phyllis of philistia-第59章

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〃No！〃　said　Phyllis。　〃He　will　not　come　to　me。　He　has　been　with　me。　He　is　now　gone。〃

〃Gone？　That　would　be　impossible！〃　cried　Ella。　〃You　would　not　send　him　away。　He　told　you　that　he　loved　you。〃

〃Yes；　he　told　me　that。〃

〃And　yet　you　sent　him　away？　Oh；　Phyllis；　you　would　not　break　my　heart。　I　know　that　you　love　him。〃

〃Do　I？〃

〃You　do　love　him。　Oh；　my　Phyllis；　I　told　him　months　ago　that　it　was　the　dearest　wish　of　my　heart　to　see　you　married　to　him。　At　that　time　he　laughed。　Oh；　it　is　horrible　to　me　to　recall　now　how　he　laughed。　Shall　I　ever　forget　that　terrible　dream？　But　now　he　loves　you。　I　know　it。　What！　you　think　him　unworthy　of　you　because　ofof　that　dream　which　was　upon　us？　Phyllis；　don't　forget　that　he　fought　with　the　sin　and　overcame　it。　How？　Ah！　you　know　how。　He　overcame　the　passion　that　is　of　earth　by　the　love　that　is　of　heaven。　It　was　his　pure　love　for　you　that　gave　him　the　victory。　Why　should　you　send　him　away？〃

〃He　knows。　He　understands。　He　is　gone。〃

〃But　I　do　not　understand。〃

She　held　Phyllis'　hand　and　looked　into　her　face。　She　gave　a　sudden　starta　little　start。

〃Oh；　surely；　my　Phyllis；　you　don't　think　that　II　Oh；　no！　you　cannot　think　that　of　me。　Oh；　my　darling；　if　you　should　be　so　foolish　as　to　think　that　Ithat　I　still　Ah；　I　cannot　speak　about　it。　Listen　to　me；　Phyllis：　I　tell　you　that　as　he　conquered　himself　by　the　love　which　is　of　heaven；　so　have　I　conquered　by　the　same　Divine　Power。　The　love　which　is　in　heaventhe　love　which　is　minehas　given　me　the　victory　also。　Dear　Phyllis；　that　man　is　nothing　to　me　to…day。　I　tell　you　he　is　nothingnothing！　Ah；　I　don't　even　hate　him。　If　I　should　ever　speak　to　him　again　it　would　be　to　send　him　back　to　you。〃

Phyllis　said　nothing；　and　just　then　her　father　came　into　the　room；　and　after　a　few　minutes'　conventional　chat　Ella　went　away。

Mr。　Ayrton　remarked　to　Phyllis　that　her　dearest　friend　was　looking　better　than　she　had　looked　for　many　months；　and　then　he　laughed。　Phyllis　did　not　like　his　laugh。　She　looked　at　himgravely　reproachfully。

〃Pardon　me；　my　dear；〃　said　he；　〃but　I　was　only　thinking　thatwell　that　she　Ah；　after　all；　what　is　marriage？〃

Phyllis　did　not　reply。　She　saw　by　his　eyes　that　he　had　found　another　phrase。　What　were　phrases　to　her？

〃Marriage　is　the　most　honorable　preliminary　to　an　effective　widowhood；〃　said　he。

She　went　out　of　the　room。



During　the　next　eight　months　Phyllis　received　many　letters　from　Ella　some　from　Switzerland；　some　from　Italy；　and　one　from　Calcutta。　Ella　had　gone　to　India　to　make　further　inquiries　on　the　subject　of　Buddhism。　At　any　rate；　no　one　whose　heart　was　set　upon　building　up　a　New　Church　could　afford；　she　said；　to　ignore　Buddhism　as　a　power。

Mr。　Holland　agreed　with　her；　she　said。　He　had　gone　through　India　with　her。

She　returned　to　England　in　April；　and　of　course　went　to　see　Phyllis　without　delay。　Some　men　had　wanted　to　marry　Phyllis　during　the　winter；　as　everybody　knew；　but　she　had　been　pleasantly　irresponsive。　Some　of　her　closest　friends　（female）　laughed　and　said　that　she　had　found　out　how　silly　she　had　been　in　throwing　over　Mr。　Holland。

It　was　not；　however；　of　these　suitors　that　Ella　talked　to　her。　It　was　of　Herbert　Courtland。

Had　she　heard　from　him？　she　asked。

Yes；　he　occasionally　sent　her　his　address；　Phyllis　saidthat　was　all。

〃You　will　write　to　him　to　come　back　to　you；　Phyllis？〃　said　Ella　entreatingly。

Phyllis　shook　her　head。

〃Dearest　child；〃　continued　Ella；　〃I　know　the　goodness　of　your　heart。　I　know　the　high　ideal　of　honor　and　faith　which　you　have　set　before　you。　I　saw　Herbert　when　our　steamer　stopped　at　Port　Said。　He　had　been　in　Abyssiniayou　know　that？〃

〃I　knew　that。〃

〃I　talked　with　him　for　an　hour；〃　said　Ella。　〃He　told　me　a　great　deal　about　youabout　your　parting　from　him。　You　will　write　those　words　to　him　before　I　leave　this　room。〃

Phyllis　shook　her　head。

〃Oh；　yes；　you　will；　when　I　tell　you　what　I　did　not　tell　himwhen　I　tell　you　that　George　Holland　and　I　have　agreed　that　our　positions　as　joint　trustees　of　the　New　Church　will　be　immeasurably　strengthened　if　we　are　married。〃

〃What？〃

Phyllis　had　risen。

〃We　are　to　be　married　in　three　months。　The　matter　is；　of　course；　to　remain　a　secretpeople　are　so　given　to　talk。〃

Phyllis　fell　into　her　arms　and　kissed　her　tearfullybut　the　tears　were　not　all　her　own。

〃Now　you　will　write　those　words；〃　said　Ella。

Phyllis　ran　to　a　little　French　escritoire　and　snatched　up　a　sheet　of　paper。

〃Come　to　me；　my　beloved；〃　she　wrote　upon　it；　then　she　leaned　her　face　upon　her　arm；　weeping　happily。

Ella　came　behind　her。　She　picked　up　the　paper　and　folded　it　up。　She　pressed　the　bell。

〃Please　give　that　to　Mr。　Courtland　in　the　study；〃　she　said　to　the　servant。

Phyllis　sprang　up　with　a　cry。

〃I　forgot　to　tell　you；　my　dearest；　that　I　brought　back　Herbert　Courtland　in　that　steamer　with　me；　and　that　he　came　with　me　to…day。　He　is　coming　to　youlistenthree　steps　at　a　time。〃

And　that　was　just　how　he　did　come　to　her。



〃Bless　my　soul！〃　cried　Mr。　Ayrton；　ten　minutes　later。　〃Bless　my　soul！　I　always　fancied　that　Ah；　after　all；　what　is　marriage？〃

〃Oh！〃　cried　Phyllis。

〃The　last　word　that　can　be　said　regarding　it　is　that　marriage　is　the　picturesque　gateway　leading　to　the　commonplace　estate。〃

〃Oh！〃　cried　Phyllis







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