phyllis of philistia-第7章

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　with　great　hope　to　the　result　of　his　real　persecution。　She　would　never　hold　out　against　that。　If　the　bishop　would　only　take　action　at　once　and　attempt　to　deprive　him　of　his　pastorate；　there　was　nothing　that　he　might　not　look　for。

And　then　he　reflected　that　on　the　following　Sunday　the　church　would　be　crowded　to　the　doors。　She　would　see　that。　She　would　see　the　thousands　of　the　fashionable　womenhe　hoped　even　for　menwho　would　fill　every　available　seat；　every　available　standing　place　in　the　church；　and　who　would　all　be　anxious　to　hear　his　defense。　That　would　show　her　that　the　publication　of　this　book　had　raised　him　far　above　the　heads　of　the　ordinary　clergyman　who　droned　away；　Sunday　after　Sunday；　in　half　empty　churches　to　congregations　that　never　became　interested。　Yes；　for　many　Sundays　St。　Chad's　would　be　crowded　to　the　doors。　And　then　he　trusted　that　the　bishop　would　take　action　against　him；　and　in　proportion　to　the　severity　of　his　persecution　on　the　one　hand　would　be　his　popularity　on　the　other　hand。

All　this　would；　he　felt；　advance　the　cause　which　he　had　at　heart；　for　he　was　thoroughly　sincere　in　his　belief　that　the　views　which　he　advocated　in　〃Revised　Versions〃　were　calculated　to　place　the　Church　on　a　firmer　basis；　and　to　cause　it　to　appeal　to　those　persons　who；　having　been　inculcated　with　the　spirit　of　modern　scientific　inquiry；　never　entered　a　church　porch。

He　had　not　been　guilty　of　an　empty　boast　when　he　had　expressed　to　her　his　readiness　to　die　for　the　principles　which　he　had　enunciated　with　considerable　clearness　in　his　book；　but；　at　the　same　time；　when　he　was　walking　down　Piccadilly　he　could　not　avoid　the　feeling　that　if　he　were　only　subjected　to　a　vigorous　persecutiona　high…class　persecution；　of　course；　with　the　bishop　at　the　head　of　it；　he　would　be　almost　certain　to　win　back　Phyllis。　Her　desertion　of　him　was　undoubtedly　a　blow　to　him；　but　he　thought　that；　after　all；　it　was　not　unnatural　that　such　as　girl　as　she　should　be　somewhat　frightened　at　the　boldness　of　the　book　which　he　had　published。　He　had　seen　the　day；　not　so　very　long　ago；　when　he　would　have　been　frightened　at　it　himself。　At　any　rate　he　felt　sure　that　Phyllis　would　be　able　to　differentiate　between　the　case　of　the　author　of　〃Revised　Versions〃　and　the　case　of　the　mediocre　clergyman　who　defied　his　bishop　on　a　question　ofwhat　was　the　question？something　concerning　the　twirling　of　his　thumbs　from　east　to　west；　instead　of　from　west　to　east；　yes；　or　an　equally　trivial　matter。　He　trusted　that　she　was　too　discriminating　a　girl　to　bracket　him　with　that　wretched；　shallow…minded　person　who　endeavored　to　pose　as　a　martyr；　because　he　would　not　be　permitted　to　do　whatever　he　tried　to　insist　on　doing。　Mr。　Holland　thought　it　had　something　to　say　to　the　twirling　of　his　thumbs　at　a　certain　part　of　the　service　for　the　day；　but　if　anyone　had　said　that　his　memory　was　at　faultthat　the　contumacious　curate　only　wanted　to　make　some　gestures　at　the　psychological；　or；　perhaps；　the　spiritual；　moment；　he　would　not　have　been　surprised。　He　had　always　thought　that　curate　a　very　silly　person。　He　thanked　his　God　that　he　was　not　such　a　man；　and　he　thought　that　he　might　trust　Phyllis　to　understand　the　difference　between　the　position　which　he　assumed　and　the　posturing　of　the　silly　curate。

His　knowledge　of　her　powers　of　discrimination　was　not　at　fault。　Phyllis　never　for　a　moment　thought　of　him　as　posturing。　She　did　him　more　than　justice。　She　regarded　him　as　terribly　in　earnest；　no　man　unless　one　who　was　terribly　in　earnest　could　have　written　that　booka　book　which　she　felt　was　bound　to　alienate　from　him　all　the　people　who　had　previously　honored　him　and　delighted　to　listen　to　his　preaching。　Someone　had　said　in　her　hearing　that　the　preaching　of　George　Holland　was；　compared　to　the　preaching　of　the　average　clergyman；　as　the　electric　light　is　to　the　gasthe　gas　of　a　street　lamp。　She　had　flushed　with　pleasure；that　had　been　six　months　ago；when　it　first　occurred　to　her　that　to　be　the　wife　of　a　distinguished　clergyman；　who　was　also　a　scholar；　was　the　highest　vocation　to　which　a　woman　could　aspire。　She　had　told　her　father　of　this　testimony　to　the　ability　of　the　rector　of　St。　Chad'spride　had　been　in　her　voice　and　eyes。

