phyllis of philistia-第14章

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　think　that　for　so　many　years　human　passion　should　be　banished　from　art；　though　every　line　of　Shakspere　is　tremulous　with　passion！　Why；　the　word　was　absolutely　banished；　it　was　regarded　as　impure。〃

〃I　know　thatI　was　at　a　boarding　school。　The　preceptresses　regarded　as　impure　everything　that　is　human。〃

〃Whereas；　just　the　opposite　is　the　case？〃

〃I　didn't　say　that；　Mr。　Courtland。〃

〃You　could　scarcely　say　it。　I　am　only　beginning　to　think　it；　and　I　have　lived　among　savages　for　years。　That　man　with　the　lion's　face　has　not　feared　to　deal　with　passion。　All　actors　who　have　lived　since　Garrick　have　never　gone　further　than　to　illustrate　passion　in　the　hands　of　a　man；　but　that　lion…man；　whose　stage　we　are　now　standing　on；　shows　us　not　the　passion　in　the　hands　of　a　man；　but　the　man　in　the　hands　of　the　passion。　The　man　who　tears　the　passion　to　tatters　is　the　robustious　periwig…pated　fellow；　the　actor；　who　shows　us　the　man　torn　in　tatters　by　the　passion；　is　the　supreme　artist。　I　am　no　authority　on　modern　literature；　but　I　must　confess　that　I　was　astonished　at　the　change　that　a　few　years　have　brought　about。　I　was　in　a　proper　position　for　noticing　it；　having　been　practically　without　books　for　two　years。〃

〃Is　it　a　change　for　the　better；　do　you　think；　Mr。　Courtland？〃

〃I　feel　certain　that　it　is　for　the　better。　I　refer；　of　course；　only　to　the　books　of　those　real　investigatorsreal　artists。　I　refer　to　the　fountain…heads；　not　to　the　hydrants　laid　down　by　the　water　companies　at　the　end　of　about　ten　miles　of　foul　piping。　I　don't　like　the　product　of　the　hydrants。　I　like　the　springs；　and；　however　natural　they　may　be；　I　don't　find　anything　impure　in　them。　Why　I　love　the　Bible　is　because　it　is　so　very　modern。〃

〃You　don't　think；　then；　that　it　is　yet　obsolete；　Mr。　Courtland？〃

〃No　book　that　deals　so　truly　with　men　and　women　can　ever　be　obsolete；　the　fact　being　that　men　and　women　are　the　same　to…day　as　they　were　ten　thousand　years　ago；　perhaps　ten　million　years　ago；　though　I'm　not　quite　so　sure　of　that。　The　Bible；　and　Shakspere；　and　Rofudingding；　a　New　Guinea　poet；　who　ate　men　for　his　dinner　when　he　had　a　chance；　and；　when　he　had　finished；　sang　lyrics　that　stir　the　hearts　of　all　his　fellow…islanders　to　this　day；he　lived　a　hundred　years　ago；dealt　with　men　and　women；　that　is　why　all　are　as　impressive　to…day　as　they　were　when　originally　composed。　Men　and　women　like　reading　about　men　and　women；　and　it　is　becoming　understood；　nowadays；　that　the　truth　about　men　and　women　can　never　be　contemptible。〃

〃Ah；　but　how　do　we　know　that　it　is　the　truth？〃

〃Therein　the　metaphysician　must　minister　to　himself。　I　cannot　suggest　to　you　any　test　of　the　truth；　if　you　have　none　with　you。　Everyone　capable　of　pronouncing　a　judgment　on　any　matter　must　feel　how　truthfully　the　personages　in　the　Bible　have　been　drawn。〃

〃Yes；　the　Bible　is　the　Word　of　God。〃

〃I　believe　that　it　is；　most　certainly。　That　profound　wisdom；　that　toleration　of　the　weaknesses　of　men；　that　sympathy　with　men；　who　cannot　fathom　the　mysteries　of　life；　and　the　struggle　for　life　of　all　things　that　love　life；　that　spirit　I　call　God；　and　I　don't　think　that　a　better　name　has　been　found　for　it。〃

〃Itfor　/it/？　You　think　of　God　as　merely　a　force　of　nature？〃

〃Just　the　contrary。　God　is　the　spirit　that　lives　in　warfare　with　nature。　Great　Heavens！　isn't　that　the　truth　of　which　the　whole　Bible　is　the　allegory？　Nature　and　nature's　laws　constitute　the　Devil。　God　is　the　opposing　Force。　It　is　a　law　of　nature　to　kill　off　the　weak；　to　crush　that　which　has　fallen　in　the　struggle。　It　is　God　who　helps　the　weakwho　helps　the　feeble。〃

〃But　merely　a　force？〃

〃Oh；　I　have　no　private　opinion　on　that　part　of　the　question。　I　am　not　like　that　modern　philosopher　who　fancied　he　had　solved　the　whole　problem　by　spelling　God　with　a　small　g。　But　don't　you　think　that　we　have　gone　quite　far　enough　in　our　exchange　of　confidence　for　a　first　meeting？　You　are　what　the　Italians　call　/simpatica/that　is；　more　than　merely　sympathetic。　You　look　at　one；　and　lead　one　on　to　confide　in　you　as　one　does　not　confide　in　most　girls。　You　are　a　thoroughly　dangerous　young　woman；　Miss　Ayrton；　though　you　are　Mrs。　Linton's　dearest　friend。　By　the　way；　can　you　make　her　confide　in　you？〃

