phyllis of philistia-第3章

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now　her　own　mind。　Philistia　was　very　solid　on　such　points　as　the　sacredness　of　an　engagement　between　a　man　and　a　woman。　It　was　a　contract　practically　as　abiding　as　marriage；　in　the　eyes　of　Philistia；　and；　indeed；　Phyllis　herself　had　held　this　belief；　and　had　never　hesitated　to　express　it。　So　nothing　was　left　to　her　but　to　marry　George　Holland。　After　all；　he　was　a　brilliant　and　distinguished　man；　and　had　not　a　score　of　other　girls　wanted　to　marry　him？　Oh；　she　would　marry　him　and　give　up　her　life　to　the　splendid　duties　which　devolve　upon　the　wife　of　a　clergyman。

But　just　as　she　had　made　up　her　mind　to　face　her　fate；　Mr。　Holland's　fate　induced　him　to　publish　the　book　at　which　he　had　been　working　for　some　time。　It　came　out　just　when　the　girl　was　becoming　resigned　to　her　future　by　his　side；　and　it　attracted　even　more　attention　than　the　author　had　hoped　it　would　achieve。

The　book　was　titled　〃Revised　Versions；〃　and　it　was　strikingly　modern　in　design　and　in　tone。　It　purported　to　deal　with　several　personages　and　numerous　episodes　of　the　Old　Testament；　not　from　the　standpoint　of　the　comparative　philologist；　not　from　the　standpoint　of　the　comparative　mythologist；　but　from　the　standpoint　of　the　modern　man　of　common　sense　and　average　power　of　discrimination；　and　the　result　was　that　the　breath　of　a　good　many　people；　especially　clergymen；　was　taken　from　them；　and　that　the　Rev。　George　Holland　became　the　best…known　clergyman　in　England。

He　dealt　with　the　patriarchs　in　succession；　and　they　fared　very　badly　at　his　hands。　He　showed　that　Abraham　had　not　one　good　act　recorded　to　his　credit；　and　contrasted　his　duplicity　with　the　magnanimity　of　the　ruler　of　Egypt　whom　he　visited。　He　dwelt　upon　the　Hagar　episode；　showing　that　the　adulterer　was　also　a　murderer　by　intention；　and　so　forth；　while　no　words　could　be　too　strong　to　apply　to　Sara；　his　wife。　Isaac　did　not　call　for　elaborate　notice。　He　could　not　be　accused　of　any　actual　crime；　but　if　he　was　a　man　of　strong　personality；　he　was　singularly　unfortunate　in　having　failed　to　impart　to　his　wife　any　of　that　integrity　which　he　may　have　practiced　through　life。　Her　methods　of　dealing　with　him　after　they　had　lived　together　for　a　good　many　years　were　criminal；　considering　the　largeness　of　the　issue　at　stake　as　the　result　of　his　blessing。　As　for　Jacob；　not　a　single　praiseworthy　act　of　his　long　life　was　available　to　his　biographer。　His　career　was　that　of　the　most　sordid　of　hucksters。　Of　eleven　of　his　sons　nothing　good　is　told；　but　Joseph　was　undoubtedly　an　able　and　exemplary　man；　the　only　thing　to　his　discredit　being　his　utter　callousness　regarding　the　fate　of　his　father；　after　he　had　attained　to　a　high　position　in　Egypt。

The　chapter　on　the　patriarchs　was　followed　by　one　that　dealt　with　the　incidents　of　the　Exodus。　The　writer　said　that　he　feared　that　even　the　most　indulgent　critic　must　allow　that　the　whole　scheme　of　Moses　was　a　shocking　one；　but　he　was　probably　the　greatest　man　that　ever　lived　on　the　face　of　the　earth；　if　he　was　the　leader　and　organizer　of　a　band　of　depredators　who　for　bloodthirst　and　rapacity　had　no　parallel　in　history。　How　could　it　be　expected　that　a　kingdom　founded　upon　the　massacre　of　men　and　cemented　by　the　blood　of　women　and　children　should　survive？　It　had　survived　only　as　example　to　the　world　of　the　impossibility　of　a　permanent　success　being　founded　upon　the　atrocious　methods　pursued　by　the　worst　of　the　robber　states　of　the　East。　While　civilization　had　been　spreading　on　all　sides　of　them；　the　people　of　Israel　had　remained　the　worst　of　barbarians；　murdering　the　men　who　had　from　time　to　time　arisen　to　try　and　rescue　them　from　the　abysses　of　criminality　into　which　they　had　fallen；abysses　of　criminality　and　superstition；until　they　had　filled　their　cup　of　crime　by　the　murder　of　the　One　whom　the　world　worships　to…day。

