Phyllis of Philistia [113]
town--there were details --ghastly; but he would take care that there was no inquest.
Phyllis went up to town with poor Ella, and remained by her side in that darkened house through all the terrible days that followed. Mr. Linton's death had an appreciable influence upon the quarter's revenue of the country. The probate duty paid by the executors was a large fortune in itself, and Ella was, as Mr. Ayrton had predicted she would be, one of the richest women in England. The hundred thousand pounds bequeathed to some unostentatious charities--charities that existed for the cause of charity, not for the benefit of the official staff-- made no difference worth speaking of in the position of Mrs. Linton as one of the richest women in England.
But the codicil to the will which surprised most people was that which placed in the hands of Mrs. Linton and the Rev. George Holland as joint trustees the sum of sixty thousand pounds, for the building and endowment of a church, the character and aims of which would be in sympathy with the principles recently formulated by the Rev. George Holland in his book entitled "Revised Versions," and in his magazine article entitled "The Enemy to Christianity," the details to be decided by the Rev. George Holland and Mrs. Linton as joint trustees.
The codicil was, of course, a very recent one; but it was executed in proper form; it required two pages of engrossing to make the testator's desires plain to every intelligence that had received a thorough training in legal technicalities. It was susceptible of a good deal of interpretation to an ordinary intelligence.
When it was explained to Mrs. Linton, she also was at first a good deal surprised. It read very like a jest of some subtlety: for she had no idea that her husband had the slightest feeling one way or another on the subject of the development of one Church or another; and as for the establishment of an entirely new Church--yes, it struck her at first that her solicitor was making a bold and certainly quite an unusual attempt to cheer her up in her bereavement by bringing under her notice a jest of the order /pachydermato/.
But soon it dawned upon her that her husband meant a good deal by this codicil of his.
"I am getting to understand him better every day," she said to Phyllis. "He knew that I loved him and him only. He has given me this work to do, and with God's help I will do it thoroughly. You did not believe in the value of George Holland's doctrines. Neither did I: I never thought about them. I will accept my husband's judgment regarding them, and perhaps I may think about them later on. Our Church will be the most potent influence for good that the century has yet seen. Yes, I will throw myself heart and soul into the work. After all, it must be admitted that the Church has never done its duty as a Church."
Phyllis said nothing.
But the Rev. George Holland had a good deal to say on the subject of the codicil, when he was alone with Mrs. Linton, a few days later. He had by no means made up his mind to sever his connection with the dear old mother Church, he said. He could not see that there was any need for his taking so serious a step--an irrevocable step. It was his feeling at that moment, he declared, that he might be able to effect the object of his life--which was, of course, the reform of the Church --better by remaining within its walls than by severing himself from it. He must take time to consider his position.
He left Mrs. Linton greatly disappointed. It had been her belief that Mr. Holland would jump at the chance--that was the phrase which she employed in expressing her disappointment to Phyllis--of becoming the founder of a brand-new religion.
She was greatly disappointed in Mr. Holland. If Buddha or Edward Irving, or some of the other founders of new religions had had such a chance offered to them in early life, would they not have embraced it eagerly? she asked.
And it was to be such a striking Church! She had made up her mind to that. It was to be a lasting memorial to the largeness of
Phyllis went up to town with poor Ella, and remained by her side in that darkened house through all the terrible days that followed. Mr. Linton's death had an appreciable influence upon the quarter's revenue of the country. The probate duty paid by the executors was a large fortune in itself, and Ella was, as Mr. Ayrton had predicted she would be, one of the richest women in England. The hundred thousand pounds bequeathed to some unostentatious charities--charities that existed for the cause of charity, not for the benefit of the official staff-- made no difference worth speaking of in the position of Mrs. Linton as one of the richest women in England.
But the codicil to the will which surprised most people was that which placed in the hands of Mrs. Linton and the Rev. George Holland as joint trustees the sum of sixty thousand pounds, for the building and endowment of a church, the character and aims of which would be in sympathy with the principles recently formulated by the Rev. George Holland in his book entitled "Revised Versions," and in his magazine article entitled "The Enemy to Christianity," the details to be decided by the Rev. George Holland and Mrs. Linton as joint trustees.
The codicil was, of course, a very recent one; but it was executed in proper form; it required two pages of engrossing to make the testator's desires plain to every intelligence that had received a thorough training in legal technicalities. It was susceptible of a good deal of interpretation to an ordinary intelligence.
When it was explained to Mrs. Linton, she also was at first a good deal surprised. It read very like a jest of some subtlety: for she had no idea that her husband had the slightest feeling one way or another on the subject of the development of one Church or another; and as for the establishment of an entirely new Church--yes, it struck her at first that her solicitor was making a bold and certainly quite an unusual attempt to cheer her up in her bereavement by bringing under her notice a jest of the order /pachydermato/.
But soon it dawned upon her that her husband meant a good deal by this codicil of his.
"I am getting to understand him better every day," she said to Phyllis. "He knew that I loved him and him only. He has given me this work to do, and with God's help I will do it thoroughly. You did not believe in the value of George Holland's doctrines. Neither did I: I never thought about them. I will accept my husband's judgment regarding them, and perhaps I may think about them later on. Our Church will be the most potent influence for good that the century has yet seen. Yes, I will throw myself heart and soul into the work. After all, it must be admitted that the Church has never done its duty as a Church."
Phyllis said nothing.
But the Rev. George Holland had a good deal to say on the subject of the codicil, when he was alone with Mrs. Linton, a few days later. He had by no means made up his mind to sever his connection with the dear old mother Church, he said. He could not see that there was any need for his taking so serious a step--an irrevocable step. It was his feeling at that moment, he declared, that he might be able to effect the object of his life--which was, of course, the reform of the Church --better by remaining within its walls than by severing himself from it. He must take time to consider his position.
He left Mrs. Linton greatly disappointed. It had been her belief that Mr. Holland would jump at the chance--that was the phrase which she employed in expressing her disappointment to Phyllis--of becoming the founder of a brand-new religion.
She was greatly disappointed in Mr. Holland. If Buddha or Edward Irving, or some of the other founders of new religions had had such a chance offered to them in early life, would they not have embraced it eagerly? she asked.
And it was to be such a striking Church! She had made up her mind to that. It was to be a lasting memorial to the largeness of