phyllis of philistia-第13章

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The　gracious　manager　had　made　his　customary　speech　of　thanks；for　everything　produced　at　the　Parthenon　was　a　success；and　while　the　general　audience　were　moving　away　very　reluctantly；　some　distinguished　men　and　women　followed　the　guidance　of　a　strong　Irish　brogue　as　a　flock　follows　a　bell…wether；　through　a　door　that　led　to　the　stage。　Here　the　great　actor　and　the　ever…charming　lady　who　divided　with　him　the　affections　of　West　as　well　as　East；　received　their　guests'　congratulations　in　such　a　way　as　made　the　guests　feel　that　the　success　was　wholly　due　to　their　good　will。

Mrs。　Linton；　who　was　a　personage　in　society；her　husband　had　found　a　gold　mine　（with　the　assistance　of　Herbert　Courtland）　and　she　had　herself　written　a　book　of　travels　which　did　not　sell；had　brought　Phyllis　with　her　party　to　the　theater；　and　they　had　gone　on　the　stage　with　the　other　notabilities；　at　the　conclusion　of　the　performance。　George　Holland；　having　become　as　great　a　celebrity　as　the　best　of　them　during　that　previous　fortnight；　had　naturally　received　a　stall　and　an　invitation　to　the　stage　at　the　conclusion　of　the　performance。　He　had　not　been　of　Mrs。　Linton's　party；　but　he　lay　in　wait　for　that　party　as　they　emerged　from　their　box。

Another　man　also　lay　in　wait　for　them；　and　peopleoutsidersnudged　one　another　in　the　theater　as　the　passers　down　Piccadilly　had　nudged　one　another；　whispering　his　name；　Herbert　Courtland。　Othersthey　were　not　quite　such　outsidersnudged　one　another　when　Mrs。　Linton　laid　down　her　new　feather　fan　on　the　ledge　of　the　box。　It　was　possibly　the　loveliest　thing　that　existed　in　the　world　at　that　moment。　No　artist　had　ever　dreamed　of　so　wonderful　a　scheme　of　colorsuch　miracles　of　colorcombinations　in　every　feather　from　the　quill　to　the　spider…web…　like　fluffs　at　the　tips；　each　of　which　shone　not　like　gold　but　like　glass。　It　was　well　worth　all　the　nudging　that　it　called　forth。

But　when　Mrs。　Linton　had　picked　it　up　from　the　ledge；　beginning　to　oscillate　it　in　front　of　her　fair　face；　the　nudging　ceased。　People　looked　at　the　thing　with　eyes　wide　with　astonishment；　but　with　lips　mute。

A　more　satisfactory　evening　she　had　never　spent；　Mrs。　Linton　felt；　and　now　the　fan　was　hanging　down　among　the　brocaded　flowers　of　her　dress；　making　them　look　tawdry　as　she　left　the　box；　and　noticed　how　at　least　two　men　were　lying　in　wait　for　her　party。　There　was；　however；　a　frankness　in　Herbert　Courtland's　strategy　which　George　Holland's　did　not　possess。　Mr。　Courtland　was　looking　directly　at　her；　Mr。　Holland　was　pretending　to　be　engrossed　in　conversation　with　a　man　in　one　of　the　end　stalls。

She　lifted　a　finger　and　Courtland　went　to　her　side。　The　difficulties　of　the　jungle　along　the　banks　of　the　Fly　River　were　trifling　compared　with　the　obstacles　he　had　to　overcome　in　obeying　her。

〃I　had　no　idea　that　you　would　be　here；〃　she　said。

〃Where　else　should　I　be？〃　he　said；　in　so　low　a　tone　as　to　be　heard　only　by　her。

〃We　are　so　glad；〃　said　Mrs。　Linton。　〃I　want　to　present　you　to　my　dearest　friend；　Phyllis　Ayrton。〃

〃A　woman！〃　said　he。

〃Not　yet。　She　has　never　met　a　man。　She　will　to…night；〃　said　Ella。　Then　she　turned　to　Phyllis；　who　was　walking　beside　Lord　Earlscourt。　〃Come　here；　Phyllis；〃　she　said；　〃you　are　the　only　person　in　London　who　doesn't　yet　know　Mr。　Herbert　Courtland。　This　is　Mr。　Courtland。〃

Thus　it　was　that　Phyllis　went　upon　the　stage　of　the　Parthenon　by　the　side　of　Herbert　Courtland　instead　of　by　the　side　of　George　Holland；　and　the　little　laugh　that　Mrs。　Linton　gave　was　due　to　her　careful　observation　of　the　latter's　face　when　he　perceived；　as　he　did　in　spite　of　the　engrossing　nature　of　his　conversation　with　his　friend　in　the　end　stall；　how　his　designs　had　been　defeated　by　her　tactics。　She　would　not　have　minded　having　Herbert　Courtland　with　her　for　the　hour　they　might　remain　at　the　theater；　but　she　had　made　up　her　mind　that　it　was　not　to　Phyllis'　advantage　that　Mr。　Holland　should　continue　by　her　side　in　public　after　she　had　given　him　his　dismissal。

She　also　perceived；　with　even　greater　gratification；　that　Herbert　Courtland　was　looking　nearly　as　dissatisfied　with　the　result　of　her　tactics　as　George　Holland。　If　he　had　looked　pleased　at　being　by　the　side　of　Phyllis　when　he　expected　to　be　with　herEllawhat　would　life　be　worth　to　her？

