phyllis of philistia-第38章

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on　to　achieve　the　object　whichwell；　which　I　did　achieve。〃

〃Object？　What　object？〃

〃To　make　my　husband　fall　in　love　with　me　again。〃

〃Ah！　In　love　there　is　no　again。　I　wonder　where　a　telegram　would　find　Herbert。〃

〃Don't　worry　yourself　about　him。　Let　him　enjoy　his　holiday。〃

〃Do　you　fancy　he　is　enjoying　himself　with　Earlscourt　and　his　boon　companions？　They'll　be　playing　poker　from　morning　till　night　certainly　from　night　till　morning。〃

〃Why　should　he　go　on　the　cruise　if　he　was　not　certain　to　enjoy　himself？〃

〃Ah；　that　question　is　too　much　for　me。　Think　over　it　yourself　and　let　me　know　if　you　come　to　a　solution；　my　dear。〃

He　rose　and　left　the　room　before　she　could　make　any　answerbefore　she　could　make　an　attempt　to　find　out　in　what　direction　his　thoughts　regarding　the　departure　of　Herbert　Courtland　were　moving。

She　wondered　if　he　had　any　suspicion　in　regard　to　Herbert　and　herself。　He　was　not　a　man　given　to　suspicion；　or　at　any　rate；　given　to　allowing　whatever　suspicion　he　may　have　felt；　to　be　apparent。　He　had　allowed　her　to　drive　and　to　ride　with　Herbert　Courtland　during　the　four　months　they　had　been　together；　first　at　Egypt；　then　at　Florence；　Vienna；　Munich；　and　Paris；　and　he　could　not　have　but　seen　that　Herbert　and　she　had　a　good　many　sympathies　in　common。　Not　a　word　had　been　breathed；　however；　of　a　suspicion　that　they　were　more　than　good　friends　to　each　other。

（As　a　matter　of　fact；　they　had　not　been　more　than　good　friends　to　each　other；　but　then　some　husbands　are　given　to　unworthy　suspicions。）

Could　it　be　possible；　she　asked　herself；　that　some　people　with　nasty　minds　had　suggested　to　him　in　Paris　that　she　and　Herbert　were　together　a　great　deal　in　London；　and　that　he　had　been　led　to　make　this　sudden　visit；　this　surprise　visit　to　London；　with　a　view　of　satisfying　himself　as　to　the　truth　of　the　nasty　reportsthe　disgraceful　calumnies　which　had　reached　his　ears？

If　he　had　done　so；　all　that　could　be　said　was　that　he　had　been　singularly　unfortunate　in　regard　to　his　visit。　〃Unfortunate〃　was　the　word　which　was　in　her　mind；　though；　of　course　/〃fortunate〃/　was　the　word　which　should　have　occurred　to　her。　It　was　certainly　a　fortunate　result　of　his　visitthat　tableau　in　the　drawing　room　of　Mr。　Ayrton：　Ella　and　her　dearest　friend　standing　side　by　side；　hand　in　hand；　as　he　entered。　A　surprise　visit；　it　may　have　been；　but　assuredly　the　surprise　was　a　pleasant　one　for　the　husband；　if　he　had　listened　to　the　voice　of　calumny。

And　then；　after　pondering　upon　this　with　a　smiling　face；　her　smile　suddenly　vanished。　She　was　overwhelmed　with　the　thought　of　what　might　have　been　the　result　of　that　surprise　visityes；　if　she　had　not　had　the　strength　to　run　away　to　the　side　of　Phyllis；　yes；　if　Herbert　had　not　had　the　weakness　to　join　that　party　of　poker…players　aboard　the　yacht。

She　began　to　wonder　what　her　husband　would　have　done　if　he　had　entered　the　house　by　the　aid　of　his　latch…key；　and　had　found　her　sitting　in　that　lovely　costume　by　the　side　of　Herbert　Courtland？　Would　he　have　thought　her　a　guilty　woman？　Would　he　have　thought　Herbert　a　false　friend？　Would　he　have　killed　her；　or　would　he　have　killed　Herbert？　Herbert　would；　she　thought；　take　a　good　deal　of　killing　from　a　man　of　the　caliber　of　her　husband；　but　what　could　she　have　done？

Well；　what　she　did；　as　the　force　of　that　thought　crushed　her　back　upon　her　chair；　was　to　bring　her　hands　together　in　a　passionate　clasp；　and　to　cry　in　a　passionate　gasp：

〃Thank　Godthank　Godthank　God！〃

She　dined　alone　with　her　husband　that　night；　and　thought　it　well　to　appear　in　another　evening　toiletone　that　was　quite　as　lovely；　though　scarcely　so　striking；　as　that　which　her　husband　had　so　admired　the　previous　night。　He　clearly　appreciated　her　efforts　to　maintain　her　loveliness　in　his　eyes；　and　their　little　dinner　was　a　very　pleasant　one。

He　told　her　that　he　had　learned　that　the　yacht　/Water　Nymph/　would　put　in　to　Leith　before　crossing　the　North　Sea；　and　that　he　had　written　to　Herbert　Courtland　at　that　port　to　return　without　delay。

〃You　did　wrong；〃　said　she；　and　she　felt　that　she　was　speaking　the　truth。

〃I　don't　think　so；〃　he　replied。　〃At　any　rate；　you　may　rest　perfectly　certain　that　Herbert　will　receive　my　letter　with　gratitude。〃

