phyllis of philistia-第4章

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her　with　something　of　a　proprietary　air。　He　relinquished　her　hand　with　a　little　look　of　surprisea　sort　of　pained　surprise。　She　was　inexorable。　She　would　not　even　allow　him　to　maintain　his　proprietary　air。

〃Do　sit　down；　Mr。　Holland；〃　she　said。

〃What！　'Mr。　Holland'　already？　Oh；　Phyllis！〃

He　had　a　good　voice；　full　of　expressionsomething　beyond　mere　musical　expression。　People　（they　were　mostly　women）　said　that　his　voice　had　soul　in　it；　whatever　they　meant　by　that。

She　made　no　reply。　What　reply　could　she　make？　She　only　waited　for　him　to　sit　down。

〃Your　letter　came　as　a　great　shock　to　me；　Phyllis；〃　said　he；　when　he　had　seated　himself；　not　too　close　to　her。　He　did　not　wish　her　to　fancy　that　he　was　desirous　of　having　a　subtle　influence　of　propinquity　as　an　ally。　〃A　great　shock　to　me。〃

〃A　shock？〃　said　she。　〃A　shock；　after　you　had　written　that　book？〃

〃I　fancied　you　would　understand　it；　Phyllisyou；　at　least。　Of　course　I　expected　to　be　misrepresented　by　the　worldthe　criticsthe　clerics　what　you　willbut　you　You　had　not　read　it　when　you　wrote　that　letter　to　methat　terrible　letter。　You　could　not　have　read　it。〃

〃I　had　only　read　one　notice　of　itthat　was　enough。〃

〃And　you　could　write　that　letter　to　me　solely　as　the　evidence　of　one　wretched　print？　Oh；　Phyllis！〃

Pain　was　in　his　voice。　It　may　have　been　in　his　face　as　well；　but　she　did　not　see　it；　his　face　was　averted　from　her。

〃Yes；〃　she　said　quietly；　〃I　wrote　that　letter；　Mr。　Holland。　You　see；　the　paper　gave　large　extracts　from　the　book。　I　did　not　come　to　my　conclusion　from　what　the　newspaper　article　said；　but　from　what　you　had　said　in　your　bookfrom　the　quoted　passages。〃

〃They　did　not　do　me　justice。　I　did　not　look　for　justice　at　their　hands。　But　you；　Phyllis〃

〃I　have　read　your　book　now；　Mr。　Holland〃

〃Ah；　let　me　plead　with　you；　Phyllisnot　'Mr。　Holland；'　I　entreat　of　you。〃

〃And　my　first　thought　on　reading　it　was　that　I　had　not　written　to　you　so　strongly　as　I　should　have　done。〃

〃My　dear　Phyllis；　do　not　say　that；　I　beg　of　you。　You　cannot　know　how　you　pain　me。〃

〃To　be　misunderstood　by　you/you/。〃

She　got　upon　her　feet　so　quickly　that　it　might　almost　be　said　she　sprang　up。

〃/You/　must　have　misunderstood　/me/　greatly；　Mr。　Holland；　if　you　fancied　that　you　could　write　such　a　book　as　you　wrote　and　not　get　such　a　letter　from　me。　The　BibleRuthand　you　a　clergymanreading　it　daily　in　the　church　Oh！　I　cannot　tell　you　all　that　I　thoughtall　that　I　still　think。〃

He　did　not　correct　the　mistake　she　had　made。　She　had　no　right　to　accuse　him　of　reading　the　Bible　daily　in　his　church。　He　was　not　in　the　habit　of　doing　thatit　was　his　curates　who　did　it。　He　watched　her　as　she　stood　at　a　window　with　her　back　turned　to　him。　Her　hands　were　behind　her。　Her　breath　came　audibly；　for　she　had　spoken　excitedly。

Then　he　also　rose　and　came　beside　her。

〃I　wrote　that　book；　as　I　believed　you　would　perceive　when　you　had　read　it；　in　order　to　remove　from　the　minds　of　the　peoplethose　people　who　have　not　given　the　matter　a　thoughtthe　impressionI　know　it　prevailsthat　our　faiththe　truth　of　our　religionis　dependent　upon　the　acceptance　as　good　of　such　persons　as　our　very　religion　itself　enables　us　to　pronounce　evil。　My　aim　was　to　show　that　our　faith　is　not　built　upon　such　a　foundation　of　impurityof　imperfection。　The　spirit　which　prevails　nowadaysthe　modern　spiritit　is　the　result　of　the　development　of　science。　This　scientific　spirit　necessitates　the　consideration　of　all　the　elements　of　our　faith　from　the　standpoint　of　reason。〃