Incidentally；　of　course；　the　character　of　Samson　was　dealt　with。　Delilah　was　shown　to　be　one　of　the　most　heroic　of　womankind；　making　greater　sacrifices　through　her　splendid　patriotism　than　Joan　of　Arc。　But　Samson

Ruth　was　also　dealt　with　incidentally。　She　was　the　woman　who　expresses　her　willingness　to　give　up　her　God　at　the　bidding　of　another　woman；　and　who　had　entered　into　a　plot　with　that　same　woman　to　entrap　a　man　whom　they　looked　to　support　them。

Then　there　was　David。　It　was　not　the　Bath…sheba　episode；　but　the　Abishag；　that　the　author　treated　at　lengthone　of　the　most　revolting　transactions　in　history；　especially　as　there　is　some　reason　to　believe　that　the　unfortunate　girl　was；　when　it　was　perpetrated；　already　attached　to　one　of　the　sons　of　the　loathsome；　senile　sensualist。

Perhaps；　on　the　whole；　it　was　not　surprising　that　after　the　publication　of　this　book　the　Rev。　George　Holland　became　the　best…known　clergyman　in　England；　or　that　the　breath　of　bishops　should　be　taken　from　them。　So　soon　as　some　of　them　recovered　from　the　first　brunt　of　the　shock；　they　met　together　and　held　up　their　hands；　saying　that　they　awaited　the　taking　of　immediate　action　by　the　prelate　within　whose　see　St。　Chad's　was　situated。　But　that　particular　prelate　was　a　man　who　had　never　been　known　to　err　on　the　side　of　rapidity　of　action。　Nearly　a　week　had　passed　before　he　made　any　move　in　the　matter；　and　then　the　move　he　made　was　in　the　direction　of　the　Engadine。　He　crossed　the　Channel　with　the　book　under　his　arm。　He　determined　to　read　it　at　his　leisure。　Being　a　clergyman；　he　could　not；　of　course；　be　expected　to　have　examined；　from　any　standpoint　but　that　of　the　clergyman；　the　characters　of　the　persons　dealt　with　in　the　book；　and　he　was　naturally　shocked　at　the　freedom　shown　by　the　rector　of　St。　Chad's　in　criticising　men　whose　names　have　been　held　in　the　highest　esteem　for　some　thousands　of　years。　He　at　once　perceived　that　the　rector　of　St。　Chad's　had　been　very　narrow…minded　in　his　views　regarding　the　conduct　of　the　men　whom　he　had　attacked。　It　occurred　to　him；　as　it　had　to　Mr。　Ayrton；　that　the　writer　had　drawn　his　picture　without　any　regard　for　perspective。　That　was　very　foolish　on　the　part　of　a　man　who　was　a　Fellow　of　his　college；　the　bishop　thought；　and　besides；　there　was　no　need　for　the　bookits　tendency　was　not　to　help　the　weaker　brethren。　But　to　assume　that　the　book　would；　as　some　newspaper　articles　said　it　would；　furnish　the　most　powerful　argument　that　had　yet　been　brought　forward　in　favor　of　the　Disestablishment　of　Church；　was；　he　thought；　to　assume　a　great　deal　too　much。　The　Church　that　had　survived　Wesley；　Whitefield；　Colenso；　Darwin；　and　Renan　would　not　succumb　to　George　Holland。　The　bishop　recollected　how　the　Church　had　bitterly　opposed　all　the　teaching　of　the　men　of　wisdom　whose　names　came　back　to　him；　and　how　it　had　ended　by　making　their　teaching　its　own。　Would　anyone　venture　to　assert　that　the　progress　of　Christianity　was　dependent　upon　what　people　thought　of　the　acceptance　by　David　of　the　therapeutic　course　prescribed　for　him？　Was　the　morality　which　the　Church　preached　likely　to　be　jeopardized　because　Ruth　was　a　tricky　young　woman？

The　bishop　knew　something　of　man；　and　he　knew　something　of　the　Church；　he　even　knew　something　of　the　Bible；　and　when　he　came　to　the　chapter　in　〃Revised　Versions〃　that　dealt　with　the　episode　of　Ruth　and　Boaz；　he　flung　the　book　into　a　corner　of　his　bedroom；　exclaiming；　〃Puppy！〃