But　if　he　was　dissatisfied　at　being　with　Phyllis　instead　of　Mrs。　Linton；　he　did　not　consider　that　any　reason　for　neglecting　the　former。　He　wondered　if　she　had　any　choice　in　sandwichesof　course　she　had　in　champagne。　His　curiosity　was　satisfied；　and　Phyllis　was　amply　provided　for。

〃You　are　Mrs。　Linton's　dearest　friend；〃　he　remarked　casually；　as　they　leaned　up　against　the　profile　of　the　Church　scene　in　〃Cagliostro；〃　for　they　were　standing　in　the　〃wings〃to　be　exacton　the　O。　P。　side。

〃She　is　my　dearest　friend；　at　any　rate；〃　said　Phyllis。

〃You　were　not　at　school　together。　She　is　four　or　five　years　older　than　you。〃

〃Only　three。　When　she　got　married　she　seemed　to　me　to　be　almost　venerable。　Three　years　seemed　a　long　time　then。〃

〃But　now　you　fancy　that　you　have　formed　a　right　idea　of　what　is　meant　by　three　years？〃

〃Well；　a　better　idea；　at　any　rate。〃

〃You　are　still　a　good　way　off　it。　But　if　you　have　formed　a　right　estimate　of　a　woman's　friendship〃

〃That's　still　something；　you　mean　to　say？　But　why　did　you　stop　short；　Mr。　Courtland？〃

Phyllis　was　looking　up　to　his　face　with　a　smile　of　inquiry。

〃I　was　afraid　that　you　might　think　I　was　on　the　way　to　preach　a　sermon　on　the　text　of　woman's　friendship。　I　pulled　myself　up　just　in　time。　I'm　glad　that　I　didn't　frighten　you。〃

〃Oh；　no；　you　didn't　frighten　me；　Mr。　Courtland。　I　was　only　wondering　how　you　would　go　onwhether　you　would　treat　the　topic　sentimentally　or　cynically。〃

〃And　what　conclusion　did　you　come　to　on　the　subject？〃

〃I　know　that　you　are　a　brave　manperhaps　the　bravest　man　alive。　You　would；　I　think；　have　treated　the　question　seriouslyfeelingly。〃

He　laughed。

〃The　adoption　of　that　course　implies　courage　certainly。　All　the　men　of　sentimentalitywhich　is　something　quite　different　from　sentiment；　mind　youhave　taken　to　writing　melodrama　and　penny　novelettes。　You　didn't　hear　much　sentimentality　on　this　stage　to…night；　or　any　other　night；　for　that　matter。〃

〃No；　it　would　have　sounded　unreal。　A　Parthenon　audience　would　resent　what　they　believed　to　be　a　false　note　in　art；　and　a　Parthenon　audience　is　supposed　to　be　the　concentration　of　the　spirit　of　the　period　in　thought　and　art；　isn't　it？〃

〃I　don't　know。　I'm　half　a　savage。　But　I　like　to　think　the　best　of　a　Parthenon　audience；　you　and　I　formed　part　of　that　concentration　to…nightyes；　I　like　to　think　the　best　of　it。　I　suppose　we　knowwe；　the　Parthenon　audience；　I　meanwhat　our　feelings　are　on　the　art　of　actingthe　art　of　play…writing。〃

〃I　shouldn't　like　to　have　to　define　my　feelings　at　a　moment's　notice。〃

〃One　must　make　a　beginning；　and　then　work　up　gradually　to　the　definition。〃

〃For　instance〃

〃Well；　for　instance；　there's　something　that　people　call　realism　nowadays。〃

〃My　father　has　his　ideas　on　what's　called　realism；〃　Phyllis　laughed。　〃　'Realism　in　painting　is　the　ideal　with　a　smudge。'　〃

〃I　should　like　to　hear　what　you　think　of　it？〃

He　also　laughed　sympathetically。

〃Oh；　I　only　venture　to　think　that　realism　is　the　opposite　to　reality。〃

〃And；　so　far　as　I　can　gather；　your　definition　is　not　wanting　in　breadthno；　nor　in　accuracy。　Sentimentality　is　the　opposite　to　sentiment。〃

〃That　is　a　point　on　which　we　agreed　a　moment　ago。　My　father　says　that　sentiment　is　a　strong　man's　concealment　of　what　he　feels；　while　sentimentality　is　a　weak　man's　expression　of　what　he　doesn't　feel。〃

〃And　the　Parthenon　audienceyou　and　Ilaugh　at　the　latterthat　is；　because　we　have　practiced　some　form　of　athletics。　The　bicycle　has　given　its　/coup　de　grace/　to　sentimentality。　That　man　over　there　with　the　head　and　face　like　a　lion's；　and　that　woman　whose　face　is　nature　illuminated；　have　long　ago　recognized　the　shallowness　of　sentimentalitythe　depths　of　sentiment。　We　could　not　imagine　either　of　them　striking　a　false　note。　They　have　been　the　teachers　of　this　generationthe　generation　to　which　you　belong。　Great　Heavens！　to　think　that　for　so　many　years　human　passion　should　be　banished　from　art；　though　every　l