phyllis of philistia-第2章

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d　that　omission　on　his　part　caused　him　a　greater　amount　of　irritation　than　anyone　who　was　unaware　of　his　skill　in　phrase…making　could　have　thought　possible　to　arise　from　a　lapse　apparently　so　trifling。

It　was　not　until　he　had　reached　the　Acropolis　and　had　referred；　in　the　hearing　of　the　most　eminently　dull　of　the　many　distinguished　members　of　that　club；　to　the　possibility　of　a　girl's　experiences　of　man　being　likened　to　an　astronomer　without　a　telescope；　that　he　felt　himself　again。

The　dull　distinguished　man　had　smiled。



CHAPTER　II。

HE　KNEW　THAT　IT　WAS　A　TROUBLESOME　PROCESS；　BECOMING　A　GOOD　CLERGYMAN；　SO　HE　DETERMINED　TO　BECOME　A　GOOD　PREACHER　INSTEAD。

Phyllis　sat　alone　in　one　of　the　drawing　rooms；　waiting　until　the　hour　of　four　should　arrive　and　bring　into　her　presence　the　Rev。　George　Holland；　to　plead　his　cause　to　herto　plead　to　be　returned　to　her　favor。　He　had　written　to　her　to　say　that　he　would　make　such　an　attempt。

She　had　looked　on　him　with　favor　for　several　monthswith　especial　favor　for　three　months；　for　three　months　had　just　passed　since　she　had　promised　to　marry　him；　believing　that　to　be　the　wife　of　a　clergyman　who；　though　still　young；　had　two　curates　to　do　the　rough　work　for　him　clerical　charwomen；　so　to　speakwould　make　her　the　happiest　of　womankind。　Mr。　Holland　was　rector　of　St。　Chad's；　Battenberg　Square；　and　he　was　thought　very　highly　of　even　by　his　own　curates；　who　intoned　all　the　commonplace；　everyday　prayers　in　the　liturgy　for　him；　leaving　him　to　do　all　the　high…class　ones；　and　to　repeat　the　Commandments。　（A　rector　cannot　be　expected　to　do　journeyman's　work；　as　it　were；　and　it　is　understood　that　a　bishop　will　only　be　asked　to　intone　three　short　prayers；　those　from　behind　a　barrier；　too；　an　archbishop　refuses　to　do　more　than　pronounce　the　benediction。）

The　Rev。　George　Holland　was　a　good…looking　man　of　perhaps　a　year　or　two　over　thirty。　He　did　not　come　of　a　very　good　familya　fact　which　probably　accounted　for　his　cleverness　at　Oxford　and　in　the　world。　He　was　a　Fellow　of　his　college；　though　he　had　not　been　appointed　rector　of　St。　Chad's　for　this　reason。　The　appointment；　as　is　well　known　（in　the　Church；　at　any　rate）；　is　the　gift　of　the　Earl　of　Earlscourt；　and　it　so　happened　that；　when　at　college　together；　George　Holland　had　saved　the　young　man　who　a　year　or　two　afterward　became　Earl　of　Earlscourt　from　a　very　great　misfortune。　The　facts　of　the　case　were　these：　Tommy　Trebovoir；　as　he　was　then；　had　made　up　his　mind　to　marry　a　lady　whose　piquant　style　of　beauty　made　the　tobacconist's　shop　where　she　served　the　most　popular　in　town。　By　the　exercise　of　a　great　deal　of　diplomacy　and　the　expenditure　of　a　little　money；　Mr。　Holland　brought　about　a　match　between　her　and　quite　another　mana　man　who　was　not　even　on　a　subsidiary　path　to　a　peerage；　and　whose　only　connection　with　the　university　was　due　to　his　hiring　out　horses　to　those　whom　he　called　the　〃young　gents。〃　Tommy　was　so　indignant　with　his　friend　for　the　part　he　had　played　in　this　transaction　he　ceased　to　speak　to　him；　and　went　the　length　of　openly　insulting　him。　Six　years　afterward；　when　he　had　become　Earl　of　Earlscourt；　and　had　espoused　the　daughter　of　a　duke；a　lady　who　was　greatly　interested　in　the　advance　of　temperance；　he　had　presented　George　Holland　with　the　living　at　St。　Chad's。

People　then　said　that　Lord　Earlscourt　was　a　lesser　fool　than　some　of　his　acts　suggested。　Others　said　that　the　Rev。　George　Holland　had　never　been　a　fool；　though　he　had　been　a　Fellow　of　his　college。

They　were　right。　George　Holland　knew　that　it　was　a　troublesome　process　becoming　a　good　clergyman；　so　he　determined　to　become　a　good　preacher　instead。　In　the　course　of　a　year　he　had　become　probably　the　best…known　preacher　（legitimate；　not　Dissenting）　in　London；　and　that；　too；　without　annoying　the　church…wardens　of　St。　Chad's　by　drawing　crowds　of　undesirable　listeners　to　crush　their　way　into　the　proprietary　sittings；　and　to　join　in　the　singing　and　responses；　and　to　do　other　undesirable　acts。　No；　he　only　drew　to　the　church　the　friends　of　the　said　holders；　whose　contributions　to　the　offertory　were　exemplary。

