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！
Will you have tea or iced coffee？〃
〃Tea； if you please；〃 said George Holland； also quite pleasantly。 〃Has Mr。 Courtland been on another voyage of discovery？ What has he left himself to discover in the world of waters？〃
〃I think that what he discovered on his latest voyage was the effect of a banjo on the human mind；〃 laughed Phyllis。 〃He was aboard Lord Earlscourt's yacht； the /Water Nymph/。 Some other men were there also。 One of them had an idea that he could play upon the banjo。 He was wrong； Mr。 Courtland thinks。〃
〃A good many people are subject to curious notions of the same type。 They usually take an optimistic view of the susceptibilities of enjoyment of their neighborsnot that there is any connection between enjoyment and a banjo。〃
〃Mr。 Courtland said just now that when Dr。 Johnson gave it as his opinion that music was； of all noises； the least disagreeable； the banjo had not been invented。〃
〃That assumes that there is some connection between music and the banjo； and that's going just a little too far； don't you think？〃
〃I should like to hear Dr。 Johnson's criticism of Paderewski。〃
〃His criticism of Signor Piozzi is extant： a fine piece of eighteenth century directness。〃
〃I sometimes long for an hour or two of the eighteenth century。 You remember Fanny Burney's reference to the gentleman who thought it preposterous that Reynolds should have increased his price for a portrait to thirty guineas； though he admitted that Reynolds was a good enough sort of man for a painter。 I think I should like to have an hour with that man。〃
〃I long for more than that。 I should like to have seen David Garrick's reproduction； for the benefit of his schoolfellows； of Dr。 Johnson's love passages with his very mature wife。 I should also like to have heard the complete story of old Grouse in the gun room。〃
〃Told by Squire Hardcastle； of course？〃
〃Of course。 I question if there was anything very much better aboard the /Water Nymph/。 By the way； Lady Earlscourt invited me to join the yachting party。 She did not mention it to her husband； however。 She thought that there should be a chaplain aboard。 Now； considering that Lord Earlscourt had told me the previous day that he was compelled to take to the sea solely on account of the way people were worrying him about me； I think that I did the right thing when I told her that I should be compelled to stay at home until the appearance of a certain paper of mine in the /Zeit Geist Review/。〃
〃I'm sure that you did the right thing when you stayed at home。〃
〃And in writing the paper in the /Zeit Geist/？ You have read it？〃
〃Oh； yes！ I have read it。〃
〃You don't like it？〃
〃How could I like it？ You have known me now for sometime。 How could you fancy that I should like itthat is； if you thought of me at all in connection with it？ I don't myself see why you should think of me at all。〃
He rose and stood before her。 She had risen to take his empty cup from him。
〃Don't you know that I think of you always； Phyllis？〃 he said； in that low tone of his which flowed around the hearts of his hearers； and made their hearts as one with his heart。 〃Don't you know that I think of you alwaysthat all my hopes are centered in you？〃
〃I am so sorry if that is the case； Mr。 Holland；〃 said she。 〃I don't want to give you pain； but I must tell you again what I told you long ago： you have passed completely out of my life。 If you had not done so before； the publication of that article in the /Zeit Geist/ would force me to tell you that you had done so now。 To me my religion has always been a living thing； my Bible has been my guide。 You trampled upon the one some months ago； you have trampled on the other now。 You shocked me； Mr。 Holland。〃
〃I have always loved you； Phyllis。 I think I love you better than I ever did； if that were possible；〃 said he。 〃I am overwhelmed with grief at the thought of the barrier which your fancy has built up between us。〃
〃Fancy？〃
〃Your fancy； dear child。 I feel that the barrier which you fancy is now between us is unworthy of you。〃
〃What？ Do you mean to say that you think that my detestationmymy horror of your sneers at the Bible； which I believe to be the Word of Godof the contempt you have heaped upon the Church which I believe to be God's agent on earth for the salvation of men's soulsdo you think that my detestation of these is a mere girlish fancy？〃
〃I don't think that； Phyllis。 What I think is； that if you had ever loved me you would be ready to stand by my side nowto be guided by me in a matter which I have made the study of my life。〃
〃In such matters as thesethe value or the worthlessness of the Bible； the value or the worthlessness of the ChurchI require no guide； Mr。 Holland。 I do not need to go to a priest to ask if it is wrong to steal； to covet another's goods； to honor my father Oh； I cannot discuss what is so very obvious。 The Bible I regard as precious； you think that you are in a position to edit it as if it were an ordinary book。 The Church I regard as the Temple of God upon the earth； you think that it exists only to be sneered at？ and yet you talk of fanciful barriers between us！〃
〃I consider it the greatest privilege of a man on earth to be a minister of the Church of Christ。〃
〃Why； then； do you take every opportunity of pointing to it as the greatest enemy to Christianity？〃
〃The Church of to…day represents some results of the great Reformation。 That Reformation was due to the intelligence of those men who perceived that it had become the enemy to freedom； the enemy to the development of thought； the enemy to the aspirations of a great nation。 The nation rejoiced in the freedom of thought of which the great charter was the Reformation。 But during the hundreds of years that have elapsed since that Reformation； some enormous changes have been brought about in the daily life of the people of this great nation。 The people are being educated； and the Church must sooner or later face the fact that as education spreads church…going decreases。 Why is that； I ask you？〃
〃Because men are growing more wicked every day。〃
〃But they are not。 Crime is steadily decreasing as education is spreading； and yet people will not go to church。 They will go to lectures； to bands of music； to political demonstrations； but they will not go to church。 The reason they will not go is because they know that they will hear within the church the arguments of men whose minds are stunted by a narrow theological course against every discovery of science or result of investigation。 You know how the best minds in the Church ridiculed the discoveries of geology； of biology； ending； of course； by reluctantly accepting the teachings of the men whom they reviled。〃
〃You said all that in your paper； Mr。 Holland； and yet I tell you that I abhor your paperthat I shuddered when I read what you wrote about the Bible。 The words that are in the Bible have given to millions of poor souls a consolation that science could never bring to them。〃
〃And those consoling words are what I would read to the people every day of the week； not the words which may have a certain historical signification； but which breathe a very different spirit from the spirit