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！
George Holland； if she had the least feeling on the matter； Sir Lionel Greatorex would not mind taking her instead of Mrs。 Vernon…Brooke。 But Phyllis had said that of course she would be delighted to sit beside Mr。 Holland。 Mr。 Holland was one of her best friends。
〃Is his case so hopeless as that？〃 said Lady Earlscourt； in a low voice； and Phyllis smiled in responsethe smile of the guest when the hostess had made a point。
When Lady Earlscourt had indiscreetly； but confidentially； explained to some of her guests the previous week that she meant her little dinner party to be the means of reuniting Mr。 Holland and Miss Ayrton； one of themhe was a mansmiled and said； when she had gone away； that she was a singularly unobservant woman； or she would have known that the best way of bringing two people together is to keep them as much apart as possible。 There was wisdom in the paradox； he declared； for everyone should know that it was only when a man and a woman were far apart that they came to appreciate each other。
It seemed； indeed； that there was some truth in what that man said； for Phyllis； before the ice pudding appeared； had come to the conclusion that George Holland was a very uninteresting sort of man。 To be sure； he had not talked about himself；he was not such a fool as to do that： he had talked about her to the exclusion of almost every other topiche had been wise enough to do that；but in spite of all； he had not succeeded in arousing her interest。 He had not succeeded in making her think of the present when her thoughts had been dwelling on the pastnot the distant past； not the past of two months ago； when they had been lovers； but the past of two hours ago； when she had watched the effect of her words upon Herbert Courtland。
She chatted away to George Holland very pleasantlyas pleasantly as usualso pleasantly as to cause some of her fellow…guests to smile and whisper significantly to one another； suggesting the impossibility of two persons who got on so well together as Mr。 Holland and Miss Ayrton being separated by a barrier so paltry as an engagement broken off by the young woman for conscience' sake。
But when the significant smiles of these persons were forced upon the notice of their hostess； she did not smile； she was a lady with a really remarkable lack of knowledge； but she knew better than to accept the pleasant chat of George Holland and Phyllis Ayrton as an indication that the /status quo ante bellum/to make use of the expressive phrase of diplomacyhad been re…established between them。
Only when George Holland ventured to express his admiration of Mr。 Ayrton's adroitness in dealing with the foolish question of the gentleman from Wales did he succeed in interesting Miss Ayrton。
〃What a very foolish letter those missionaries sent home regarding the explorations of Mr。 Courtland！〃 said he。 〃Did they hope to jeopardize the popularity of Mr。 Courtland by suggesting that he had massacred a number of cannibals？〃
〃I suppose that was their object；〃 said Phyllis。
〃They must be singularly foolish persons； even for missionaries；〃 said the Rev。 George Holland。
〃Even for missionaries？〃 Phyllis repeated。 〃Oh； I forgot that you are no believer in the advantages of missions to the people whom we call heathen。 But I have not been able to bring myself to agree with you there。 They have souls to be saved。〃
〃That is quite likely；〃 said he。 〃But the methods of the missionaries； generally speaking； have not tended in that direction。 Hence the missionary as a comestible is more highly esteemed by the natives than the missionary as a reformer。 They rarely understand the natives themselves； and they nearly always fail to make themselves intelligible to the natives。 It would appear that the two foolish persons who wrote that letter about Mr。 Courtland made but a poor attempt at understanding even their own countrymen； if they fancied that any rumor of a massacre of cannibalsnay； any proof of such a massacrewould have an appreciable effect upon the popularity of the man who brought home the meteor…bird。〃
〃You don't think that the public generally would believe the story？〃 said Phyllis。
〃I think it extremely unlikely that they would believe it；〃 he replied。 〃But even if they believed every word of it they would not cease to believe in Mr。 Courtland's bravery。 What is a hecatomb of cannibals compared to the discovery of the meteor…bird；that is； in the eyes of the general public； or for that matter； the Nonconformist public who turn up their eyes at the suggestion of a massacre of natives of an island that is almost as unknown to them as Ireland itself？ The people of this country of ours respect bravery more than any other virtue； and I'm not altogether sure that they are generally astray in this matter。 The Christian faith is founded upon bravery； and the same faith has inspired countless acts of brave men and women。 Oh； no！ Mr。 Courtland will not suffer from the attacks of these foolish persons。〃
