phyllis of philistia-第37部分

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She　flung　herself　on　her　knees　in　a　passion　of　thanksgiving　to　God　for　having　made　her　the　means　of　saving　a　soul　from　hellyes；　for　the　time　being。

And　then　she　began　to　think　what　she　should　do　in　order　that　that　soul　should　be　saved　forever。

It　was　time　for　her　to　dress　for　dinner　before　she　had　finished　working　out　that　great　question；　possibly　the　greatest　question　that　ever　engrossed　the　attention　of　a　young　woman：　how　to　save　the　soul　of　a　man；　not　temporarily；　but　eternally。

And　all　the　time　that　she　was　in　her　room　alone　she　had　not　a　single　thought　regarding　the　scene　through　which　she　had　passed　with　the　Rev。　George　Holland。　She　had　utterly　forgotten　him　and　his　wickednesshis　vain　sophistries。　She　had　forgotten　all　that　he　had　said　to　herhis　monstrous　calumny　leveled　against　her　dearest　friend；　she　even　forgot　her　unjust　treatment　of　George　Holland　and　her　rudenessher　unparalleled　rudeness　toward　him。　She　was　thinking　over　something　very　much　more　important。　What　was　a　question　of　mere　etiquette　compared　to　the　question　of　saving　a　man's　soul　alive？

But　when　she　dined　opposite　to　her　father　it　was　to　the　visit　of　George　Holland　she　referred　rather　than　to　the　visit　of　Herbert　Courtland。

〃What　had　George　Holland　got　to　say　that　was　calculated　to　interest　you？〃　her　father　inquired。　The　peaches　were　on　the　table　and　the　servant　had；　of　course；　left　the　room。

〃He　had　nothing　to　say　of　interest　to　me；〃　she　replied。

〃Nothing；　except；　of　course；　that　his　respectful　aspiration　to　marry　you〃　suggested　Mr。　Ayrton。

〃You　need　not　put　the　'except'　before　that；　my　papa；〃　said　she。

〃And　yet　I　have　for　some　years　been　under　the　impression　that　even　when　a　man　whom　she　recoils　from　marrying　talks　to　a　young　woman　about　his　aspirations　in　the　direction　of　marriage；　she　is　more　interested　than　she　would　be　when　the　man　whom　she　wishes　to　marry　talks　on　some　other　topic。〃

〃At　any　rate；　George　Holland　didn't　interest　me　so　long　as　he　talked　of　his　aspirations。　Then　he　talked　ofwell；　of　something　else；　and　I'm　afraid　that　I　was　rude　to　him。　I　don't　think　that　he　will　come　here　again。　I　know　that　I　shall　never　go　to　St。　Chad's　again。〃

〃Heavens　above！　This　is　a　pretty　story　to　tell　a　father。　How　were　you　rude　to　him？　I　should　like　to　have　a　story　of　your　rudeness；　merely　to　hold　up　against　you　for　a　future　emergency。〃

〃I　pointed　to　the　door　in　the　attitude　of　the　heroine　of　one　of　the　old　plays；　and　when　he　didn't　leave　at　once；　I　left　the　room。〃

〃You　mean　to　say　that　you　left　him　standing　in　the　middle　of　the　room　while　you　went　away？〃

〃I　told　you　that　I　was　rude。〃

〃Rude；　yes；　but　it's　one　thing　to　omit　to　leave　cards　upon　a　hostess；　and　quite　another　to　stare　her　in　the　face　when　she　bows　to　you　in　the　street。　It's　one　thing　to　omit　sending　a　man　a　piece　of　your　bridescake；　and　quite　another　to　knock　off　his　hat　in　the　street。　Rude；　oh；　my　dear　Phyllis！〃

〃If　you　knew　what　he　said　aboutabout　someone　whom　I　loveif　you　knew　how　angry　I　was；　you　would　not　say　that　I　acted　so　atrociously；　after　all。〃