His　popularity　within　a　certain　circle　was　great；　but；　as　Lord　Earlscourt　was　heard　to　say；　〃He　never　played　to　the　pit。〃

He　was　invited　to　speak　to　a　resolution　at　a　Mansion　House　meeting　to　express　indignation　at　the　maintenance　of　the　opium　traffic　in　China。

He　was　also　invited　by　the　Countess　of　Earlscourt　to　appear　on　the　platform　to　meet　the　deputation　of　Chinese　who　represented　the　city　meeting　held　at　Pekin　in　favor　of　local　option　in　England；　for　the　great　national　voice　of　China　had　pronounced　in　favor　of　local　option　in　England。

Shortly　afterward　he　met　Phyllis　Ayrton；　and　had　asked　her　to　marry　him；　and　she　had　consented。

And　now　Phyllis　was　awaiting　his　coming　to　her；　in　order　that　he　might　learn　from　her　own　lips　what　he　had　already　learned　from　the　letter　which　he　had　received　from　her　the　day　before；　namely；　that　she　found　it　necessary　for　her　own　peace　of　mind　to　break　off　her　engagement　with　him。

Phyllis　Ayrton　had　felt　for　some　months　that　it　would　be　a　great　privilege　for　any　woman　to　become　the　wife　of　a　clergyman。　Like　many　other　girls　who　have　a　good　deal　of　time　for　thought；thought　about　themselves；　their　surroundings；　and　the　world　in　general；she　had　certain　yearnings　after　a　career。　But　she　had　lived　all　her　life　in　Philistia；　and　considered　it　to　be　very　well　adapted　as　a　place　of　abode　for　a　proper…minded　young　woman；　in　fact；　she　could　not　imagine　any　proper…minded　young　woman　living　under　any　other　form　of　government　than　that　which　found　acceptance　in　Philistia。　She　had　no　yearning　to　startle　her　neighbors。　With　a　large　number　of　young　women；　the　idea　that　startling　one's　neighbors　is　a　career　by　itself　seems　to　prevail　just　at　present；　but　Phyllis　had　no　taste　in　this　direction。　Writing　a　book　and　riding　a　bicycle　were　alike　outside　her　calculations　of　a　scheme　of　life。　Hospital　nursing　was　nothing　that　she　would　shrink　from；　at　the　same　time；　it　did　not　attract　her；　she　felt　that　she　could　dress　quite　as　becomingly　as　a　hospital　nurse　in　another　way。

She　wondered；　if　it　should　come　to　the　knowledge　of　the　heads　of　the　government　of　Philistia　that　she　had　a　yearning　to　become　the　wife　of　a　clergyman；　would　they　regard　her　as　worthy　to　be　conducted　across　the　frontier；　and　doomed　to　perpetual　expatriation。　When　she　began　to　think　out　this　point；　she　could　not　but　feel　that　if　she　were　deserving　of　punishment；she　looked　on　expulsion　from　Philistia　as　the　severest　punishment　that　could　be　dealt　out　to　her；　for　she　was　extremely　patriotic；there　were　a　good　many　other　young　women；　and　women　who　were　no　longer　young；　who　were　equally　culpable。　She　had　watched　the　faces　of　quite　a　number　of　the　women　who　crowded　St。　Chad's　at　every　service；　and　she　had　long　ago　come　to　the　conclusion　that　the　desire　to　become　the　wife　of　a　clergyman　was　an　aspiration　which　was　universally　distributed　among　the　unmarried　women　of　the　congregation。

She　knew　so　much；　but　she　was　not　clever　enough　to　know　that　it　was　her　observance　of　this　fact　that　confirmed　her　in　her　belief　that　it　would　be　a　blessed　privilege　for　such　a　woman　as　she　to　become　the　wife　of　such　a　clergyman　as　George　Holland。　She　was　not　wise　enough　to　be　able　to　perceive　that　a　woman　marries　a　man　not　so　much　because　she　things　highly　of　marriagealthough　she　does　think　highly　of　it；　not　so　much　because　she　thinks　highly　of　the　manthough　she　may　think　highly　of　him；　but　simply　because　she　sees　that　other　women　want　to　marry　him。

In　three　months　she　considered　herself　blessed　among　women。　She　was　the　one　chosen　out　of　all　the　flock。　She　did　not　look　around　her　in　church　in　pride　of　conquest；　but　she　looked　demurely　down　to　her　sacred　books；　feeling　that　all　the　other　women　were　gazing　at　her　in　envy；　and　she　felt　that　there　was　no　pride　in　the　thought　that　the　humility　of　her　attitudedowncast　eyes；　with　long　lashes　shading　half　her　cheeks；　meekly　folded　handswas　the　right　one　to　adopt　under　the　circumstances。

And　then　she　saw　several　of　the　young　women　who　had　been　wearing　sober　shades　of　dresses　for　some　years；though　in　their　hearts　（and　she　knew　it）　they　were　passionately　atta