phyllis of philistia-第39部分

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ge　for　an　hour　or　two　beside　the　still　waters　of　the　Thames　in　the　neighborhood　of　Hurley。

Stephen　Linton　had　bought　The　Mooring　when　his　wife　had　taken　a　fancy　to　it　the　previous　year；　when　she　had　had　an　attack　of　that　river　fever　which　sooner　or　later　takes　hold　upon　Londoners；　making　them　ready　to　sell　all　their　possessions　and　encamp　on　the　banks　of　the　Thames。　It　had　been　a　great　delight　to　her　to　furnish　that　lovely　old　house　according　to　her　taste；　making　each　room　a　picture　of　consistency　in　decoration　and　furniture；　and　it　had　been　a　great　delight　to　her　to　watch　the　garden　being　laid　out　after　the　most　perfect　eighteenth…century　pattern；　with　its　green　terraces　and　clipped　hedges。　She　had　gone　so　far　as　to　live　in　the　house　for　close　upon　a　whole　fortnight　the　previous　autumn。　Since　that　time　the　caretaker　had　found　it　a　trifle　too　cold　in　the　winter　and　too　hot　in　the　summer；　he　had　complained　to　Mrs。　Linton。　But　she　knew　that　there　is　no　pleasing　caretakers；　she　had　not　been　put　out　of　favor　with　the　place；　she　hoped　to　spend　at　least　a　week　under　its　roof　before　the　end　of　the　season；　and　perhaps　another　week　before　starting　for　Scotland　in　the　autumn。

She　suddenly　came　to　the　conclusion　one　day　that　her　husband　was　not　looking　wella　conclusion　which　was　certainly　well　founded。　She　declared　that　a　few　days　up　the　river　was　precisely　what　would　restore　him　to　robust　health。　（But　here　it　is　to　be　feared　her　judgment　was　in　error。）　He　had　been　thinking　too　much　about　the　new　development　of　the　mine　and　the　property　surrounding　it　at　Taragonda　Creek。　What　did　his　receiving　a　couple　of　hundred　thousand　pounds　matter　if　his　health　were　jeopardized；　she　inquired　of　him　one　day；　wearing　the　anxious　face　of　the　Good　Wife。

He　had　smiled　that　curious　smile　of　his；it　was　becoming　more　curious　every　day；and　had　said：

〃What；　indeed！〃

〃Up　the　river　we　shall　go；　and　I'll　get　Phyllis　to　come　with　us　to　amuse　youyou　know　that　you　like　Phyllis；〃　his　wife　cried。

〃There　is　no　one　I　like　better　than　Phyllis；〃　he　had　said。

And　so　the　matter　had　been　settled。

But　during　the　day　or　two　that　followed　this　settlement；　Ella　came　upon　several　of　her　friends　who　she　found　were　looking　a　trifle　fagged　through　the　pressure　of　the　season；　and　she　promptly　invited　them　to　The　Mooring；　so　that　she　had　a　party　of　close　upon　a　dozen　persons　coming　to　her　housesome　for　a　day；　some　for　as　long　as　three　days；　commencing　with　the　Tuesday　when　she　and　Phyllis　went　off　together。　Mr。　Linton　had　promised　to　join　the　party　toward　the　end　of　the　week。

And　that　was　how　it　came　about　that　Herbert　Courtland　found　himself　daily　admiring　the　cleverness　of　Phyllis　Ayrton　when　she　had　the　punt　pole　in　her　hands。　He　also　admired　the　gradual　tinting　of　her　fair　face；　through　the　becoming　exertion　of　taking　the　punt　up　the　lovely　backwater　or　on　to　the　placid　reaches　beyond。　Sometimes　the　punt　contained　three　or　four　of　the　party　in　addition　to　Herbert；　but　twice　he　was　alone　with　her；　and　shared　his　admiration　of　her　with　no　one。



CHAPTER　XXXI。

YOU　MAY　TRUST　MR。　COURTLAND。

Mrs。　Linton　was　greatly　amusedshe　certainly　was　surprised。　The　surprises　were　natural；　but　the　amusement　was　not　quite　logical。　It　was；　however；　quite　natural　that　her　gueststwo　of　them　excepted　should　be　amused　when　they　observed　her　surprise。

