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！
e of myself。 I will let you know later on。〃
Then the conductor tapped his desk； and those of the audience who had left their places returned。 Stephen Linton slipped into his chair； his wife took up her lorgnette as the first jingle of the tambourines was heard； and the curtain rose upon the picturesque tawdriness of the company assembled at the /Senor Lois Pastia's/ place of entertainment。
Ella gave all her attention to the operato that tragedy of the weakness of the flesh； albeit the spirit may be willing to listen to good。 Alas！ that the flesh should be so full of color and charm and seduction； while the spirit is pale； colorless； and set to music in a minor key！
/Carmen/ flashed about the stage under the brilliant lights； looking like a lovely purple butterflya lovely purple oriole endowed with the double glory of plumage and song； and men whose hearts beat in unison with the heart…beats of that sensuous music through which she expressed herself； loved her； watched her with ravished eyes； heard her with ravished earsyes； as men love such women； until the senses recover from the intoxication of her eyes and her limbs and her voice。 And in the third act the sweet /Michaela/ came on with her song of the delight of purity； and peace； and home。 She sang it charmingly； everyone allowed； and hoped that /Carmen/ would sing as well in the last act as she had sung in the others。
Ella Linton kept her eyes fixed upon the stage to the very end of all。
CHAPTER XXVIII。
THE CHURCH IS NOT NEUROTIC。
When George Holland received his two letters and read them he laid them side by side and asked himself what each of them meant。
Well； he could make a pretty good guess as to what the bishop's meant。 The bishop meant business。 But what did Mr。 Linton want with him？ Mr。 Linton was a business man； perhaps he meant business too。 Business men occasionally mean business； they more frequently only pretend to do so； in order to put off their guard the men they are trying to get the better of。
He would have an interview with the bishop； so much was certain； and that interview was bound to be a difficult onefor the bishop。 It was with some degree of pride that he anticipated the conflict。 He would withdraw nothing that he had written。 Let all the forces of the earth be leagued against him； he would abate not a jotnot a jot。 （By the forces of the earth he meant the Bench of Bishops； which was scarcely doing justice to the bishopsor to the forces of the earth。）
Yes； they might deprive him of his living； but that would make no difference to him。 Not a jotnot a jot！ They might persecute him to the death。 He would be faithful unto death to the truths he had endeavored to spread abroad。 He felt that they were truths。
But that other letter； which also asked for an interview at his earliest convenience the next day； was rather more puzzling to George Holland。 He had never had any but the most casual acquaintance with Mr。 Lintonsuch an acquaintance as one has with one's host at a house where one has occasionally dined。 He had dined at Mr。 Linton's house more than once； but then he had been seated in such proximity to Mrs。 Linton as necessitated his remoteness from Mr。 Linton。 Therefore he had never had a chance of becoming intimate with that gentleman。 Why； then； should that gentleman desire an early interview with him？
It was certainly curious that within a few minutes of his having referred to Mrs。 Linton； in the presence of Phyllis Ayrton； in a way that had had a very unhappy result so far as he was concerned； he should receive a letter from Mrs。 Linton's husband asking for an early interview。
He seated himself in his study chair and began to think what the writer of that letter might have to say to him。
He had not to ask himself if it was possible that Mr。 Linton might have a word or two to say to him； respecting the word or two which he； George Holland； had just said about Mrs。 Linton； for George knew very well that； though during the previous week or two he had heard some persons speaking lightly of Mrs。 Linton； coupling her name with the name of Herbert Courtland； yet he had never had occasion to couple their names together except during the previous half hour； so that it could not be Mr。 Linton's intention to take him to task； so to speak； for his indiscretionhis slander； Phyllis might be disposed to term it。
Upon that point he was entirely satisfied。 But he was not certain that Mr。 Linton did not want to consult him on some matter having more or less direct bearing upon the coupling together of the names of Mrs。 Linton and Mr。 Courtland。 People even in town are fond of consulting clergymen upon curious personal mattersmatters upon which a lawyer or a doctor should rather be consulted。 He himself had never encouraged such confidences。 What did he keep curates for？ His curates had saved him many a long hour of talk with inconsequent men and illogical women who had come to him with their stories。 What were to him the stories of men whose wives were giving them trouble？ What were to him the stories of wives who had difficulties with their housemaids or who could not keep their boys from reading pirate literature？ His curates managed the domestic department of his church for him。 They could give any earnest inquirer at a moment's notice the addresses of several civil…spoken women （elderly） who went out as mother's helps by the day。 They were very useful young men and professed to like this work。 He would not do them the injustice to believe that they spoke the truth in that particular way。
He could not fancy for what purpose Mr。 Linton wished to see him。 But he made up his mind that； if Mr。 Linton was anxious that his wife should be remonstrated with； he； George Holland； would decline to accept the duty of remonstrating with her。 He was wise enough to know that he did not know very much about womankind； but he knew too much to suppose that there is any more thankless employment than remonstrating with an extremely pretty woman on any subject； but particularly on the subject of a very distinguished man to whom she considers herself bound by ties of the truest friendship。
But then there came upon him with the force of a great shock the recollection of what Phyllis had said to him on this very point：
〃/If Ella Linton were wicked； you should be held responsible for it in the sight of God/。〃
Those were her words； and those words cut asunder the last strand of whatever tie there had been between him and Phyllis。
His duty as a clergyman intrusted with the care of the souls of the people； he had neglected that； she declared with startling vehemence。 He had been actuated by vanity in publishing his bookhis article in the /Zeit Geist Review/she had said so； but there she had been wrong。 He felt that she had done him a great injustice in that particular statement； and he tried to make his sense of this injustice take the place of the uneasy feeling of which he was conscious； when he thought over her other words。 He knew that he was not actuated by vanity in adopting the bold course that was represented by his writings。 He honestly believed that his efforts were calculated to work a great reform in the Church。 If not in the Church； outside it。
But his duty in regard to the souls of the people Oh！ it was the merest sophistry to assume that such responsibility on the part of a clergyman is susceptible of being particularized。 It should； he felt； be touched upon； if at all； in a very general way。 Did that young woman expect that he should preach a sermon to suit the special case of every individual soul intrusted （according to her absurd theory） to his keeping？
The idea was preposterous； it could not be seriously considered for a moment。 She had allowed herself to be carried away by her affection for her friend to make accusations against him； in which even she herself would not persist in her quieter moments。
He found it quite easy to prove that Phyllis had been in the wrong and that he was in the right； but this fact did not prevent an intermittent recurrence during the evening of that feeling of uneasiness； as those words of the girl； 〃/If Ella Linton were wicked； you would be held responsible for it in the sight of God/；〃 buzzed in his ears。
〃Would she have me become an ordinary clergyman of the Church of England？〃 he cried indignantly； as he switched on the light in his bedroom shortly before midnightfor the rushlight in the cell of the modern man of God is supplied at a strength of so many volts。 〃Would she have me become the model country parson； preaching to the squire and other yokels on Sunday； and chatting about their souls to wheezy Granfer this； and Gammer that？〃 He had read the works of Mr。 Thomas Hardy。 〃Does she suppose that I was made for such a life as that？ Poor Phyllis！ When will she awake from this dream of hers？〃
Did he fancy that he loved her still？ or was the pain that he felt； when he reflected that he had lost her； the result of his wounded vanitythe result of his feeling that people would say he had not had sufficient skill； with all his cleverness； to retain the love of the girl who had promised to be his wife？
Before going to bed he had written replies to the two letters。 The bi