第7章

CHAPTERXXIX。

IKNOWTHATITDOESN"TMATTERMUCHTOGODWHATAMANTHINKSABOUT

HIMSELFORHISSOUL。

ForthenexthourandahalftheRev。GeorgeHollandhadanopportunityofconsideringhispositionasaclergymanoftheChurchofEngland，andasonewhosechiefdesirewastoadvancetheinterestsoftheChurch。Hisbishophadassumedthathehadbeensingle-mindedinhisaims——thathissoleobjectinwritingthatbookandthatpaperhadbeentocurethecomplaintfromwhichtheoldChurchwassuffering。HislordshiphaddonehimjusticewherePhyllishaddonehimagrossinjustice。WhatwouldPhyllishavesaidhewondered，ifshehadheardthatconcession，madenotunderpressure，butvoluntarilybyprobablythehighestauthorityintheworld，tohis，GeorgeHolland"s，singlenessofaim?

Butitwassolikeagirltojumpatconclusions——toassumethathehadbeenactuatedbyvanityinallthathehadjustdone；thathewasdesirousonlyofgettingpeopletotalkabouthim——beingregardlesswhethertheyspokewellofhimorill。Heonlywishedthatshecouldhaveheardthebishop。Hefeltasamanfeelswhosecharacterhasjustbeenclearedinacourtoflawfromanaspersionthathasrestedonitforsometime。HewonderedifthattrulynoblemanwhomhewasprivilegedtocallhisFatherinGod，wouldhaveanyobjectiontogivehimatestimonialtotheeffectthatinhisopinion，——theopinionofhisFatherinGod，——therewasnofoundationfortheaccusationagainsthimandhissinglenessofaim。

Butthebishopknewthatitwasnotvanitywhichhadurgedhimtowritewhathehadwritten。Thebishopunderstoodmen。

Hewasright；thebishopunderstoodmensowellastobeabletoproduceinafewwordsuponthemanwhohadjustvisitedthepalace，theimpressionthathebelievedthatthatmanhadbeenimpelledbyastrongsenseofdutywithoutatouchofvanity。Heunderstoodmansowellastocausethatsamevisitorofhistomakearesolutionneveragaintopublishanythinginthesamestrainasthe/ZeitGeist/

article，withoutfirstconsultingwiththebishop。GeorgeHollandhadpulledthebellatthepalacegateswiththehandofaLuther；buthehadleftthepresenceofthebishopwiththestepofaFrancisofAssisi。Hefeltthatanyonewhowouldvoluntarilygivepaintosogentleamanasthebishopcouldonlybeabrute。Heevenfeltthatthebishophadshownhimselftobehis，GeorgeHolland"ssuperiorinjudgmentandinthemethodswhichheemployed。Thebishopwasnotanoverratedman。

Forafullhourinthesilenceandsolitudeofthereadingroomofhisclubhereflectedupontheexcellenceofthebishop，anditwaswithasignofregretthatherosetokeephisotherappointment。Hewouldhavelikedtocontinueforanotherhourortwodoingjusticetothatgoodmanoutofwhosepresencehehadcome。

Mr。Linton"sofficewasnotquiteintheCity。TwentyminutesdrivebroughtGeorgeHollandintotheprivateroomofEllaLinton"shusband。

“Itisverygoodofyoutocometome，Mr。Holland，“saidStephen。

“Thereseemstobeageneralideathataclergymanshouldbeatthebeckandcallofeveryonewhohasawhimto——whatdotheycallitinIreland——tomakehissoul?Thathasneverbeenmyopinion；IhavenevergivenanytroubletoaclergymansinceIwasatschool。”

“Itistheprivilegeofaministertobeaservant，“saidtheRev。

GeorgeHolland。

“Weweretaughtthatatschool——inconnectionwiththeLatinverb/ministro/，“saidMr。Linton。“Well，Mr。Holland，Iamgladthatyoutakesuchaviewofyourcalling，forIamanxiousthatyoushoulddomeagreatservice。”

Hepaused。

GeorgeHollandbenthishead。HewonderedifMr。Lintonwishedtointrusthimwiththedutyofobservinghiswife。

“Thefactis，Mr。Holland，“resumedStephenLinton，“Ihavereadyourbookandyourpaperinthatreview。Thewayyoudealwithadifficultquestionhasfilledmewithadmiration。Youwill，Ineedscarcelysay，beoutsidetheChurchbeforelong。”

“Icannotallowyoutoassumethat，Mr。Linton，“saidGeorgegravely。

“IshouldbesorrytoleavetheChurch。IcannotseethatmyleavingitisthelogicalsequenceofanythingthatIhaveyetwritten。Myaimis，asdoubtlessyouhaveperceived，tobringaboutsuchreasonableand，afterall，notradicalchangesintheChurchsystemasshallmakeherinthefutureamorepotentagencyforgoodthanshehaseveryetbeen，splendidthoughherservicestohumanityhavebeen。”

“StillyouwillfindyourselfoutsidethewallsofyourChurch，Mr。

Holland。AndyouwillprobablyadoptthecoursewhichothersonsoftheChurchhavethoughtnecessarytopursuewhenthestubbornoldthingrefusedtobereformed。”

“IfyousuggestthatIshallbecomeaDissenter，Mr。Linton——“

“Isuggestnothingofthesort，thoughyoudissentalreadyfromagoodmanyofthefundamentalpracticesoftheChurch，ifImaybepermittedtheexpression。Now，Ishouldliketomakeaprovisionforyourfuture，Mr。Holland。”

“Mydearsir，suchapropositionseemstometobeamostextraordinaryone。Ihopeyouwillnotthinkmerudeinsayingsomuch。Ihavenotsuggested，Mr。Linton，asotherclergymenmight，thatyoumeananaffronttome，butIdon"tthinkthatanythingwouldbegainedbyprolonging——“

“Permitmetocontinue，andperhapsyoumaygetaglimmerofgain。Mr。

Holland，Iamwhatpeopleusuallytermadoomedman。SofarasIcangatherIhaveonlyaboutsixmonthslongertolive。”

“MercifulHeaven！“

“PerhapsitismercifulonthepartofHeaventodestroyamanwhenhehasreachedtheageofforty。We"llnotgointothatquestionjustnow。IwaswarnedbyadoctortwoyearsagothatIhadnotlongtolive。Itappearsthatmyheartwasneverreallyaheart——thatistosay，itmayhavehaditsaffections，itsemotions，itspassions，butpneumaticallyitisafailure；itwasneverablood-pump。SixmonthsagoIwasexaminedbythegreatestauthorityinEurope，andhepronouncedmydoom。ThreedaysagoIwenttotheleadingspecialistinLondon，andhetoldmeImightwithcarelivesixmonthslonger。”

“MydearMr。Linton，withwhatwordscanIexpresstoyoumydeepfeelingforyou?“

GeorgeHollandspokeafteraprolongedpause，duringwhichhestaredatthewhite-facedmanbeforehim。Asmilewasuponthatwhiteface。

Georgewasdeeplyaffected。Heseemedtohavesteppedoutofaworldofvisions——aworldthathadavisionaryChurch，visionarypreachers，visionarydoctrines——allunsubstantialaswords，whicharebutbreath——intoaworldofrealities——suchrealitiesaslifeanddeathand——

Ah，therewerenootherrealitiesinexistencebutthetwo:lifeanddeath。

AndMr。Lintoncontinuedsmiling。

“YoumaygatherthatIwrotetoyouinorderthatyoumayhelpmetomakemysoul。Whatacapitalphrase！Ididn"tdothat，Mr。Holland。I

haveneverbeensanguineaboutmanandhissoul。Iknowthatitdoesn"tmattermuchtoGodwhatamanthinksabouthimselforhissoul。Itreallydoesn"tmattermuchwhetherhebelievesornotthathehasasoul:GodisthePrincipleofRight——theFountainofJustice，andI"mwillingtotrustmyselftoGod。”

