Phyllis of Philistia | Page 8

George Holland called Abraham, or
Isaac, or Jacob, or Samson, but Ruth--to say that Ruth----
The bishop said "Puppy!" once again. (He had trained himself only to
think the adjectives which laymen find appropriate to use in such a case
as was under his consideration.)
But he made up his mind to take no action whatever against the Rev.

George Holland on account of the book. If the Rev. George Holland
fancied that he was to be persecuted into popularity, the Rev. George
Holland was greatly mistaken, and the bishop had a shrewd idea that
the rector of St. Chad's was greatly mistaken.
(It may be mentioned that he came to this determination when he had
read the book through, and found it was so cleverly written that it
included no heretical phrase in all its pages.)
But so soon as Phyllis Ayrton had read the first review of the book that
fell into her hands, she felt inexpressibly shocked. Great Heavens! Was
it possible that she was actually at that moment engaged to marry the
man who had written such a book--a book that held up Delilah to
admiration, and that abased Ruth? (It was singular how everyone
settled upon Ruth in this connection.)
She did not pause to analyze her feelings--to try and find out if she was
really so fond of Ruth as to make Ruth's insult her own; but without a
moment's delay, without a word of consultation with her father, she sat
down at her desk and wrote a letter to George Holland, asking him to
release her from her promise to marry him; and adding that if he should
decline to do so it would make no difference to her; she would consider
the engagement between them at an end all the same.
She felt, when that letter was posted, as if a great weight were lifted
from her mind--from her heart. Then a copy of "Revised Versions"
arrived for her from the author, and with the ink still wet upon the pen
with which she had written that letter to him, she caught up the book
and covered it with kisses.
Had he seen that action her lover would have been thoroughly satisfied.
A young woman must be very deeply in love with a man when she
kisses the cover of a book which he has just published. That is what
George Holland would have thought, having but a superficial
acquaintance with the motives that sway young women.
Later in the day he had replied to her letter, and had appointed four
o'clock on the following afternoon as the hour when he trusted she

would find it convenient to see him, in order to give him an opportunity
of making an explanation which he trusted would enable her to see that
"Revised Versions," so far from being the dreadful book she seemed to
imagine it to be, was in reality written with a high purpose.
She had not shrunk from an interview with him. She had sent him a line
to let him know that she would be at home at four o'clock; and now she
sat in her drawing room and observed, without emotion, that in five
minutes that hour would strike.
The clock struck, and before the last tone had died away, the footman
announced the Rev. George Holland.
CHAPTER IV.
SHE HAD NO RIGHT TO ACCUSE HIM OF READING THE
BIBLE DAILY.
Phyllis shook hands with her visitor. He sought to retain her hand, as he
had been in the habit of doing, as he stood beside her with something of
a proprietary air. He relinquished her hand with a little look of
surprise--a sort of pained surprise. She was inexorable. She would not
even allow him to maintain his proprietary air.
"Do sit down, Mr. Holland," she said.
"What! 'Mr. Holland' already? Oh, Phyllis!"
He had a good voice, full of expression--something beyond mere
musical expression. People (they were mostly women) said that his
voice had soul in it, whatever they meant by that.
She made no reply. What reply could she make? She only waited for
him to sit down.
"Your letter came as a great shock to me, Phyllis," said he, when he had
seated himself, not too close to her. He did not wish her to fancy that he
was desirous of having a subtle influence of propinquity as an ally. "A

great shock to me."
"A shock?" said she. "A shock, after you had written that book?"
"I fancied you would understand it, Phyllis--you, at least. Of course I
expected to be misrepresented by the world--the critics--the
clerics--what you will--but you----You had not read it when you wrote
that letter to me--that terrible letter. You could not have read it."
"I had only read one notice of it--that