Could　anything　be　funnier；　one　of　these　guests　asked　another　in　a　whisper；　than　Mrs。　Linton's　chagrin　on　finding　that　her　own　particular　Sir　Lancelot　had　discovered　an　Elaine　for　himself？

Of　course　the　guest　who　was　so　questioned　agreed　that　nothing　could　possibly　be　funnier；　and　they　both　laughed　in　unison。　If　people　cannot　derive　innocent　fun　from　watching　the　disappointment　of　their　hostess；　in　what　direction　may　the　elements　of　mirth　be　found？

It　was　agreed　that　Mrs。　Linton　had　invited　Herbert　Courtland　up　the　river　for　her　own　special　entertainmentthat　she　had　expected　him　to　punt　her　up　the　river　highways　and　the　backwater　by…ways；　while　Phyllis　Ayrton　and　the　rest　of　her　guests　looked　after　themselves；　or　looked　after　Mrs。　Linton's　husband；　but　it　appeared　that　Herbert　Courtland　had　not　been　consulted　on　this　subject；　the　result　being　that　Mrs。　Linton's　arrangements　had　been　thrown　into　confusion。

The　consensus　of　opinion　among　the　guests　was　to　the　effect　that　Mrs。　Linton's　arrangements　had　been　thrown　very　much　awry　indeed。　But　then　the　guests　were　amused；　and　as　it　is　getting　more　and　more　difficult　every　year　to　amuse　one's　guests；　especially　those　forming　a　house…　party　at　a　season　when　nothing　lends　itself　to　laughter；　Mrs。　Linton　would　have　had　every　reason　to　congratulate　herself　upon　the　success　of　her　party；　had　she　been　made　aware　of　the　innocent　mirth　which　prevailed　for　some　days　among　her　guests。

She　would　possibly　have　been　greatly　diverted　also　at　the　overshrewdness　of　her　guests；　who　were；　of　course；　quite　ignorant　of　the　conversation　regarding　Phyllis　Ayrton　which　had　immediately　preceded　her　invitation　to　Herbert　to　spend　a　few　days　on　the　river。

But　though　Ella　had　undoubtedly　given　Herbert　to　understand　that　she　was　anxious　to　have　him　at　The　Mooring　while　Phyllis　was　there；　in　order　that　he　might　have　an　opportunity　of　seeing　more　of　her；　and　to　obtain　his　agreement　that　her　theory　that　the　man　who　truly　loves　a　woman　should　be　ready　to　marry　that　woman's　dearest　friend；　still　it　must　be　confessed　that　she　was　surprised　to　observe　the　course　adopted　by　both　Phyllis　and　Herbert。　She　had　expected　that　all　her　tact　and　diplomacy　would　be　required　in　order　to　bring　the　young　peoplewith　all　the　arrogance　of　the　wife　of　twenty…six　years　of　age　she　alluded　to　a　girl　of　twenty…three　and　a　man　of　thirty…two　as　the　young　people　together。

She　had　had　visions　of　sitting　in　the　stern　of　an　out…rigger　built　for　two；　remonstrating　with　Herberthe　would　of　course　be　at　the　oars　for　choosing　to　paddle　her　up　the　river　while　he　allowed　some　of　the　other　men　to　carry　off　Phyllis　in；　say；　the　Canadian　canoe。　A　picture　had　come　before　her　of　the　aggrieved　expression　upon　the　face　of　Herbert　when　she　would　insist　on　his　going　out　by　the　side　of　Phyllis　to　feed　the　peacocks　on　the　terraces　in　the　twilight；　and　she　had　more　than　once　seemed　to　hear　his　sigh　of　resignation　as　she；　with　a　firmness　which　she　would　take　pains　to　develop；　pleaded　a　headache　so　that　he　and　Phyllis　might　play　a　game　of　billiards　together。

She　soon　found　out　that　her　imagination　had　not　been　prophetic。　Immediately　after　drinking　teait　was　a　few　minutes　past　sixon　the　evening　of　the　arrival　of　Herbert；　she　went　out　of　doors　to　find　him　and　give　him　a　lecture　on　the　need　there　was　for　him　to　refrain　from　waiting　about　the　garden　far　from　the　other　guests　until　she；　Ella；　could　go　on　the　river　with　him　for　a　quiet　drift　before　dinner；　the　other　guests　would　certainly　think　him　worse　than　rude；　she　was　ready　to　explain。　The　explanation　was　not　needed；　she　learned　that　Mr。　Courtland　had　just　taken　Miss　Ayrton　out　in　one　of　the　punts。

