phyllis of philistia-第21章

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eeling　that　he　must　do　something　worthy　of　them；　something　for　their　sake？　And　you　talk　of　them　as　if　they　were　deadas　if　they　had　passed　away　forever　from　the　concerns　of　earth！'　That　is　what　she　said；　Mr。　Courtland。〃

He　had　bent　forward　on　his　low　seat；　and　was　leaning　his　head　on　one　of　his　hands。　He　had　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　parquet　of　the　floor。　He　was　motionless。　He　did　not　speak　a　word。

〃Mrs。　Haddon　said　something　more；〃　Phyllis　continued；　after　a　pause。　Her　voice　had　fallen　still　another　tone。　〃　'Yes；'　she　said；　as　if　musing；　'deaddead！　A　man　is　as　his　mother　has　made　him。　He　is　with　her　from　the　moment　she　loves　his　father。　She　is　evermore　thinking　of　him；　he　is　precious　to　her　before　the　mystery　of　his　birth　is　revealed　to　her。　He　grows　up　by　her　side；　and　loves　her　because　he　knows　that　she　understands　him。　She　does　understand　him；　and　she　understands　his　father　better　by　understanding　her　son。'　She　said　that；　Mr。　Courtland；　and　I　felt　that　she　had　spoken　one　of　the　greatest　truths　of　this　mysterious　life　of　ours。　Then　she　said；　'Herbert　Courtland　is　a　man　who　has　lived　with　honor　to　himself；　with　honor　to　the　memory　of　his　mother；　and　of　his　sister；　whom　he　loved。　He　is　a　man；　and　he　has　not　merely　attained　distinction　in　the　world；　if　he　is　without　fear；　he　is　also　without　reproach；　and　ask　him　if　he　has　not　been　strengthened　in　his　fight　with　whatever　of　base　may　have　risen　up　within　him；　being　a　man；　from　day　to　day；　by　the　thought　that　his　sister　is　one　with　him；　that　his　purity　of　heart　and　of　act　is　the　purity　of　his　mother　and　his　sister；　upon　which　no　stain　must　ever　come。'　That　was　all　she　said；　Mr。　Courtland。〃

There　was　a　long　pause　after　she　had　spoken。　He　sat　there　with　his　head　bent；　his　fingers　interlaced。　He　had　his　eyes　fixed　upon　the　floor。　His　cup　of　tea　stood　untasted　beside　him　on　a　little　Algerian　table。

And　sheas　she　looked　at　him　her　soft　eyes　became　dim　with　tears。　She　knew　that　the　words　which　she　had　spoken；　the　words　which　she　had　repeated　as　they　were　spoken　by　the　lady　whom　she　had　met　the　previous　night；　had　awakened　many　memories　within　him。　She　too　had　her　memories。　She　knew　that　there　was　a　certain　gratefulness　in　the　midst　of　the　bitterness　of　such　memories。

That　was　all　she　knew。

And　the　tears　continued　to　well　up　to　her　eyes　until　she　was　aware　that　he　had　risen　from　his　seat　and　was　standing　in　front　of　her。　She　drew　her　hand　across　her　eyes。　She　saw　a　movement　in　his　lips。　They　were　trembling；　but　no　sound　came　from　them。　The　hand　that　he　stretched　out　to　her　was　trembling　also。　She　put　her　own　into　it。　He　held　her　hand　tightly　for　a　moment；　then　dropped　it　suddenly　and　almost　fled　from　the　room；　without　uttering　a　word。

For　a　few　moments　she　stood　where　he　had　left　her；　and　then　she　went　to　a　sofa　and　seated　herself　upon　it。　The　tears　that　had　come　to　her　eyes　before；　now　began　to　fall；　she　thought；　girl　that　she　was；　that　she　could　understand　what　were　the　feelings　of　the　man　who　had　just　parted　from　her。　She　thought　that　he　was　overcome　at　the　reflection　that　the　distinction　which　he　had　won　in　the　world　could　not　be　shared　by　those　whom　he　loved；　those　who　would　have　valued　far　more　than　he　did　the　honor　that　was　being　done　to　him。

The　pity　of　it！　Oh；　the　pity　of　it！

Ella　had　told　her　one　day　when　they　had　talked　together　about　Herbert　Courtland；　that　he　had　no　relation　alive；　that　he　stood　alone　in　the　world。　The　information　had　not　meant　much　to　her　then；　but　when　she　had　heard　Mrs。　Haddon　speak　on　the　previous　evening　about　his　attachment　to　his　mother　and　his　sister；　she　remembered　what　Ella　has　said；　and　her　heart　was　full　of　pity　for　him。　She　had　made　up　her　mind　to　tell　him　all　that　Mrs。　Haddon　had　said；　for　surely　more　sympathetic　words　had　never　been　spoken；　and　her　opportunity　had　come　sooner　than　she　expected。　Their　chat　together　had　led　naturally　up　to　Mrs。　Haddon；　and　she　had　been　able　to　repeat　to　him　almost　word　for　word　all　that　his　mother's　friend　had　said。

