phyllis of philistia-第39章

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〃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　know　that　I　think　of　you　alwaysthat　all　my　hopes　are　centered　in　you？〃

〃I　am　so　sorry　if　that　is　the　case；　Mr。　Holland；〃　said　she。　〃I　don't　want　to　give　you　pain；　but　I　must　tell　you　again　what　I　told　you　long　ago：　you　have　passed　completely　out　of　my　life。　If　you　had　not　done　so　before；　the　publication　of　that　article　in　the　/Zeit　Geist/　would　force　me　to　tell　you　that　you　had　done　so　now。　To　me　my　religion　has　always　been　a　living　thing；　my　Bible　has　been　my　guide。　You　trampled　upon　the　one　some　months　ago；　you　have　trampled　on　the　other　now。　You　shocked　me；　Mr。　Holland。〃

〃I　have　always　loved　you；　Phyllis。　I　think　I　love　you　better　than　I　ever　did；　if　that　were　possible；〃　said　he。　〃I　am　overwhelmed　with　grief　at　the　thought　of　the　barrier　which　your　fancy　has　built　up　between　us。〃

〃Fancy？〃

〃Your　fancy；　dear　child。　I　feel　that　the　barrier　which　you　fancy　is　now　between　us　is　unworthy　of　you。〃

〃What？　Do　you　mean　to　say　that　you　think　that　my　detestationmymy　horror　of　your　sneers　at　the　Bible；　which　I　believe　to　be　the　Word　of　Godof　the　contempt　you　have　heaped　upon　the　Church　which　I　believe　to　be　God's　agent　on　earth　for　the　salvation　of　men's　soulsdo　you　think　that　my　detestation　of　these　is　a　mere　girlish　fancy？〃

〃I　don't　think　that；　Phyllis。　What　I　think　is；　that　if　you　had　ever　loved　me　you　would　be　ready　to　stand　by　my　side　nowto　be　guided　by　me　in　a　matter　which　I　have　made　the　study　of　my　life。〃

〃In　such　matters　as　thesethe　value　or　the　worthlessness　of　the　Bible；　the　value　or　the　worthlessness　of　the　ChurchI　require　no　guide；　Mr。　Holland。　I　do　not　need　to　go　to　a　priest　to　ask　if　it　is　wrong　to　steal；　to　covet　another's　goods；　to　honor　my　father　Oh；　I　cannot　discuss　what　is　so　very　obvious。　The　Bible　I　regard　as　precious；　you　think　that　you　are　in　a　position　to　edit　it　as　if　it　were　an　ordinary　book。　The　Church　I　regard　as　the　Temple　of　God　upon　the　earth；　you　think　that　it　exists　only　to　be　sneered　at？　and　yet　you　talk　of　fanciful　barriers　between　us！〃

〃I　consider　it　the　greatest　privilege　of　a　man　on　earth　to　be　a　minister　of　the　Church　of　Christ。〃

〃Why；　then；　do　you　take　every　opportunity　of　pointing　to　it　as　the　greatest　enemy　to　Christianity？〃

〃The　Church　of　to…day　represents　some　results　of　the　great　Reformation。　That　Reformation　was　due　to　the　intelligence　of　those　men　who　perceived　that　it　had　become　the　enemy　to　freedom；　the　enemy　to　the　development　of　thought；　the　enemy　to　the　aspirations　of　a　great　nation。　The　nation　rejoiced　in　the　freedom　of　thought　of　which　the　great　charter　was　the　Reformation。　But　during　the　hundreds　of　years　that　have　elapsed　since　that　Reformation；　some　enormous　changes　have　been　brought　about　in　the　daily　life　of　the　people　of　this　great　nation。　The　people　are　being　educated；　and　the　Church　must　sooner　or　later　face　the　fact　that　as　education　spreads　church…going　decreases。　Why　is　that；　I　ask　you？〃

〃Because　men　are　growing　more　wicked　every　day。〃

〃But　they　are　not。　Crime　is　steadily　decreasing　as　education　is　spreading；　and　yet　people　will　not　go　to　church。　They　will　go　to　lectures；　to　bands　of　music；　to　political　demonstrations；　but　they　will　not　go　to　church。　The　reason　they　will　not　go　is　because　they　know　that　they　will　hear　within　the　church　the　arguments　of　men　whose　minds　are　stunted　by　a　narrow　theological　course　against　every　discovery　of　science　or　result　of　investigation。　You　know　how　the　best　minds　in　the　Church　ridiculed　the　discoveries　of　geology；　of　biology；　ending；　of　course；　by　reluctantly　accepting　the　teachings　of　the　men　whom　they　reviled。〃

〃You　said　all　that　in　your　paper；　Mr。　Holland；　and　yet　I　tell　you　that　I　abhor　your　paperthat　I　shuddered　when　I　read　what　you　wrote　about　the　Bible。　The　words　that　are　in　the　Bible　have　given　to　millions　of　poor　souls　a　consolation　that　science　could　never　bring　to　them。〃

