phyllis of philistia-第28章

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〃I　can　quite　believe　it；〃　said　she。　〃Mr。　Geraint；　the　novelist；　took　me　down　to　dinner　at　Mrs。　Lemuel's　last　night；　and　he　told　me　that　the　only　thing　that　will　make　people　buy　books　is　seeing　the　author's　portrait　in　some　of　the　illustrated　papers；　or　hearing　from　some　of　the　interviews　which　are　published　regarding　him　that　he　never　could　take　sugar　in　his　coffee。　The　reviews　of　his　books　are　read　only　by　his　brother　authors；　and　they　never　buy　a　book；　Mr。　Geraint　says；　but　the　interviews　are　read　by　the　genuine　buyers。〃

〃Mr。　Geraint　knows　his　public；　I'm　sure。〃

〃I　fancy　he　does。　He　would　be　very　amusing　if　he　didn't　aim　so　persistently　at　going　one　better　than　someone　else　in　his　anecdotes。　People　were　talking　at　dinner　about　your　having　massacred　the　natives　with　dynamiteyou　did；　you　know；　Mr。　Courtland。〃

〃Oh；　yes；　I　have　admitted　so　much　long　ago。　There　was　no　help　for　it。〃

〃Well；　of　course　everyone　was　laughing　when　papa　told　how　the　massacre　came　about；　and　this　annoyed　Mr。　Geraint　and　induced　him　to　tell　a　story　about　a　poor　woman　who　fancied　that　melinite　was　a　sort　of　food　for　children　that　caused　their　portraits　to　appear　in　the　advertisements；　so　she　bought　a　tin　of　it　and　gave　it　all　to　her　little　boy　at　one　meal。　It　so　happened；　however；　that　he　became　restless　during　the　night　and　fell　out　of　his　cradle。　That　happened　a　year　ago；　Mr。　Geraint　said；　and　yet　the　street　isn't　quite　ready　for　traffic　yet。〃

〃That　little　anecdote　of　Mr。　Geraint　makes　me　feel　very　meek。　If　at　any　time　I　am　tempted　to　think　with　pride　upon　my　dynamite　massacre；　I　shall　remember　Mr。　Geraint's　story；　and　hang　my　head。〃

〃We　were　all　amused　at　Mr。　Geraint's　lively　imagination；　but　much　more　so　when　Mr。　Topham；　the　under…secretary；　shook　his　head　gravely；　and　said　in　his　most　dignified　manner；　that　he　thought　the　reported　occurrencethe　melinite　incidentquite　improbable。　He　was　going　on　to　explain　that　the　composition　of　the　explosive　differed　so　materially　from　that　of　the　food　that　it　would　be　almost　impossible　for　any　mother　to　take　the　one　for　the　other；　when　our　hostess　rose。〃

〃Mr。　Topham　must　have　been　disappointed。　As　a　demonstrator　of　the　obvious　he　has　probably　no　equal　even　among　the　under…secretaries。　You　discussed　him　pretty　freely　in　the　drawing　room　afterward；　I　may　venture　to　suggest。〃

〃No；　we　discussed　you；　Mr。　Courtland。〃

〃A　most　unprofitable　topic。　From　what　standpointdynamite　massacres？〃

〃From　the　standpoint　of　heredity；　of　course。　Can　you　imagine　any　topic　being　discussed　in　a　drawing　room；　nowadays；　from　any　other　standpoint？　There　was　a　dear　old　lady　present；　Mrs。　Haddon；　and　she　said　she　had　been　a　friend　of　your　mother's。〃

〃So　she　was；　I　recollect　her　very　well。　I　should　like　to　go　see　her。〃

〃She　told　us　a　great　deal　about　your　mother；　and　your　sistera　sister　to　whom　you　were　greatly　attached。〃

Phyllis'　voice　had　become　low　and　serious；　every　tone　suggested　sympathy。

〃I　had　such　a　sister；〃　said　he　slowly。　His　eyes　were　not　turned　toward　her。　They　were　fixed　upon　a　little　model　of　St。　Catherine　of　Siena；a　virgin　among　the　clouds；which　was　set　in　the　panel　of　an　old　cabinet　beside　him。　〃I　had　such　a　sisterRosamund；　she　is　dead。〃

〃Mrs。　Haddon　told　us　so；〃　said　Phyllis。　〃She　talked　about　your　mother；　and　your　sister；　and　of　the　influence　which　they　had　had　upon　your　lifeyour　career。〃

〃They　are　both　dead；〃　said　he。

〃They　did　not　live　to　see　your　triumph；　that　is　what　your　tone　suggests；〃　said　she。　〃That　is　what　Mrs。　Haddon　saidthe　tears　were　in　her　eyeslast　night；　Mr。　Courtland。　I　wish　you　could　have　heard　her。　I　wish　you　could　have　heard　what　she　said　when　someone　made　a　commonplace　remark　as　to　how　sad　it　was　they　were　dead。〃

