phyllis of philistia-第4部分

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　been　known　to　err　on　the　side　of　rapidity　of　action。　Nearly　a　week　had　passed　before　he　made　any　move　in　the　matter；　and　then　the　move　he　made　was　in　the　direction　of　the　Engadine。　He　crossed　the　Channel　with　the　book　under　his　arm。　He　determined　to　read　it　at　his　leisure。　Being　a　clergyman；　he　could　not；　of　course；　be　expected　to　have　examined；　from　any　standpoint　but　that　of　the　clergyman；　the　characters　of　the　persons　dealt　with　in　the　book；　and　he　was　naturally　shocked　at　the　freedom　shown　by　the　rector　of　St。　Chad's　in　criticising　men　whose　names　have　been　held　in　the　highest　esteem　for　some　thousands　of　years。　He　at　once　perceived　that　the　rector　of　St。　Chad's　had　been　very　narrow…minded　in　his　views　regarding　the　conduct　of　the　men　whom　he　had　attacked。　It　occurred　to　him；　as　it　had　to　Mr。　Ayrton；　that　the　writer　had　drawn　his　picture　without　any　regard　for　perspective。　That　was　very　foolish　on　the　part　of　a　man　who　was　a　Fellow　of　his　college；　the　bishop　thought；　and　besides；　there　was　no　need　for　the　bookits　tendency　was　not　to　help　the　weaker　brethren。　But　to　assume　that　the　book　would；　as　some　newspaper　articles　said　it　would；　furnish　the　most　powerful　argument　that　had　yet　been　brought　forward　in　favor　of　the　Disestablishment　of　Church；　was；　he　thought；　to　assume　a　great　deal　too　much。　The　Church　that　had　survived　Wesley；　Whitefield；　Colenso；　Darwin；　and　Renan　would　not　succumb　to　George　Holland。　The　bishop　recollected　how　the　Church　had　bitterly　opposed　all　the　teaching　of　the　men　of　wisdom　whose　names　came　back　to　him；　and　how　it　had　ended　by　making　their　teaching　its　own。　Would　anyone　venture　to　assert　that　the　progress　of　Christianity　was　dependent　upon　what　people　thought　of　the　acceptance　by　David　of　the　therapeutic　course　prescribed　for　him？　Was　the　morality　which　the　Church　preached　likely　to　be　jeopardized　because　Ruth　was　a　tricky　young　woman？

The　bishop　knew　something　of　man；　and　he　knew　something　of　the　Church；　he　even　knew　something　of　the　Bible；　and　when　he　came　to　the　chapter　in　〃Revised　Versions〃　that　dealt　with　the　episode　of　Ruth　and　Boaz；　he　flung　the　book　into　a　corner　of　his　bedroom；　exclaiming；　〃Puppy！〃

And　then　there　came　before　his　eyes　a　vision　of　a　field　of　yellow　corn；　ripe　for　the　harvest。　The　golden　sunlight　gleamed　upon　the　golden　grain　through　which　the　half…naked　brown…skinned　men　walked　with　their　sickles。　The　half…naked　brown…skinned　women　followed　the　binders；　gleaning　the　ears；　and　among　the　women　was　the　one　who　had　said；　〃Entreat　me　not　to　leave　thee。〃　He　had　read　that　old　pastoral　when　he　was　a　child　at　the　knee　of　his　mother。　It　was　surely　the　loveliest　pastoral　of　the　East；　and　its　charm　would　be　in　no　wise　impaired　because　a　man　who　failed　to　appreciate　the　beauty　of　its　simplicity；　had　almost　called　Ruth　by　the　worst　name　that　can　be　applied　to　a　woman。

The　bishop　did　not　mind　what　George　Holland　called　Abraham；　or　Isaac；　or　Jacob；　or　Samson；　but　Ruthto　say　that　Ruth

The　bishop　said　〃Puppy！〃　once　again。　（He　had　trained　himself　only　to　think　the　adjectives　which　laymen　find　appropriate　to　use　in　such　a　case　as　was　under　his　consideration。）