There　seemed　to　be　a　measure　of　curiosity；　not　to　say　anxiety；　in　the　tone　of　this　inquiry。

〃Well；　she　makes　me　confide　in　her。　I　wonder　if　that　is　just　the　same　thing；〃　said　Phyllis。

〃It's　not　exactly　the　same　thing；〃　said　he。　〃But　it's　the　proper　course　for　dearest　friends　to　adopt　toward　each　other。　For　the　maintenance　of　a　firm　friendship　between　any　two　persons；　only　one　should　confide；　the　other　should　be　strictly　the　confidante。　By　the　way；　I　wonder　what　is　the　average　duration　of　the　dearest　friendship　between　two　women。〃

〃Why　should　it　have　any　limits？〃　said　Phyllis　gravely。　〃What　is　the　duration　of　the　friendship　between　two　men？〃

〃It　mostly　depends　on　when　the　woman　makes　her　appearance；〃　said　he；　with　a　laugh。

〃Ah！　So　that　Ah；　never　mind。　Ella　was　my　dearest　friend　before　Mr。　Linton　put　in　an　appearance。〃

〃And　he　was　mine　before　she　put　in　an　appearance；〃　said　he。

〃I　didn't　know　that；〃　said　Phyllis。

〃There；　you　see；　is　my　contention　borne　out；〃　said　he。　〃You　are　the　one　who　confides；　she　is　the　one　who　receives　the　confidences；　and　respects　them；　I'm　sure。　I　hope　that　you　will　do　the　same；　Miss　Ayrton。　Don't　let　anyone　know　that　I　confided　in　you　all　that　I　think　on　the　subject　of　the　old　Adam　and　the　new　Eve。〃

〃No　one　except　Ella　Linton；　and　you　know　that　I　can　keep　nothing　from　her　if　we　are　to　remain　dearest　friends。　Perhaps　she　knows　already　the　limits　of　your　belief；　Mr。　Courtland。〃

〃She　doesshe　does。〃

At　that　moment　Ella　Linton　came　up　with　Lord　Earlscourt。

〃Has　Mr。　Courtland　been　telling　you　all　about　the　bird　of　paradise？〃　she　asked　of　Phyllis；　while　she　waved　the　tail　feathers　of　the　loveliest　of　the　birds　of　paradise　before　her　face。

〃The　bird？not　the　/bird/；〃　laughed　Phyllis。

〃But　the　topic　was　paradise？〃　Ella　joined　in　the　laughyes；　to　some　extent。

〃I　talked　of　Adamthe　old　one　of　that　name；〃　said　Mr。　Courtland。

〃And　Evethe　new　one　of　that　name；〃　said　Phyllis。

〃Theology　is　in　the　air！〃　cried　Ella。　〃Even　the　stage　of　a　theater　is　not　free　from　the　taint。　It　must　be　the　case　of　Mr。　Holland。　Where　is　Mr。　Holland；　by　the　way；　Lord　Earlscourt？〃

〃I　haven't　seen　him　for　some　time。　He　must　have　gone　away。　I'm　not　Mr。　Holland's　keeper；　thank　Heaven！〃　said　Lord　Earlscourt；　with　heartfelt　devoutness。

〃Now　you　know　that　everyone　holds　you　accountable　for　what　he　has　done！〃　said　Ella。

〃Then　that's　just　where　everyone　makes　a　mistake；〃　said　he。　〃Great　Lord！　is　it　your　idea　of　British　justice　to　persecute　the　wrong　man？　Why　doesn't　the　bishop　do　his　duty？　What　do　we　pay　him　for？〃

〃We　won't　abandon　our　charity　at　the　call　of　theology；〃　said　Ella。

〃Theologyrepresented　by　Lord　Earlscourt；〃　said　Mr。　Courtland。

〃You　don't　know　how　I've　been　abused　during　the　past　fortnight；　indeed　you　don't；〃　moaned　Lord　Earlscourt。　〃Why；　there's　my　own　wife；　she　abused　me　like　a　cab…driver　because　George　Holland　had　been　with　us　on　the　platform　when　the　Chinese　teetotalers　came　here　to　protest　against　the　public　houses　in　England；　she　says　that　his　backsliding　will　put　back　the　cause　a　quarter　of　a　century。　Then　there　are　the　other　churchwardens；　they　look　on　me　as　if　I　had　been　making　a　suggestion　to　raffle　the　sacred　plate。　George　Holland　has　a　run　for　his　money；　but　I've　had　no　fun　out　of　it。〃

〃It　does　seem　hard；〃　said　Courtland。　〃But　it's　plain　that　the　case　calls　for　persecution；　and　why　not　persecute　you？　Someone　must　be　persecuted；　you'll　admit。〃

〃Then　why　the〃

〃I　thought　that　your　good　old　Bunyip　would　look　in　on　us　before　long；〃　said　Courtland。　〃There's　no　possibility　of　discussing　delicate　points　in　theology　without　him。〃

〃I　think　we　had　better　go　home；〃　said　Ella。

〃We　must　have　some　consideration　for　our　host；〃　said　Courtland。　〃We　didn't　all　play　the　part　of　/Cagliostro/　to…night。〃

During　the　movement　of　her　circle　and　the　adjustment　of　wraps；　preparatory　to　the　delivery　of　a　valedictory　word　of　congratulation　to　the　great　actor；　Ella　said　in　a　low　tone　to　Herbert　Courtland：

〃Cag