phyllis of philistia-第30章

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Once　more　Phyllis　shook　her　head　with　some　degree　of　sadness。　She　felt　that　it　would　indeed　be　impossible　for　her　to　explain　to　this　lady　of　logic　that　she　believed　the　truth　to　be　a　horizon　line；　and　that　any　opinion　which　was　a　little　above　this　line　was　as　abhorrent　as　any　that　was　a　little　below　it。

〃If　you　are　stubborn；　God　may　marry　you　to　a　Dissenter　yet；〃　said　Lady　Earlscourt　solemnly。

Phyllis　smiled　and　shook　her　head　again。

〃Oh；　you　needn't　shake　your　head；　my　dear；〃　resumed　Lady　Earlscourt。　〃I've　known　of　such　judgments　falling　on　girls　before　nowyes；　when　the　Dissenters　were　well　off。　But　no　Dissenter　rides　straight　to　hounds。〃

Phyllis　laughed。

〃More　logic；〃　she　said；　and　shook　hands　with　her　friend。

〃That　girl　has　another　man　in　her　eye；〃　said　her　friend　sagaciously；　when　Phyllis　had　left　her　opposite　her　own　tea…table。　〃But　I　don't　despair；　if　we　can　only　persuade　our　bishop　to　prosecute　George　Holland；　she　may　return　to　him　all　right。〃

She　invariably　referred　to　the　bishop　as　if　he　were　a　member　of　the　Earlscourt　household；　but　it　was　understood　that　the　bishop　had　never　actually　accepted　the　responsibilities　incidental　to　such　a　position；　though　he　had　his　views　on　the　subject　of　Lady　Earlscourt's　cook。

This　interview　had　taken　place　a　week　before　the　dinner　party　for　which　Phyllis　was　carefully　dressed　by　her　maid　Fidele　while　Herbert　Courtland　was　walking　away　from　the　house。　In　spite　of　her　logic；　Lady　Earlscourt　now　and　again　stumbled　across　the　truth。　When　it　occurred　to　her　that　Phyllis　had　another　man　in　her　eye；the　phrase　was　Lady　Earlscourt's　and　it　served　very　well　to　express　her　meaning；she　had　made　some　careful　inquiries　on　the　subject　of　the　girl's　male　visitors；　and　she　had；　of　course；　found　out　that　no　other　man　occupied　that　enviable　position；　no　social　oculist　would　be　required　to　remove　the　element　which；　in　Lady　Earlscourt's　estimation；　caused　Phyllis'　vision　to　be　distorted。

George　Holland　was　at　the　dinner。　Phyllis　had　been　asked　very　quietly　by　the　hostess　if　she　would　mind　being　taken　in　by　George　Holland；　if　she　had　the　least　feeling　on　the　matter；　Sir　Lionel　Greatorex　would　not　mind　taking　her　instead　of　Mrs。　Vernon…Brooke。　But　Phyllis　had　said　that　of　course　she　would　be　delighted　to　sit　beside　Mr。　Holland。　Mr。　Holland　was　one　of　her　best　friends。

〃Is　his　case　so　hopeless　as　that？〃　said　Lady　Earlscourt；　in　a　low　voice；　and　Phyllis　smiled　in　responsethe　smile　of　the　guest　when　the　hostess　had　made　a　point。

When　Lady　Earlscourt　had　indiscreetly；　but　confidentially；　explained　to　some　of　her　guests　the　previous　week　that　she　meant　her　little　dinner　party　to　be　the　means　of　reuniting　Mr。　Holland　and　Miss　Ayrton；　one　of　themhe　was　a　mansmiled　and　said；　when　she　had　gone　away；　that　she　was　a　singularly　unobservant　woman；　or　she　would　have　known　that　the　best　way　of　bringing　two　people　together　is　to　keep　them　as　much　apart　as　possible。　There　was　wisdom　in　the　paradox；　he　declared；　for　everyone　should　know　that　it　was　only　when　a　man　and　a　woman　were　far　apart　that　they　came　to　appreciate　each　other。

It　seemed；　indeed；　that　there　was　some　truth　in　what　that　man　said；　for　Phyllis；　before　the　ice　pudding　appeared；　had　come　to　the　conclusion　that　George　Holland　was　a　very　uninteresting　sort　of　man。　To　be　sure；　he　had　not　talked　about　himself；he　was　not　such　a　fool　as　to　do　that：　he　had　talked　about　her　to　the　exclusion　of　almost　every　other　topiche　had　been　wise　enough　to　do　that；but　in　spite　of　all；　he　had　not　succeeded　in　arousing　her　interest。　He　had　not　succeeded　in　making　her　think　of　the　present　when　her　thoughts　had　been　dwelling　on　the　pastnot　the　distant　past；　not　the　past　of　two　months　ago；　when　they　had　been　lovers；　but　the　past　of　two　hours　ago；　when　she　had　watched　the　effect　of　her　words　upon　Herbert　Courtland。

She　chatted　away　to　George　Holland　very　pleasantlyas　pleasantly　as　usualso　pleasantly　as　to　cause　some　of　her　fellow…guests　to　smile　and　whisper　significantly　to　one　another；　suggesting　the　impossibility　of　two　persons　who　got　on　so　well　together　as　Mr。　Holland　and　Miss　Ayrton　being　separated　by　a　barrier　so　paltry　as　an　engagement　broken　off　by　the　young　woman　for　conscience'　sake。

