Phyllis of Philistia [66]
stay until to-morrow or that you didn't arrive yesterday? Why, why, why did he run away to-night before nine?"
"Why before nine?" said her husband.
"Heavens! Was not that the hour when you arrived home? You said so just now," she cried. Then she picked up her wrap. Phyllis had thrown it over a chair when it had lain in a heap on the floor as Cleopatra's wrap may have lain when she was carried into the presence of her lover. "My dear Stephen, don't you think that as it is past nine, and Mr. Courtland is probably some miles out at sea with his head reposing on something hard,--there is nothing soft about a yacht,--we should make a move in the direction of home? It seems pretty clear that you will have no serious talk with him to-night. Alas! my Phyllis, our dream of happiness is over. We are to be separated by the cruelty of man, as usual. Good-night, my dear! Good-night, Mr. Ayrton! Pray forgive us for keeping you out of bed so long; and receive my thanks for restoring my long-lost husband to my arms. Didn't you say that the hansom was waiting, Stephen?"
"I expect the man has been asleep for the last half-hour," said her husband.
"I hope nothing has gone astray with the gold mine," said she. "Hasn't someone made a calculation regarding the accumulation of a shilling hansom fare at compound interest when the driver is kept waiting? It is like the sum about the nails in the horse's shoe. We shall be ruined if we remain here much longer."
"Ah, my dear," said Mr. Ayrton, when he had kissed her hand, and straightened the sable collar of her wrap; "ah, my dear, a husband is a husband."
"Even when he stays away from his wife for three months at a time?" said Ella.
"Not in spite of that, but on account of it," said Mr. Ayrton. "Have you been married all these years without finding that out?"
"Good-night!" said she.
CHAPTER XXII.
HE HAD EXPLAINED TO PHYLLIS ONCE THAT HE THOUGHT OF GOD ONLY AS A PRINCIPLE.
The sound of the hansom wheels died away before the father and daughter exchanged a word. Mr. Ayrton was the first to speak.
"It seems to have been a night of mischance," said he.
"I am very glad that Mr. Linton has returned," said she.
"What? Now, why should you be glad of that very ordinary incident?"
"Why? Oh, papa, I am so fond of her!"
"She may be fond of him, after all."
Mr. Ayrton spoke musingly.
"Of course she is," said Phyllis, with a positiveness that was designed to convince herself that she believed her own statement.
"And he may be fond of her--yes, at times," resumed Mr. Ayrton. "That toilet of hers seems to have been the only happy element in the game of cross-purposes which was played to-night."
"Ah," whispered the girl.
"Yes; it was in inspiration. She could not have expected her husband to-night. What a dress! Even a husband would be compelled to admit its fascination. And she said she meant to wear it at the opera to-night. It was scarcely an opera toilet, was it?"
"Ella's taste is never at fault, papa."
"I suppose not. I wonder if he is capable of appreciating the--the-- let us say, the inspiration of that toilet. Is that, I wonder, the sort of dress that a man likes his wife to wear when she welcomes him home after an absence of some months? No matter it was exquisite in every detail. Curious, her coming here and waiting after she had learned that you were out, was it not; from nine o'clock--that fateful hour!--to-night."
"I think she must have felt--lonely," said Phyllis. "She seemed so glad to see me--so relieved. She meant to stay with me all night, poor thing! Oh, why should her husband stay away from her for months at a time? It is quite disgraceful!"
"I think that we had better go to bed," said her father. "If we begin to discuss abstract questions of temperament we may abandon all hope of sleep tonight. We might as well try to fathom Herbert Courtland's reasons for going to yacht with so uncongenial a party as Lord Earlscourt's. Good-night, my dear!"
He kissed her and went upstairs. She did not follow him immediately. She
"Why before nine?" said her husband.
"Heavens! Was not that the hour when you arrived home? You said so just now," she cried. Then she picked up her wrap. Phyllis had thrown it over a chair when it had lain in a heap on the floor as Cleopatra's wrap may have lain when she was carried into the presence of her lover. "My dear Stephen, don't you think that as it is past nine, and Mr. Courtland is probably some miles out at sea with his head reposing on something hard,--there is nothing soft about a yacht,--we should make a move in the direction of home? It seems pretty clear that you will have no serious talk with him to-night. Alas! my Phyllis, our dream of happiness is over. We are to be separated by the cruelty of man, as usual. Good-night, my dear! Good-night, Mr. Ayrton! Pray forgive us for keeping you out of bed so long; and receive my thanks for restoring my long-lost husband to my arms. Didn't you say that the hansom was waiting, Stephen?"
"I expect the man has been asleep for the last half-hour," said her husband.
"I hope nothing has gone astray with the gold mine," said she. "Hasn't someone made a calculation regarding the accumulation of a shilling hansom fare at compound interest when the driver is kept waiting? It is like the sum about the nails in the horse's shoe. We shall be ruined if we remain here much longer."
"Ah, my dear," said Mr. Ayrton, when he had kissed her hand, and straightened the sable collar of her wrap; "ah, my dear, a husband is a husband."
"Even when he stays away from his wife for three months at a time?" said Ella.
"Not in spite of that, but on account of it," said Mr. Ayrton. "Have you been married all these years without finding that out?"
"Good-night!" said she.
CHAPTER XXII.
HE HAD EXPLAINED TO PHYLLIS ONCE THAT HE THOUGHT OF GOD ONLY AS A PRINCIPLE.
The sound of the hansom wheels died away before the father and daughter exchanged a word. Mr. Ayrton was the first to speak.
"It seems to have been a night of mischance," said he.
"I am very glad that Mr. Linton has returned," said she.
"What? Now, why should you be glad of that very ordinary incident?"
"Why? Oh, papa, I am so fond of her!"
"She may be fond of him, after all."
Mr. Ayrton spoke musingly.
"Of course she is," said Phyllis, with a positiveness that was designed to convince herself that she believed her own statement.
"And he may be fond of her--yes, at times," resumed Mr. Ayrton. "That toilet of hers seems to have been the only happy element in the game of cross-purposes which was played to-night."
"Ah," whispered the girl.
"Yes; it was in inspiration. She could not have expected her husband to-night. What a dress! Even a husband would be compelled to admit its fascination. And she said she meant to wear it at the opera to-night. It was scarcely an opera toilet, was it?"
"Ella's taste is never at fault, papa."
"I suppose not. I wonder if he is capable of appreciating the--the-- let us say, the inspiration of that toilet. Is that, I wonder, the sort of dress that a man likes his wife to wear when she welcomes him home after an absence of some months? No matter it was exquisite in every detail. Curious, her coming here and waiting after she had learned that you were out, was it not; from nine o'clock--that fateful hour!--to-night."
"I think she must have felt--lonely," said Phyllis. "She seemed so glad to see me--so relieved. She meant to stay with me all night, poor thing! Oh, why should her husband stay away from her for months at a time? It is quite disgraceful!"
"I think that we had better go to bed," said her father. "If we begin to discuss abstract questions of temperament we may abandon all hope of sleep tonight. We might as well try to fathom Herbert Courtland's reasons for going to yacht with so uncongenial a party as Lord Earlscourt's. Good-night, my dear!"
He kissed her and went upstairs. She did not follow him immediately. She