phyllis of philistia-第14部分

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　your　pretense　then；　because　you'll　certainly　make　a　muddle　of　it；　and　because　no　such　attempt　is　necessary　to　be　made　to　me。　I　know　something　of　the　girl　and　her　moodsnot　a　great　deal；　perhaps；　but　enough　to　prevent　my　doing　you　an　injustice。　You　are　perfectly　consistent；　my　Phyllis。〃

〃Oh；　consistent？〃

〃Perfectly　consistent　with　your　nature　as　a　girl。　It　is　the　nature　of　a　girl　to　change　with　every　wind　that　blows。　It　is　only　the　female　prig　who　acts　consistently　under　all　circumstances。　In　a　world　the　leading　of　which　is　its　men；　inconsistency　is　the　best　nature　of　a　healthy　girl　made　to　be　loved　by　men。　One　doesn't　sneer　at　the　weathercock　because　one　hour　it　points　to　the　north　and　the　next　to　the　east。　'Tis　its　nature　to。　'Tis　our　nature　to　change　with　every　breeze　of　man　that　bears　down　on　us。　That's　why　they　love　us　and　detest　the　prigs。　Here　we　are　at　your　house。　I　hope　you　don't　keep　your　maid　up　for　you。　I　would　scorn　to　keep　a　girl　out　of　her　bed　for　the　sake　of　brushing　my　hair。　Good…night；　dear；　and　dream　of　the　paradise　that　awaits　youa　paradise　in　which　there　are　birds　to　be　shot；　birds　of　paradise　to　make　feather　fans　for　women　who　hold　them　to　their　bosoms　one　minute；　and　the　next　dispose　of　them　to　Mr。　and　Mme。　Abednego　with　last　season's　opera　wrap。　There's　a　parable　for　you　to　sleep　upon。〃

〃And　youyou？〃　cried　Phyllis。

〃Oh；　as　for　me；　I'll；　I'llwell；　I　think　I'll　put　my　meteor　fan　on　the　pillow　beside　my　own　to…night。　I'm　still　newfangled　with　my　toy　andwell；　I'm　a　woman。〃

At　this　instant　the　carriage　pulled　up　to　Mr。　Ayrton's　hall　door　and　the　footman　jumped　down　from　the　box　to　run　up　the　steps　and　ring　the　bell。

〃Good…night；〃　said　Phyllis。　〃I　enjoyed　my　evening　greatly；　and　the　drive　home　best　of　all。〃

Ella　Linton's　laugh　was　smothered　among　the　delicate　floss　of　the　feathers　which　she　held　up　to　her　face。



CHAPTER　X。

IT　IS　THE　PRICE　OF　BLOOD。

Phyllis　had　a　good　deal　to　think　of　after　she　had　sat　for　half　an　hour　with　her　father　in　the　room　where　they　worked　together　for　the　discomfiture　of　the　opposite　party；　and　had　given　him　some　account　of　the　representation　of　the　play　at　the　Parthenon。　Her　father　was　delighted　to　find　her　in　high　spirits。　So　many　people　come　back　from　the　theater　looking　glum　and　worn　out；　yawning　and　mumbling　when　asked　what　they　have　seen　and　what　it　had　all　been　about。　Phyllis　was　not　glum；　nor　did　she　mumble。　She　was　able　to　describe　scene　after　scene；　and　more　than　once　she　sprang　from　her　seat；　carried　away　by　her　own　powers　of　description；　and　began　to　act　the　bits　that　had　impressed　herbits　the　force　of　which　could　only　be　understood　when　described　with　gestures　and　pretty　posturing。

Her　father　thought　he　had　never　seen　anything　so　pretty　in　his　life。　（What　a　girl　she　was；　to　be　sure；　to　have　so　easily　recovered　from　the　effects　of　that　terrible　ordeal　through　which　she　had　passedhaving　to　dismiss　at　a　moment's　notice　the　man　whom　she　had　promised　to　marry！）　He　had　certainly　never　seen　anything　so　fascinating　as　her　pretty　posturing；　with　the　electric　lights　gleaming　over　her　white　neck　with　its　gracious　curves；　and　her　firm　white　arms　from　which　her　gloves　had　been　stripped。

It　had　been　his　intention　to　describe　to　her　a　scene　which　had　taken　place　in　the　House　of　Commons　that　nighta　scene　of　Celt　and　Saxon　mingling　in　wild　turmoil　over　a　question　of　neglected　duty　on　the　part　of　a　Government　official：　not　the　one　who　was　subsequently　decorated　by　the　sovereign　a　few　days　after　his　neglect　of　duty　had　placed　the　country　in　jeopardy；　and　had　precipitated　the　downfall　of　the　ministry　and　the　annihilation　of　his　party　as　a　political　factor；　not　this　man；　but　another；　who　had　referred　to　Trafalgar　Square　as　the　private　thoroughfare　of　the　crown。　The　scene　had　been　an　animated　one；　and　Mr。　Ayrton　had　hoped　to　derive　a　good　deal　of　pleasure　from　describing　it　to　his　daughter；　but　when　he　had　listened　to　her；　and　watched　her　for　a　few　minutes；　he　came　to　the　conclusion　that　it　would　be　absurd　for　him　to　make　an　effort　to　compete　with　her。　What　was　his　wretched　little　story　of　Parliamentary　squalor　compared　with　these　psychological　subtleties　which　had　interested　his　daughter　all　the　evening？

He　listened　to　and　watched　that　lovely　thing；　overflowing　with　the　animation　that　comes　from　a　quick　intelligencea　keen　appreciation　of　the　intelligence　of　the　great　artists　who　had　interpreted　a　story　which　thrilled　the　imagination　of　generation　after　generation；　and　he　felt　that　Parliament　was　a　paltry　thing。　Parliamentwhat　was　Parliament？　The　wrangle　of　political　parties　over　a　paltry　issue。　It　had　no　real　life　in　it；　it　had　nothing　of　the　fullness　and　breadth　of　the　matters　that　interested　such　people　as　had　mindsimagination。