Her　heart　felt　for　him。　Surely　the　sweetest　reward　that　can　come　to　a　man　who　has　toiled　and　fought　and　conquered　was　denied　to　the　man　who　had　just　parted　from　her。　He　had　toiled　and　conquered；　but　not　for　him　was　the　joy　of　seeing　pride　on　the　face　of　those　who　claimed　him　as　their　kin。　His　father　had　been　killed　when　he　had　charged　with　a　brigade　through　the　lines　of　a　stubborn　enemyeveryone　knew　the　story。　His　mother　and　sister　had　died　when　he　was　beginning　to　make　a　name　for　himself。　He　had　gone　forth　from　the　loneliness　of　his　home　to　the　loneliness　of　the　tropical　forest；　and　he　had　returned　to　the　loneliness　of　London。

She　felt　that　she　had　done　well　to　repeat　to　him　the　words　of　his　mother's　friend。　Those　words　had　affected　him　deeply。　They　could　not　but　be　a　source　of　comfort　to　him　when　he　was　overwhelmed　with　the　thought　of　his　loneliness。　They　would　make　him　feel　that　his　position　was　understood　by　some　people　who　were　able　to　think　of　him　apart　from　the　great　work　which　he　had　accomplished。

Thus　the　maiden　sat　musing　in　the　silent　room　after　she　had　dried　her　tears　of　pity　for　the　man　who　an　hour　before　had　sauntered　up　to　her　door　thinking；　not　of　the　melancholy　isolation　of　his　position　in　the　world；　but　simply　that　two　hours　of　the　longest　day　of　his　life　must　pass　before　he　could　kiss　the　lips　of　the　woman　who　had　given　herself　up　to　him。

Her　maid　found　her　still　seated　on　the　sofa；　and　ventured　to　remind　her　that　time　was　fugitive；　and　that　if　mademoiselle　still　retained　her　intention　of　going　to　Lady　Earlscourt's　dinner　party；Lady　Earlscourt　was　giving　a　dinner　party　apparently　for　the　purpose　of　celebrating　her　husband's　departure　for　a　cruise　in　Norwegian　fjords　in　his　yacht；it　would　be　absolutely　necessary　for　mademoiselle　to　permit　herself　to　be　dressed　without　delay。

Phyllis　sprang　up　with　a　little　laugh　that　sounded　like　a　large　sigh；　and　said　if　Fidele　would　have　the　kindness　to　switch　on　the　lights　in　the　dressing　room；　she　would　not　be　kept　waiting　a　moment。

The　maid　hurried　upstairs；　and　mademoiselle　repaired　to　an　apartment　where　she　could　remove；　so　far　as　was　possible；　the　footmarks　left　by　those　tears　which　she　had　shed　when　she　had　reflected　upon　the　loneliness　to　which　Mr。　Herbert　Courtland　was　doomed　for　（probably）　the　remainder　of　his　life。

Mademoiselle　had　a　dread　of　the　acuteness　of　vision　with　which　her　maid　was　endowed。　She　was　not　altogether　sure　that　Fidele　would　be　capable　of　understanding　the　emotion　that　had　forced　those　tears　to　her　eyes。

But　that　was　just　where　she　was　wrong。　Fidele　was　capable　of　understanding　that　particular　emotion　a　good　deal　better　than　mademoiselle　understood　it。



CHAPTER　XIX。

THEY　HAVE　SOULS　TO　BE　SAVED。

When　Lord　Earlscourt　was　at　home　the　only　two　topics　that　were　debarred　from　the　dinner　table　were　religion　and　politics；　but　when　Lord　Earlscourt　was　absent　these　were　the　only　two　topics　admitted　at　the　dinner　table。　Lady　Earlscourt　had　views；　well…defined；　clearly　outlined；　on　both　religion　and　politics；　and　she　greatly　regretted　that　there　still　remained　some　people　in　the　world　who　held　other　views　on　both　subjects；　it　was　very　sadfor　them；　and　she　felt　that　it　was　clearly　her　duty　to　endeavor　by　all　the　legitimate　means　in　her　powersay；　dinner　parties　for　eightto　reduce　the　number　of　these　persons。　It　was　rumored　that　in　the　country　she　had　shown　herself　ready　to　effect　her　excellent　object　by　illegitimate　meanssay；　jelly　and　flannel　petticoatsas　well。

