按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
rls。 You are a thoroughly dangerous young woman； Miss Ayrton； though you are Mrs。 Linton's dearest friend。 By the way； can you make her confide in you？〃
There seemed to be a measure of curiosity； not to say anxiety； in the tone of this inquiry。
〃Well； she makes me confide in her。 I wonder if that is just the same thing；〃 said Phyllis。
〃It's not exactly the same thing；〃 said he。 〃But it's the proper course for dearest friends to adopt toward each other。 For the maintenance of a firm friendship between any two persons； only one should confide； the other should be strictly the confidante。 By the way； I wonder what is the average duration of the dearest friendship between two women。〃
〃Why should it have any limits？〃 said Phyllis gravely。 〃What is the duration of the friendship between two men？〃
〃It mostly depends on when the woman makes her appearance；〃 said he； with a laugh。
〃Ah！ So that Ah； never mind。 Ella was my dearest friend before Mr。 Linton put in an appearance。〃
〃And he was mine before she put in an appearance；〃 said he。
〃I didn't know that；〃 said Phyllis。
〃There； you see； is my contention borne out；〃 said he。 〃You are the one who confides； she is the one who receives the confidences； and respects them； I'm sure。 I hope that you will do the same； Miss Ayrton。 Don't let anyone know that I confided in you all that I think on the subject of the old Adam and the new Eve。〃
〃No one except Ella Linton； and you know that I can keep nothing from her if we are to remain dearest friends。 Perhaps she knows already the limits of your belief； Mr。 Courtland。〃
〃She doesshe does。〃
At that moment Ella Linton came up with Lord Earlscourt。
〃Has Mr。 Courtland been telling you all about the bird of paradise？〃 she asked of Phyllis； while she waved the tail feathers of the loveliest of the birds of paradise before her face。
〃The bird？not the /bird/；〃 laughed Phyllis。
〃But the topic was paradise？〃 Ella joined in the laughyes； to some extent。
〃I talked of Adamthe old one of that name；〃 said Mr。 Courtland。
〃And Evethe new one of that name；〃 said Phyllis。
〃Theology is in the air！〃 cried Ella。 〃Even the stage of a theater is not free from the taint。 It must be the case of Mr。 Holland。 Where is Mr。 Holland； by the way； Lord Earlscourt？〃
〃I haven't seen him for some time。 He must have gone away。 I'm not Mr。 Holland's keeper； thank Heaven！〃 said Lord Earlscourt； with heartfelt devoutness。
〃Now you know that everyone holds you accountable for what he has done！〃 said Ella。
〃Then that's just where everyone makes a mistake；〃 said he。 〃Great Lord！ is it your idea of British justice to persecute the wrong man？ Why doesn't the bishop do his duty？ What do we pay him for？〃
〃We won't abandon our charity at the call of theology；〃 said Ella。
〃Theologyrepresented by Lord Earlscourt；〃 said Mr。 Courtland。
〃You don't know how I've been abused during the past fortnight； indeed you don't；〃 moaned Lord Earlscourt。 〃Why； there's my own wife； she abused me like a cab…driver because George Holland had been with us on the platform when the Chinese teetotalers came here to protest against the public houses in England； she says that his backsliding will put back the cause a quarter of a century。 Then there are the other churchwardens； they look on me as if I had been making a suggestion to raffle the sacred plate。 George Holland has a run for his money； but I've had no fun out of it。〃
〃It does seem hard；〃 said Courtland。 〃But it's plain that the case calls for persecution； and why not persecute you？ Someone must be persecuted； you'll admit。〃
〃Then why the〃
〃I thought that your good old Bunyip would look in on us before long；〃 said Courtland。 〃There's no possibility of discussing delicate points in theology without him。〃
〃I think we had better go home；〃 said Ella。
〃We must have some consideration for our host；〃 said Courtland。 〃We didn't all play the part of /Cagliostro/ to…night。〃
During the movement of her circle and the adjustment of wraps； preparatory to the delivery of a valedictory word of congratulation to the great actor； Ella said in a low tone to Herbert Courtland：
〃Cagliostro？ No； we didn't all play the part； butwell； Cagliostro was a weaver of spells。〃
There was a pause before he said：
〃Yes； but the art did not die with him。 He had a daughter to whom he taught his art。〃
〃Not that I ever heard of；〃 said she。 〃What do you think of Phyllis Ayrton？〃
〃I think that she is the dearest friend of my dearest friend；〃 he replied。
〃And I should like her to become the dearest friend of my dearest friend。〃
