CHAPTERX。
ITISTHEPRICEOFBLOOD。
Phyllishadagooddealtothinkofaftershehadsatforhalfanhourwithherfatherintheroomwheretheyworkedtogetherforthediscomfitureoftheoppositeparty，andhadgivenhimsomeaccountoftherepresentationoftheplayattheParthenon。Herfatherwasdelightedtofindherinhighspirits。Somanypeoplecomebackfromthetheaterlookingglumandwornout，yawningandmumblingwhenaskedwhattheyhaveseenandwhatithadallbeenabout。Phylliswasnotglum，nordidshemumble。Shewasabletodescribesceneafterscene，andmorethanonceshesprangfromherseat，carriedawaybyherownpowersofdescription，andbegantoactthebitsthathadimpressedher——bitstheforceofwhichcouldonlybeunderstoodwhendescribedwithgesturesandprettyposturing。
Herfatherthoughthehadneverseenanythingsoprettyinhislife。
(Whatagirlshewas，tobesure，tohavesoeasilyrecoveredfromtheeffectsofthatterribleordealthroughwhichshehadpassed——havingtodismissatamoment\'snoticethemanwhomshehadpromisedtomarry！)Hehadcertainlyneverseenanythingsofascinatingasherprettyposturing，withtheelectriclightsgleamingoverherwhiteneckwithitsgraciouscurves，andherfirmwhitearmsfromwhichhergloveshadbeenstripped。
IthadbeenhisintentiontodescribetoherascenewhichhadtakenplaceintheHouseofCommonsthatnight——asceneofCeltandSaxonminglinginwildturmoiloveraquestionofneglecteddutyonthepartofaGovernmentofficial:nottheonewhowassubsequentlydecoratedbythesovereignafewdaysafterhisneglectofdutyhadplacedthecountryinjeopardy，andhadprecipitatedthedownfalloftheministryandtheannihilationofhispartyasapoliticalfactor；notthisman，butanother，whohadreferredtoTrafalgarSquareastheprivatethoroughfareofthecrown。Thescenehadbeenananimatedone，andMr。
Ayrtonhadhopedtoderiveagooddealofpleasurefromdescribingittohisdaughter；butwhenhehadlistenedtoher，andwatchedherforafewminutes，hecametotheconclusionthatitwouldbeabsurdforhimtomakeanefforttocompetewithher。WhatwashiswretchedlittlestoryofParliamentarysqualorcomparedwiththesepsychologicalsubtletieswhichhadinterestedhisdaughteralltheevening?
Helistenedtoandwatchedthatlovelything，overflowingwiththeanimationthatcomesfromaquickintelligence——akeenappreciationoftheintelligenceofthegreatartistswhohadinterpretedastorywhichthrilledtheimaginationofgenerationaftergeneration，andhefeltthatParliamentwasapaltrything。Parliament——whatwasParliament?Thewrangleofpoliticalpartiesoverapaltryissue。Ithadnoreallifeinit；ithadnothingofthefullnessandbreadthofthemattersthatinterestedsuchpeopleashadminds——imagination。
“Youaretired，“shecriedatlast。“Itisthoughtlessofmetokeepyououtofyourbed。Youhavehadawearynight，Iamsure。WasittheIrishagain，orthehorridteetotalers?“
“Itwasboth，mydear，“saidhe。“Phyllis，“headdedsolemnly，“anIrishteetotalerisafearfulthing。”
“Youshallforgetalltheintemperateteetotalersinabeautifulsleep，“saidshe，puttingherarmsaroundhisneck。“Good-night，papa！
Itwassothoughtlessofmetokeepyouup。Itisoneo\'clock。”
“Itappearstomethatyouaretheonewhoshouldbereadytosuccumb，“saidherfather。“Ihadnothingtostimulatemyimagination。
Practicalpoliticshasnotyetdiscoveredagoodworkingreplytothemanwhocallshisfellow-manaliar，sothepoliticaloutlookisnotverycheering。”
“Thatiswhatisgreatlyneeded:asatisfactoryretort——verbal，ofcourse——tothatevery-dayassertion。”
“IthasbecomethemostpotentinfluenceintheHouseofCommons，duringthepastyearortwo；andtheworstofthematteristhatthestatementisnearlyalwayscorrect。”
“Thenthereisallthegreaterneedfora/modusvivendi/“——shehadanampleacquaintancewiththejargonofdiplomacy。“Idon\'tdespairofParliamentbeingabletosuggestanefficientretort。”
“Parliament:tworagamuffinsquarrelingupanentryoverarottenorange。Good-night，mychild！“
Shewasatlastinherownroom:anapartmentofgracious-tintedfabricsandpinksatinpanels；oftapestriedsofasmadebyFrenchartistsbeforethelovelydaughterofMariaTeresawenttoherdeath。
Sheswitchedonthelightsinthecandlesconces，andthrewherselfdownupononeofthesofas。Hertheaterwrapandfanshehadlaidoverachair。
ItwasnottothedramawhichshehadseensuperblyactedattheParthenonthatherthoughtswentout；buttothewordswhichherdearestfriendhadspokenwhendrivingbackfromthetheater。
Whatwordswerethey?