She　wore　distinctly　evangelical　boots；　though；　in　the　absence　of　her　husband；　she　had　expressed　her　willingness　to　discuss　the　advantages　of　the　confessional。　She　had；　however；　declined；　in　the　presence　of　her　husband；　to　entertain　the　dogma　of　infallibility：　though　she　admitted　that　the　cardinals　were　showy；　she　would　have　liked　one　about　her　house；　say；　as　a　footman。　She　thought　there　was　a　great　deal　in　Buddhism　（she　had　read　〃The　Light　of　Asia〃　nearly　through）；　and　she　believed　that　the　Rev。　George　Holland　had　been　badly　treated　by　Phyllis　Ayrton。　She　admitted　having　been　young　onceonly　once；　but　no　one　seemed　to　remember　it　against　her；　so　she　was　obliged　to　talk　about　it　herself；　which　she　did　with　the　lightness　of　a　serious　woman　of　thirty…two。　When　a　man　had　assured　her　that　she　was　still　handsome；　she　had　shaken　her　head　deprecatingly；　and　had　ignored　his　existence　ever　after。　She　had　her　doubts　regarding　the　justice　of　eternal　punishment　for　temporary　lapses　in　the　West　End；　but　she　sympathized　with　the　missionary　who　said：　〃Thank　God　we　have　still　got　our　hell　in　the　East　End。〃　She　knew　that　all　men　are　alike　in　the　sight　of　Heaven；　but　she　thought　that　the　licensing　justices　should　be　more　particular。

She　believed　that　there　were　some　good　men。

She　had　more　than　once　talked　seriously　to　Phyllis　on　the　subject　of　George　Holland。　Of　course；　George　Holland　had　been　indiscreet；　the　views　expressed　in　his　book　had　shocked　his　best　friends；　but　think　how　famous　that　book　had　made　him；　in　spite　of　the　publication　of　Mr。　Courtland's　〃Quest　of　the　Meteor…Bird。〃　Was　Phyllis　not　acting　unkindly；　not　to　say　indiscreetly；　in　throwing　over　a　man　who；　it　was　rumored；　was　about　to　start　a　new　religion？　She　herself；　Lady　Earlscourt　admitted；　had　been　very　angry　with　George　Holland　for　writing　something　that　the　newspapers　found　it　to　their　advantage　to　abuse　so　heartily；　and　Lord　Earlscourt；　being　a　singularly　sensitive　man；　had　been　greatly　worried　by　the　comments　which　had　been　passed　upon　his　discrimination　in　intrusting　to　a　clergyman　who　could　bring　himself　to　write　〃Revised　Versions〃　a　cure　of　such　important　souls　as　were　to　be　found　at　St。　Chad's。　He　had；　in　fact；　been　so　harassedhe　was　a　singularly　sensitive　manthat　he　had　found　it　absolutely　necessary　to　run　across　to　Paris　from　time　to　time　for　a　change　of　scene。　（This　was　perfectly　true。　Lord　Earlscourt　had　gone　more　than　once　to　Paris　for　a　change　of　scene；　and　had　found　it；　Lady　Earlscourt　was　thirty…two；　and　wore　evangelical　boots。）　But；　of　course；　since　George　Holland's　enterprise　had　turned　out　so　well　socially；　people　who　entertained　could　not　be　hard　on　him。　There　was　the　new　religion　to　be　counted　upon。　It　was　just　as　likely　as　not　that　he　would　actually　start　a　new　religion；　and　you　can't　be　hard　upon　a　man　who　starts　a　new　religion。　There　was　Buddha；　for　instance；that　was　a　long　time　ago；　to　be　sure；　but　still　there　he　was；　the　most　important　factor　to　be　considered　in　attempting　to　solve　the　great　question　of　the　reconcilement　of　the　religions　of　the　East；Buddha；　and　Wesley；　and　Edward　Irving；　and　Confucius；　and　General　Booth；　if　you　took　them　all　seriously　where　would　you　be？

〃Oh；　no；　my　dear　Phyllis！〃　continued　Lady　Earlscourt；　〃you　must　not　persist　in　your　ill…treatment　of　Mr。　Holland。　If　you　do　he　may　marry　someone　else。〃

Phyllis　shook　her　head。

〃I　hope　he　will；　indeed；〃　said　she。　〃He　certainly　will　never　marry　me。〃

〃Do　not　be　obdurate；〃　said　Lady　Earlscourt。　〃He　may　not　really　believe　in　all　that　he　put　into　that　book。〃

〃Then　there　is　no　excuse　for　his　publishing　it；〃　said　Phyllis　promptly。

〃But　if　he　doesn't　actually　hold　the　views　which　he　has　formulated　in　that　book；　you　cannot　consistently　reject　him　on　the　plea　that　he　is　not　quitew