phyllis of philistia-第42章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



CHAPTER　XXVII。

THAT'S　WHY　WOMEN　DO　NOT　MAKE　GOOD　PHILOSOPHERS。

She　had　prayed　to　God　that　he　might　be　kept　away　from　her；　but　immediately　afterward；　as　has　already　been　stated；　when　she　began　to　think　over　the　situation　of　the　hour；　she　came　to　the　conclusion　that　she　had　been　a　little　too　precipitate　in　her　petition。　She　felt　that　she　would　like　to　ask　him　how　it　had　come　about　that　he　had　played　that　contemptible　part。　Such　a　contemptible　part！　Was　it　on　record；　she　wondered；　that　any　man　had　ever　played　that　contemptible　part？　To　run　away！　And　she　had　designed　and　worn　that　wonderful　toilet；　such　a　toilet　as　Helen　might　have　worn　（she　thought）；　such　a　toilet　as　Cleopatra　might　have　worn　（she　fancied）；　such　a　toilet　asas　Sarah　Bernhardt　（she　was　certain）　would　wear　when　impersonating　a　woman　who　had　lost　her　soul　for　the　love　of　a　man。　Oh；　had　ever　woman　been　so　humiliated！　She　thought　of　the　way　Sarah　Bernhardt　would　act　the　part　of　one　of　those　women　if　her　lover　had　run　away　from　her　outstretched　arms；and　such　a　toilet；only　it　was　not　on　record　that　the　lover　of　any　one　of　them　had　ever　run　away。　The　lovers　had　been　only　too　faithful；　they　had　remained　to　be　hacked　to　pieces　with　a　mediaeval　knife　sparkling　with　jewels；　or　to　swallow　some　curious　poison　out　of　a　Byzantine　goblet。　She　would　have　a　word　or　two　to　say　to　Herbert　Courtland　when　he　returned。　She　would　create　the　part　of　the　woman　whose　lover　has　humiliated　her。

This　was　her　thought　until　her　husband　told　her　that　he　had　sent　that　letter　to　Herbert　Courtland；　and　he　would　most　likely　dine　with　them　on　the　evening　of　his　return。

Then　it　was　it　occurred　to　her　that　Herbert　Courtland　might　by　some　curious　mischancemischances　occurred　in　many　of　Sarah　Bernhardt's　playshave　come　to　hear　that　she　had　paid　that　rather　singular　visit　to　Phyllis　Ayrton；　just　at　the　hour　that　she　had　named　in　that　letter　which　she　had　written　to　him。　What　difference　did　that　make　in　regard　to　his　unparalleled　flight？　He　was　actually　aboard　the　yacht　/Water　Nymph/　before　she　had　rung　for　her　brougham　to　take　her　to　Phyllis'。　He　had　been　the　first　to　fly。

Then　she　began　to　think；　as　she　had　thought　once　before；　of　her　husband's　sudden　return；the　return　of　a　husband　at　the　exact　hour　named　in　the　letter　to　a　lover　was　by　no　means　an　unknown　incident　in　a　play　of　Sarah　Bernhardt's；and　before　she　had　continued　upon　this　course　of　thought　for　many　minutes；　she　had　come　to　the　conclusion　that　she　would　not　be　too　hard　on　Herbert　Courtland。

She　was　not　too　hard　on　him。

He　had　an　interview　with　Mr。　Linton　at　the　city　offices　of　the　great　Taragonda　Creek　Mine。　（The　mine　had；　as　has　already　been　stated；　been　discovered　by　Herbert　Courtland　during　his　early　explorations　in　Australia；　and　he　had　acquired　out　of　his　somewhat　slender　resources　he　had　been　poor　in　those　daysabout　a　square　mile　of　the　wretched　country　where　it　was　situated；　and　had　then　communicated　his　discovery　to　Stephen　Linton；　who　understood　the　science　and　arts　necessary　for　utilizing　such　a　discovery；　the　result　being　that　in　two　years　everyone　connected　with　the　Taragonda　Mine　was　rich。　The　sweepings　of　the　crushing　rooms　were　worth　twenty　thousand　pounds　a　year：　and　Herbert　Courtland　had　spent　about　ten　thousand　poundsa　fourth　of　his　year's　incomein　the　quest　of　the　meteor…bird　to　make　a　feather　fan　for　Ella　Linton。）　And　when　the　business　for　which　he　had　been　summoned　to　London　had　been　set　/en　train/；　he　had　paid　a　visit　to　his　publishers。　（They　wondered　could　he　give　them　a　novel　on　New　Guinea。　If　he　introduced　plenty　of　dialect　and　it　was　sufficiently　unintelligible　it　might　thrust　the　kail　yard　out　of　the　market；　but　the　novel　must　be　in　dialect；　they　assured　him。）　After　promising　to　give　the　matter　his　attention；　he　paid　his　visit　to　Phyllis；　and　then　went　to　his　rooms　to　dress；　for　when　Stephen　Linton　had　said：

〃Of　course　you'll　dine　with　us　to…night：　I　told　Ella　you　would　come。〃

He　had　said；　〃Thanks；　I　shall　be　very　pleased。〃

〃Come　early；　eight　sharp；〃　Mr。　Linton　had　added。

And　thus　it　was　that　at　five　minutes　to　eight　o'clock　Herbert　found　himself　face　to　face　alone　with　the　woman　whom　he　had　so　grossly　humiliated。

