phyllis of philistia-第50章

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〃We'll　get　off　to　bed；　someone　may　begin　to　play　something　else；〃　whispered　the　hostess　to　one　of　her　lady　guests。

The　men　looked　as　if　they　had　heard　the　suggestion　and　heartily　approved　of　it。

The　next　evening　Ella　was　fortunate　enough　to　get　beside　Herbert　once　againshe　had　scarcely　had　an　opportunity　of　exchanging　a　word　with　him　all　day。　He　had　been　with　Phyllis　alone　in　the　Canadian　canoe。　It　only　held　two　comfortably；　otherwise　But　no　one　had　volunteered　to　put　its　capacity　to　the　test。　Ella　had　gone　in　one　of　the　punts　with　four　or　five　of　her　guests；　but　the　punt　never　overtook　the　canoe。　It　was　those　of　the　guests　who　had　been　in　the　punt　that　afterward　said　it　was　very　funny　to　observe　the　chagrin　of　Queen　Guinevere　when　she　found　that　her　Sir　Lancelot　had　discovered　an　Elaine。

〃You　have　had　a　delightful　day；　I'm　sure；〃　said　Ella。　She　had　found　him　at　the　bottom　of　the　garden　just　before　dinner。　It　was　not　for　her　he　was　loitering　there。

〃Delightful？　Perhaps。　I　shall　know　more　about　it　ten　years　hence；〃　he　replied。

〃You　are　almost　gruff　as　well　as　unintelligible；〃　said　she。

〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　he　cried。　〃Pray　forgive　me；　Ella。〃

〃I'll　forgive　your　gruffness　if　you　make　yourself　intelligible；〃　said　she。　〃You　frighten　me。　Ten　years　hence？　What　has　happened　to…day？〃

〃Oh；　nothing　whatever　has　happened！　and　as　for　ten　years　hencewell；　in　ten　years　hence　I　shall　be　looking　back　to　this　day　either　as　one　of　the　happiest　of　my　life；　or　as　Francesca　looked　back　upon　her　/tempo　felice/。〃

〃Oh；　now　that　you　get　into　a　foreign　language　you　are　quite　intelligible。　You　have　not　spoken？〃

〃Spoken？　I？　To　herto　her？　I　have　not　spoken。　I　don't　believe　that　I　shall　ever　have　the　courage　to　speak　to　her　in　the　sense　you　mean。〃

Ella　smiled　as　she　settled　a　rose　on　the　bodice　of　her　evening　dress　its　red　petals　were　reposing　in　that　little　interspace　that　dimpled　the　soft　shell…pink　of　her　bosom。　The　man　before　her　had　once　kissed　her。

She　smiled；　as　she　knew　that　he　was　watching　her。　She　wondered　if　he　had　forgotten　that　kiss。

〃Why　should　you　lose　courage　at　this　juncture？〃　she　asked。　〃She　hasn't；　up　to　the　present；　shown　any　very　marked　antipathy　to　you；　so　far　as　I　can　see。　She　is　certainly　not　wanting　in　courage；　if　you　are。〃

〃Ella；〃　he　cried；　but　in　a　low　voice；　〃Ella；　when　I　look　at　her；　when　I　think　of　her；　I　feel　inclined　to　throw　my　bag　into　a　trap　and　get　back　to　townget　back　to　New　Guinea　with　as　little　delay　as　possible。〃

〃You　would　run　away？〃　said　she；　still　smiling。　She　had　begun　to　work　with　the　rose　in　her　bosom　once　more。　〃You　would　run　away？　Well；　you　ran　away　once　before；　you　know。〃

She　could　not　altogether　keep　the　sneer　out　of　her　voice；　she　could　not　quite　deprive　her　words　of　their　sting。　They　sounded　to　her　own　ears　like　the　hiss　of　a　lash　in　the　air。　She　was　amazed　at　the　amount　of　bitterness　in　her　voiceamazed　and　ashamed。

He　stood　before　her；　silently　looking　at　her。　There　was　no　reproach　in　his　eyes。

〃Oh；　Bertie；　Bertie；　forgive　me！〃　she　said；　laying　her　hand　on　his　arm。　〃Forgive　me；　I　don't　know　what　I　am　saying。〃

There　was　some　piteousness　in　her　voice　and　eyes。　She　was　appealing　to　him　for　pity；　but　he　did　not　know　it。　Every　man　thinks　that　the　world　was　made　for　himself　alone；　and　he　goes　tramping　about　it；　quite　careless　as　to　where　he　plants　his　heavy　feet。　When　occasionally　he　gets　a　thorn　in　one　of　his　feet；　he　feels　quite　aggrieved。　He　never　stops　to　think　of　all　the　things　his　foot　crushes　quite　casually。

Herbert　Courtland　had　no　capacity　for　knowing　how　the　woman　before　him　was　suffering。　He　should　have　known；　from　the　words　he　had　just　heard　her　speak。　He　should　have　known　that　they　had　been　wrung　from　her。　He　did　not　know；　however；　he　was　not　thinking　of　her。

〃Bertie；〃　she　said　again；　〃Bertie；　you　are　not　angry？　I　did　not　know　what　I　was　saying。〃

〃You　are　a　woman；〃　he　said　gently；　and　it　was　just　by　reason　of　this　gentleness　that　there　seemed　to　be　a　reproach　in　his　voice。　He　reproached　her　for　being　a　woman。