〃You　are　tired；〃　she　cried　at　last。　〃It　is　thoughtless　of　me　to　keep　you　out　of　your　bed。　You　have　had　a　weary　night；　I　am　sure。　Was　it　the　Irish　again；　or　the　horrid　teetotalers？〃

〃It　was　both；　my　dear；〃　said　he。　〃Phyllis；〃　he　added　solemnly；　〃an　Irish　teetotaler　is　a　fearful　thing。〃

〃You　shall　forget　all　the　intemperate　teetotalers　in　a　beautiful　sleep；〃　said　she；　putting　her　arms　around　his　neck。　〃Good…night；　papa！　It　was　so　thoughtless　of　me　to　keep　you　up。　It　is　one　o'clock。〃

〃It　appears　to　me　that　you　are　the　one　who　should　be　ready　to　succumb；〃　said　her　father。　〃I　had　nothing　to　stimulate　my　imagination。　Practical　politics　has　not　yet　discovered　a　good　working　reply　to　the　man　who　calls　his　fellow…man　a　liar；　so　the　political　outlook　is　not　very　cheering。〃

〃That　is　what　is　greatly　needed：　a　satisfactory　retortverbal；　of　courseto　that　every…day　assertion。〃

〃It　has　become　the　most　potent　influence　in　the　House　of　Commons；　during　the　past　year　or　two；　and　the　worst　of　the　matter　is　that　the　statement　is　nearly　always　correct。〃

〃Then　there　is　all　the　greater　need　for　a　/modus　vivendi/〃she　had　an　ample　acquaintance　with　the　jargon　of　diplomacy。　〃I　don't　despair　of　Parliament　being　able　to　suggest　an　efficient　retort。〃

〃Parliament：　two　ragamuffins　quarreling　up　an　entry　over　a　rotten　orange。　Good…night；　my　child！〃

She　was　at　last　in　her　own　room：　an　apartment　of　gracious…tinted　fabrics　and　pink　satin　panels；　of　tapestried　sofas　made　by　French　artists　before　the　lovely　daughter　of　Maria　Teresa　went　to　her　death。　She　switched　on　the　lights　in　the　candle　sconces；　and　threw　herself　down　upon　one　of　the　sofas。　Her　theater　wrap　and　fan　she　had　laid　over　a　chair。

It　was　not　to　the　drama　which　she　had　seen　superbly　acted　at　the　Parthenon　that　her　thoughts　went　out；　but　to　the　words　which　her　dearest　friend　had　spoken　when　driving　back　from　the　theater。

What　words　were　they？

She　could　not　recollect　them　now；　but　she　was　still　conscious　of　the　impression　which　they　had　produced　upon　her　while　they　were　being　spoken。　That　impression　was　that　up　to　that　instant　all　the　issues　of　her　life　had　been　unworthy　of　a　moment's　consideration。　She　had　taken　what　she　believed　to　be　a　deep　interest　in　many　matters　during　the　five　years　that　she　had　been　the　head　of　her　father's　house。　She　had；　she　knew；　been　of　the　greatest　help　to　her　father　in　his　political　life；　not　merely　turning　her　memory　to　good　account　in　discovering　the　incautious　phrases　in　the　speeches　of　the　men　who　were　foolish　enough　to　be　his　opponents；　but　actually　advising　him；　when　he　asked　her；　on　many　matters　about　which　the　newspapers　had　been　full。　Then　she　had　taken　an　active　part　in　more　than　one　of　those　〃movements〃　which　became　the　topic　of　a　London　season　until　compelled　by　an　invisible　but　all…powerful　authority　to　move　on　and　make　way　for　the　next　new　thing。　She　had　moved　with　every　movement；　and　had　proved　her　capacity　to　control　herself　when　the　movement　became　uncontrollable。　And　then　she　had　thought　how　worthy　a　position　in　life　would　be　that　of　the　wife　of　the　rector　of　a　church　like　St。　Chad's。

That　idea　had　remained　with　her；　as　had　already　been　said；　for　some　months；　until；　to　be　exact　in　regard　to　the　date；　the　other　young　women；　whom　she　had　been　watching　with　interest；　had　bought　their　brilliant　blouses　with　the　newest　and；　consequently；　most　abnormal　sleeves；　casting　aside　the　sober…hued　bodices　which　they　had　worn　in　hope。

How　paltry　were　all　these　aspirations；　these　undertakings！

That　was　what　was　dinning　in　her　ears　all　the　time　Ella　had　been　talking　in　the　carriage。

But　why；　why；　why　should　all　her　previous　interests；　including　the　consideration　of　the　questions　of　orthodoxy　and　the　other　thing；　seem　so　ridiculously　small　while　Ella　was　speaking？

That　was　the　question　which　puzzled　her。　Had　Ella　shown　her　a　way　to　something　better；　something　higher；　something　better　worthy　of　the　aspiration　of　a　woman？　She　could　not　say　that　that　had　been　the　drift　of　her　large　discourse。　What　she　had　said　had　actually　been　puzzling　in　its　vagueness；　its　daring　imagesall　images　are　vague；　its　allegoriesall　allegories　are　indefinite。

And　yetand　yetand　yet

With　a　motion　of　impatience　Phyllis　sprang　to　her　feet。　After　a　pause　she　went　to　a　little　satin…wood　cabinet　which　she　had　turned　into　a　bookshelf；　and　took　out　her　Bible。　She　had　never　slept　a　night　for　years　without　reading　a　chapter；　and　in　order　to　avert　the　possibility　of