And　Mr。　Linton's　judgment　on　this　point　was　not　in　error。　Herbert　Courtland　received；　on　the　evening　of　the　third　day　after　leaving　Southampton；　the　letter　which　called　him　back　to　London；　and　he　contrived　to　conceal　whatever　emotion　he　may　have　felt　at　the　prospect　of　parting　from　his　shipmates。　They　accompanied　him　ashore；　however　they　had　worn　out　six　packs　of　cards　already；　and　were　about　to　buy　another　dozen　or　two；　to　see　them　safely　through　the　imposing　scenery　of　the　Hardanger　Fjord。

The　next　day　he　was　in　London；　and　it　was　on　the　evening　of　that　same　day　that　he　came　face　to　face　with　the　Rev。　George　Holland　outside　Miss　Ayrton's　drawing　room。



CHAPTER　XXV。

LIES！　LIES！　LIES！

〃You　should　have　come　a　little　sooner；〃　said　Phyllis　quite　pleasantly。　〃Mr。　Courtland　was　giving　me　such　an　amusing　account　of　his　latest　voyage。　Will　you　have　tea　or　iced　coffee？〃

〃Tea；　if　you　please；〃　said　George　Holland；　also　quite　pleasantly。　〃Has　Mr。　Courtland　been　on　another　voyage　of　discovery？　What　has　he　left　himself　to　discover　in　the　world　of　waters？〃

〃I　think　that　what　he　discovered　on　his　latest　voyage　was　the　effect　of　a　banjo　on　the　human　mind；〃　laughed　Phyllis。　〃He　was　aboard　Lord　Earlscourt's　yacht；　the　/Water　Nymph/。　Some　other　men　were　there　also。　One　of　them　had　an　idea　that　he　could　play　upon　the　banjo。　He　was　wrong；　Mr。　Courtland　thinks。〃

〃A　good　many　people　are　subject　to　curious　notions　of　the　same　type。　They　usually　take　an　optimistic　view　of　the　susceptibilities　of　enjoyment　of　their　neighborsnot　that　there　is　any　connection　between　enjoyment　and　a　banjo。〃

〃Mr。　Courtland　said　just　now　that　when　Dr。　Johnson　gave　it　as　his　opinion　that　music　was；　of　all　noises；　the　least　disagreeable；　the　banjo　had　not　been　invented。〃

〃That　assumes　that　there　is　some　connection　between　music　and　the　banjo；　and　that's　going　just　a　little　too　far；　don't　you　think？〃

〃I　should　like　to　hear　Dr。　Johnson's　criticism　of　Paderewski。〃

〃His　criticism　of　Signor　Piozzi　is　extant：　a　fine　piece　of　eighteenth　century　directness。〃

〃I　sometimes　long　for　an　hour　or　two　of　the　eighteenth　century。　You　remember　Fanny　Burney's　reference　to　the　gentleman　who　thought　it　preposterous　that　Reynolds　should　have　increased　his　price　for　a　portrait　to　thirty　guineas；　though　he　admitted　that　Reynolds　was　a　good　enough　sort　of　man　for　a　painter。　I　think　I　should　like　to　have　an　hour　with　that　man。〃

〃I　long　for　more　than　that。　I　should　like　to　have　seen　David　Garrick's　reproduction；　for　the　benefit　of　his　schoolfellows；　of　Dr。　Johnson's　love　passages　with　his　very　mature　wife。　I　should　also　like　to　have　heard　the　complete　story　of　old　Grouse　in　the　gun　room。〃

〃Told　by　Squire　Hardcastle；　of　course？〃

〃Of　course。　I　question　if　there　was　anything　very　much　better　aboard　the　/Water　Nymph/。　By　the　way；　Lady　Earlscourt　invited　me　to　join　the　yachting　party。　She　did　not　mention　it　to　her　husband；　however。　She　thought　that　there　should　be　a　chaplain　aboard。　Now；　considering　that　Lord　Earlscourt　had　told　me　the　previous　day　that　he　was　compelled　to　take　to　the　sea　solely　on　account　of　the　way　people　were　worrying　him　about　me；　I　think　that　I　did　the　right　thing　when　I　told　her　that　I　should　be　compelled　to　stay　at　home　until　the　appearance　of　a　certain　paper　of　mine　in　the　/Zeit　Geist　Review/。〃

〃I'm　sure　that　you　did　the　right　thing　when　you　stayed　at　home。〃

〃And　in　writing　the　paper　in　the　/Zeit　Geist/？　You　have　read　it？〃

〃Oh；　yes！　I　have　read　it。〃

〃You　don't　like　it？〃

〃How　could　I　like　it？　You　have　known　me　now　for　sometime。　How　could　you　fancy　that　I　should　like　itthat　is；　if　you　thought　of　me　at　all　in　connection　with　it？　I　don't　myself　see　why　you　should　think　of　me　at　all。〃

He　rose　and　stood　before　her。　She　had　risen　to　take　his　empty　cup　from　him。

〃Don't　you　know　that　I　think　of　you　always；　Phyllis？〃　he　said；　in　that　low　tone　of　his　which　flowed　around　the　hearts　of　his　hearers；　and　made　their　hearts　as　one　with　his　heart。　〃Don't　you