〃And　those　consoling　words　are　what　I　would　read　to　the　people　every　day　of　the　week；　not　the　words　which　may　have　a　certain　historical　signification；　but　which　breathe　a　very　different　spirit　from　the　spirit　of　Christianity。　Phyllis；　it　is　to　be　the　aim　of　my　life　to　help　on　the　great　work　of　making　the　Church　once　more　the　Church　of　the　peopleof　making　it　in　reality　the　exponent　of　Christianity　and　Judaism。　That　is　my　aim；　and　I　want　you　to　be　my　helper　in　this　work。〃

〃And　I　tell　you　that　I　shall　oppose　you　by　all　the　means　in　my　power；　paltry　though　my　power　may　be。〃

Her　eyes　were　flashing　and　she　made　a　little　automatic　motion　with　her　hands；　as　if　sweeping　something　away　from　before　her。　He　had　become　pale　and　there　was　a　light　in　his　eyes。　He　felt　angry　at　this　girl　who　had　shown　herself　ready　to　argue　with　him；in　her　girlish　fashion；　of　course；and　who；　after　listening　to　his　incontrovertible　arguments；　fell　back　resolutely　upon　a　platitude；　and　considered　that　she　had　got　the　better　of　him。

She　had　got　the　better　of　him；　too；　that　was　the　worst　of　it；　his　object　in　going　to　her；　in　arguing　with　her；　was　to　induce　her　to　promise　to　marry　him；　and　he　had　failed。

It　was　on　this　account　he　was　angry。　He　might　have　had　a　certain　consciousness　of　succeeding　as　a　theologian；　but　he　had　undoubtedly　failed　as　a　lover。　He　was　angry。　He　was　as　little　accustomed　as　other　clergymen　to　be　withstood　by　a　girl。

〃I　am　disappointed　in　you；〃　said　he。　〃I　fancied　that　when　Iwhen　I〃　It　was　in　his　mind　to　say　that　he　had　selected　her　out　of　a　large　number　of　candidates　to　be　his　helpmeet；　but　he　pulled　himself　up　in　time；　and　the　pause　that　he　made　seemed　purely　emotional。　〃When　I　loved　you　and　got　your　promise　to　love　me　in　return；　you　would　share　with　me　all　the　glory；　the　persecution；　the　work　incidental　to　this　crusade　on　behalf　of　the　truth；　but　now　Ah！　you　can　never　have　loved　me。〃

〃Perhaps　you　are　right；　indeed；〃　said　she　meekly。　She　was　ready　to　cede　him　this　point　if　he　set　any　store　by　it。

〃Take　care；〃　said　he；　with　some　measure　of　sternness。　〃Take　care；　if　you　fancy　you　love　another　man；　that　he　may　be　worthy　of　you。〃

〃I　do　not　love　another　man；　Mr。　Holland；〃　said　she　gently；　scarcely　regretfully。

〃Do　you　not？〃　said　he；　with　equal　gentleness。　〃Then　I　will　hope。〃

〃You　will　do　very　wrong。〃

〃You　cannot　say　that　without　loving　someone　else。　I　would　not　like　to　hear　of　your　loving　such　a　man　as　Herbert　Courtland。〃

She　started　at　that　piece　of　impertinence；　and　then；　without　the　slightest　further　warning；　she　felt　her　body　blaze　from　head　to　foot。　She　was　speechless　with　indignation。

〃Perhaps　I　should　have　said　a　word　of　warning　to　you　before。〃　He　had　now　assumed　the　calm　dignity　of　a　clergyman　who　knows　what　is　due　to　himself。　〃I　am　not　one　to　place　credence　in　vulgar　gossip；　I　thought　that　your　father；　perhaps；　might　have　given　you　a　hint。　Mrs。　Linton　is　undoubtedly　a　very　silly　woman。　God　forbid　that　I　should　ever　hear　rumor　play　with　your　name　as　I　have　heard　it　deal　with　hers。〃

His　assumption　of　the　clergyman's　solemn　dignity　did　not　make　his　remark　less　impertinent；　considering　that　Ella　Linton　was　her　dearest　friend。　And　yet　people　were　in　the　habit　of　giving　George　Holland　praise　for　his　tact。　Such　persons　had　never　seen　him　angry；　wounded；　and　anxious　to　wound。

There　was　a　pause　after　he　had　spoken　his　tactless　words。　It　was　broken　by　a　thrice…repeated　cry　from　Phyllis。

〃Lies！　Lies！　Lies！〃　she　cried；　facing　him；　the　light　of　scorn　in　her　eyes。　〃I　tell　you　that　you　have　listened　to　lies；　you；　a　clergyman；　have　listened　to　lying　gossip；　and　have　repeated　that　lying　gossip　to　me。　You　have　listened　like　a　wicked　man；　and　you　should　be　ashamed　of　your　behavior；　of　your　words；　your　wicked　words。　If　Ella　Linton　were　wicked；　you　would　be　responsible　for　it　in　the　sight　of　God。　You；　a　clergyman；　whose　duty　it　is　to　help　the　weak　ones；　to　give　counsel　to　those　who　stand　on　the　brink　of　danger；　you　speak　your　own　condemnation　if　you　speak　Ella　Linton's。　You　have　spent　your　time　not　in　that　practical　work　of　the　Churchthat　work　which　is　done　silently　by　those　of　her　priests　who　are　desirous　of　doing　the