“Thatistruereligion，Mr。Linton，“saidtheclergyman。

“ButIagreewiththosepeoplewhothinkthattheworldcannotgetonwithoutaChurch。Now，IamsanguineenoughtobelievethataChurchfoundedonyourideasofwhatisorthodoxwouldbethemeansofdoingagreatdealofgood。Itwoulddoagreatdealofgoodtomywife，tostartwith。Shedoesnotknowthatsheissosoontobeawidow。Wereshetoknow，thelastmonthsofmylifewouldbemiserabletobothofus。Ihavenoticedwithsomepain，orshouldIsayamusement?perhapsthatwordwouldbethebetter——Ihavenoticed，Isay，thatherlifeisoneofcompleteaimlessness，andthat，therefore，sheistemptedtothinktoomuchaboutherself。Sheisalsotemptedtohavelongingsfor——well，fortemptation。Ah，sheisawomanandtemptationisinthewayofwomen。/Quiparled"amour，faitl"amour/:temptationcomestothewomanwhothinksaboutbeingtempted。Now，IwanttogivehersomethingtothinkaboutthatshallleadheroutofthethoughtsoftemptationwhichIsupposecomenaturallytoadaughterofEve——thefirstwomanwhothoughtabouttemptationandwasthereforetempted。Mywifeisaperfectlygoodwoman，andyouwillbesurprisedtofindoutwhenIamdeadhowfondofmeshewas——shewillbethemostsurprisedofall。Butsheisawoman。IfshewerenotsomuchofawomanIdon"tsupposeIshouldeverhavecaredsomuchforherasIdo。Icaredsomuchforher，Mr。Holland，thatIremainedawayfromherinParisforthreemonthssothatImightschoolmyselftomyfate，makingnosignthatwouldleadhertosuspectthetruth。Whyshouldshehavesixmonths"additionalmisery?Ihavestrayed。TheChurch。Iwanttogivemywifeanaiminlife；tomakeherfeelthatsheisdoingsomethingworthy——tokeepherfromthinkingoflessworthythings。Now，IthinkyouwillagreewithmethatthereisnothingwomenarereallysofondofasaChurchofsomesort。Tobedevoutisasmuchapartofawoman"sdispositionastolove——thepassionofdevoutnesssometimestakestheplaceofthepassionofloveinhernature。Now，IwanttogiveherthisideaofaChurchtoworkoutwhenIamdead。Iwantyoutocarryoutasjointtrusteewithheryourtheoriesinregardtotheritual，theart，thesermon；andforthispurposeIshouldofcourseprovideanampleendowment——saythreeorfourthousandayear；

anythingyoumaysuggest:Ishallleaveagreatdealofmoneybehindme。”

“Yourprojectstartlesme，Mr。Linton，“saidGeorgeHolland。“Itstartlesmeasgreatlyasthefirstrevelationyoumadetomedid。

Theymaybemistaken——thedoctors；Ihaveknowncaseswherethehighestauthoritieswereludicrouslyinerror。Letushopethat。”

“Well，wemayhope；ImaylivelongenoughtolaythefoundationstoneoftheChurchmyself。ButIammostanxiousthatyoushouldgivethewholematteryourearnestattention。”

“Iamquitedazed。DoyousuggestthatIshouldleavetheChurchofEngland?“

“Bynomeans。ThatisaquestionwhichIleaveentirelytoyourowndecision。Myownideaisthatyouwouldlikeafreehand。YouwillhavetoleavetheChurchsoonerorlater。Amanwithyouradvancedideascannotregulateyourpacetothatofanoldwoman。IntwentyyearstheChurchwillthinkpreciselyasyouthinkto-day。ThatisthewaywiththeChurch。Itopposeseverythinginthewayofaninnovation。Youstatedthecaseveryfairlyinyourpaper。TheChurchopposeseverydiscoveryandeverynewthingaslongaspossible。Itthenonlyacceptsgrudginglywhatallcivilizationhasacceptedcordially。Oh，yes，you"llfinditimpossibletoremainintheChurch，Mr。Holland。"Crabbedageandyouth，"youknow。”

“IshouldpartfromtheChurchwiththegreatestreluctance，Mr。

Linton。”

“Thendon"tpartfromit，onlydon"tplaceyourselfinitspower。

Don"tbebeholdentoitforyourincome。Don"tgototheheadsoftheChurchfororders。Beyourownmasterandinplainwords，runtheconcernonyourownlines。Thewidowofthefounderwillhavenopowertointerferewithyouinthematterofsucharrangements。”

“Ishallhavetogivethematteragooddealofthought。Ishouldnaturallyhavetoreformagooddealoftheritual。”

“Naturally。Theexistingritualisonlyacompromise。Andasforthehymnswhicharesung，whyisitnecessaryforthemtobedoggerelbeforetheyaredevotional?“

“Thehymnsareforthemostpartdoggerel。Weshouldhaveafirst-ratechoirandanthems——notnecessarilytakenfromtheBible。WhyshouldnotShaksperebesunginchurches——Shakspere"sdivinepoetryinsteadofthenonsense-rhymesthatpeoplecallhymns?ShakspereandMilton；

ShelleyIwouldnotdebar；Wordsworth"ssonnets。Buttheschemewillrequireagreatdealofthought。”

“Agreatdeal；thatiswhyIleaveitinyourhands。Youareathinkingman——youarenotafraidoftradition。”

“Tradition——tradition！therutsmadeintheroadbythevehiclesthathavepassedoveritinyearsgoneby！“

“TheroadtotheChurchissadlyinneedofmacadamizing，Mr。Holland——or，betterstill，asphalting。Makeabicycleroadofit，andyouareallright。Now，comewithmetomyclubandhavelunch。We"lltalknomorejustnowaboutthismatter。”

Theywentouttogether。

CHAPTERXXX。

THEREISNOONEILIKEBETTERTHANPHYLLIS。

PhyllisAyrtonhadspentaconsiderabletimeponderingoverthatproblemofhowbesttosaveamanandawomanfromdestruction——

social，perhaps；eternal，forcertain。Shefeltthatithadbeenlaiduponhertosavethemboth，andsherememberedthecaseofoneJonah，aprophet，who，inendeavoringtoescapefromthedisagreeabledutywithwhichhehadbeenintrusted，hadhadanexperiencethatwaspracticallyunique，evenamongprophets。Shewouldnottrytoevadeherresponsibilityinthismatter。

AfewdaysafterHerbertCourtlandhadwitnessedbythesideofEllatherepresentationof“Carmen，“hehadmetPhyllisatanAtHome。Hehadseenherinthedistancethroughavistaofcrowdedrooms，andhadcrushedhiswaytoherside。Hecouldscarcelyfailtoseethelittlelightthatcametoherfaceassheputoutherhandtohim，norcouldhercompanionofthemoment——hewasoneofthecomingmeninscience，consequentlylikemostcomingmen，hehadbeenforcedintoaprominentplaceinthedrawingroom——failtoperceivethathisfarewellmomentwiththatprettyMissAyrtonhadcome。ShepracticallyturnedherbackuponhimwhenHerbertCourtlandcameup。

Forsomemomentstheychattedtogether，andthenitoccurredtohimthatshemightlikesomeicedcoffee。Hissurmiseprovedcorrect，andastherewasatthatmomentastreamofpeopleendeavoringtoavoidtheentertainmentofthehigh-classpianoforteplayerwhichwasthreatenedinaneighboringapartment，Phyllisandhercompanionhadnotroubleinslippingasidefromthepanic-strickenpeopleintothetearoom。

Itwasasultryday，andtheFrenchwindowsoftheroomwereopen。ItwasPhylliswhodiscoveredthattherewasanarrowveranda，withiron-

workcoveredwithcreepers，runninghalfwayroundthehousefromwindowtowindow；andwhenhesuggestedtoherthattheymightdrinktheircoffeeonthisveranda，shehailedthesuggestionasaveryhappyone。Howdiditcomethatnoneoftherestofthepeoplehadthoughtofthat?shewondered。

