phyllis of philistia-第44章

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He　would　have　an　interview　with　the　bishop；　so　much　was　certain；　and　that　interview　was　bound　to　be　a　difficult　onefor　the　bishop。　It　was　with　some　degree　of　pride　that　he　anticipated　the　conflict。　He　would　withdraw　nothing　that　he　had　written。　Let　all　the　forces　of　the　earth　be　leagued　against　him；　he　would　abate　not　a　jotnot　a　jot。　（By　the　forces　of　the　earth　he　meant　the　Bench　of　Bishops；　which　was　scarcely　doing　justice　to　the　bishopsor　to　the　forces　of　the　earth。）

Yes；　they　might　deprive　him　of　his　living；　but　that　would　make　no　difference　to　him。　Not　a　jotnot　a　jot！　They　might　persecute　him　to　the　death。　He　would　be　faithful　unto　death　to　the　truths　he　had　endeavored　to　spread　abroad。　He　felt　that　they　were　truths。

But　that　other　letter；　which　also　asked　for　an　interview　at　his　earliest　convenience　the　next　day；　was　rather　more　puzzling　to　George　Holland。　He　had　never　had　any　but　the　most　casual　acquaintance　with　Mr。　Lintonsuch　an　acquaintance　as　one　has　with　one's　host　at　a　house　where　one　has　occasionally　dined。　He　had　dined　at　Mr。　Linton's　house　more　than　once；　but　then　he　had　been　seated　in　such　proximity　to　Mrs。　Linton　as　necessitated　his　remoteness　from　Mr。　Linton。　Therefore　he　had　never　had　a　chance　of　becoming　intimate　with　that　gentleman。　Why；　then；　should　that　gentleman　desire　an　early　interview　with　him？

It　was　certainly　curious　that　within　a　few　minutes　of　his　having　referred　to　Mrs。　Linton；　in　the　presence　of　Phyllis　Ayrton；　in　a　way　that　had　had　a　very　unhappy　result　so　far　as　he　was　concerned；　he　should　receive　a　letter　from　Mrs。　Linton's　husband　asking　for　an　early　interview。

He　seated　himself　in　his　study　chair　and　began　to　think　what　the　writer　of　that　letter　might　have　to　say　to　him。

He　had　not　to　ask　himself　if　it　was　possible　that　Mr。　Linton　might　have　a　word　or　two　to　say　to　him；　respecting　the　word　or　two　which　he；　George　Holland；　had　just　said　about　Mrs。　Linton；　for　George　knew　very　well　that；　though　during　the　previous　week　or　two　he　had　heard　some　persons　speaking　lightly　of　Mrs。　Linton；　coupling　her　name　with　the　name　of　Herbert　Courtland；　yet　he　had　never　had　occasion　to　couple　their　names　together　except　during　the　previous　half　hour；　so　that　it　could　not　be　Mr。　Linton's　intention　to　take　him　to　task；　so　to　speak；　for　his　indiscretionhis　slander；　Phyllis　might　be　disposed　to　term　it。

Upon　that　point　he　was　entirely　satisfied。　But　he　was　not　certain　that　Mr。　Linton　did　not　want　to　consult　him　on　some　matter　having　more　or　less　direct　bearing　upon　the　coupling　together　of　the　names　of　Mrs。　Linton　and　Mr。　Courtland。　People　even　in　town　are　fond　of　consulting　clergymen　upon　curious　personal　mattersmatters　upon　which　a　lawyer　or　a　doctor　should　rather　be　consulted。　He　himself　had　never　encouraged　such　confidences。　What　did　he　keep　curates　for？　His　curates　had　saved　him　many　a　long　hour　of　talk　with　inconsequent　men　and　illogical　women　who　had　come　to　him　with　their　stories。　What　were　to　him　the　stories　of　men　whose　wives　were　giving　them　trouble？　What　were　to　him　the　stories　of　wives　who　had　difficulties　with　their　housemaids　or　who　could　not　keep　their　boys　from　reading　pirate　literature？　His　curates　managed　the　domestic　department　of　his　church　for　him。　They　could　give　any　earnest　inquirer　at　a　moment's　notice　the　addresses　of　several　civil…spoken　women　（elderly）　who　went　out　as　mother's　helps　by　the　day。　They　were　very　useful　young　men　and　professed　to　like　this　work。　He　would　not　do　them　the　injustice　to　believe　that　they　spoke　the　truth　in　that　particular　way。

He　could　not　fancy　for　what　purpose　Mr。　Linton　wished　to　see　him。　But　he　made　up　his　mind　that；　if　Mr。　Linton　was　anxious　that　his　wife　should　be　remonstrated　with；　he；　George　Holland；　would　decline　to　accept　the　duty　of　remonstrating　with　her。　He　was　wise　enough　to　know　that　he　did　not　know　very　much　about　womankind；　but　he　knew　too　much　to　suppose　that　there　is　any　more　thankless　employment　than　remonstrating　with　an　extremely　pretty　woman　on　any　subject；　but　particularly　on　the　subject　of　a　very　distinguished　man　to　whom　she　considers　herself　bound　by　ties　of　the　truest　friendship。