〃Oh！　Did　he　say　something　more　about　Ruth？〃

〃He　said　too　muchfar　too　much；　I　cannot　tell　you。　If　any　other　man　said　so　much　I　would　treat　him　in　the　same　way。　You　must　not　ask　me　anything　further；　please。〃

〃Rude　and　unrepentant；　shocking　and　not　ashamed。　This　is　terrible。　But　perhaps　it's　better　that　you　should　be　rude　when　you're　young　and　beautiful；　later　on；　when　you're　no　longer　young；　it　will　not　be　permitted　in　you。　I'll　question　you　no　further。　Only　how　about　Sunday？〃

〃I　have　promised　Ella　to　go　with　her　party　to　The　Mooring　for　a　week。〃

〃That　will　get　over　the　matter　of　the　church；　but　only　for　one　Sunday。　How　about　the　next　Sundaysuntil　the　prorogation？　Now；　don't　say　the　obvious　'sufficient　unto　the　Sunday　is　the　sermon　thereof。'　〃

〃I　certainly　will　not。　I　have　done　forever　with　St。　Chad's；　unless　the　bishop　interferes　and　we　get　a　new　rector。〃

〃Then　that's　settled。　And　so　we　can　drink　our　coffee　in　the　drawing　room　with　easy　minds。　Rude！　Great　Heavens！〃



CHAPTER　XXVII。

THAT'S　WHY　WOMEN　DO　NOT　MAKE　GOOD　PHILOSOPHERS。

She　had　prayed　to　God　that　he　might　be　kept　away　from　her；　but　immediately　afterward；　as　has　already　been　stated；　when　she　began　to　think　over　the　situation　of　the　hour；　she　came　to　the　conclusion　that　she　had　been　a　little　too　precipitate　in　her　petition。　She　felt　that　she　would　like　to　ask　him　how　it　had　come　about　that　he　had　played　that　contemptible　part。　Such　a　contemptible　part！　Was　it　on　record；　she　wondered；　that　any　man　had　ever　played　that　contemptible　part？　To　run　away！　And　she　had　designed　and　worn　that　wonderful　toilet；　such　a　toilet　as　Helen　might　have　worn　（she　thought）；　such　a　toilet　as　Cleopatra　might　have　worn　（she　fancied）；　such　a　toilet　asas　Sarah　Bernhardt　（she　was　certain）　would　wear　when　impersonating　a　woman　who　had　lost　her　soul　for　the　love　of　a　man。　Oh；　had　ever　woman　been　so　humiliated！　She　thought　of　the　way　Sarah　Bernhardt　would　act　the　part　of　one　of　those　women　if　her　lover　had　run　away　from　her　outstretched　arms；and　such　a　toilet；only　it　was　not　on　record　that　the　lover　of　any　one　of　them　had　ever　run　away。　The　lovers　had　been　only　too　faithful；　they　had　remained　to　be　hacked　to　pieces　with　a　mediaeval　knife　sparkling　with　jewels；　or　to　swallow　some　curious　poison　out　of　a　Byzantine　goblet。　She　would　have　a　word　or　two　to　say　to　Herbert　Courtland　when　he　returned。　She　would　create　the　part　of　the　woman　whose　lover　has　humiliated　her。

This　was　her　thought　until　her　husband　told　her　that　he　had　sent　that　letter　to　Herbert　Courtland；　and　he　would　most　likely　dine　with　them　on　the　evening　of　his　return。

Then　it　was　it　occurred　to　her　that　Herbert　Courtland　might　by　some　curious　mischancemischances　occurred　in　many　of　Sarah　Bernhardt's　playshave　come　to　hear　that　she　had　paid　that　rather　singular　visit　to　Phyllis　Ayrton；　just　at　the　hour　that　she　had　named　in　that　letter　which　she　had　written　to　him。　What　difference　did　that　make　in　regard　to　his　unparalleled　flight？　He　was　actually　aboard　the　yacht　/Water　Nymph/　before　she　had　rung　for　her　brougham　to　take　her　to　Phyllis'。　He　had　been　the　first　to　fly。