Inanotherinstanttheywerestandingtogetheratthespacebetweenthewindowsoutside，thelong-leavedcreepersminglingwiththedecorationsofherhat，andmakingaveryeffectivebackgroundforhiswell-shapedhead。

Forthenexthalf-hourpeoplewereintermittentlycomingtooneofthewindows，puttingtheirheadsoutandthenturningaway，thegirlswithgentlelittlepursingsofthemouthandotherformsthatthesneerfeminineassumes；themenwithwinksandanoccasionalchuckle，suggestiveofanexchangeofconfidencetoodeepforwords。

Onewomanhadpokedherheadout——itwasgrayattherootsandgoldenatthetips——andaskedhercompanioninavoicethathadalargecircumferencewherewasMrs。Linton。

Now，HerbertCourtlandhadnotlivedsolongfarfromthebusyhauntsofmen(white)astobeutterlyignorantofthefactthatnoyoungwomanbutonewhoisdisposedtobequitefriendlywithaman，wouldadoptsuchasuggestionashehadmadetoher，andspendhalfanhourdrinkinghalfacupoficedcoffeebyhissideinthatparticularplace。Theparticularplacemighthaveaccommodatedsixpersons；butheknew，andheknewthatsheknewalso，thatitwasoneoftheunwrittenlawsofgoodsocietythatsuchparticularplacesareovercrowdedifoccupiedbythreepersons。Itwasonthisaccounttheoldmenandmaidensandtheyoungmenandmatrons——thatishowtheypairthemselvesnowadays——hadavoidedtheverandasocarefully，refusingtocontributetoitscongestionasaplaceofresort。

HerbertCourtlandcouldnotbutfeelthatPhyllisintendedtobefriendlywithhim——evenattheriskofbeingwithinaudibledistanceofthestrongmanwhowasfightingaduel/aoutrance/withagrandpiano；andashedesiredtobeonfriendlytermswithagirlinwhomhewasgreatlyinterested，hewasverymuchpleasedtofindhershowingnodispositiontoreturntothetearoom，oranyotherroom，untilquitehalfanhourhadgonebyverypleasantly。Andthenshedidsowithastart:thestartofagirlwhosuddenlyremembersaduty——

andregretsit。

Thathadpleasedhimgreatly；hefeltittoberatheratriumphforhimthatbyhissideshehadnotonlyforgottenherdutybutwasgladshehadforgottenit。

“Oh，yes！“shesaid，inanswertohisquestion，“Ihavetwootherplacestogoto。I"msosorry。”

“Sorrythatyourememberedthem?“hehadsuggested。

Sheshookherheadsmiling。

“Whatwouldhappenif——Ihadcontinuedforgettingthem?“sheasked。

“ThatisthemostinterestingquestionIhaveheardinsometime。Whynottrytocontinueforgettingthem?“

“I"mtoogreatacoward，“shereplied，puttingoutherhandtohim，fornowhervictoriahaddrawnupandthefootmanwasstandingreadytoopenthedoor。

“Good-by，“saidhe。

“Oh，no！only/aurevoir/，“shemurmured。

“Withallmyheart——/aurevoir/atTheMooring，“saidhe。

That/aurevoir/hadreferencetothecircumstancethattheyweretobefellow-guestsatMrs。Linton"shouseatHurley-on-Thames，knownasTheMooring。Phyllishadtoldhimthatshewasabouttopaythatvisit，andwhenhesaid:

“Why，Iamgoingaswell，“shehadraisedhereyestohisface，anunmistakablelookofpleasureonherown，asshecried:

“Iamsoglad！Whendoyougo?“

“OnThursday。”

“IgoonTuesday——twodayssooner。”

Thetoneinwhichshespokemadehimfeelthatshehadsaid:

“WhatonearthshallIdoduringthosedrearytwodays?“orelsehehadbecomesingularlyconceited。

Butevenifshehadactuallysaidthosewordstheywouldnothavemadehimfeelundulyvain。Hereflecteduponthefactwhichhehadmorethanoncepreviouslynoticed——namely，thatthegirl，thoughwiseasbecameadaughterofaMemberofParliamenttobe(consideringthatshehadtoprevent，ordoherbesttoprevent，herfatherfrommakingafoolofhimself)，wasinmanyrespectsasinnocentandasnaturalasagirlshouldbe。Shehadonlyspokennaturallywhenshehadsaidthatshewasgladhewastobeoftheriversideparty——whenshehadimpliedbyhertonethatshewassorrythattwowholedayswereboundtopassbeforeheshouldarrive。

Whatwasthereinallthatshehadsaid，tomakesuchamanashevain——inallthatshehadimplied?Ifshehadbeensixyearsoldinsteadoftwenty-three，shewouldprobablyhavetoldhimthatshelovedhim。

Theinnocenceofthechildwouldhavemadeheroutspoken；butwouldhisvanityhavebeenfosteredbytheconfession?Itwasthecharmingnaturalnessofthegirlthathadcausedhertospeakoutwhatitwasbutnaturalsheshouldfeel。Sheandhehadlikedeachotherfromthefirst，anditwasquitenaturalthatsheshouldbegladtoseehimatHurley。

Thatwaswhathethoughtashestrolledtohisroomspreparatorytodressingforsomefunctionofthenight。Heflatteredhimselfthathewasabletolookatanysituationstraightintheface，sotospeak。

Heflatteredhimselfthathewasnotamantobeledawaybyvanity。

Hewas，asarule，onverygoodtermswithhimself，buthewasratherinclinedtoundervaluethanoverestimatethedistinctionwhichheenjoyedamonghisfellow-men。AndtheresultofhisdueconsiderationofhislastmeetingwithPhylliswastomakehimfeelthathehadnevermetagirlwhowasquitesonice；buthealsofeltthat，ifheweretoassumefromthegladnesswhichshehadmanifestednotmerelyatbeingwithhimthatday，butattheprospectofmeetinghimuptheriver，thathehadmadeanimpressionuponherheart，hewouldbeassumingtoomuch。

Butallthesame，hecouldnothelpwishingthatEllahadaskedhimtogotoTheMooringonTuesdayratherthanThursday；andhefeltwhenTuesdayarrivedthatthehotanddustytownwithitsceaselessrollofgloomyfestivitiescontainednothingforhimthathewouldnotwillinglypartwithalinexchangeforanhourortwobesidethestillwatersoftheThamesintheneighborhoodofHurley。

StephenLintonhadboughtTheMooringwhenhiswifehadtakenafancytoitthepreviousyear，whenshehadhadanattackofthatriverfeverwhichsoonerorlatertakesholduponLondoners，makingthemreadytosellalltheirpossessionsandencamponthebanksoftheThames。Ithadbeenagreatdelighttohertofurnishthatlovelyoldhouseaccordingtohertaste，makingeachroomapictureofconsistencyindecorationandfurniture，andithadbeenagreatdelighttohertowatchthegardenbeinglaidoutafterthemostperfecteighteenth-centurypattern，withitsgreenterracesandclippedhedges。Shehadgonesofarastoliveinthehouseforcloseuponawholefortnightthepreviousautumn。Sincethattimethecaretakerhadfounditatrifletoocoldinthewinterandtoohotinthesummer，hehadcomplainedtoMrs。Linton。Butsheknewthatthereisnopleasingcaretakers；shehadnotbeenputoutoffavorwiththeplace；shehopedtospendatleastaweekunderitsroofbeforetheendoftheseason，andperhapsanotherweekbeforestartingforScotlandintheautumn。