Shecouldnotrecollectthemnow；butshewasstillconsciousoftheimpressionwhichtheyhadproduceduponherwhiletheywerebeingspoken。Thatimpressionwasthatuptothatinstantalltheissuesofherlifehadbeenunworthyofamoment\'sconsideration。Shehadtakenwhatshebelievedtobeadeepinterestinmanymattersduringthefiveyearsthatshehadbeentheheadofherfather\'shouse。Shehad，sheknew，beenofthegreatesthelptoherfatherinhispoliticallife，notmerelyturninghermemorytogoodaccountindiscoveringtheincautiousphrasesinthespeechesofthemenwhowerefoolishenoughtobehisopponents，butactuallyadvisinghim，whenheaskedher，onmanymattersaboutwhichthenewspapershadbeenfull。Thenshehadtakenanactivepartinmorethanoneofthose“movements“whichbecamethetopicofaLondonseasonuntilcompelledbyaninvisiblebutall-powerfulauthoritytomoveonandmakewayforthenextnewthing。Shehadmovedwitheverymovement，andhadprovedhercapacitytocontrolherselfwhenthemovementbecameuncontrollable。AndthenshehadthoughthowworthyapositioninlifewouldbethatofthewifeoftherectorofachurchlikeSt。Chad\'s。
Thatideahadremainedwithher，ashadalreadybeensaid，forsomemonths，until，tobeexactinregardtothedate，theotheryoungwomen，whomshehadbeenwatchingwithinterest，hadboughttheirbrilliantblouseswiththenewestand，consequently，mostabnormalsleeves，castingasidethesober-huedbodiceswhichtheyhadworninhope。
Howpaltrywerealltheseaspirations，theseundertakings！
ThatwaswhatwasdinninginherearsallthetimeEllahadbeentalkinginthecarriage。
Butwhy，why，whyshouldallherpreviousinterests，includingtheconsiderationofthequestionsoforthodoxyandtheotherthing，seemsoridiculouslysmallwhileEllawasspeaking?
Thatwasthequestionwhichpuzzledher。HadEllashownherawaytosomethingbetter，somethinghigher，somethingbetterworthyoftheaspirationofawoman?Shecouldnotsaythatthathadbeenthedriftofherlargediscourse。Whatshehadsaidhadactuallybeenpuzzlinginitsvagueness，itsdaringimages——allimagesarevague；itsallegories——allallegoriesareindefinite。
Andyet——andyet——andyet——
WithamotionofimpatiencePhyllissprangtoherfeet。Afterapauseshewenttoalittlesatin-woodcabinetwhichshehadturnedintoabookshelf，andtookoutherBible。Shehadneversleptanightforyearswithoutreadingachapter；andinordertoavertthepossibilityofherownfeelingsorfanciesofthemomentmakinganyinvidiousdistinctionbetweenthevariouscomponentpartsofabookwhichisprofitableineveryline，shehadaccustomedherselftoreadthechaptersinconsecutiveorderfromTheGenesistoTheRevelation。
Sometimes，whenshefoundherselffacetofaceofanightwithapurelygenealogicalchapter，PhyllisofPhilistiahaddifficultyincrushingdownherunworthydesiretoturntosomechapterthatseemedtoherfrailjudgmenttocontainwordsofwidercomforttothechildrenofmenthanagenealogicaltreeoftheChildrenofIsrael；
butshehadneveryieldedtosounworthyanimpulse。WhowasshethatsheshouldsuggestthatonepartoftheSacredBookwascalculatedtobemoreprofitablethananother?WasitnotalltheBible?
ShehadplowedherwaythroughthesloughofHebrewnamesupontheseoccasions，andtheblessingofthewordshadbeenbornetoherintheformofasweetsleep。
HerchapterforthisnightwasthatwhichdescribesthecampaignofDavid，duringwhichheandhishostswerebesiegedintheirearthworks，andhowthethreemightymenhadmadeasortiethroughthecampoftheenemyinordertoobtainfortheirleaderacupofwater。
Shecontinuedthechaptertotheend，butallthroughitthosewordswereringinginherears:
“Itisthepriceofblood；itisthepriceofblood。”
Andasshekneltdownbesideherbed，herbarewhitefeetpeepingoutfrombeneaththedraperyofherwhitenight-dress，inaposturethatwouldhavemadethemosthumanatheistbelieveinthebeautyofdevotion，thosewordswerestillinherears:“Thepriceofblood；thepriceofblood。”
GoodHeavens！Howcouldshecarrythatfeatherfan?HowcouldEllaLintonholdituptoherface——holdherfacedowntoit，flutteritsfairyfluffuponhercheeks?Itwasthepriceofblood。HerbertCourtlandhadrunagreaterrisktoobtainthosefeathersthanDavid\'smightymenhadruntodrawthewaterfromthewell。ShehadheardallabouttheinsatiablesavageryofthenativesofNewGuinea。Paradise?
Whohadnamedthosebirdsthebirdsofparadise?SherecollectedhowthefeatherswhichEllahadwhirledabouthadheldintheverycenterofeverywonderfuldiscofrichpurple，edgedwithunequalradiatinglinesofgold，asinglespotofbrilliantcrimson，withatinystarofsilverinthecenter。TheeffectofthesunlightglintingoverthiscombinationonthethousandfeathersthatsweptafterthebirdhadcausedHerbertCourtland，thefirstwhitemanwhohadseenthisgloryofglories，tocallitthemeteor-bird。Butthosecrimsondrops:weretheynotthebloodofthemenwhohadperishedmiserablywhileendeavoringtowrestitsmarvelsfromthetropicalforestsofthatgreatisland?
Paradise?
AndEllacouldtreatthosefeathersasthoughtheyhadbeenpluckedfromatamepheasant?Andnowshewaslyinginherbedwiththefanonthepillowbesideher！
Howcouldshedoit?Thatwaswhatthegirlaskedherselfwhileshelayawakeonherownbed。WouldEllanotsee，onthewhitepillowbesideherhead，thecrimsonstainsofthefeathersthathadbeensnatchedoutofthedrippingredhandofdeath，butthemanwhohadnotfearedtograpplewithdeathitselfinthathellwhichpeoplecalledaparadise?