Then　she　began　to　think；　as　she　had　thought　once　before；　of　her　husband's　sudden　return；the　return　of　a　husband　at　the　exact　hour　named　in　the　letter　to　a　lover　was　by　no　means　an　unknown　incident　in　a　play　of　Sarah　Bernhardt's；and　before　she　had　continued　upon　this　course　of　thought　for　many　minutes；　she　had　come　to　the　conclusion　that　she　would　not　be　too　hard　on　Herbert　Courtland。

She　was　not　too　hard　on　him。

He　had　an　interview　with　Mr。　Linton　at　the　city　offices　of　the　great　Taragonda　Creek　Mine。　（The　mine　had；　as　has　already　been　stated；　been　discovered　by　Herbert　Courtland　during　his　early　explorations　in　Australia；　and　he　had　acquired　out　of　his　somewhat　slender　resources　he　had　been　poor　in　those　daysabout　a　square　mile　of　the　wretched　country　where　it　was　situated；　and　had　then　communicated　his　discovery　to　Stephen　Linton；　who　understood　the　science　and　arts　necessary　for　utilizing　such　a　discovery；　the　result　being　that　in　two　years　everyone　connected　with　the　Taragonda　Mine　was　rich。　The　sweepings　of　the　crushing　rooms　were　worth　twenty　thousand　pounds　a　year：　and　Herbert　Courtland　had　spent　about　ten　thousand　poundsa　fourth　of　his　year's　incomein　the　quest　of　the　meteor…bird　to　make　a　feather　fan　for　Ella　Linton。）　And　when　the　business　for　which　he　had　been　summoned　to　London　had　been　set　/en　train/；　he　had　paid　a　visit　to　his　publishers。　（They　wondered　could　he　give　them　a　novel　on　New　Guinea。　If　he　introduced　plenty　of　dialect　and　it　was　sufficiently　unintelligible　it　might　thrust　the　kail　yard　out　of　the　market；　but　the　novel　must　be　in　dialect；　they　assured　him。）　After　promising　to　give　the　matter　his　attention；　he　paid　his　visit　to　Phyllis；　and　then　went　to　his　rooms　to　dress；　for　when　Stephen　Linton　had　said：

〃Of　course　you'll　dine　with　us　to…night：　I　told　Ella　you　would　come。〃

He　had　said；　〃Thanks；　I　shall　be　very　pleased。〃

〃Come　early；　eight　sharp；〃　Mr。　Linton　had　added。

And　thus　it　was　that　at　five　minutes　to　eight　o'clock　Herbert　found　himself　face　to　face　alone　with　the　woman　whom　he　had　so　grossly　humiliated。

Perhaps　she　was　hard　on　him　after　all：　she　addressed　him　as　Mr。　Courtland。　She　felt　that　she；　at　any　rate；　had　returned　to　the　straight　path　of　duty　when　she　had　done　that。　（It　was　Herbert　Courtland　who　had　talked　to　Phyllis　of　the　modern　philosophera　political　philosopher　or　a　philosophical　politicianwho；　writing　against　compromise；　became　the　leading　exponent　of　that　science；　and　had　hoped　to　solve　the　question　of　a　Deity　by　using　a　small　g　in　spelling　God。　On　the　same　principle　Ella　had　called　Herbert　〃Mr。　Courtland。〃）

He　felt　uneasy。　Was　he　ashamed　of　himself；　she　wondered？

〃Stephen　will　be　down　in　a　moment；　Mr。　Courtland；〃　she　said。

He　was　glad　to　hear　it。

〃How　warm　it　has　been　all　day！〃　she　added。　〃I　thought　of　you　toiling　away　over　figures　in　the　city；　when　you　might　have　been　breathing　the　lovely　air　of　the　sea。　It　was　too　bad　of　Stephen　to　bring　you　back。〃

〃I　assure　you　I　was　glad　to　get　his　letter　at　Leith；〃　said　he。　〃I　was　thinking　for　the　two