〃I saw him thisa short time ago；〃 said Phyllis； 〃and he told me that his publishers were delighted at the result of the agitation which that newspaper tried to get up against him： they said it was selling his book。〃
〃I saw you talking with Mr。 Courtland after the first production of 'Cagliostro。' I envied youand him；〃 said Mr。 Holland。 〃I wonder if he was really placed in the unfortunate position of having to massacre a horde of cannibals。〃
Phyllis laughed； and forthwith told him the truth as it had been communicated to her regarding the dynamite outrage upon the unsuspecting natives； and George Holland was greatly amused at the storymuch more highly amused； it would have occurred to some persons； than a clergyman should be at such a recital。 But then George Holland was not as other clergymen。 He was quite devoid of the affectations of his cloth。 He did not consider it necessary to put the tips of his fingers together and show more of the white portion of the pupil of his eye than a straight…forward gaze entailed； when people talked of the overflowing of a river in China and the consequent drowning of a quarter of a million of menthat is to say； Chinamen。 He was no more affected by such tidings than the Emperor of China。 He was infinitely more affected when he read of the cold…blooded massacre by David； sometime King of Israel； in order to purchase for himself a woman for whom he had conceived a liking。 He knew that the majority of clergymen considered it to be their duty to preach funeral service over the drowned Chinamen； and to impress upon their hearers that David was a man after God's own heart。 He also knew that the majority of clergymen preached annual sermons in aid of the missionaries who did some yachting in the South Seas； and had brought into existence the sin of nakedness among the natives； in order that they might be the more easily swindled by those Christians who sold them shoddy for calico； to purge them of their sin。 George Holland could not see his way to follow the example of his brethren in this respect。 He did not think that the Day of Judgment would witness the inauguration of any great scheme of eternal punishment for the heathen in his blindness who had been naked all his life without knowing it。 He knew that the heathen in his blindness had curiosity enough at his command to inquire of the missionaries if the white beachcomber and his bottle of square…face represented the product of centuries of Christianity； and if they did not； why the missionaries did not evangelize the beachcomber and his bottle off the face of the earth。
Phyllis； being well aware of George Holland's views； was not shocked at the sound of his laughter at the true story of Mr。 Courtland's dynamite outrage at New Guinea； but all the same； she was glad that she was not going to marry him。
He had not； however； been altogether uninteresting in her eyes while sitting beside her； and that was something to record in his favor。
She drove home early； and running upstairs found herself face to face with Ella Linton。
CHAPTER XX。
I HAVE HEARD THE PASSIONATE GALLOP OF THOSE FIERY…FOOTED STEEDS。
Ella was standing waiting for her outside the open door of a drawing room。 She was wearing a lovely evening dress with a corsage of white lace covered with diamonds and sapphires。 Her hairit was of the darkest brown and was very plentifulwas also glittering with gems under the light that flowed through the open door。 The same light showed Phyllis how deathly white Ella's face and neck werehow tumultuously her bosom was heaving。 She had one hand pressed to her side； and the other on the handle of the door when Phyllis met her； and in that attitude； even though the expanse of white flesh； with its gracious curves that forced out her bodice； had no roseate tint upon it； she looked lovelyintoxicating to the eyes of men。
Phyllis was certainly surprised。 The hour was scarcely eleven； but Ella had given no notice of her intention to pay a visit to her friend that night。 When the girl raised her hands with a laugh of admiration； of pleasure； Ella grasped her hands with both of her own and drew her into the drawing room without a word。 Then with a cry；a laugh and a cry mingled；she literally flung herself into the girl's arm