Buttheman，themanwhohadgrippeddeathbythethroatandhadtornthefeathersfromhisgrisly，fleshlessfingers，——herimaginationwasveryvividatnight，especiallyafterreadingathrillingchapterofHebrewmassacre，——thatmanhadtalkedwithheruponsuchtriflesasbooksandplays，strangepageantsenactedamongpaperandcanvasunrealitiesoflife。Shehadactuallybeenleaningagainstsomeofthesepaintedsceneswhilethemanwhohadfoughthiswayintothedepthsofthatforestwhichnowhitemanbuthimselfhadyetpenetrated，——themanwhoselifehad，daybydayandnightbynight，beendependentupontheaccuracyofhisrifleaim，——hadtalkedwithher。
Thatwasreallythesumofallherthoughts。Shedidnottrytorecallthewordsthathehadspoken；itwassimplythefigureofthemanwhohadbeenbeforeherthatnowremainedonhermind。Shedidnotstoptothinkwhetherornothehadspokenasamanwithintellectwouldspeak；whetherhehadspokenasamanwhoseorthodoxywasbeyondsuspicionwouldspeak。Thequestionofhisorthodoxy，ofhisintellect(whichmaybejusttheopposite)，didnotoccurtoher。Allshefeltwasthatshehadbeentalkingfacetofacewithaman。
Sothattheresultofherevening\'sentertainment，aftershehadreadherinspiringchapterintheBibleandsaidherbedsideprayer，shemighthavedefinedinpreciselythesamewordsasshehadspokentoherfriendEllawhenEllahadaskedher，immediatelyonenteringthecarriage，whatshethoughtofHerbertCourtland。
“Heisthebravestmanintheworldatpresent。”
Shedidnotfallasleepforaconsiderabletime。
CHAPTERXI。
I\'MAFRAIDTHATIMUSTHAVEPRINCIPLEONMYSIDE。
“Itisquiteridiculous，besidesbeinguntrue，“saidPhyllis，whenshehadreadthearticleinthenewspapertowhichherfathercalledherattentiononemorning，aweekafterthecriticismon“Cagliostro“hadappeared。Thearticlewasheaded:
“DYNAMITEVERSUSEVANGELIZATION，“
anditcameoutinaweeklypaperdevotedtotheinterestsofNonconformists。
“Itiswiththedeepestregretthatwehavetocalltheattentionofourreadersandthepublic[thearticleran]totheseriesofchargesbroughtbytheRevs。JosephCapperandEvansJones，theeminentpioneersoftheNonconformistEasternMission，againstagentlemantowhomaconsiderableamountofhonorisjustnowbeinggivenbytheRoyalGeographicalSociety，theEthnologicalInstitute，theOrnithologicalAssociation，andothersecularorganizations，onaccountofhisexplorationintheIslandofNewGuinea。ItisscarcelynecessarytosaythatwealludetoMr。
HerbertCourtland。ThepositionwhichhasbeenoccupiedforseveralyearsbythetwodistinguishedministerswhoseselfsacrificeinendeavoringtospreadtheLightthroughthedarkplacesofthetropicalforestsofasavagelandiswellknowntothesubscriberstotheN。E。M。，precludesthepossibilityofamistakebeingmadeinthismatter，andyettheydeclareinaletterwhichwepublishthismorningthatthemannerinwhichMr。
Courtlandpursuedhisso-calledexplorationsintheforestswhichlinethebanksoftheFlyRiverhaspracticallymadeimpossibleallattemptsatmissionworkinthatregion。InseveraldirectionsitisnotdeniedthatMr。Courtlandenteredintofriendlyrelationswithsomenativetribes；butinsteadofendeavoringtomakethepoorbenightedcreaturesacquaintedwiththeTruth，heactuallypurchasedasslavesoverahundredofthemtoaidhiminpenetratingtheKalloluforest，where，itwillberemembered，hesucceededinshootingthemuchillustratedmeteor-bird，aswellasseveralotherspecimenswhichwilldelightthemembersoftheOrnithologicalAssociationratherthanprofessingChristians。Ourdistinguishedcorrespondentsstate，andwehavenoroomtodoubttheirword，thatMr。Courtlandpurchasedhisslavesbyapromisetoassisttheheadmanoftheirtribeagainsthisenemiesbelongingtoanothertribe——apromisewhichheonlytooamplyfulfilled，theresultbeinganindiscriminateslaughterofsavageswho，thoughavowedcannibals，mighteventuallyhaveembracedthetruthsofNonconformity。Theelephantriflesoftheexplorerdidtheirdeadlyworkonlytooefficiently；butwetrustthat，forhisownsake，Mr。CourtlandwillbeabletobringforwardtrustworthyevidencetorebutthesuspicionofhishavinguponatleastoneoccasioninducedeventhefriendlynativestobelievethathepossessedthepoweroftheDeitytoperformmiracles，anduponanotheroccasionofhavinguseddynamiteagainstthembywhichhundredsweredestroyedincoldblood。ItistheevilinfluencesofsuchirresponsiblemenasMr。Courtland，whoseill-directedenterprisewecannotinjusticetohimrefrainfromacknowledging，thatretardtheeffortsofthosenoblepioneersofNonconformitywhohavealreadymadesuchsacrificesforthecause，andwhorejoiceatthedifficultieswithwhichtheyfindthemselvesbeset。
