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第28章

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

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