Perhaps　she　was　hard　on　him　after　all：　she　addressed　him　as　Mr。　Courtland。　She　felt　that　she；　at　any　rate；　had　returned　to　the　straight　path　of　duty　when　she　had　done　that。　（It　was　Herbert　Courtland　who　had　talked　to　Phyllis　of　the　modern　philosophera　political　philosopher　or　a　philosophical　politicianwho；　writing　against　compromise；　became　the　leading　exponent　of　that　science；　and　had　hoped　to　solve　the　question　of　a　Deity　by　using　a　small　g　in　spelling　God。　On　the　same　principle　Ella　had　called　Herbert　〃Mr。　Courtland。〃）

He　felt　uneasy。　Was　he　ashamed　of　himself；　she　wondered？

〃Stephen　will　be　down　in　a　moment；　Mr。　Courtland；〃　she　said。

He　was　glad　to　hear　it。

〃How　warm　it　has　been　all　day！〃　she　added。　〃I　thought　of　you　toiling　away　over　figures　in　the　city；　when　you　might　have　been　breathing　the　lovely　air　of　the　sea。　It　was　too　bad　of　Stephen　to　bring　you　back。〃

〃I　assure　you　I　was　glad　to　get　his　letter　at　Leith；〃　said　he。　〃I　was　thinking　for　the　two　days　previous　how　I　could　best　concoct　a　telegram　to　myself　at　Leith　in　order　that　I　might　have　some　excuse　for　running　away。〃

〃That　is　assuming　that　running　away　needs　some　excuse；〃　said　she。

There　was　a　considerable　pause　before　he　said；　in　a　low　tone：

〃Ella；　Ella；　I　know　everythingthat　night。　We　were　saved。〃

At　this　moment　Mr。　Linton　entered　the　room。　He　was；　after　all；　not　late；　he　said：　it　wanted　a　minute　still　of　being　eight　o'clock。　He　had　just　been　at　the　telephone　to　receive　a　reply　regarding　a　box　at　Covent　Garden。　In　the　earlier　part　of　the　day　none　had　been　vacant；　he　had　been　told；　but　the　people　at　the　box　office　promised　to　telephone　to　him　if　any　became　vacant　in　the　course　of　the　afternoon。　He　had　just　come　from　the　telephone；　and　had　secured　a　good　enough　box　on　the　first　tier。　He　hoped　that　Ella　would　not　mind　〃Carmen〃；　there　was　to　be　a　new　/Carmen/。

Ella　assured　him　that　she　could　not　fail　to　be　interested　in　any　/Carmen/；　new　or　old。　It　was　so　good　of　him　to　take　all　that　trouble　for　her；　knowing　how　devoted　she　was　to　opera。　She　hoped　that　Herbert　she　called　him　Herbert　in　the　presence　of　her　husbandwas　in　a　/Carmen/　mood。

〃I'm　always　in　a　mood　to　study　anything　that's　unreservedly　savage；〃　said　he。

〃There's　not　much　reservation　about　our　little　friend　/Carmen/；〃　said　Mr。　Linton。　〃She　tells　you　her　philosophy　in　her　first　moment　before　you。〃

He　hummed　the　habanera。

〃There　you　are：　/Misteroso　e　l'amore/that's　the　philosophy　of　your　pretty　savage；　Herbert。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Herbert；　〃it's　that　philosophy　which　consists　in　an　absence　of　philosophynot　the　worst　kind；　either；　it　seems　to　me。　It's　the　philosophy　of　impulse。〃

〃I　thought　that　the　aim　of　all　philosophy　was　to　check　every　impulse；〃　said　Ella。

〃So　it　is；　that's　why　women　do　not　make　good　philosophers；〃　said　her　husband。

〃Or；　for　that　matter；　good　mothers　of　philosophers；〃　said　Herbert。

〃That's　rather　a　hard　saying；　isn't　it？〃　said　the　other　man。

〃No；〃　said　his　wife；　〃it's　as　transparent　as　air。〃

〃London　air　in　November？〃　suggested　her　husband。

〃He　means　that　there's　no　such　thing。〃

〃As　air　in　London　in　November？　I'm　with　him　there。〃

〃He　means　that　there's　no　such　thing　as　a　good　philosopher。〃

〃Then　I　hope　he　has　an　appetite　for　dinner。　The　man　without　philosophy　usually　has。〃

The　butler　had　just　announced　dinner。

There　was　not　much　talk　among　them　of　philosophy　so　long　as　the　footmen　were　floating　round　them　like　mighty　tropical　birds。　They　talked　of　the　House　of　Commons　instead。　A　new　measure　was　to　be　introduced　the　next　night：　something　that　threatened　beer　and　satisfied　no　party；　not　even　the　teetotalersonly　the　wives　of　the　teetotalers。　Then　they　had　a　few　words　regarding　George　Holland's　article　in　the　/Zeit　Geist/。　Mr。　Linton　seemed　to　some　extent　interested　in　the　contentions　of　the　rector　of　St。　Chad's；　and　Herbert　agreed　with　him　when　he　expressed　the　opinion　that　the　two　greatest　problems　that　the　Church　had　to　face　were：　How　to　get　people　with　intelligence　to　go　to