WeunderstandthataquestionwillbeputtotheMinisterfortheAnnexationDepartmentintheHouseofCommonstowardthelatterendoftheweek，onthesubjectoftheallegedexcessesofthemostrecentexplorer(so-called)ofNewGuinea——excesseswhichifcommittedinBulgariaorArmenia，orevenIreland，wouldhavecalledforanexpressionofthehorrorofChristianEurope；andwemaymentionthatsubscriptionsonbehalfoftheRevs。JosephCapperandEvansJoneswillbereceivedattheofficeofthispapertoenablethemtosubstantiatethetruthoftheirstatements。”
“Itisquiteridiculous，besidesbeinguntrue，papa，“criedPhyllis；
“andIhopethatyouwillnotfailtotakehispartandshowthefalsehoodofsuchaccusations。Couldanythingbemoreabsurdthanthatabouttheslaves?Slaves！Dynamite！“
“Leadinguptosubscriptions——don\'tforgetthat，“saidherfather。“Ifsubscriptionsaretobeforthcoming，theymustbegotup。Trafficinhumanflesh，insultstoaborigines，Siberia，theconversionoftheJews——alltheseappealdirectlytothepocketsoftheGreatEnglishPeople。Anyoneofthemwillconstituteanexcellentpegonwhichtohanganappealtothepocket。Thosetwodistinguishedpioneersof——
well，shallwesaycivilizationorNonconformity?——understandtheirbusiness，mydear。”
“Itisnopartoftheirbusinesstotryandholdabravemanuptotheexecrationofeveryone。”
“I\'mnotsosureofthat。Thetechnicalitiesofthemissionfieldarenotsoapparentallatonce。TheVineyard——well，thesystemofvine-
cultureofsomeoftheorganizationsisatrifleobscure。”
Phyllisbecameimpatient。
“TheHouseofCommons——aquestionistobeaskedintheHouse。Thenyoumustaskanother，papa，showingthenonsenseofthefirst。”
“Heavensabove！WhyshouldIbedraggedintothequarrel，ifitisaquarrel，ofHerbertCourtlandontheonehandandtheReverendsJosephCapperandwhat\'stheother，Smith——no，Jones——EvansJones?I
shouldn\'twonderifheisofWelshextraction。”
“Youwillsurelynotstandpassivelybyandhearabravemanslandered。Thatwouldbeunlikeyou，papa。No；youareboundtoprotestagainstthefalsehood。”
“AmIindeed?Why?Becausetheslanderedman，ifheisslandered，isthefriendofmydaughter\'sfriend?“
“Exactly——that\'squitesufficientforyoutogoupon——thatandthefalsehood。”
“Ifitisafalsehood。”
“If——oh，papa——if?“
“IfIhaveyourpersonalguaranteethatthestatementsareunsubstantiated——“
“Now，youarebeginningtojest。Icannotjestonsoseriousanissue。
Thinkofit——slaves——dynamite！“
“BothexcellentwordsformissionariestosendhometoEngland——almostequaltoopiumandidolsfromthestandpointofthemission-box。”
Phylliswassolemnforamoment；thensheburstintoamerrylaughthatonlywantedanoteofmerrimenttobedelightful。Herfatherdidnotmissthatnote。Hewasthinkingofanotherphrase。
“Now，whyshouldn\'tyousaythatorsomethinglikethat，myfather?“
criedthegirl。“SomethingtosettheHouselaughingbeforetheMinisteroftheAnnexationDepartmenthashadtimetoreply?Youcandoit，youknow。”
“IbelieveIcould，“saidMr。Ayrtonthoughtfully。“Butwhy，mychild；
why?“
“Why！Why！Oh，ifoneonlysaidgoodthingswhentherewasareasonforsayingthem，howdullweshouldallbe！Anystickforadog——anyjestisgoodenoughfortheHouseofCommons。”
“Yes；butsupposeitisinferredthatIamnotonthesideofthemissionaries?WhataboutHazelborough?“
HazelboroughwastheconstituencywhichMr。AyrtonrepresentedintheHouseofCommons。
“Mydearfather，wherewouldyoubeifyoucouldn\'tsteerthroughtheHazelboroughprejudicesnowandagain?Youcanalwayssaysomethingsogoodastomakepeoplenotcarewhichwayitcuts。”
“What?Oh，Phyllis！Iamashamedofyou。Besides，thepeopleofHazelboroughhavegottobeextremelysensitive。TheyhavecaughttheNonconformistConscience。ThebacillusoftheNonconformistConsciencewasrampantashorttimeago，andithasnotyetbeenstampedout。I\'mafraidthatImusthaveprincipleonmyside——someshowofprinciple，atanyrate——notsowideasachurchdoororsodeepasawell，butstill——“
“Andyouwill，too，papa。I\'llseeEllaandgethertofindoutfromMr。Courtlandwhatisthetruth。”
“Well，perhapsitmightn\'tbewisetorushintoextremesallatonce！
Iwouldn\'tinsistonthetruth，ifIwereyou。What\'stheHouseofCommonsthatitshouldbecockeredupwiththetruth?Allthatisneededisenoughtogoonwith。Anelectro-platingofveracityisinkeepingwiththeeconomictendenciesoftheage。”
“Iamnotafraidofthetruth，“criedPhyllis，withoutgivingthecynicismofherfatherthetributeofasmile。“Mr。Courtlandwould，I
know，beincapableofdoinganythingunworthyof——of——“