Of　course　she　was　pleasedafter　an　hour　by　the　side　of　her　husband　to　perceive　that　Herbert　had　lost　no　time　in　making　an　effort　to　prove　to　her　how　amply　he　recognized　her　object　in　asking　him　to　The　Mooring。　But　at　the　same　time；　if　pleased；　she　was　also　surprised。　At　any　rate；　she　would　take　good　care　that　he　did　not　lapse　in　his　attentions　to　Phyllis；　as　she　knew　lovers　are　but　too　apt　to　lapse；　especially　when　they　begin　well。　She　would；　for　instance；　send　him　from　her　side　in　the　garden　after　dinner；　to　walk　with　Phyllis　up　to　the　woods　where　a　nightingale　was　said　to　be　in　the　habit　of　singing　when　the　lovely　summer　twilight　had　waned　into　the　lovely　summer　night。　With　the　nightingale's　song　in　their　ears；　two　ordinary　young　persons　with　no　preconceived　theories　on　the　subject　of　love；　have　been　known；　she　was　well　aware；　to　become　lovers　of　the　most　aggressive　type。　Yes；　she　had　great　hopes　of　the　nightingale。

So；　apparently；　had　Herbert　Courtland。

After　dinner　there　was　smoking　in　the　garden；　some　feeding　of　the　peacocks　on　the　terraces；　while　the　blackbirds　uttered　protests　against　such　an　absorption　by　foreign　immigrants　of　the　bread　that　was　baked　for　native　consumption。　Then　there　was　some　talk　of　the　nightingale。　One　man　suggested　that　it　was　a　nightingale　attached　to　a　music　box　which　the　enterprise　of　a　local　inn　had　hired　for　the　summer　months；　sending　a　man　to　wind　it　up　every　night　for　the　attraction　of　visitors。　Then　it　was　that　Mr。　Courtland　said　he　knew　a　spot　where　a　nightingale　had　been　in　the　habit　of　singing　long　ago；　when　his　explorations　of　the　Thames　River　had　preceded　those　of　the　Fly　River。　He　found　three　persons　who　expressed　their　willingness　to　accept　his　guidance　on　the　spot；　if　it　were　not　too　far　away。　One　of　these　was　Phyllis；　the　other　two　were　notorious　lovers。　Off　they　started　without　hats　or　caps。

This　Ella　heard　when　she　returned　to　the　garden；　whence　she　had　been　called　away　for　ten　minutes　to　interview　a　man　who　had　an　electric　launch　for　sale。

The　news；　communicated　to　her　by　her　husband　in　answer　to　her　inquiry；　had　surprised　her。　That　was　why　she　had　given　a　little　laugh　with　a　tone　of　derision　in　it　when　she　had　said：

〃A　nightingale！　How　lovely！　I　hope　they　may　find　it。　It　shouldn't　prove　so　arduous　as　the　quest　of　the　meteor…bird。　I　do　hope　that　those　children　will　not　catch　cold。　It　is　a　trifle　imprudent。〃

〃Imprudent？〃

〃Going　off　that　way　with　nothing　on　their　heads。〃

〃Or　in　them。　Happy　children！〃　cried　a　moralizing　novelist；　who　was　smoking　an　extremely　good　cigarit　had　not　come　from　his　own　tobacconist。

〃We　can't　all　be　novel…writers；〃　said　one　of　the　women。

〃Thank　the　Lord！〃　said　one　of　the　men；　with　genuine　piety。

In　three…quarters　of　an　hour　the　members　of　the　quest　party　returned。　They　had　been　fully　rewarded　for　their　trouble；　they　had　been　listening　to　the　nightingale　for　nearly　twenty　minutes；　they　said；　it　had　been　very　lovely；　they　agreed；　without　a　single　dissentient　voice。　It　probably　was；　at　any　rate　they　were　very　silent　for　the　rest　of　the　night。

〃You　have　begun　well；〃　said　Ella　to　Herbert；　when　they　found　themselves　together　in　the　drawing　room；　later　on；　shortly　before　midnight。　Someone　was　playing　on　th