And　then　there　came　before　his　eyes　a　vision　of　a　field　of　yellow　corn；　ripe　for　the　harvest。　The　golden　sunlight　gleamed　upon　the　golden　grain　through　which　the　half…naked　brown…skinned　men　walked　with　their　sickles。　The　half…naked　brown…skinned　women　followed　the　binders；　gleaning　the　ears；　and　among　the　women　was　the　one　who　had　said；　〃Entreat　me　not　to　leave　thee。〃　He　had　read　that　old　pastoral　when　he　was　a　child　at　the　knee　of　his　mother。　It　was　surely　the　loveliest　pastoral　of　the　East；　and　its　charm　would　be　in　no　wise　impaired　because　a　man　who　failed　to　appreciate　the　beauty　of　its　simplicity；　had　almost　called　Ruth　by　the　worst　name　that　can　be　applied　to　a　woman。

The　bishop　did　not　mind　what　George　Holland　called　Abraham；　or　Isaac；　or　Jacob；　or　Samson；　but　Ruthto　say　that　Ruth

The　bishop　said　〃Puppy！〃　once　again。　（He　had　trained　himself　only　to　think　the　adjectives　which　laymen　find　appropriate　to　use　in　such　a　case　as　was　under　his　consideration。）

But　he　made　up　his　mind　to　take　no　action　whatever　against　the　Rev。　George　Holland　on　account　of　the　book。　If　the　Rev。　George　Holland　fancied　that　he　was　to　be　persecuted　into　popularity；　the　Rev。　George　Holland　was　greatly　mistaken；　and　the　bishop　had　a　shrewd　idea　that　the　rector　of　St。　Chad's　was　greatly　mistaken。

（It　may　be　mentioned　that　he　came　to　this　determination　when　he　had　read　the　book　through；　and　found　it　was　so　cleverly　written　that　it　included　no　heretical　phrase　in　all　its　pages。）

But　so　soon　as　Phyllis　Ayrton　had　read　the　first　review　of　the　book　that　fell　into　her　hands；　she　felt　inexpressibly　shocked。　Great　Heavens！　Was　it　possible　that　she　was　actually　at　that　moment　engaged　to　marry　the　man　who　had　written　such　a　booka　book　that　held　up　Delilah　to　admiration；　and　that　abased　Ruth？　（It　was　singular　how　everyone　settled　upon　Ruth　in　this　connection。）

She　did　not　pause　to　analyze　her　feelingsto　try　and　find　out　if　she　was　really　so　fond　of　Ruth　as　to　make　Ruth's　insult　her　own；　but　without　a　moment's　delay；　without　a　word　of　consultation　with　her　father；　she　sat　down　at　her　desk　and　wrote　a　letter　to　George　Holland；　asking　him　to　release　her　from　her　promise　to　marry　him；　and　adding　that　if　he　should　decline　to　do　so　it　would　make　no　difference　to　her；　she　would　consider　the　engagement　between　them　at　an　end　all　the　same。

She　felt；　when　that　letter　was　posted；　as　if　a　great　weight　were　lifted　from　her　mindfrom　her　heart。　Then　a　copy　of　〃Revised　Versions〃　arrived　for　her　from　the　author；　and　with　the　ink　still　wet　upon　the　pen　with　which　she　had　written　that　letter　to　him；　she　caught　up　the　book　and　covered　it　with　kisses。

Had　he　seen　that　action　her　lover　would　have　been　thoroughly　satisfied。　A　young　woman　must　be　very　deeply　in　love　with　a　man　when　she　kisses　the　cover　of　a　book　which　he　has　just　published。　That　is　what　George　Holland　would　have　thought；　having　but　a　superficial　acquaintance　with　the　motives　that　sway　young　women。

Later　in　the　day　he　had　replied　to　her　letter；　and　had　appointed　four　o'clock　on　the　following　afternoon　as　the　hour　when　he　trusted　she　would　find　it　convenient　to　see　him；　in　order　to　give　him　an　opportunity　of　making　an　explanation　which　he　trusted　would　enable　her　to　see　that　〃Revised　Versions；〃　so　far　from　being　the　dreadful　book　she　seemed　to　imagine　it　to　be；　was　in　reality　written　with　a　high　purpose。

She　had　not　shrunk　from　an　interview　with　him。　She　had　sent　him　a　line　to　let　him　know　that　she　would　be　at　home　at　four　o'clock；　and　now　she　sat　in　her　drawing　room　and　observed；　without　emotion；　that　in　five　minutes　that　hour　would　strike。

The　clock　struck；　and　before　the　last　tone　had　died　away；　the　footman　announced　the　Rev。　George　Holland。



CHAPTER　IV。

SHE　HAD　NO　RIGHT　TO　ACCUSE　HIM　OF　READING　THE　BIBLE　DAILY。

Phyllis　shook　hands　with　her　visitor。　He　sought　to　retain　her　hand；　as　he　had　been　in　the　habit　of　doing；　as　he　stood　beside　her　with　something　of　a　proprietary　air。　He　relinquished　her　hand　with　a　little　look　of　surprisea　so