“Letussayanexplorer，“suggestedherfather。Heknewthatthewordwhichwasinhermindwas/Englishman/。Sheonlycheckedherselfwhenherimaginationcausedhertoperceivetheaveragesilk-hattedmanwithhistongueinhischeekattheutteranceofthephrase。“Letussay\'unworthyofanexplorer，\'“repeatedherfather；“thatisanelasticphrase。”
Phylliswasirritated。
“Ihavetalkedwithhim，“shesaidatriflecoldly。
“Yes，“saidherfather，“once。”
“IshouldhavesaidthatIknowElla。”
“AndyetEllaisawoman！“
“Oh，thechargesaretooridiculous！Slaves！Whatnonsense！Weallknowwhatslaveryis。Well，wherearehisslavesnow?Ifheonlyhiredthenativesforamonthortwotheywereonlyservants，notslaves。
Thethingismanifestlyridiculous。”
“Thenwhyshouldwetroubleourselveswiththeattempttorebutit?“
“Becausesomanypeopleareidiotsnowadays，“criedPhylliswarmly。
“Because，nomatterhowridiculousachargewhichisbroughtagainstadistinguishedpersonmaybe，somepeoplewillbefoundreadytobelieveinitstruth。Nevermind；I\'llfindoutthetruth；I\'llgotoElla。”
“Thefountain-headindeed，“saidMr。Ayrton。“Wheninsearchofthetruth，gotoawoman。”
“Iwill，atanyrate，“saidPhyllis。
Andshewentthither。
CHAPTERXII。
DYNAMITE——SLAVE-DEALING——MASSACRES——ARMENIA！
Phyllis，ofcourse，knewwhentogotoEllawiththecertaintyoffindingherathome。AttheluncheonhourMrs。LintonwasalwaysvisibletothethreefriendswhomshehadwithintheconfinesofMayfair。Sheconsideredherselfblessedamongwomeninthenumericalstrengthofherfriendships；andsoperhapsshewas；shehadthree。
Shewasinoneofherdrawingrooms——theonethatwasdecoratedwithwatercolorssetinflutedpanelsofyellowsilk——nottheonewiththepinkblindssobelovedbythoseofhervisitorswhohadreachedanagetoregardapinklightasawoman\'sbestfriend。ShewaswearinganewgownwhichPhyllis，inspiteofherenthusiasmonbehalfofabravemanmaligned，foundadmirablebothasregardsfabric，fit，andfashion。
Thenfollowedawordortwoofcommendationoftheartistswhohadbeenconcernedinitsproduction。Theyhadnotbeenabsurdaboutthesleeves，andtheyhadnotvetoedthesweepoflace——itwasabouthalfayardwide——whichthepersonwhooccupiedsoinsignificantapositionasisusuallyallocatedtothemerewearerofthegownhadsuggestedforthebodice。Thegownwasanunequivocalsuccess，andhadEllaseenthedisgracefularticlewhichhadappearedinthe/SpiritualAneroid/
onthesubjectofMr。Courtland\'sexplorations?
Ellasmiledaslowsmile，asthequestionjoinedthecongratulationwithoutthelapseofabreath。
“The/SpiritualAneroid/?Whoisthe/SpiritualAneroid/?Whatisthe/SpiritualAneroid/?“sheasked。“Oh，anewspaper。WhatcouldanewspaperwithsuchafunnynamehavetosayaboutMr。Courtland?“
“Ihavebroughtitwithme，“saidPhyllis。“Itisquitedisgraceful。
I\'msureyou\'llagreewithme。”
“I\'mcertainofit。”
EllaacceptedtheprofferedpaperandglanceddownthearticlepointedouttoherbyPhyllis。Phyllis\'eyesweregleamingassheplacedherfingeronthewords，“Dynamite/versus/Evangelization，“butElla\'seyesdidnotgleamwhileshewasreadingallthewordsprintedbeneaththeheading。Shefoldedthepaperandglancedcarelesslyatthenameatthetopoftheoutsidepageandsaid，“Well?“
“Wasthereeveranythingsodisgraceful?“criedthegirl。“Wasthereeveryanythingsofalse?“
“Isitfalse?“askedElla。
“Howcanyoudoubtit?DoyoufancythatMr。Courtlandwouldbeaslave-dealer?“
“Iwonderhowhe\'dlookinthebroadflathatwhichappearsinallthepicturesoftheslave-dealers?Ratherwell，Ifancy，“saidMrs。
Linton。
“Oh，howcanyoutalkofhislookingwellorillwhenyoureadsuchanattackuponhim?“saidPhyllis，jumpingupwithacharminglyrosyface。“Surelyitissomethingtoyouwhensodistinguishedaman——yourfriendaswell——isattacked！“
“Ifweweretravelingwithhimacrossthedesertinacaravan，shouldwemindmuchifthewholecaravanwereattackedbyBedouinsormissionariesorpeopleofthatstamp，mydear?Ofcourseweshouldn\'t。
Weshouldfeelthathewouldbeequaltothedefenseofallofus，andhimselfaswell。”
“Oh，ofcourse；butthisisquiteanotherthing，isn\'tit?“
“Whereisthedifference?Ifanybodymindsthenonsenseprintedinthatthing，HerbertCourtlandwillcertainlybeabletodefendhimselfwhencalledontodoso。”
Phyllisseatedherselfonceagain。
“ButaquestionistobeaskedinParliamentabouthim?“shesuggested。
“Andcanyou，thedaughterofamemberofthatParliament，honestlytellmethatyoufancythatanyhumanbeingmindshowmanyquestionsareaskedabouthimintheQuestionableHouse?“