But　when　the　significant　smiles　of　these　persons　were　forced　upon　the　notice　of　their　hostess；　she　did　not　smile；　she　was　a　lady　with　a　really　remarkable　lack　of　knowledge；　but　she　knew　better　than　to　accept　the　pleasant　chat　of　George　Holland　and　Phyllis　Ayrton　as　an　indication　that　the　/status　quo　ante　bellum/to　make　use　of　the　expressive　phrase　of　diplomacyhad　been　re…established　between　them。

Only　when　George　Holland　ventured　to　express　his　admiration　of　Mr。　Ayrton's　adroitness　in　dealing　with　the　foolish　question　of　the　gentleman　from　Wales　did　he　succeed　in　interesting　Miss　Ayrton。

〃What　a　very　foolish　letter　those　missionaries　sent　home　regarding　the　explorations　of　Mr。　Courtland！〃　said　he。　〃Did　they　hope　to　jeopardize　the　popularity　of　Mr。　Courtland　by　suggesting　that　he　had　massacred　a　number　of　cannibals？〃

〃I　suppose　that　was　their　object；〃　said　Phyllis。

〃They　must　be　singularly　foolish　persons；　even　for　missionaries；〃　said　the　Rev。　George　Holland。

〃Even　for　missionaries？〃　Phyllis　repeated。　〃Oh；　I　forgot　that　you　are　no　believer　in　the　advantages　of　missions　to　the　people　whom　we　call　heathen。　But　I　have　not　been　able　to　bring　myself　to　agree　with　you　there。　They　have　souls　to　be　saved。〃

〃That　is　quite　likely；〃　said　he。　〃But　the　methods　of　the　missionaries；　generally　speaking；　have　not　tended　in　that　direction。　Hence　the　missionary　as　a　comestible　is　more　highly　esteemed　by　the　natives　than　the　missionary　as　a　reformer。　They　rarely　understand　the　natives　themselves；　and　they　nearly　always　fail　to　make　themselves　intelligible　to　the　natives。　It　would　appear　that　the　two　foolish　persons　who　wrote　that　letter　about　Mr。　Courtland　made　but　a　poor　attempt　at　understanding　even　their　own　countrymen；　if　they　fancied　that　any　rumor　of　a　massacre　of　cannibalsnay；　any　proof　of　such　a　massacrewould　have　an　appreciable　effect　upon　the　popularity　of　the　man　who　brought　home　the　meteor…bird。〃

〃You　don't　think　that　the　public　generally　would　believe　the　story？〃　said　Phyllis。

〃I　think　it　extremely　unlikely　that　they　would　believe　it；〃　he　replied。　〃But　even　if　they　believed　every　word　of　it　they　would　not　cease　to　believe　in　Mr。　Courtland's　bravery。　What　is　a　hecatomb　of　cannibals　compared　to　the　discovery　of　the　meteor…bird；that　is；　in　the　eyes　of　the　general　public；　or　for　that　matter；　the　Nonconformist　public　who　turn　up　their　eyes　at　the　suggestion　of　a　massacre　of　natives　of　an　island　that　is　almost　as　unknown　to　them　as　Ireland　itself？　The　people　of　this　country　of　ours　respect　bravery　more　than　any　other　virtue；　and　I'm　not　altogether　sure　that　they　are　generally　astray　in　this　matter。　The　Christian　faith　is　founded　upon　bravery；　and　the　same　faith　has　inspired　countless　acts　of　brave　men　and　women。　Oh；　no！　Mr。　Courtland　will　not　suffer　from　the　attacks　of　these　foolish　persons。〃

〃I　saw　him　thisa　short　time　ago；〃　said　Phyllis；　〃and　he　told　me　that　his　publishers　were　delighted　at　the　result　of　the　agitation　which　that　newspaper　tried　to　get　up　against　him：　they　said　it　was　selling　his　book。〃

〃I　saw　you　talking　with　Mr。　Courtland　after　the　first　production　of　'Cagliostro。'　I　envied　youand　him；〃　said　Mr。　Holland。　〃I　wonder　if　he　was　really　placed　in　the　unfortunate　position　of　having　to　massacre　a　horde　of　cannibals。〃

Phyllis　laughed；　and　forthwith　told　him　the　truth　as　it　had　been　communicated　to　her　regarding　the　dynamite　outrage　upon　the　unsuspecting　natives；　and　George　Holland　was　greatly　amused　at　the　storymuch　more　highly　amused；　it　would　have　occurred　to　some　persons；　than　a　clergyman　should　be　at　such　a　recital。　But　then　George　Holland　was　not　as　other　clergymen。　He　was　quite　devoid　of　the　affectations　of　his　cloth。　He　did　not　consider　it　necessary　to　put　the　tips　of　his　fingers　together　and　show　more　of　the　white　portion　of　the　pupil　of　his　eye　than　a　straight…forward　gaze　entailed；　when　people　talked　of　the　overflowing　of　a　river　in　China　and　the　consequent　drowning　of　a　quarter　of　a　million　of　menthat　is　to　say；　Chinamen。