained　nothing　for　him　that　he　would　not　willingly　part　withal　in　exchange　for　an　hour　or　two　beside　the　still　waters