“Buttheleastbreathofsuspicion——dynamite——slave-dealing——massacres——Armenia。Oh，thearticleiscertaintobecopiedintodozensofotherpapers——thepublicdosoliketogetholdofsomescandalagainstamanwhohasdonesomethinggreat。”
“Theydoindeed。WouldyousuggestorganizingacommitteeofladiesfortheprotectionofMr。Courtland?“
“Don\'ttalknonsense，Ella。Ithoughthatyouwerehisfriend，andthatyouwouldbeasindignantasIwasatthatdisgracefulattackuponhisreputation。”
“Idon\'tthinkthatitwillplacehisreputationinjeopardy，unlesswiththereadersofthatpaper，andtheyarenotworthtakingintoaccount，arethey?“
“Papasaysthethinghasalargecirculationamongacertainclass。I
wanthimtoridiculethequestionwhichisthreatenedinthatarticle；
heknowshowtodothatkindofthingverywell。”
“Isitcometothat，myPhyllis?Wereyoureallysogreatlyinterestedintheoneconversationyouhadwithhimastoconstituteyourselfhischampion?“
AboveallthingsPhylliswastruthful。Shehadneverhadanexperienceoflove——thatpassionwhichcanchangethemosttruthfulofwomankindintotheleastscrupulous。TherewasnopausebetweenElla\'squestionandPhyllis\'answer。
“CertainlytheoneconversationthatIhadwithhiminterestedme——I
toldyousoreturninginthecarriage。Hasheneversucceededininterestingyou，Ella?Hetoldmethatyouwerehisfriend——Ibelievehesaidhisdearestfriend。”
“AndIbelievethathetoldyouthetruth，“saidElla。“But，beinghisbestfriendandawoman，Irefrainfromconstitutingmyselfhischampion。YouseeweliveinPhilistia，myPhyllis，andthechampionsthatPhilistiasendsforthusuallycometogrief；therewasthecaseofoneGoliathofGath，forexample。Ihavenodesiretohavestonesslungatmebythechosenpeople。”
“I\'mnotquitesurethatIunderstandyou，“saidPhyllis，withaveryprettypuckeronherforehead。“Youdon\'tmeantosaythatawomanshouldnotdoherbestforamanwhomsheknowstobemaligned?Youdon\'tsuggestthatsheshouldstandsilentlytoonesidewhilepeoplearesayingwhat\'sfalseabouthim?“
“Isaythatit\'sunwiseinPhilistia；thoughIadmitthatitisofthegreatestadvantagetotheman，forpeopleatonceceasemaligninghimandtaketomaligningher。”
“Ifsheisanysortofawomanshewillnotmindthat，howeverunjustitmaybe。Inthiscase，however，Idon\'tthinkthereismuchrisk:
eventhemostunscrupulouspersoncouldhardlysaythat——that——“
“ThatwewerebecomingHerbertCourtland\'schampions，becausewewereinlovewithhim?“
“Well，Idon\'tknow。Wasn\'tthatwhatyoumeanttosuggestpeoplewouldsayofawomanwhobecameaman\'schampion?“
“Somethinginthatway。Howstraightforwardlyyouspeakoutwhat\'sonyourmind！“
“Oh，I\'magirlofto-day。Ihavegotoverallthoseabsurdaffectationsofchildishnesswhichusedtobethoughtfemininelongago。Thegambolsofthekittenwereoncethoughtthemostattractivethingonearth，andtheyareveryinteresting:butforthefull-growncattopretendthatitisperfectlyhappywithaballofworsted，whenallthetimeithasitsheartsetonarealmouse，isnonsense。”
“Thatisanallegory，asubtleparable，Phyllis。ButIfancyIcaninterpretit。Youarequiteright。Menknowthatwe，thefull-growncats，takenointerestintheravelingsofwoolasmediumsofdiversion——thatwehaveourheartssetonmice。Oh，yes！itismuchbettertobestraightforwardinourspeech——itisevensometimesbettertobequitestraightinourwaysaswell。Itusuallypreventsmisunderstanding。Thereisscarcelyasubjectthatwomenmaynottalkabouttomeninthemostdirectway，nowadays。Butaboutthequestionofchampionship——“
HerethedooroftheroomwasthrownopenandMr。HerbertCourtlandwasannounced。
“IquiteforgottomentionthatMr。Courtlandwaslunchingwithusto-day，Phyllis，“saidElla，whileshakinghandswithhervisitor。
“Nowyouwillhaveachanceofgettingtheslave-dealer\'saccountofthewholebusiness。Areyouaslave-dealer，Bertie?Ifso，whydon\'tyouweartheusualbroad-leavedhatofyourorder?“
“ItisIwhoamtheenslavedone，“saidMr。Courtland，layinghishandtotheleftofthebuttonsofhiswhitewaistcoatandbowingthebowoftheearlyyearsofthecentury，withaglanceateachlady。
“Whataprettyreminiscenceoftheageofartificiality！“saidElla；
“andwhatanaptcommentaryuponthesubjectweweretalkingabout，Phyllis！Wewerediscussingthemeritsofdirectnessinspeechandstraightnessineveryway。Wewereridiculingthetimidmaid——allsandalsandsimper——offortyyearsago。Whyshouldmenandwomenhaveevertakenthetroubletobeaffected?Letusgointolunchandeatwiththeappetitesofmenandwomenofthenineties，notwiththenibblingsofsocietyofthefifties。Comealong，Phyllis。Mr。
Courtlandwilltellusallabouthisdreadfulgoingson，hisslave-
dealings，hisdynamitings。Haveyouseenthatarticleinthe——what\'sthenameofthepaper，Phyllis?“