But　then　there　came　upon　him　with　the　force　of　a　great　shock　the　recollection　of　what　Phyllis　had　said　to　him　on　this　very　point：

〃/If　Ella　Linton　were　wicked；　you　should　be　held　responsible　for　it　in　the　sight　of　God/。〃

Those　were　her　words；　and　those　words　cut　asunder　the　last　strand　of　whatever　tie　there　had　been　between　him　and　Phyllis。

His　duty　as　a　clergyman　intrusted　with　the　care　of　the　souls　of　the　people；　he　had　neglected　that；　she　declared　with　startling　vehemence。　He　had　been　actuated　by　vanity　in　publishing　his　bookhis　article　in　the　/Zeit　Geist　Review/she　had　said　so；　but　there　she　had　been　wrong。　He　felt　that　she　had　done　him　a　great　injustice　in　that　particular　statement；　and　he　tried　to　make　his　sense　of　this　injustice　take　the　place　of　the　uneasy　feeling　of　which　he　was　conscious；　when　he　thought　over　her　other　words。　He　knew　that　he　was　not　actuated　by　vanity　in　adopting　the　bold　course　that　was　represented　by　his　writings。　He　honestly　believed　that　his　efforts　were　calculated　to　work　a　great　reform　in　the　Church。　If　not　in　the　Church；　outside　it。

But　his　duty　in　regard　to　the　souls　of　the　people　Oh！　it　was　the　merest　sophistry　to　assume　that　such　responsibility　on　the　part　of　a　clergyman　is　susceptible　of　being　particularized。　It　should；　he　felt；　be　touched　upon；　if　at　all；　in　a　very　general　way。　Did　that　young　woman　expect　that　he　should　preach　a　sermon　to　suit　the　special　case　of　every　individual　soul　intrusted　（according　to　her　absurd　theory）　to　his　keeping？

The　idea　was　preposterous；　it　could　not　be　seriously　considered　for　a　moment。　She　had　allowed　herself　to　be　carried　away　by　her　affection　for　her　friend　to　make　accusations　against　him；　in　which　even　she　herself　would　not　persist　in　her　quieter　moments。

He　found　it　quite　easy　to　prove　that　Phyllis　had　been　in　the　wrong　and　that　he　was　in　the　right；　but　this　fact　did　not　prevent　an　intermittent　recurrence　during　the　evening　of　that　feeling　of　uneasiness；　as　those　words　of　the　girl；　〃/If　Ella　Linton　were　wicked；　you　would　be　held　responsible　for　it　in　the　sight　of　God/；〃　buzzed　in　his　ears。

〃Would　she　have　me　become　an　ordinary　clergyman　of　the　Church　of　England？〃　he　cried　indignantly；　as　he　switched　on　the　light　in　his　bedroom　shortly　before　midnightfor　the　rushlight　in　the　cell　of　the　modern　man　of　God　is　supplied　at　a　strength　of　so　many　volts。　〃Would　she　have　me　become　the　model　country　parson；　preaching　to　the　squire　and　other　yokels　on　Sunday；　and　chatting　about　their　souls　to　wheezy　Granfer　this；　and　Gammer　that？〃　He　had　read　the　works　of　Mr。　Thomas　Hardy。　〃Does　she　suppose　that　I　was　made　for　such　a　life　as　that？　Poor　Phyllis！　When　will　she　awake　from　this　dream　of　hers？〃

Did　he　fancy　that　he　loved　her　still？　or　was　the　pain　that　he　felt；　when　he　reflected　that　he　had　lost　her；　the　result　of　his　wounded　vanitythe　result　of　his　feeling　that　people　would　say　he　had　not　had　sufficient　skill；　with　all　his　cleverness；　to　retain　the　love　of　the　girl　who　had　promised　to　be　his　wife？

Before　going　to　bed　he　had　written　replies　to　the　two　letters。　The　bishop　had　suggested　an　early　hour　for　their　interviewhe　had　named　eleven　o'clock　as　convenient　to　himself；　if　it　would　also　suit　Mr。　Holland。　Two　o'clock　was　the　hour　suggested　by　Mr。　Linton；　if　that　hour　would　not　interfere　with　the　other　engagements　of　Mr。　Holland；　so　he　had　written　agreements　to　the　suggestions　of　both　his　correspondents。

At　eleven　o'clock　exactly　he　drove　through　the　gates　of　the　Palace　of　the　bishop；　and　with　no　faltering　hand　pulled　the　bell。　（So；　he　reflected　for　an　instant；only　an　instant；Luther　had　gone；　somewhere　or　other；　he　forgot　at　the　moment　what　was　the　exact　locality；　but　the　occasion　had　been　a　momentous　one　in　the　history　of　the　Church。）

He　was　cordially　greeted　by　the　bishop；　who　said：

〃How　do　you　do；　Holland？　I　took　it　for　granted　that　you　were　an　early　riserthat's　why　I　ventured　to　name　eleven。〃

〃No　hour　could　suit　me　better　to…day；〃　said　George；　accepting　the　seat　he　perceived　at　once　that　it　was　a　genuine　Chippendale　chair　upholstered　in　o