Shesuddenlycametotheconclusiononedaythatherhusbandwasnotlookingwell——aconclusionwhichwascertainlywellfounded。Shedeclaredthatafewdaysuptheriverwaspreciselywhatwouldrestorehimtorobusthealth。(Buthereitistobefearedherjudgmentwasinerror。)HehadbeenthinkingtoomuchaboutthenewdevelopmentofthemineandthepropertysurroundingitatTaragondaCreek。Whatdidhisreceivingacoupleofhundredthousandpoundsmatterifhishealthwerejeopardized，sheinquiredofhimoneday，wearingtheanxiousfaceoftheGoodWife。

Hehadsmiledthatcurioussmileofhis，——itwasbecomingmorecuriouseveryday，——andhadsaid:

“What，indeed！“

“Uptheriverweshallgo，andI"llgetPhyllistocomewithustoamuseyou——youknowthatyoulikePhyllis，“hiswifecried。

“ThereisnooneIlikebetterthanPhyllis，“hehadsaid。

Andsothematterhadbeensettled。

Butduringthedayortwothatfollowedthissettlement，Ellacameuponseveralofherfriendswhoshefoundwerelookingatriflefaggedthroughthepressureoftheseason，andshepromptlyinvitedthemtoTheMooring，sothatshehadapartyofcloseuponadozenpersonscomingtoherhouse——someforaday，someforaslongasthreedays，commencingwiththeTuesdaywhensheandPhylliswentofftogether。

Mr。Lintonhadpromisedtojointhepartytowardtheendoftheweek。

AndthatwashowitcameaboutthatHerbertCourtlandfoundhimselfdailyadmiringtheclevernessofPhyllisAyrtonwhenshehadthepuntpoleinherhands。Healsoadmiredthegradualtintingofherfairface，throughthebecomingexertionoftakingthepuntupthelovelybackwaterorontotheplacidreachesbeyond。SometimesthepuntcontainedthreeorfourofthepartyinadditiontoHerbert，buttwicehewasalonewithher，andsharedhisadmirationofherwithnoone。

CHAPTERXXXI。

YOUMAYTRUSTMR。COURTLAND。

Mrs。Lintonwasgreatlyamused——shecertainlywassurprised。Thesurpriseswerenatural，buttheamusementwasnotquitelogical。Itwas，however，quitenaturalthatherguests——twoofthemexcepted——

shouldbeamusedwhentheyobservedhersurprise。

Couldanythingbefunnier，oneoftheseguestsaskedanotherinawhisper，thanMrs。Linton"schagrinonfindingthatherownparticularSirLancelothaddiscoveredanElaineforhimself?

Ofcoursetheguestwhowassoquestionedagreedthatnothingcouldpossiblybefunnier；andtheybothlaughedinunison。Ifpeoplecannotderiveinnocentfunfromwatchingthedisappointmentoftheirhostess，inwhatdirectionmaytheelementsofmirthbefound?

ItwasagreedthatMrs。LintonhadinvitedHerbertCourtlanduptheriverforherownspecialentertainment——thatshehadexpectedhimtopuntheruptheriverhighwaysandthebackwaterby-ways，whilePhyllisAyrtonandtherestofherguestslookedafterthemselves，orlookedafterMrs。Linton"shusband；butitappearedthatHerbertCourtlandhadnotbeenconsultedonthissubject，theresultbeingthatMrs。Linton"sarrangementshadbeenthrownintoconfusion。

TheconsensusofopinionamongtheguestswastotheeffectthatMrs。

Linton"sarrangementshadbeenthrownverymuchawryindeed。Butthentheguestswereamused，andasitisgettingmoreandmoredifficulteveryyeartoamuseone"sguests，especiallythoseformingahouse-

partyataseasonwhennothinglendsitselftolaughter，Mrs。Lintonwouldhavehadeveryreasontocongratulateherselfuponthesuccessofherparty，hadshebeenmadeawareoftheinnocentmirthwhichprevailedforsomedaysamongherguests。

Shewouldpossiblyhavebeengreatlydivertedalsoattheovershrewdnessofherguests，whowere，ofcourse，quiteignorantoftheconversationregardingPhyllisAyrtonwhichhadimmediatelyprecededherinvitationtoHerberttospendafewdaysontheriver。

ButthoughEllahadundoubtedlygivenHerberttounderstandthatshewasanxioustohavehimatTheMooringwhilePhylliswasthere，inorderthathemighthaveanopportunityofseeingmoreofher，andtoobtainhisagreementthathertheorythatthemanwhotrulylovesawomanshouldbereadytomarrythatwoman"sdearestfriend，stillitmustbeconfessedthatshewassurprisedtoobservethecourseadoptedbybothPhyllisandHerbert。Shehadexpectedthatallhertactanddiplomacywouldberequiredinordertobringtheyoungpeople——withallthearroganceofthewifeoftwenty-sixyearsofageshealludedtoagirloftwenty-threeandamanofthirty-twoastheyoungpeople——together。

Shehadhadvisionsofsittinginthesternofanout-riggerbuiltfortwo，remonstratingwithHerbert——hewouldofcoursebeattheoars——

forchoosingtopaddleheruptheriverwhileheallowedsomeoftheothermentocarryoffPhyllisin，say，theCanadiancanoe。ApicturehadcomebeforeheroftheaggrievedexpressionuponthefaceofHerbertwhenshewouldinsistonhisgoingoutbythesideofPhyllistofeedthepeacocksontheterracesinthetwilight；andshehadmorethanonceseemedtohearhissighofresignationasshe，withafirmnesswhichshewouldtakepainstodevelop，pleadedaheadachesothatheandPhyllismightplayagameofbilliardstogether。

Shesoonfoundoutthatherimaginationhadnotbeenprophetic。

Immediatelyafterdrinkingtea——itwasafewminutespastsix——ontheeveningofthearrivalofHerbert，shewentoutofdoorstofindhimandgivehimalectureontheneedtherewasforhimtorefrainfromwaitingaboutthegardenfarfromtheotherguestsuntilshe，Ella，couldgoontheriverwithhimforaquietdriftbeforedinner；theotherguestswouldcertainlythinkhimworsethanrude，shewasreadytoexplain。Theexplanationwasnotneeded；shelearnedthatMr。

CourtlandhadjusttakenMissAyrtonoutinoneofthepunts。

Ofcourseshewaspleased——afteranhourbythesideofherhusbandtoperceivethatHerberthadlostnotimeinmakinganefforttoprovetoherhowamplyherecognizedherobjectinaskinghimtoTheMooring。

Butatthesametime，ifpleased，shewasalsosurprised。Atanyrate，shewouldtakegoodcarethathedidnotlapseinhisattentionstoPhyllis；assheknewloversarebuttooapttolapse，especiallywhentheybeginwell。Shewould，forinstance，sendhimfromhersideinthegardenafterdinner，towalkwithPhyllisuptothewoodswhereanightingalewassaidtobeinthehabitofsingingwhenthelovelysummertwilighthadwanedintothelovelysummernight。Withthenightingale"ssongintheirears，twoordinaryyoungpersonswithnopreconceivedtheoriesonthesubjectoflove，havebeenknown，shewaswellaware，tobecomeloversofthemostaggressivetype。Yes，shehadgreathopesofthenightingale。

So，apparently，hadHerbertCourtland。

Afterdinnertherewassmokinginthegarden，somefeedingofthepeacocksontheterraces，whiletheblackbirdsutteredprotestsagainstsuchanabsorptionbyforeignimmigrantsofthebreadthatwasbakedfornativeconsumption。Thentherewassometalkofthenightingale。Onemansuggestedthatitwasanightingaleattachedtoamusicboxwhichtheenterpriseofalocalinnhadhiredforthesummermonths，sendingamantowinditupeverynightfortheattractionofvisitors。ThenitwasthatMr。Courtlandsaidheknewaspotwhereanightingalehadbeeninthehabitofsinginglongago，whenhisexplorationsoftheThamesRiverhadprecededthoseoftheFlyRiver。

Hefoundthreepersonswhoexpressedtheirwillingnesstoaccepthisguidanceonthespot，ifitwerenottoofaraway。OneofthesewasPhyllis，theothertwowerenotoriouslovers。Offtheystartedwithouthatsorcaps。

