phyllis of philistia-第57章

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In　the　morning　Phyllis　showed　traces　of　having　spent　a　bad　night。　But　she　spoke　rationally　and　not　in　the　wild　way　in　which　she　had　spoken　before　retiring；　and　her　father　felt　that　there　was　no　need　for　him　to　be　uneasy　in　regard　to　her　condition。　He　allowed　her　to　go　to　the　side　of　her　friend；　Ella；　and　as　he　was　leaving　them　together　in　each　other's　arms；　he　heard　Ella　say：

〃Ah；　Phyllis；　I　know　it　now。　He　was　the　man　who　had　all　my　loveall　all！　Ah；　if　God　would　only　give　me　another　chanceone　more　chance！〃

Mr。　Ayrton　had　heard　that　passionate　appeal　for　another　chance　upon　more　than　one　previous　occasion。　He　had　heard　the　husband　who　had　tortured　his　wife　to　death　make　a　passionate　appeal　to　God　to　give　him　another　chance。　He　knew　that　God　had　never　given　him　another　chance　with　the　same　wife；　but　God　had　given　him　another　wife　in　the　course　of　timea　wife　who　was　not　made　on　the　spiritual　lines　of　those　who　die　by　torture；　a　wife　who　was　able　to　formulate　a　list　of　her　own　rights；　and　the　rights　of　her　sisters；　and　who　possessed　a　Will。

The　man　who　wanted　another　chance　had　no　chance　with　such　a　woman。

He　had　heard　the　wife；　who　had　deserted　her　husband　in　favor　of　the　teetotal　platform；　cry　out　for　another　chance；　when　her　husband　had　died　away　from　her。　But　God　had　compassion　upon　the　husband。　She　did　not　get　him　back。

He　pitied　with　all　his　heart　the　poor　woman　who　would　be　one　of　the　richest　women　in　England　in　the　course　of　a　day　or　two；　and　he　said　so　to　Mr。　Courtland　when　he　called　early　in　the　morning。　Mr。　Courtland　did　not　remain　for　long　in　the　house。　It　might　have　been　assumed　that　so　intimate　a　friend　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Linton's　would　be　an　acceptable　visitor　to　the　widow；　but　Mr。　Courtland　knew　better。　He　hurried　away　to　town　without　even　asking　to　see　her。　He　only　begged　of　Mr。　Ayrton　to　let　him　know　if　he　could　be　of　any　use　in　townthere　were　details　ghastly；　but　he　would　take　care　that　there　was　no　inquest。

Phyllis　went　up　to　town　with　poor　Ella；　and　remained　by　her　side　in　that　darkened　house　through　all　the　terrible　days　that　followed。　Mr。　Linton's　death　had　an　appreciable　influence　upon　the　quarter's　revenue　of　the　country。　The　probate　duty　paid　by　the　executors　was　a　large　fortune　in　itself；　and　Ella　was；　as　Mr。　Ayrton　had　predicted　she　would　be；　one　of　the　richest　women　in　England。　The　hundred　thousand　pounds　bequeathed　to　some　unostentatious　charitiescharities　that　existed　for　the　cause　of　charity；　not　for　the　benefit　of　the　official　staff　made　no　difference　worth　speaking　of　in　the　position　of　Mrs。　Linton　as　one　of　the　richest　women　in　England。

But　the　codicil　to　the　will　which　surprised　most　people　was　that　which　placed　in　the　hands　of　Mrs。　Linton　and　the　Rev。　George　Holland　as　joint　trustees　the　sum　of　sixty　thousand　pounds；　for　the　building　and　endowment　of　a　church；　the　character　and　aims　of　which　would　be　in　sympathy　with　the　principles　recently　formulated　by　the　Rev。　George　Holland　in　his　book　entitled　〃Revised　Versions；〃　and　in　his　magazine　article　entitled　〃The　Enemy　to　Christianity；〃　the　details　to　be　decided　by　the　Rev。　George　Holland　and　Mrs。　Linton　as　joint　trustees。

The　codicil　was；　of　course；　a　very　recent　one；　but　it　was　executed　in　proper　form；　it　required　two　pages　of　engrossing　to　make　the　testator's　desires　plain　to　every　intelligence　that　had　received　a　thorough　training　in　legal　technicalities。　It　was　susceptible　of　a　good　deal　of　interpretation　to　an　ordinary　intelligence。

When　it　was　explained　to　Mrs。　Linton；　she　also　was　at　first　a　good　deal　surprised。　It　read　very　like　a　jest　of　some　subtlety：　for　she　had　no　idea　that　her　husband　had　the　slightest　feeling　one　way　or　another　on　the　subject　of　the　development　of　one　Church　or　another；　and　as　for　the　establishment　of　an　entirely　new　Churchyes；　it　struck　her　at　first　that　her　solicitor　was　making　a　bold　and　certainly　quite　an　unusual　attempt　to　cheer　her　up　in　her　bereavement　by　bringing　under　her　notice　a　jest　of　the　order　/pachydermato/。

But　soon　it　dawned　upon　her　that　her　husband　meant　a　good　deal　by　this　codicil　of　his。