But　he　made　up　his　mind　to　take　no　action　whatever　against　the　Rev。　George　Holland　on　account　of　the　book。　If　the　Rev。　George　Holland　fancied　that　he　was　to　be　persecuted　into　popularity；　the　Rev。　George　Holland　was　greatly　mistaken；　and　the　bishop　had　a　shrewd　idea　that　the　rector　of　St。　Chad's　was　greatly　mistaken。

（It　may　be　mentioned　that　he　came　to　this　determination　when　he　had　read　the　book　through；　and　found　it　was　so　cleverly　written　that　it　included　no　heretical　phrase　in　all　its　pages。）

But　so　soon　as　Phyllis　Ayrton　had　read　the　first　review　of　the　book　that　fell　into　her　hands；　she　felt　inexpressibly　shocked。　Great　Heavens！　Was　it　possible　that　she　was　actually　at　that　moment　engaged　to　marry　the　man　who　had　written　such　a　booka　book　that　held　up　Delilah　to　admiration；　and　that　abased　Ruth？　（It　was　singular　how　everyone　settled　upon　Ruth　in　this　connection。）

She　did　not　pause　to　analyze　her　feelingsto　try　and　find　out　if　she　was　really　so　fond　of　Ruth　as　to　make　Ruth's　insult　her　own；　but　without　a　moment's　delay；　without　a　word　of　consultation　with　her　father；　she　sat　down　at　her　desk　and　wrote　a　letter　to　George　Holland；　asking　him　to　release　her　from　her　promise　to　marry　him；　and　adding　that　if　he　should　decline　to　do　so　it　would　make　no　difference　to　her；　she　would　consider　the　engagement　between　them　at　an　end　all　the　same。

She　felt；　when　that　letter　was　posted；　as　if　a　great　weight　were　lifted　from　her　mindfrom　her　heart。　Then　a　copy　of　〃Revised　Versions〃　arrived　for　her　from　the　author；　and　with　the　ink　still　wet　upon　the　pen　with　which　she　had　written　that　letter　to　him；　she　caught　up　the　book　and　covered　it　with　kisses。

Had　he　seen　that　action　her　lover　would　have　been　thoroughly　satisfied。　A　young　woman　must　be　very　deeply　in　love　with　a　man　when　she　kisses　the　cover　of　a　book　which　he　has　just　published。　That　is　what　George　Holland　would　have　thought；　having　but　a　superficial　acquaintance　with　the　motives　that　sway　young　women。

Later　in　the　day　he　had　replied　to　her　letter；　and　had　appointed　four　o'clock　on　the　following　afternoon　as　the　hour　when　he　trusted　she　would　find　it　convenient　to　see　him；　in　order　to　give　him　an　opportunity　of　making　an　explanation　which　he　trusted　would　enable　her　to　see　that　〃Revised　Versions；〃　so　far　from　being　the　dreadful　book　she　seemed　to　imagine　it　to　be；　was　in　reality　written　with　a　high　purpose。

She　had　not　shrunk　from　an　interview　with　him。　She　had　sent　him　a　line　to　let　him　know　that　she　would　be　at　home　at　four　o'clock；　and　now　she　sat　in　her　drawing　room　and　observed；　without　emotion；　that　in　five　minutes　that　hour　would　strike。

The　clock　struck；　and　before　the　last　tone　had　died　away；　the　footman　announced　the　Rev。　George　Holland。



CHAPTER　IV。

SHE　HAD　NO　RIGHT　TO　ACCUSE　HIM　OF　READING　THE　BIBLE　DAILY。

Phyllis　shook　hands　with　her　visitor。　He　sought　to　retain　her　hand；　as　he　had　been　in　the　habit　of　doing；　as　he　stood　beside　her　with　something　of　a　proprietary　air。　He　relinquished　her　hand　with　a　little　look　of　surprisea　sort　of　pained　surprise。　She　was　inexorable。　She　would　not　even　allow　him　to　maintain　his　proprietary　air。