ThisEllaheardwhenshereturnedtothegarden，whenceshehadbeencalledawayfortenminutestointerviewamanwhohadanelectriclaunchforsale。

Thenews，communicatedtoherbyherhusbandinanswertoherinquiry，hadsurprisedher。Thatwaswhyshehadgivenalittlelaughwithatoneofderisioninitwhenshehadsaid:

“Anightingale！Howlovely！Ihopetheymayfindit。Itshouldn"tprovesoarduousasthequestofthemeteor-bird。Idohopethatthosechildrenwillnotcatchcold。Itisatrifleimprudent。”

“Imprudent?“

“Goingoffthatwaywithnothingontheirheads。”

“Orinthem。Happychildren！“criedamoralizingnovelist，whowassmokinganextremelygoodcigar——ithadnotcomefromhisowntobacconist。

“Wecan"tallbenovel-writers，“saidoneofthewomen。

“ThanktheLord！“saidoneofthemen，withgenuinepiety。

Inthree-quartersofanhourthemembersofthequestpartyreturned。

Theyhadbeenfullyrewardedfortheirtrouble；theyhadbeenlisteningtothenightingalefornearlytwentyminutes，theysaid；ithadbeenverylovely，theyagreed，withoutasingledissentientvoice。

Itprobablywas；atanyratetheywereverysilentfortherestofthenight。

“Youhavebegunwell，“saidEllatoHerbert，whentheyfoundthemselvestogetherinthedrawingroom，lateron，shortlybeforemidnight。Someonewasplayingonthepiano，sothatthegeneralconversationandyawningwerenotinterferedwith。“Youhavebegunwell。Youwillsoongettoknowherifyourothersdayshereareliketo-day。Thatnightingale！Oh，yes，youwillsoongettoknowher。”

Heshookhishead。

“Idoubtit，“saidhe，inalowtone。HiseyeswereturnedinthedirectionofPhyllis。Shewasonaseatatanopenwindow，thetwilightofmoonlightandlamplightglimmeringaboutherhair。“I

doubtit。IttakesamansuchasIamalongtimetoknowsuchagirlasPhyllisAyrton。”

ThatwasasayingwhichhadacertainamountofirritationforElla。

Hehadneversaidanythinginthepastabouther，Ella，beingbeyondtheknowledgeofordinarymen。

“That"saverygoodbeginning，“saidshe，withalittlelaughthatmeantmuch。“Butdon"tdespair。Afterall，girlsareprettymuchalike。Iwasagirlonce——itseemsalongtimeago。IthoughtthenthatIknewagreatdealaboutmen。Alas！allthatIhavelearnedsinceissimplythattheyknowagreatdealaboutme。AmIdifferentfromotherwomen，Iwonder?AmImoreshallow——moretransparent?WasI

everanenigmatoyou，Bertie?“

“Youwerealwaysawoman，“hesaid。“Thatiswhy——“

“Thatiswhy——“

“ThatiswhyIamhereto-night。IfyouwerenotatruewomanIshouldbefaraway。”

“Youarefaraway——fromme，Bertie。”

“No，no！Iamonlybeginningtoappreciateyou——tounderstandyou。”

“IamtobeunderstoodthroughthemediumofPhyllisAyrton?Isn"tthatlikelookingathappinessthroughanother"seyes?“

Hedidnotappeartocatchhermeaningatonce。HelookedatherandthenhiseyeswentacrosstheroomtoPhyllis。Atthesameinstanttheperformanceonthepianoceased。Everyonesaid“Thanks，awfullygood，“

andthereweresomeaudibleyawns。

Therewasabrandyandsodayearninginthemen"seyes。

“We"llgetofftobed；someonemaybegintoplaysomethingelse，“

whisperedthehostesstooneofherladyguests。

Themenlookedasiftheyhadheardthesuggestionandheartilyapprovedofit。

ThenexteveningEllawasfortunateenoughtogetbesideHerbertonceagain——shehadscarcelyhadanopportunityofexchangingawordwithhimallday。HehadbeenwithPhyllisaloneintheCanadiancanoe。Itonlyheldtwocomfortably，otherwise——Butnoonehadvolunteeredtoputitscapacitytothetest。Ellahadgoneinoneofthepuntswithfourorfiveofherguests；butthepuntneverovertookthecanoe。ItwasthoseoftheguestswhohadbeeninthepuntthatafterwardsaiditwasveryfunnytoobservethechagrinofQueenGuineverewhenshefoundthatherSirLancelothaddiscoveredanElaine。

“Youhavehadadelightfulday，I"msure，“saidElla。Shehadfoundhimatthebottomofthegardenjustbeforedinner。Itwasnotforherhewasloiteringthere。

“Delightful?Perhaps。Ishallknowmoreaboutittenyearshence，“hereplied。

“Youarealmostgruffaswellasunintelligible，“saidshe。

“Ibegyourpardon，“hecried。“Prayforgiveme，Ella。”

“I"llforgiveyourgruffnessifyoumakeyourselfintelligible，“saidshe。“Youfrightenme。Tenyearshence?Whathashappenedto-day?“

“Oh，nothingwhateverhashappened！andasfortenyearshence——well，intenyearshenceIshallbelookingbacktothisdayeitherasoneofthehappiestofmylife，orasFrancescalookedbackuponher/tempofelice/。”

“Oh，nowthatyougetintoaforeignlanguageyouarequiteintelligible。Youhavenotspoken?“

“Spoken?I?Toher——toher?Ihavenotspoken。Idon"tbelievethatI

shalleverhavethecouragetospeaktoherinthesenseyoumean。”

Ellasmiledasshesettledaroseonthebodiceofhereveningdress——

itsredpetalswerereposinginthatlittleinterspacethatdimpledthesoftshell-pinkofherbosom。Themanbeforeherhadoncekissedher。

Shesmiled，assheknewthathewaswatchingher。Shewonderedifhehadforgottenthatkiss。

“Whyshouldyoulosecourageatthisjuncture?“sheasked。“Shehasn"t，uptothepresent，shownanyverymarkedantipathytoyou，sofarasIcansee。Sheiscertainlynotwantingincourage，ifyouare。”

“Ella，“hecried，butinalowvoice，“Ella，whenIlookather，whenIthinkofher，Ifeelinclinedtothrowmybagintoatrapandgetbacktotown——getbacktoNewGuineawithaslittledelayaspossible。”

“Youwouldrunaway?“saidshe，stillsmiling。Shehadbeguntoworkwiththeroseinherbosomoncemore。“Youwouldrunaway?Well，youranawayoncebefore，youknow。”

Shecouldnotaltogetherkeepthesneeroutofhervoice；shecouldnotquitedepriveherwordsoftheirsting。Theysoundedtoherownearslikethehissofalashintheair。Shewasamazedattheamountofbitternessinhervoice——amazedandashamed。

Hestoodbeforeher，silentlylookingather。Therewasnoreproachinhiseyes。

“Oh，Bertie，Bertie，forgiveme！“shesaid，layingherhandonhisarm。“Forgiveme；Idon"tknowwhatIamsaying。”

Therewassomepiteousnessinhervoiceandeyes。Shewasappealingtohimforpity，buthedidnotknowit。Everymanthinksthattheworldwasmadeforhimselfalone，andhegoestrampingaboutit，quitecarelessastowhereheplantshisheavyfeet。Whenoccasionallyhegetsathorninoneofhisfeet，hefeelsquiteaggrieved。Heneverstopstothinkofallthethingshisfootcrushesquitecasually。

HerbertCourtlandhadnocapacityforknowinghowthewomanbeforehimwassuffering。Heshouldhaveknown，fromthewordshehadjustheardherspeak。Heshouldhaveknownthattheyhadbeenwrungfromher。Hedidnotknow，however；hewasnotthinkingofher。

“Bertie，“shesaidagain，“Bertie，youarenotangry?IdidnotknowwhatIwassaying。”

“Youareawoman，“hesaidgently，anditwasjustbyreasonofthisgentlenessthatthereseemedtobeareproachinhisvoice。Hereproachedherforbeingawoman。

“Iamawoman——justasotherwomen，justasotherwomen。”Hervoicesoundedlikeamoan。“Ithoughtmyselfdifferent，stronger——perhapsworsethanotherwomen。Iwaswrong。Oh，Bertie！cannotyouseethatshelovesyouasIlovedyoulongago——oh，solongago?Andsomeonehassaidthatthereisnopasttenseinlove！No，no！shedoesnotloveyouasIlovedyou——guiltily；no，herloveisthelovethatpurifies，thatexalts。Shelovesyou，andshewaitsforyoutotellherthatyouloveher。Youloveher，Bertie?“

Therewasalongpausebeforehesaid:

“DoI?“

“Doyounot?“

“Godknows。”

AnditwasatthispointthatPhylliscameup。Wastherenoexpressionofsuspiciononherfaceasshelookedatthemstandingtogether?