〃The　man　who　said　that　was　a　true　critic；〃　her　father　had　remarked。　〃Electric　light？　Quite　so。　In　the　absence　of　sunlight　the　electric　light　does　extremely　well　for　the　requirements　of　the　average　man　and　woman。　Your　critic　said　nothing　about　volts？〃

That　was　how　her　father　became　irritating　to　her　occasionallyleading　up　to　some　phrase　which　he　had　in　his　collection　of　bric…a…brac。　〃Volts！〃

Yes；　she　felt　that　the　sincerity　of　George　Holland　would　alienate　from　him　all　the　people　who　had　previously　held　him　in　high　esteem。　Although　she　was　a　daughter　of　Philistia；　it　had　never　occurred　to　her　that　there　is　such　a　thing　as　a　/succes　scandale/；　and　that　the　effect　of　such　an　incident　in　connection　with　the　rector　of　a　fashionable　church　rarely　leads　to　his　isolation。

She　did　George　Holland　more　than　justice；　for　she　could　not　conceive　his　looking　forward　to　a　crowded　and　interested　attendance　at　his　church　on　the　following　Sunday　and　perhaps　many　successive　Sundays。　She　could　not　conceive　his　thinking　what　effect　the　noticing　of　such　an　attendance　would　have　upon　her。　To　her；　as　to　most　girls；　the　heroic　man　is　all　heroic。　The　picture　of　the　Duke　of　Marlborough　taking　a　list　of　the　linen　to　be　sent　to　the　wash　while　his　troops　were　getting　into　position　for　a　great　battle　is　one　from　which　they　turn　away。　She　could　not　think　of　George　Holland's　calculating　upon　the　effect　of　a　crowded　church；　with　newspaper　reporters　scattered　throughout　the　building；　taking　down　every　word　that　might　fall　from　his　lips。　She　regarded　him　as　a　man　who　had　been　compelled；　by　the　insidious　influence　of　what　he　called　scientific　thought；　to　write　a　shocking　book；　but　one　that　he　certainly　believed　was　destined　to　effect　a　great　reform　in　the　world。　Her　eyes　had　filled　with　tears　as　he　stood　before　her　with　the　gleam　of　martyrdom　in　his　eyes；　and　for　an　instant　she　felt　a　woman's　impulsethat　was　a　factor　which　George　Holland　had　taken　into　consideration　before　he　had　spokento　give　both　her　hands　to　him　and　to　promise　to　stand　by　his　side　in　his　hour　of　trial。　But　she　thought　of　Ruth　and　restrained　herself。　Before　he　had　reached　the　door　she　thought　of　him　as　the　man　from　whom　she　had　managed　to　escape　before　it　was　too　late。

She　wondered　if　any　of　those　young　women　of　the　church；　who　had　gone　back　to　their　butterfly　garments　on　hearing　that　Mr。　Holland　had　asked　her　to　marry　him；　would　hunt　out　the　sober　garments　which　they　had　discarded　and　wear　them　when　they　would　hear　that　she　was　not　going　to　marry　Mr。　Holland。

She　rather　thought　that　they　would　get　new　dresses　and　hats　of　the　right　degree　of　sobriety。　Fashions　change　so　quickly　between　February　and　May。

And　then　there　was　the　question　of　sleeves！

Anyhow　they　would；　she　felt；　regard　themselves　as　having　another　chance。　That　was　how　they　would　put　it。

Only　for　an　instant　did　she　become　thoughtful。　Then　she　sprang　to　her　feet　from　the　sofa　on　which　she　had　thrown　herself　when　her　tears　were　threatening；　and　cried：

〃Let　them　have　himlet　them　all　have　himallall！〃

That　would　have　been　absurd。



CHAPTER　VI。

IF　A　GIRL　REALLY　LOVES　A　MAN　SHE　WILL　MARRY　HIM；　EVEN　THOUGH　HE　SHOULD　WRITE　A　BOOK。

Phyllis　meant　the　half　hour　which　would　elapse　before　her　tea　was　brought　to　her　to　be　a　very　grateful　space。　She　meant　to　dwell　upon　the　achievement　of　her　freedom；　for　the　feeling　that　she　was　free　was　very　sweet　to　her。　The　fetters　that　had　bound　her　had　been　flung　away；　and　she　now　only　had　a　splendid　sense　of　freedom。　So　sweet　was　this　sense　that　she　made　up　her　mind　that　in　future　it　would　never　do　for　her　to　run　any　such　risk　as　that　to　which　she　had　just　subjected　herself。　How　could　she　ever　have　been　such　a　fool　as　to　promise　to　marry　George　Holland？　That　was　what　she　was　asking　herself　as　she　lay　back　on　the　pillows　of　the　French　sofa；　and　listened　to　the　soft　sound　of　the　carriage　wheels　of　the　callers　at　the　other　houses　in　the　square。

What　a　singular　wish　that　was　of　hersto　become　the　wife　of　a　clergyman！　It　seemed　very