〃What　did　she　say；　Miss　Ayrton？〃

〃She　said；　'No；　no；　please　do　not　talk　about　death　overtaking　such　as　they。　The　mother；　who　transmits　her　nature　to　the　son；　renews　her　life　in　him；　it　is　not　he；　but　his　mother；　who　lives。'　And　then　she　asked；　'Do　you　suppose　that　Herbert　Courtland　ever　sets　out　on　any　of　his　great　enterprises　without　thinking　of　his　mother　and　sister；　without　feeling　that　he　must　do　something　worthy　of　them；　something　for　their　sake？　And　you　talk　of　them　as　if　they　were　deadas　if　they　had　passed　away　forever　from　the　concerns　of　earth！'　That　is　what　she　said；　Mr。　Courtland。〃

He　had　bent　forward　on　his　low　seat；　and　was　leaning　his　head　on　one　of　his　hands。　He　had　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　parquet　of　the　floor。　He　was　motionless。　He　did　not　speak　a　word。

〃Mrs。　Haddon　said　something　more；〃　Phyllis　continued；　after　a　pause。　Her　voice　had　fallen　still　another　tone。　〃　'Yes；'　she　said；　as　if　musing；　'deaddead！　A　man　is　as　his　mother　has　made　him。　He　is　with　her　from　the　moment　she　loves　his　father。　She　is　evermore　thinking　of　him；　he　is　precious　to　her　before　the　mystery　of　his　birth　is　revealed　to　her。　He　grows　up　by　her　side；　and　loves　her　because　he　knows　that　she　understands　him。　She　does　understand　him；　and　she　understands　his　father　better　by　understanding　her　son。'　She　said　that；　Mr。　Courtland；　and　I　felt　that　she　had　spoken　one　of　the　greatest　truths　of　this　mysterious　life　of　ours。　Then　she　said；　'Herbert　Courtland　is　a　man　who　has　lived　with　honor　to　himself；　with　honor　to　the　memory　of　his　mother；　and　of　his　sister；　whom　he　loved。　He　is　a　man；　and　he　has　not　merely　attained　distinction　in　the　world；　if　he　is　without　fear；　he　is　also　without　reproach；　and　ask　him　if　he　has　not　been　strengthened　in　his　fight　with　whatever　of　base　may　have　risen　up　within　him；　being　a　man；　from　day　to　day；　by　the　thought　that　his　sister　is　one　with　him；　that　his　purity　of　heart　and　of　act　is　the　purity　of　his　mother　and　his　sister；　upon　which　no　stain　must　ever　come。'　That　was　all　she　said；　Mr。　Courtland。〃

There　was　a　long　pause　after　she　had　spoken。　He　sat　there　with　his　head　bent；　his　fingers　interlaced。　He　had　his　eyes　fixed　upon　the　floor。　His　cup　of　tea　stood　untasted　beside　him　on　a　little　Algerian　table。

And　sheas　she　looked　at　him　her　soft　eyes　became　dim　with　tears。　She　knew　that　the　words　which　she　had　spoken；　the　words　which　she　had　repeated　as　they　were　spoken　by　the　lady　whom　she　had　met　the　previous　night；　had　awakened　many　memories　within　him。　She　too　had　her　memories。　She　knew　that　there　was　a　certain　gratefulness　in　the　midst　of　the　bitterness　of　such　memories。

That　was　all　she　knew。

And　the　tears　continued　to　well　up　to　her　eyes　until　she　was　aware　that　he　had　risen　from　his　seat　and　was　standing　in　front　of　her。　She　drew　her　hand　across　her　eyes。　She　saw　a　movement　in　his　lips。　They　were　trembling；　but　no　sound　came　from　them。　The　hand　that　he　stretched　out　to　her　was　trembling　also。　She　put　her　own　into　it。　He　held　her　hand　tightly　for　a　moment；　then　dropped　it　suddenly　and　almost　fled　from　the　room；　without　uttering　a　word。

For　a　few　moments　she　stood　where　he　had　left　her；　and　then　she　went　to　a　sofa　and　seated　herself　upon　it。　The　tears　that　had　come　to　her　eyes　before；　now　began　to　fall；　she　thought；　girl　that　she　was；　that　she　could　understand　what　were　the　feelings　of　the　man　who　had　just　parted　from　her。　She　thought　that　he　was　overcome　at　the　reflection　that　the　distinction　which　he　had　won　in　the　world　could　not　be　shared　by　those　whom　he　loved；　those　who　would　have　valued　far　more　than　he　did　the　honor　that　was　being　done　to　him。

The　pity　of　it！　Oh；　the　pity　of　it！

Ella　had　told　her　one　day　when　they　had　talked　together　about　Herbert　Courtland；　that　he　had　no　relation　alive；　that　he　stood　alone　in　the　world。　The　information　had　not　meant　much　to　her　then；　but　when　she　had　heard　Mrs。　Haddon　speak　on　the　previous　evening　about　his　attachment　to　his　mother　and　his　sister；　she　remembered　what　Ella　has　said；　and　her　heart　was　full　of　pity　for　him。　She　had　made　up　her　mind　to　tell　him　all　that　Mrs。　Haddon　had　said；　for　surely　more　sympathetic　words　had　never　been　spoken；　and　her　opportunity　had　come　sooner　than　she　expected。　Their　chat　together　had　led　naturally　up　to　Mrs。　Haddon；　and　she　had　been　able　to　repeat　to　him　almost　word　for　word　all　that　his　mother's　friend　had　said。

Her　heart　felt　for　him。　Surely　the　sweetest　reward　that　can　come　to　a　man　who　has　toiled　and　fought　and　conquered　was　denie