Iftherewas，theyfailedtonoticeit。

“Icameouttogetarose，“shesaid。“Howquicklyyoudressed，Ella！

Ah，youhavegotyourrose——abeauty！Yourgardenerisgenerous；heactuallyallowsyoutopluckyourownroses。”

“Mr。Courtlandwillchooseoneforyou，“saidElla。“YoumaytrustMr。

Courtland。”

“Tochoosemearose?Well，onthatrecommendation，Mr。Courtland，I

thinkImaysafelyplacemyselfinyourhands。Iwillacceptaroseofyourchoosing。”

Andshedid。

CHAPTERXXXII。

LETTHEMBOTHGOTOGETHERTOPERDITION。

Therecouldbenodoubtwhateverthat，afterall，hehadnotproposedtoher。

ThatwaswhatHerbertCourtland"sfellow-guestssaidwhentheylearnedthathehadleftforLondonbyanearlytrainonMondaymorning。

Andthewayshehadthrownherselfathishead，too！

Ofcourseshepretendednottofeelhisdepartureanymorethantherestoftheparty；andequallyasamatterofcourse，Mrs。LintonprotestedthatMr。Courtlandhaddisappointedher。

Andperhapshehad，too，someoftheguestswhisperedtooneanother。

Mr。Lintonshruggedhisshouldersandremarkedthatbusinesswasbusiness。

Everyoneagreedwiththegeneralaccuracyofthisassertion，butitwasnotonethatrequiredmuchboldnesstomake，andwhatithadtodowithMr。Courtland"shurrieddeparturenooneseemedquiteabletoperceive。

ThegeneralideathathadprevailedatTheMooringonthesubjectofMr。Courtlandwasthathewouldremainatthehouseafteralltheotherguests——MissAyrtononlyexcepted——hadleft。

DuringMondayseveralweretoreturntotown，andtheremainderonTuesday，includingMissAyrton。SherequiredtodosotobeintimeforagrandfunctionatwhichRoyaltywastobepresentonthatnight。

Mrs。LintonherselfmeanttoreturnonWednesdayafternoon。

ItwaslateonSundaynightwhenHerberthadgonetoElla"ssideandtoldherthathefounditnecessarytoleavefortownearlyinthemorninginsteadofwaitinguntilTuesdayevening。

“GoodHeavens！“shecried；“whatisthemeaningofthis?Whatwillpeoplesay?Youdonotmeantotellmethatshe——she——Oh，no；thatwouldbeimpossible！“

“Nothingisimpossible，“saidhe。“Nothing——notevenmyrunningaway。”

“Youhavetoldher——“

“Ihavetoldhernothing。IamnotsurethatIhaveanythingtotellher。Iamgoingawaytomakesure。”

“Oh！verywell。ButImustsaythatIthinkyouarewrong——quitewrong。ThereisthatMr。Holland；heiscomingintogreaterprominencethaneversincethatarticleofhisappearedinthe/ZeitGeist/。

StephensayshewillcertainlyhavetoleavetheChurch。”

“WhathasMr。Hollandgottosayto——“

“Morethanmeetstheeye。Youmustrememberthatthreemonthsagoshewasengagedtomarryhim。Now，thoughIdon"tmeantosaythatsheevertrulylovedhim，yetthereisnosmokewithoutfire；itisveryoftenthattwopersonswhohavebecomeengagedtobemarriedloveeachother。Now，ifPhylliseverhadatenderfeelingforMr。Holland，andonlythrewhimoverbecausehistheoriesarenotthoseofPhilistia，inthemidstofwhichshehadalwayslived，thatfeelingiscertaintobecometendererifheisabouttobemadeamartyrof。WouldyouliketoseeherthrownawayuponGeorgeHolland?“

Herbertlookedatthewomanwhocouldthuspleadthecause——ifthatwasnottoostrongaphrase——ofthegirlwhomhehadcometolove。Hefeltthathewasonlybeginningtoknowsomethingaboutwomanandhernature。

“Imustgo，“hesaid。“Imustgo。Iamnotsureofmyself。”

“Youhadbestmakesureofher，andthenyouwillbecomesureofyourself，“saidElla。

“Thatwouldbetodoheraninjustice。No。IfeelthatImustgo，“hecried。

Andgohedid。

ThoseoftheguestswhoremainedduringMondaydidtheirbesttofindouthowPhylliswasdisposedtoregardhisdeparture；andtherewasaconsensusofopinionamongthemthatsheseemedgreatlymortified，thoughshemadeasplendidfight，tryingtoappearutterlyindifferent。

Therewas，however，noignoringthecircumstancethatEllawaselatedathisdeparture；someofherguestsevenwentsofarastosuggestthatshehadacceleratedhisdeparture，givinghimtounderstandthat，howeverayoungwomanmightthrowherselfathishead，——anddidn"tPhyllisjustthrowherselfathishead?——hehadnorighttogiveherallhisattention；ahostesshasarighttoclaimsomeofhissparemoments。

ItwasnotuntilTuesday，whenMr。LintonhadleftforLondon，andPhylliswasalonewithEllaforanhourbeforelunch，thatthelatterendeavoredtofindoutwhatshethoughtofHerbertCourtland。

“HasStephenbeenspeakingtoyouaboutGeorgeHolland?“sheinquired。

ShethoughtthatthebestwaytoleadPhyllistotalkaboutHerbertwouldbebybeginningtotalkaboutGeorgeHolland。

“Oh，yes！“saidPhyllis。“HeappearstobegreatlyinterestedinMr。

Holland。HethinksthathemustleavetheChurch。”

“Thatwouldbeverysad，“remarkedElla。“Itwouldseemverylikepersecution，woulditnot?“

“Icannotseethattherewouldbeanyinjusticeinthematter，“saidPhyllis。“Ifamanchoosestowritesuchthingsashehaswritten，hemusttaketheconsequences。I，formypart，intendkeepingawayfromthechurchaslongasMr。Hollandremainsinthepulpit。”

ShedidnotthinkitnecessarytorefertotheremarksmadebyMr。

Hollandupontheoccasionofhislastvisittoher，thoughthesewordsmightnotbewithoutinteresttoElla。

“Butitseemshard，doesn"tit，todepriveamanofhisprofessionsimplybecauseheholdscertainviewsonwhatis，afterall，anabstractsubject——thepatriarchs，ortheprophetsandthingsofthatsort?“saidElla。

“LadyEarlscourtsaidthatheshouldbeforgiven，becausehereallydidn"tholdtheviewswhichhehadpreached，“laughedPhyllis。“Shealsosaidthatheshouldnotberegardedasanatheist，becausehebelievednotonlyinoneGod，butintwo。”

“IwonderhowmanyHerbertCourtlandbelievesin，“saidElla。“Youtoldmehetalkedtoyouonthattopicthefirstnightyoumet。WasitaboutGodyouandhehavebeentalkinglately?“