〃Faithreason？〃

〃If　the　Church　is　to　appeal　to　all　men；　its　method　must　be　scientific。　It　is　sad　to　think　of　all　that　the　Church　has　lost　in　the　past　through　the　want　of　wisdom　of　those　who　had　its　best　interests　at　heart；　and　believed　they　were　doing　it　good　service　by　opposing　scientific　research。　They　fancied　that　the　faith　would　not　survive　the　light　of　truth。　They　professed　to　believe　that　the　faith　was　strong　enough　to　work　miraclesto　change　the　heart　of　man；　and　yet　that　it　would　be　jeopardized　by　the　calculations　of　astronomers。　The　astronomers　were　prohibited　from　calculating；　the　geologists　were　forbidden　to　unearth　the　mysteries　of　their　science；　lest　the　discovery　of　the　truth　should　be　detrimental　to　the　faith。　They　believed　that　the　truth　was　opposed　to　the　faith。　Warning　after　warning　the　Church　received　that　the　two　were　one；　that　man　would　only　accept　the　truth；　whether　it　came　from　the　lips　of　the　churchman　or　from　the　investigations　of　science。　Grudgingly　the　Church　became　tolerant　of　the　seekers　after　truthmen　who　were　not　greatly　concerned　in　the　preservation　of　the　mummy　dust　of　dogma。　But　how　many　thousand　persons　are　there　not；　to…day；　who　think　that　the　Church　is　on　one　side；　and　the　truth　on　the　other？　The　intolerant　attitude　of　the　Church；　still　maintained　in　these　days；　when　the　spirit　of　science　pervades　every　form　of　thought；　has　been　productive　of　probably　the　largest　body　that　ever　existed　in　the　country；　of　sensible　men　and　women；　who　never　enter　a　church　door。　They　want　to　know　whatsoever　things　are　true；　they　do　not　want　to　be　dredged　with　the　mummy　dust　of　dogma。〃

〃But　the　Biblethe　Bible！〃

〃It　is　necessary　for　me　to　tell　you　all　that　I　feel　on　this　subject；　all　that　I　have　felt　for　several　years　pastever　since　I　left　the　divinity　school　behind　me；　and　went　into　the　world　of　thinking　men　and　women。　It　is　necessary　to　tell　these　men　and　women　in　unmistakable　language　that　our　faith　aims　at　a　perfect　type　of　manhoodat　the　perfection　of　truth。　It　is　necessary　to　tell　them　that　we　do　not　regard；　except　with　abhorrence；　such　types　of　men　as　have　for　centuries　been　held　up　to　admiration　simply　because　they　have　for　centuries　been　the　objects　of　admiration；　of　imitation；　of　veneration；　on　the　part　of　the　debased　people　who　gave　us　the　earlier　books　of　the　Bible。　The　memory　of　Jacob　became　the　dominant　influence　among　the　Hebrew　nation；　hence　the　continuous　curse　that　rested　upon　them；　the　curse　that　rests　upon　the　cheat；　the　defrauder　of　his　own　household；　his　brother；　his　father；　his　uncle。　It　is　necessary　to　say　that　the　world　should　know　that　our　religion　is　founded　upon　truth；　purity；　self…sacrificethat　it　abhors　the　cheat　and　the　sensualist。　It　is　necessary　to　proclaim　to　the　world　our　abhorrence　of　the　cult　whose　highest　development　was　the　Pharisee。　The　aim　of　the　religion　of　Christ　is　to　produce　the　perfect　man；　and　to　root　out　the　Pharisee。　When　the　Church　ceases　to　connive　at　falsehood　and　sensualism；　when　it　openly　professes　its　abhorrence　of　the　religion　of　the　Hebrews；　then；　and　then　only；　will　it　become　the　power　in　the　earth　which　the　exponent　of　Christianity　should　become。　Humanity　had　been　crying　out　for　the　religion　of　humanity；　that　is；　Christianity；　for　centuries；　but　the　Church　tells　it　that　true　religion　is　an　amalgamation　of　the　loveliness　of　Christianity　and　the　barbarity　of　Judaisman　impossible　amalgamation；　and　one　which　millions　of　poor　souls　have　perished　in　a　vain　attempt　to　accomplish。　Humanity　wants　Christ；　and　Christ　only；　and　that　the　Church　has　hitherto　refused　to　give；　hence　the　millions　of　thinking　men　and　women；　believers　in　the　religion　of　Christ；　who　remain　forever　outside　the　walls　of　the　Church；　hence；　also；　that　terrible　record　of　murder　and　massacre；　perpetrated　through　long　ages　with　the　sanction　of　the　Church。　Where；　in　the　religion　of　Christ；　can　one　find　the　sanction　for　massacre？　It　is　nowhere　to　be　found　except　in　the　Psalms　of　the　senile　sensualistin　the　commands　of　Moses；　the　leader　of　the　marauders　of　the　desert。　Christ　swept　away　the　barbarities　of　the　teaching　of　Moses。　He　perceived　how　miserably　it　had　failed；　how　it　had　retarded　all　that　was　good　in　man；　and　sanctioned　all　that　was　evil。　He　perceived　how　it　had　kept　the　nation　in　a　condition　of　barbarity；　how　it　had　made　it　the　prey　of　the　civilized　nations　around　it；　how　it　had　made　the　Hebrew　nations　the　contempt　of　civilization；　and　yet　the　Church　that　calls　itself　the　Church　of　Christ　has　not　yet　had　the　courage　to　offer　humanity　anything　but　that　impossible　taskthe　amalgamation　of　the　law　that　came　by　Moses　and　the　grace　and　truth　that　came　by　Jesus　Christ。〃