〃Do　sit　down；　Mr。　Holland；〃　she　said。

〃What！　'Mr。　Holland'　already？　Oh；　Phyllis！〃

He　had　a　good　voice；　full　of　expressionsomething　beyond　mere　musical　expression。　People　（they　were　mostly　women）　said　that　his　voice　had　soul　in　it；　whatever　they　meant　by　that。

She　made　no　reply。　What　reply　could　she　make？　She　only　waited　for　him　to　sit　down。

〃Your　letter　came　as　a　great　shock　to　me；　Phyllis；〃　said　he；　when　he　had　seated　himself；　not　too　close　to　her。　He　did　not　wish　her　to　fancy　that　he　was　desirous　of　having　a　subtle　influence　of　propinquity　as　an　ally。　〃A　great　shock　to　me。〃

〃A　shock？〃　said　she。　〃A　shock；　after　you　had　written　that　book？〃

〃I　fancied　you　would　understand　it；　Phyllisyou；　at　least。　Of　course　I　expected　to　be　misrepresented　by　the　worldthe　criticsthe　clerics　what　you　willbut　you　You　had　not　read　it　when　you　wrote　that　letter　to　methat　terrible　letter。　You　could　not　have　read　it。〃

〃I　had　only　read　one　notice　of　itthat　was　enough。〃

〃And　you　could　write　that　letter　to　me　solely　as　the　evidence　of　one　wretched　print？　Oh；　Phyllis！〃

Pain　was　in　his　voice。　It　may　have　been　in　his　face　as　well；　but　she　did　not　see　it；　his　face　was　averted　from　her。

〃Yes；〃　she　said　quietly；　〃I　wrote　that　letter；　Mr。　Holland。　You　see；　the　paper　gave　large　extracts　from　the　book。　I　did　not　come　to　my　conclusion　from　what　the　newspaper　article　said；　but　from　what　you　had　said　in　your　bookfrom　the　quoted　passages。〃

〃They　did　not　do　me　justice。　I　did　not　look　for　justice　at　their　hands。　But　you；　Phyllis〃

〃I　have　read　your　book　now；　Mr。　Holland〃

〃Ah；　let　me　plead　with　you；　Phyllisnot　'Mr。　Holland；'　I　entreat　of　you。〃

〃And　my　first　thought　on　reading　it　was　that　I　had　not　written　to　you　so　strongly　as　I　should　have　done。〃

〃My　dear　Phyllis；　do　not　say　that；　I　beg　of　you。　You　cannot　know　how　you　pain　me。〃

〃To　be　misunderstood　by　you/you/。〃

She　got　upon　her　feet　so　quickly　that　it　might　almost　be　said　she　sprang　up。

〃/You/　must　have　misunderstood　/me/　greatly；　Mr。　Holland；　if　you　fancied　that　you　could　write　such　a　book　as　you　wrote　and　not　get　such　a　letter　from　me。　The　BibleRuthand　you　a　clergymanreading　it　daily　in　the　church　Oh！　I　cannot　tell　you　all　that　I　thoughtall　that　I　still　think。〃

He　did　not　correct　the　mistake　she　had　made。　She　had　no　right　to　accuse　him　of　reading　the　Bible　daily　in　his　church。　He　was　not　in　the　habit　of　doing　thatit　was　his　curates　who　did　it。　He　watched　her　as　she　stood　at　a　window　with　her　back　turned　to　him。　Her　hands　were　behind　her。　Her　breath　came　audibly；　for　she　had　spoken　excitedly。

Then　he　also　rose　and　came　beside　her。

〃I　wrote　that　book；　as　I　believed　you　would　perceive　when　you　had　read　it；　in　order　to　remove　from　the　minds　of　the　peoplethose　people　who　have　not　given　the　matter　a　thoughtthe　impressionI　know　it　prevailsthat　our　faiththe　truth　of　our　religionis　dependent　upon　the　acceptance　as　good　of　such　persons　as　our　very　r