“I"mafraiditwasnot。”

“Oh！youfoundamoreinterestingtopic，andoneofmoreimportancetotwopeopleinthebloomofyouth?“

“Ella！“

“Oh，mydear，Idon"tmeananythingdreadful。Only，youknowaswellasIdothatahealthymanandahealthywomanwillnevertalk，whentheyarealonetogether，aboutGod，whentheycantalkabouteachother。IthinkHerbertCourtlandisaboutthehealthiestmanIknow，andI"msurethatyouarethehealthiestgirl。Youandhearemostsympatheticcompanions。Youarenotatallstupidlycoy，mysweetmaiden。”

“IlikeMr。Courtland，andwhyshouldIbecoy?“

“Why，indeed?Iwonderwhatthepeoplewhohavejustleftuswillsayaboutit?“

“Aboutit?Aboutwhat！“

“Youcoyness——orabsenceofcoyness。Willtheysaythatyouthrewyourselfathishead?“

(Asamatteroffact，asisalreadyknown，thatisjustwhatthemajorityoftheguestsdidsayabouther。)

Phyllisreddenedandseemed——foramomentortwo——almostangry。Thenshemadealittlegesture，expressiveofindifference，asshecried:

“Afterall，whatdoesitmatterwhattheysaid?Idon"tcareaboutthem。ItisforyouIcare，Ella——you，onlyyou。”

“Heavens！howseriouslyyousaythat！“criedElla。“There"snocauseforseriousness，Ihope，evenifyoudocareagreatdealforme，whichIknowyoudo。Ifyousaidsomuchtoaman，——say，HerbertCourtland，——itwouldbequiteanothermatter。Therewouldbesufficientcauseforseriousnessthen。Butyoudidn"tsaysomuchtohim。Heranawaybeforeyoucouldsayit。”

“Oh，Ella！pleasedon"ttalkinthatway。Itisnotlikeyourselftotalkinthatway。”

“Howdoyouknowwhatislikemyselfandwhatisnot?Youhaveonlyseenonesideofme，andIdon"tthinkthatyouhaveunderstoodevenwhatyouhaveseen。GreatHeavens！howcouldIexpectthatyoushould。

NotuntilwithinafewmonthsagohadImyselfanyideathatmynaturewasmadeupofmorethanoneelement。Doyoufancynowthatyouwillalwaysbeinthefutureasyouhavebeeninthepast?Thesameplacid，sweetEnglishgirl，withseriousthoughtsattimesaboutyourownsoulandotherpeople"ssouls?amaidenlivingwithherfeetonlytouchingthecommonclayofthisearth?Waituntilyourhourcomes——yourhouroflove；yourhouroffate；yourhourofself-abandonment，andpraytoyourGodthatyoumaycomethroughitaswellasIcamethroughmine。”

“Ella，dearestElla！“

“Youknownothingofthathour——thatterriblehour！Waituntilitcomestoyoubeforeyouthinkawordofevilagainstanywomanthatlivesintheworld。Waituntilyourhourofjealousycomes——waituntilyoufindthatyourhairisturninggray。Themosttragicalmomentinawoman"slifeiswhenshefindsthatthegrayhairswillnotbekeptback。ThatisthetimewhenshethinksofHeavenmostseriously。I

havenotyetfoundasinglegrayhairinmyhead，butIhavesufferedallelse；andIhavebeenanastonishmenttomyself——asIhavebeentoyoumorethanoncebeforenow，andasIcertainlyamtoyouatthepresentmoment。”

Shehadspokenatfirstwithquiveringlips，herfingersinterlaced，hereyesflashing。ShehadsprungfromherseatandhadbeguntopacetheroomjustasshehadpacedPhyllis"drawingroomonthatnightwhenshehadmissedtheperformanceof“RomeoandJuliet，“butsheendedwithalaugh，whichwasmeanttomakeamockoftheseriousnessofherimpassionedwords，butwhichonlyhadtheeffectofemphasizingherpassionintheearsofthegirl。

Whileshewasstilllyingback，laughing，inthechairintowhichshehadthrownherselfoncemore，Phylliswenttoherandkneltatherfeet，takingherhandsjustasHerberthadtakenherhandsintheeveningwhenhehadkneltatherfeetinherownhouseafterthelittledinneratMr。Ayrton"s。

“Ella，Ella，“shewhispered，“Ialsoamawoman。Oh，mydearest！I

thinkthatIcanunderstandsomethingofyourheart。Iknowalittle。

Oh，Ella，Ella！Iwoulddoanythingintheworldtohelpyou——anything——anything！“

“Wouldyou?“criedthewoman。“Wouldyoudoanything?WouldyougiveupHerbertCourtlandinordertohelpme?“

ShehadgraspedPhyllisbythewristsandhadbentherownheadforwarduntilherfacewaswithinaninchofPhyllis"。Theirbreathsmingled。Theirfacesweretooclosetoadmitofeitherofthemseeingtheexpressionthatwasintheeyesoftheother。

“DearestElla，youwillnotbreakmyheart！“saidthegirlpiteously。

“Willyougivehimupforyourloveofme?“thewomancriedagain，andPhyllisfeltherhandstightenuponherwrists。

“Iwillforgetthatyouhavesaidsuchwords，“saidthegirl。

Thewomanflungawayherhandsafterretainingthemforafewmomentsinsilence，andthenthrowingherselfbackinherchair，laughedloudandlong。

Phyllisrosetoherfeet。

“Youpoordear！“criedElla。“Itwasashame——ashametoplaysuchajestuponyou！ButIfeltinatragicmood，andthelinebetweencomedyandtragedyisaveryfineone。Forgivemylittlefreak，dear；

andletusbehumanbeingsoncemore，livinginaworldthatcannotbetakensoseriously。Don"tgobytheeveningtrain，Phyllis；stayallnightwithme。Ihavesomuchtosaytoyou。Iwanttotalktoyou。

Howcanyouleavemehereallalone?“

PhylliscouldhavetoldherthathowshecouldleaveherallalonewasbecauseHerbertCourtlandhadleftforLondononthepreviousday。Shedidnotmakeanexplanationtoheronthisbasis，however；shemerelysaidthatitwouldinterferewithherplanstoremainlongeratTheMoorings。Shehadtoattendthatgreatfunctionwithherfatherthatnight。

Ellacalledherveryunkind，butshowednodesiretoreverttothetopicuponwhichtheyhadbeenconversing，whenshehadthoughtfittoaskherthatjocularquestionwhichPhyllishadsaidshewouldforget。

ButPhyllisdidnotkeepherword。OnthecontraryshethoughtofnothingelsebutthatquestionallthetimeshewasintherailwaycarriagegoingtoPaddington。

ItwasaterriblequestioninPhyllis"eyesforawomanwithahusbandtoputtohergirl-friend。

MorethanonceduringtheweekPhyllishadbeenledtoaskherselfifshewasquitecertainthatherterriblesurmiseregardingtheinfluencewhichdominatedElla"srecentactionswastrue。Nowandagainshefeltanimpulsetofalluponherkneesandpray，asshehadoncebeforeprayed，thatthesinofthathorriblesuspicionmightbeforgivenher。Howcoulditbepossible，shethought，thatEllashouldforgetallthatatruewomanshouldeverremember！

Butnow——now，asshesatinthetrainonherwaybacktoLondon，therewasnoroomleftinhermindfordoubtonthismatter。ThetragicearnestnesswithwhichEllahadaskedherthatquestion，tighteningherfingersuponherwrists?“/WillyougiveupHerbertCourtlandinordertohelpme?/“——thepassionatewhisper，thequiveringlips——alltoldherwithoverwhelmingforcethatwhatshehadsurmisedwasthetruth。

ShefeltthatEllahadconfessedtoherthatherinfatuation——Phylliscalleditinfatuation——hadnotpassedaway，thoughshehadbeenstrongenoughuponthatnight，whenherhusbandhadsosuddenlyreturned，toflyfromitsconsequences。No，herinfatuationhadnotdied。

ButHerbertCourtland——whatofhim?Hehadalsohadstrength——once。

Wouldhehavestrengthagain?Hehadtoldher，whiletheyweretogetherinoneoftheboatsdriftingdowntheplacidriver，thathebelievedintheinfluencewhichawomancouldexerciseuponaman"slifebeingcapableofchanginghisnaturesocompletelyasifamiraclehadbeenformeduponhim。Shehadnothadthecouragetoaskhimifhehadanyparticularinstanceinhismindthatimpressedthisbeliefuponhim。

Hadhebeenledtocastthatinfatuation——ifhehadeverbeensubjectedtoit——behindhim，byreasonofherinfluenceoverhimsinceshehadrepeatedtohimthepatheticwordsofMrs。Haddon，andhehadgonestraightaboardtheyachtonthatstrangecruise?