〃I　am　getting　to　understand　him　better　every　day；〃　she　said　to　Phyllis。　〃He　knew　that　I　loved　him　and　him　only。　He　has　given　me　this　work　to　do；　and　with　God's　help　I　will　do　it　thoroughly。　You　did　not　believe　in　the　value　of　George　Holland's　doctrines。　Neither　did　I：　I　never　thought　about　them。　I　will　accept　my　husband's　judgment　regarding　them；　and　perhaps　I　may　think　about　them　later　on。　Our　Church　will　be　the　most　potent　influence　for　good　that　the　century　has　yet　seen。　Yes；　I　will　throw　myself　heart　and　soul　into　the　work。　After　all；　it　must　be　admitted　that　the　Church　has　never　done　its　duty　as　a　Church。〃

Phyllis　said　nothing。

But　the　Rev。　George　Holland　had　a　good　deal　to　say　on　the　subject　of　the　codicil；　when　he　was　alone　with　Mrs。　Linton；　a　few　days　later。　He　had　by　no　means　made　up　his　mind　to　sever　his　connection　with　the　dear　old　mother　Church；　he　said。　He　could　not　see　that　there　was　any　need　for　his　taking　so　serious　a　stepan　irrevocable　step。　It　was　his　feeling　at　that　moment；　he　declared；　that　he　might　be　able　to　effect　the　object　of　his　lifewhich　was；　of　course；　the　reform　of　the　Church　better　by　remaining　within　its　walls　than　by　severing　himself　from　it。　He　must　take　time　to　consider　his　position。

He　left　Mrs。　Linton　greatly　disappointed。　It　had　been　her　belief　that　Mr。　Holland　would　jump　at　the　chancethat　was　the　phrase　which　she　employed　in　expressing　her　disappointment　to　Phyllisof　becoming　the　founder　of　a　brand…new　religion。

She　was　greatly　disappointed　in　Mr。　Holland。　If　Buddha　or　Edward　Irving；　or　some　of　the　other　founders　of　new　religions　had　had　such　a　chance　offered　to　them　in　early　life；　would　they　not　have　embraced　it　eagerly？　she　asked。

And　it　was　to　be　such　a　striking　Church！　She　had　made　up　her　mind　to　that。　It　was　to　be　a　lasting　memorial　to　the　largeness　of　soul　of　her　husbandto　his　appreciation　of　the　requirements　of　the　thinking　men　and　women　of　the　age。　She　had　made　up　her　mind　already　as　to　the　character　of　the　painted　windows。　The　church　would　itself；　of　course；　be　the　purest　Gothic。　As　for　the　services；　she　rather　thought　that　the　simplicity　of　the　Early　Church　might　be　effectively　combined　with　some　of　the　most　striking　elements　of　Modern　Ritualism。　However；　that　would　have　to　be　decided　later　on。

But　when　the　bishop　heard　of　the　codicil　he　had　another　interview　with　George　Holland；　and　imparted　to　that　young　cleric　his　opinion　that　he　should　avail　himself　of　the　opportunity　offered　to　him　of　trying　what　would　undoubtedly　be　a　most　interesting　experiment；　and　one　to　the　carrying　out　of　which　all　true　churchmen　would　look　forward　most　hopefully。　Who　could　say；　he　inquired；　if　the　larger　freedom　which　would　be　enjoyed　by　an　earnest；　sincere；　and　highly　intellectual　clergyman；　not　in　immediate　contact　with　the　Establishment；　might　not　avail　him　to　perfect　such　a　scheme　of　reform　as　would　eventually　be　adopted　by　the　Church？

That　interview　was　very　helpful　to　George　Holland　in　making　up　his　mind　on　the　subject　of　the　new　Church。　He　resigned　his　pastorate；　greatly　to　the　regret　of　the　churchwardens；　though　no　expression　of　such　regret　was　ever　heard　from　the　bishop。

But　then　a　bishop　is　supposed　to　have　his　feeling　thoroughly　under　control。

This　happened　three　weeks　after　the　death　of　Stephen　Linton；　and　during　these　weeks　Herbert　Courtland　had　never　once　asked　to　see　Ella　Linton。



CHAPTER　XXXVI。

MARRIAGE　IS　THE　PICTURESQUE　GATEWAY　LEADING　TO　A　COMMONPLACE　ESTATE。

So　soon　as　Phyllis　Ayrton　had　returned　home；　she　got　a　letter　from　Herbert　Courtland；　asking　her　if　she　would　be　good　enough　to　grant　him　an　interview。　She　replied　at　once　that　it　would　please　her　very　much　to　see　him　on　the　following　afternoonshe　was　going　to　Scotland　with　her　father　in　a　week；　if　Parliament　had　risen　by　that　time。

He　came　to　her。　She　was　alone　in　the　drawing　room　where　she　had　always　received　him　previously。

The　servant　had　scarcely　left　the　room　before　he　had　told　her　he　had　come　to　tell　her　that　he　loved　herto　ask　her　if　he　might　hope　to　have　some　of　her　love　in　return。

He　had　not　seated　himself；　nor　had　she。　They　remaine