〃I　am　a　womanjust　as　other　women；　just　as　other　women。〃　Her　voice　sounded　like　a　moan。　〃I　thought　myself　different；　strongerperhaps　worse　than　other　women。　I　was　wrong。　Oh；　Bertie！　cannot　you　see　that　she　loves　you　as　I　loved　you　long　agooh；　so　long　ago？　And　someone　has　said　that　there　is　no　past　tense　in　love！　No；　no！　she　does　not　love　you　as　I　loved　youguiltily；　no；　her　love　is　the　love　that　purifies；　that　exalts。　She　loves　you；　and　she　waits　for　you　to　tell　her　that　you　love　her。　You　love　her；　Bertie？〃

There　was　a　long　pause　before　he　said：

〃Do　I？〃

〃Do　you　not？〃

〃God　knows。〃

And　it　was　at　this　point　that　Phyllis　came　up。　Was　there　no　expression　of　suspicion　on　her　face　as　she　looked　at　them　standing　together？

If　there　was；　they　failed　to　notice　it。

〃I　came　out　to　get　a　rose；〃　she　said。　〃How　quickly　you　dressed；　Ella！　Ah；　you　have　got　your　rosea　beauty！　Your　gardener　is　generous；　he　actually　allows　you　to　pluck　your　own　roses。〃

〃Mr。　Courtland　will　choose　one　for　you；〃　said　Ella。　〃You　may　trust　Mr。　Courtland。〃

〃To　choose　me　a　rose？　Well；　on　that　recommendation；　Mr。　Courtland；　I　think　I　may　safely　place　myself　in　your　hands。　I　will　accept　a　rose　of　your　choosing。〃

And　she　did。



CHAPTER　XXXII。

LET　THEM　BOTH　GO　TOGETHER　TO　PERDITION。

There　could　be　no　doubt　whatever　that；　after　all；　he　had　not　proposed　to　her。

That　was　what　Herbert　Courtland's　fellow…guests　said　when　they　learned　that　he　had　left　for　London　by　an　early　train　on　Monday　morning。

And　the　way　she　had　thrown　herself　at　his　head；　too！

Of　course　she　pretended　not　to　feel　his　departure　any　more　than　the　rest　of　the　party；　and　equally　as　a　matter　of　course；　Mrs。　Linton　protested　that　Mr。　Courtland　had　disappointed　her。

And　perhaps　he　had；　too；　some　of　the　guests　whispered　to　one　another。

Mr。　Linton　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　remarked　that　business　was　business。

Everyone　agreed　with　the　general　accuracy　of　this　assertion；　but　it　was　not　one　that　required　much　boldness　to　make；　and　what　it　had　to　do　with　Mr。　Courtland's　hurried　departure　no　one　seemed　quite　able　to　perceive。

The　general　idea　that　had　prevailed　at　The　Mooring　on　the　subject　of　Mr。　Courtland　was　that　he　would　remain　at　the　house　after　all　the　other　guestsMiss　Ayrton　only　exceptedhad　left。

During　Monday　several　were　to　return　to　town；　and　the　remainder　on　Tuesday；　including　Miss　Ayrton。　She　required　to　do　so　to　be　in　time　for　a　grand　function　at　which　Royalty　was　to　be　present　on　that　night。　Mrs。　Linton　herself　meant　to　return　on　Wednesday　afternoon。

It　was　late　on　Sunday　night　when　Herbert　had　gone　to　Ella's　side　and　told　her　that　he　found　it　necessary　to　leave　for　town　early　in　the　morning　instead　of　waiting　until　Tuesday　evening。

〃Good　Heavens！〃　she　cried；　〃what　is　the　meaning　of　this？　What　will　people　say？　You　do　not　mean　to　tell　me　that　sheshe　Oh；　no；　that　would　be　impossible！〃

〃Nothing　is　impossible；〃　said　he。　〃Nothingnot　even　my　running　away。〃

〃You　have　told　her〃

〃I　have　told　her　nothing。　I　am　not　sure　that　I　have　anything　to　tell　her。　I　am　going　away　to　make　sure。〃

〃Oh！　very　well。　But　I　must　say　that　I　think　you　are　wrongquite　wrong。　There　is　that　Mr。　Holland；　he　is　coming　into　greater　prominence　than　ever　since　that　article　of　his　appeared　in　the　/Zeit　Geist/。　Stephen　says　he　will　certainly　have　to　leave　the　Church。〃

〃What　has　Mr。　Holland　got　to　say　to〃

〃More　than　meets　the　eye。　You　must　remember　that　three　months　ago　she　was　engaged　to　marry　him。　Now；　though　I　don't　mean　to　say　that　she　ever　truly　loved　him；　yet　there　is　no　smoke　without　fire；　it　is　very　often　that　two　persons　who　have　become　engaged　to　be　married　love　each　other。　Now；　if　Phyllis　ever　had　a　tender　feeling　for　Mr。　Holland；　and　only　threw　him　over　because　his　theories　are　not　those　of　Philistia；　in　the　midst　of　which　she　had　always　lived；　that　feeling　is　certain　to　become　tenderer　if　he　is　about　to　be　made　a　martyr　of。　Would　you　like　to　see　her　thrown　away　upon　George　Holland？〃

Herbert　looked　at　the　woman　who　could　thus　plead　the　causeif　that　was　not　too　strong　a　phraseof　the　girl　whom　he　had　come　to　love。　He　felt　that　he　was　only　beginning　to　know