Shecouldscarcelydoubtthathewasreadytoacknowledgehowgreathadbeenherinfluenceuponhislife。Hehadshownherincountlesswaysthatshehadaccomplishedallthatshehadsoughttoachieve。Shehadhadnoneedtothrowherselfathishead——thephrasewhichEllasuggestedherfellow-guestswouldprobablyemployinreferringtotherelativepositionsofPhyllisandHerbert。No，shehadeverfoundhimbyherside，anditdidnotneedhertoexercisemuchclevernesstokeephimthere。

Butthen，whyhadhesosuddenlyhurriedawayfromthatpleasantlifebesidethestillwaters?

ThiswasthequestionwhichwasonhermindasthetrainranintothestationatPaddington。Shegotoutofthecarriage，andwhilehermaidwenttolookaftertheluggage，sheglanceddowntheplatformforthefootman。Hecameuptoherinamomentandtookherdressing-bagandjewel-case。

“Thebroughamishere，Isuppose?“shesaid，asshewalkeddowntheplatform。

Itwasattheentrancetothestation，hetoldher。

Shepausedforamoment，andglancedbacktoseeiftherehadbeenmuchluggageinthetrainwhichshehadleft——ifhermaidwouldbelikelytobekeptwaitingforlong。Atthatinstantaporter，withaportmanteauonhisshoulderandaGladstonebaginhishand，hurryingupbythesideofthetrainwhichwasreadytodepartfromthenextplatform，shoutedtoagroupofEtonboyswhowereblockingtheway:

“Byyourleave，gents！“

Shestartedandtookasteptooneside，andthatinstantwassufficienttomakeherawareofthefactthattheportmanteaucarriedbytheportertothetrainwhichwasabouttoleaveforMaidenheadwasHerbertCourtland"s。Therewasnomistakingit。Itboreononeendhisinitialsandhisprivatesign。

Shetookafewstepsnearerthetrainbywhichshehadcome，andfollowedtheporterwithhereyes。

Heputtheportmanteauintotheluggagevan，andthenreturnedwiththeGladstonebagtothesideofacompartment。Shesawhimplaceitinthenetwork，andtouchhiscapashereceivedhis/douceur/fromthepassengerwhosatatthedoorwithaneveningpaperinhishand。

ShesawthatthatpassengerwasHerbertCourtland。

Shetoldthefootmanwhostoodbesidehertotakeherbagandcasetothebroughamandthenreturntohelphermaidwiththerestoftheluggage。Hefollowedherdowntheplatform。

Inashorttimeshewasbeingdrivenhome，hermaidfollowingwiththeluggageinanothervehicle。

Shedidnotbegintochangehertravelingdressimmediatelyonretiringtoherroom。Shedidnoteventakeoffherhat。Shestoodatthewindowlookingoutoverasceneverydifferentfromthatwhichhadbeenbeforehereyeseverydayduringthepreviousweek。Afteraquarterofanhour"slistlessnessatthewindow，shespentanotherquarterofanhoursittingmotionlessinachair。Thensheroseandlookedatherselfinamirrorthatshowedherherselffromheadtofoot。Sheexaminedherfeetwithcuriousdeliberation，andthenlookedwithacriticalsideglanceatthereflectionofherface。(Shecouldnotfailtohavenoticedthatitwasunusuallypale。)Sheremovedherhat，surveyedherselfoncemore，then，turningawaywithanexclamationofimpatience，shecrumpledupherhatwithbothherhandsandflungit，justasawickedchildwouldhaveflungit，acrosstheroom。

“Letthembothgotogethertoperdition——toperdition——toperdition！“

shesaidwithabitternessthathadneverpreviouslybeeninhervoice。“Letthemgotogether。Ihavedonemybestforthem——forher——

forher。Igivethemupnowforevermore。”

Afteraminuteortwoofstatuesquepassionshewentacrosstheroomandpickedupherbruisedhat。Shelookedatit，turningitroundinherhands。Thenshedroppeditsuddenly，andflungherselfuponthesofa，cryingoutinawhirlwindoftears:

“Oh，Ella，Ella，Iwouldhavesavedyou——Imeanttosaveyou，indeed！

Iwouldhavedoneeverythingtosaveyou——everything！“

CHAPTERXXXIII。

IWONDERIFIEVERLOVEDYOUUNTILTHISMOMENT。

ItwasarathertediouseveningforEllaLintonafterPhyllishadtakenherdeparture。Whyonearth，sheaskedherself，hadshebeensuchafoolastolayoutherplanstohavethislonelyevening?ThensherememberedthattwoofherguestshadmeanttostayuntilWednesdaymorning，buthadreceivedaletternecessitatingtheirdeparturefortownonMondaynight。Butthisfactshouldnothavecondemnedhertoasolitaryevening，Ellareflected。Sheshouldhavebeenthoughtfulenoughtochangeherownplanstocorrespondwiththechangeintheplansofherguests。Anice，quiet，contemplativeeveningbesidethestillwatersmaysuittherequirementsofsometemperaments，butitwasnotjustwhatEllaregardedasmostsatisfyingtohermoodofthehour。Itwasalongtimesinceshehadspentalonelyevening，andalthoughshehadnowrathermorefoodforcontemplationthanatanyotherperiodofherlife，shedidnotfeelcontemplative。

Thenitsuddenlyoccurredtohertoaskherselfwhy，afterall，shouldshebecondemnedtoacontemplativeevening?Whatwastheretohinderhertakingatraintotownaftershehaddined?Onceintownsheknewthatallprospectofcontemplationwouldbeatanend。

SherangherbellandtoldhermaidthatshehadchangedhermindinregardtostayinganothernightatTheMooring；shewouldleaveafterdinner；wasn"tthereatrainaboutninefromMaidenhead?

Itwaswhenshewasabouttogodowntodinnerthatsheheardthesoundofwheelsuponthegravelwalk。Wasitpossiblethathernewlymadeplansmightalsobederanged?WasthisafreshvisitorarrivingbyaflyfromMaidenhead——shesawthatthevehiclewasafly。

TherewasnooneintheroomtohearthecryofdelightthatshegavewhenshesawHerbertattheporchofthehouse，thedriverhavingdepositedhisportmanteauandGladstonebagathisfeet。

Hehadreturnedtoher——he，whomshefanciedtobefaraway；hewhohadforsakenher，asshethought，asshefeared，asshe(attimes)

hoped，forever。Hehadreturnedtoher。Therewasnoonenowtostandbetweenthem。Hewasallherown。

Sheflungoffthedresswhichshewaswearing，——itwasherplainesteveninggown，——andhadactuallygotonanother，alovelyonethatshehadneveryetworn，beforehermaidarrivedatherdressingroom。

“Louise，“shesaid，“sendamessagedownstairstoshowMr。Courtlandtohisroom，andmentionthathewilldinewithme。Comebackatonce。

Ihavegotsofarinmydressingwithoutyou；Ican"tgomuchfurther，however。”