〃That would be impossible；〃 he said。
Then the felicitous valedictory word was said to the great actor and actress； and Mrs。 Linton's carriage received Phyllis。 Lord Earlscourt took a seat in Mr。 Courtland's hansom。
〃What do you think about Mr。 Courtland？〃 inquired Ella of her dearest friend； as they lay back with their heads very close together。
There was a long pause before Phyllis replied：
〃I really don't know what I think about him。 He is； I suppose； the bravest man alive at present。〃
〃What？ Is that the result of your half hour's chat with him？〃
〃Oh； dear； no！ but all the same； it's pleasant for a girl to feel that she has been talking to a brave man。 It gives one a sense ofofis it of being quite safe？〃
〃Good gracious； no！ just the oppositethat is Oh； you don't understand。〃
〃No； I don't。〃
〃Never mind。 Tell me what he talked about？〃
〃Oh； everything！ God。〃
〃I know that it was in the air。 He has ideas； I believe。 He never talked on that topic to me。 I hope you found him to be quite sound； theologically。〃
〃But it seems rather funny； doesn't it？〃 said Phyllis； 〃but I really don't think that when I was listening to him I considered for a moment whether he was sound or the opposite in his views。〃
〃Funny？ It would have been rather funny if you had done that；〃 laughed Ella。 〃The question that a healthy girland you are a healthy girl； Phyllisasks herself after talking to such a man as Herbert Courtland is not； Is his theology sound？ What healthy girl cares the fraction of a farthing about the theology of a man with a face like Herbert Courtland's and arms like Herbert Courtland's？ You talked with him for half an hour； and then come to me and say that you suppose he is the bravest man alive in the world。 That was rightquite right。 That is just what every healthy girl should say。 We understand a man's thews and sinews； we likewise understand what bravery in a man is； but what do we know； or； for that matter； care about his theology； whether it is sound or the opposite？ Nothing。 We don't even care whether he has any theology or not。〃
〃Good gracious； Ella！ one would fancy that you thought〃
〃Thought what？〃
〃I don't quite know。 You see I met Mr。 Courtland quite casually； just as I met a dozen men at various places during the week。 Why should you question me more closely about him than about the dozen other men？ He only talked a little more widely； and perhaps wildly。 His bravery is no more to me than his theology。〃
〃Of course it isn't； Phyllis。 But there was the case of George Holland〃
〃That is very different； Ella。 I had engaged myself to marry George Holland。 It would be impossible for me to marry any man who had shown his contempt forfor everything that I regard as sacred。〃
〃I believe it would； if you didn't love that man。 But if you loved the man Oh； when you come to know what it means to love you will understand all。 A woman before she loves iswhat is she； an egg before it is hatched？ That sounds ridiculous。 Better say a green chrysalis before it breaks into a butterfly； for the transition comes at once。 Theology！ Oh； my Phyllis； haven't you read in history； true historynovels written by men who know us and how we were created； and whyhaven't you read what women do when they truly love a man？ How they fling every consideration to the winds： heavenhomehusband GodMrs。 Grundy？ Theology！ Ah； you are a healthy girl。 You never cared a scrap for George Holland。 You were glad when the excuse presented itself in order to throw him over。〃
〃Yes； I believe that is quite true。〃
Ella's cry of surprise； and her laugh that followed； shocked her companion； and feeling that this was the case； the one who laughed hastened to make her apologies。
〃Don't be annoyed with me； dear；〃 she cried。 〃But I really couldn't help that laugh when I thought of your earnestness the week before last。 Then； you will remember； you were in great pain because of the heterodoxy of George Holland。 Didn't I tell you at that time that you had never loved him？ You were ready to assure me that you had； and that you were making a great sacrifice to your principles？〃
〃I remember very well；〃 said Phyllis； with a sound that was not far removed from a sob。
〃Ah； you are a puzzle to yourself； you poor little chrysalis；〃 said Ella； putting the meteoric feathers playfully down upon the serious face of Phyllisits seriousness was apparent beneath the light of the carriage lamp。 〃No； don't make the attempt to explain anything to me。 Don't try to reconcile your frankness now with your pretense then； because you'll certainly make a muddle of it； and because no such attempt is ne