He　spoke　with　all　the　fervor　of　the　preacher；　with　pale　face；　brilliant　eyes；　and　clenched　hands；　but　in　a　voice　adapted　to　a　drawing　room。　Phyllis　of　Philistia　could　not　but　admit　that；　in　the　phrase　of　Philistia　he　had　spoken　in　perfect　taste。　He　had　not　alluded　definitely　to　the　boldness　of　Ruth　or　to　the　calorific　course　accepted　by　the　aged　David。　He　had　spoken　in　those　general　terms　which　are　adopted　by　the　clergymen　who　never　err　against　good　taste　as　defined　by　the　matrons　of　Philistia。

She　did　not　know　whether　she　admired　him　or　detested　him。　But　she　was　certain　that　she　did　not　love　him。　He　might　be　right　in　all　that　he　had　said；　but　she　had　freed　herself　from　him。　He　might　be　destined　to　become　one　of　the　most　prominent　men　of　the　last　ten　years　of　the　century；　but　she　would　never　marry　him。

She　stood　face　to　face　with　him　when　he　had　spoken。

There　was　a　long　silence。

A　gleam；　a　very　faint　gleam　of　triumph　came　to　his　eyes。

〃Good…bye；〃　said　she；　flashing　out　her　hand　to　him；　and　with　her　eyes　still　fixed　upon　his　face。



CHAPTER　V。

IN　LOVE　THERE　ARE　NO　GOOD…BYES。

He　was　so　startled　that　he　took　a　step　backward。　She　remained　with　her　hand　outstretched。

Was　that　only　the　result　of　the　eloquent　expression　of　his　viewsthat　outstretched　hand　which　was　offered　to　him　for　an　instant　only　as　a　symbol　of　its　withdrawal　from　him　forever？

〃You　cannot　mean〃

〃Good…by；〃　said　she。

〃Have　I　not　explained　all　that　seemed　to　you　to　stand　in　need　of　explanation？〃　he　asked。

〃The　bookthe　book　remains。　I　asked　for　no　explanation；〃　said　she。

〃But　you　are　too　good；　too　reasonable；　to　dismiss　me　in　this　fashion；　Phyllis。　Why；　even　the　bishop/would　sit　upon　a　fence　to　see　how　the　book　would　be　received　by　the　public　before　taking　action　against　the　author/；〃　was　what　was　in　his　mind；　but　he　stopped　short；　and　then　added　a　phrase　that　had　no　reference　to　the　bishop。　〃Can　you　ever　have　loved　me？〃　was　the　phrase　which　he　thought　should　appeal　to　her　more　forcibly　than　any　reference　to　the　bishop's　sense　of　what　was　opportune。

She　took　back　her　hand；　and　her　eyes　fell　at　the　same　moment　that　her　face　flushed。

He　felt　that　he　had　not　been　astray　in　his　estimate　of　the　controversial　valuein　the　eyes　of　a　girl；　of　courseof　the　appeal　which　he　made　to　her。　A　girl　understands　nothing　of　the　soundness　of　an　argument　on　a　Biblical　question　（or　any　other）；　he　thought；　but　she　understands　an　appeal　made　to　her　by　a　man　whom　she　had　loved；　and　whom　she　therefore　loves　still；　though　something　may　have　occurred　to　make　her　think　otherwise。

〃Can　you　ever　have　loved　me？〃　he　said　again；　and　his　voice　was　now　more　reproachful。

There　was　a　pause　before　she　said：

〃That　is　the　question　which　I　have　been　asking　myself　for　some　time　ever　since　I　read　about　that　book。　Oh；　please；　Mr。　Holland；　do　not　stay　any　longer！　Cannot　you　see　that　if；　after　you　have　made　an　explanation　that　should　satisfy　any　reasonable　person；　I　still　remain　in　my　original　way　of　thinking；　I　am　not　the　woman　who　should　be　your　wife？〃

〃You　would　see　with　my　eyes　if　you　were　my　wife；〃　he