“The/SpiritualAneroid/，“saidPhyllis。
“Ihaven\'tbeensofortunate，“saidhe。
“Thenweshalltakethepaperintothediningroomwithus，andplaceitbeforeyou。Ifyouwereguiltyofthedoingsthatthearticledetails，youwoulddowellto——to——well，toadoptthepicturesquecostumeincidentaltoruffianism——thelinenjacketoftheslave-
trader，themangyfurcollarofthedynamitymanofwar。Haveyouevertraffickedinhumanbeings，Mr。Courtland?“
“Well，yes，“saidhe。“Ihavedonealittleinthatway，Iadmit。”
“Anddynamite——haveyouevermassacredpeoplewithdynamite?“Ellacontinued。
“Well，whenmydynamiteexploded，thepeoplewhowereintheimmediateneighborhoodwereneverjustthesameafterward，“saidhe。
“Finally，didyouallowyourselftobeworshipedasGod?“sheasked。
“Yes，Igotthemtodothat，“hereplied。“Ihaveexperiencedallhumansensations，includingthoseofagodinworkingorder。”
“ThenIhopeyouwillmakeagoodlunch。Webeginwithwhite-bait。”
“Iamquitesatisfiedtobeginwithwhite-bait，“saidhe。
CHAPTERXIII。
EVENTHEHOUSEOFCOMMONSDOESN\'TMATTERMUCH。
“Ididnotintendtostayforlunch，“saidPhyllis，“butyouroverpoweringwillsweptmealongwithit，Ella。ButIhopeyouwillletmesaythatIdon\'tthinkyoushouldjestaboutwhatis——whatsomepeopleatanyratethinkveryserious。”
“PhyllisisofPhilistia，“saidElla，“andPhilistiawasalwaysgiventoordealbychampions。Shethinkstheattackmadeuponyoubytwomissionariesintheirnewspaperorganquitedisgraceful。Itdoesn\'tseemsodisgracefulafterall。”
“Ihaven\'tseentheattack，“saidhe。“ButIfeelittobeverygoodofMissAyrtontothinkitdisgraceful。”
“OfcourseIthoughtitdisgraceful，“saidPhyllis，“andIcametoEllatotalkitallover。Thearticleaccusesyouofatrocities，andsaidthataquestionwouldshortlybeputtotheMinisteroftheAnnexationDepartmentintheHouseofCommons。Now，Iknowthatthereisnothingmyfatherenjoysmorethansnubbingthosedetestablemenwhoendeavortogetupareputationforphilanthropy，andtemperance，andbimetallism，andothervirtues，byputtingquestionsonthepaper；
andhecould，Ithink，asksomecounterquestioninthisparticularcasethatwouldridiculetheoriginalbusybody。”
“Itwasverygoodofyoutothinkso，MissAyrton，“saidhe。“Ican\'tsaythat，personally，ImindalltheattacksthatallthemissionarieswhoearnprecarioussalariesinSouthSeasmaymakeuponme；butI
mustconfessthatIhaveaweaknessforseeingbusybodiesputtoshame。”
“YoumaydependuponMr。Ayrton\'ssatire，“saidElla。“Itnevermissesthepointintheharness。Thebarbofthedartis，Ibelieve，Mr。
Ayrton\'s，thefeatherattheotherendisPhyllis\'。”
“Onlyoncethathappened，“saidPhyllis。“Oh，no！papamanufactureshisowndarts，fromfeathertotip。”
“Butsupposingthatthechargesbroughtagainstmearetrue?“
suggestedMr。Courtland。
“Why，then，can\'tyouseethereisallthegreaterneedforingenuityinyourdefense?“saidElla。
“Itisimpossibletothinkofthechargesastrue，“saidPhyllisstoutly。
“Forexample?“saidhe。
“Well，thearticlesaidthatyouhadmadeslavesofsomeofthenativesofNewGuinea，purchasingthembyapromisetohelpanativechiefagainsthisenemies。”
“Therewasn\'tmuchharminthat:Ididit，“saidhe。
“Andthenitwentontosaythatyoukeptyourpromise，“saidPhyllis。
“What！Theyaccusedmeofkeepingmypromise?“saidhe。“Well，I\'mafraidIcan\'tdenythatchargeeither。”
“Didyoureallyslaughterthenatives?“criedPhyllis。
Theinterestwhichshefeltappearedinhereyes。
“Ididmybestforthesavageswhohadpurchasedmyservices，“hereplied。“Thecampaignwasnotaprotractedone。Twodaysaftertheoutbreakofhostilitiesbroughtthingstoaclimax。Wefoughtourdecisivebattle——theSedanofKingMubamayo。Yousee，IhadatrustworthyWinchester。Ibelievethataboutseventyoftheenemybitthedust。”
“Onlyseventy?Thatwasunworthyofyou，Mr。Courtland，“criedElla。
“Nothingshortofthousandscountsasacivilizedbattle。Seventy！Oh，I\'mafraidyoudon\'tdoyourselfjustice。”
“Ofcourseabattleisabattle，“saidPhyllisstoutly。“Ifyouhadn\'tkilledthemtheywouldhavekilledyou。Youwereintheright，I\'msure。”
“I\'mnotsosureofthat，“saidhe，shakinghishead。“Totellyouthetruth，theelementsofthecrisisofHeadmanGlowabyolaweresomewhatinvolved。Theoriginaldisputewasdifficultforaforeignertounderstand——itwas，infact，theSchleswig-HolsteinquestionofKafalonga。”
“Yousettledit，anyway，“suggestedElla。“YouweretheBismarckofwhat\'s-its-name?“
“IdoubledthepartsofBismarckandVonMoltke，“saidhe。
“Andthat\'swhytheyworshipedyouastheirgod?Idon\'twonderattheheatheninhisblindnessdoingthat。AnymanwhowasthesameasBismarckandVonMoltkewouldcertainlyshoulderadeityoutofhisway，“laughedElla。
“Itsohappened，however，thatmydeificationwasdueneithertomyrecognitionasadiplomatistnorasamilitarystrategist，“saidtheexplorer。“No，theywantedsomethingbeyondthemerefightingmantoworship，andmyknowledgeofthatfactcombinedwiththeirpaeansofvictory——tothe/obbligato/ofasolidiron-wooddrumbeatenwiththethighbonesoftheconquered——tokeepmeawakeatnight。ButonemorningtheheadmancameuponmewhenIwasabouttoboilmykettletomakemyselfacupoftea。Ihadasmalllampthatburnedspirits，andhestoodbywhileIfilleditupfromthebottlethatIcarriedwithme。Hetookitforgrantedthatthespiritwaswater，andhewasgreatlyimpressedwhenhesawitflareupasIappliedalightedmatchtoit。HeaskedmeifIpossessedthepowertosetwaterinablaze，andIassuredhimthatthatwassomethingforwhichIhadlongbeencelebrated；addingthatwhenIhadhadmybreakfastImeanttowhileawayanhourortwobysettingfiretotheoceanitself。Heimploredofmetoreconsidermydecision，andwhenIhadpouredalittlespiritintothehollowofmyhandandlighteditinthepresenceofhismosteminentscientists，theysaidthattheyalsodesiredtoassociatethemselveswiththeheadman\'spetition。Iwas，however，inexorable；I
walkeddowntothebeachandhadjuststruckamatchonthebrinkoftheoceanwhenthewholetribeprostratedthemselvesaroundme，promisingtocontinueworshipingmeifIwouldonlystaymyhand。
Well，whatcouldIdo?Iweaklyyieldedandsparedthemultitudinousseafrombeingthemediumofwhatwouldinalllikelihoodhavebeenthegreatestconflagrationonrecord。Fromthatmoment，I\'mhappytosay，theyworshipedmeastheirsupremedeity，andI\'mboundtosaythatIbehavedassuch；Iwascertainlythemostsuperiorclassofgodtheyhadeverhad，andtheygavemeatestimonialtothiseffectincaseImighteverbelookingoutforanewsituation。”
“Thatwashowyoumanagedtogetsuchacollectionofbirds，includingmymeteor-bird，“saidElla。“ButPhyllisofPhilistiaisshockedatthebarerecitalofsuchataleofidolatry。Areyounot，Phyllis?“
“IthinkIamalittleshocked，“saidPhyllis。Shedidnotsaythatherfirstthoughtjustthenwasthatthefeatherfanwasnot，afterall，thepriceofblood:itwassomethingmuchworse。“Itwasanencouragementofidolatry，wasitnot，Mr。Courtland?“
“Scarcely，“saidhe。“Onthecontrary，itwasanhonestattempttoleadthemfromtheiridolstosomethinghigherandbetter。”
“Youaresomethinghigherandbetter，“suggestedElla。
“Quiteso；Iamalittlelowerthantheangels，butagooddealhigherthantheawfulimagewhichtheyworshipedbeforeIturnedup，“saidhe。“ThewholetribeadmittedinthemosthonorablemannerthatIwasbyfarthebestgodtheyhadeverhad；theyhadnotanunluckydaysolongastheyworshipedme，andIretainedmyWinchesterandafullsupplyofcartridges。”
“Thetestimonywasflattering，“saidElla。“ButstillPhyllisisshocked。”
“Iam，“saidPhyllis。“IbelieveinGod。Mr。CourtlandbelievesinaPrinciple。”
“Anyhow，Iledsomethousandsofsavagesfromidolatryandcannibalismtosomethinghigher，andthat\'sabetterrecordthanmostgodsofmyacquaintancecanshow。Everythingmustbedonegraduallytobedonepermanently。Nothingcouldbemoreabsurdthanthe/modusoperandi/ofyourmissionary。MostofthemhavegotridoftheirChristianitytomakewayfortheirtheology。Theyendeavortoinculcateuponthenativesthemostsubtlepointsoftheirtheologicalsystem，immediatelyaftertheyhavepreachedagainstthewickednessofeconomyinthematterofclothing。”
“Alargemissionaryworkmightbedoneamonghusbandsathome，“
saidElla。“Butwhataboutthedynamite，thatisthechargewhichstillhandsoveryou——achargeofdynamite?“
“Thatwasmyworsthour，“saidCourtland。“IhadgoneuptheFlyRiverinmysteamlaunchtoapointneverpreviouslyreachedbyaEuropean。
Iwasfortunateenoughtogetsomespecimensthathadneverbeenseenbefore，andIwasreturningtothecoast。MyengineerandIwerecapturedwhenashoreonenightgettingfuelforourfurnace。Theytookusintotheforestalongway，bindingourhandswiththefiberofoneofthecreepers，andIhadnotroublewhatevergatheringthatitwastheirintentiontomakeafeastofus——asortofhightea，itwastobe，fortheybeganbrewingtheherbswhichIknewtheyusedonlywhentheywerecannibalizing。Wewerecourteouslypermittedtowatchthesepreparations，foritwasrightlyassumedthattheywouldbeinsomedegreeinterestingtous。Wewere，indeed，greatlyinterestedinallwesaw，butmuchmoresowhen，towardevening，anumberofthenativesarrivedonthescenecarryingwiththemsomeofthestoreswhichtheyhadfoundaboardthesteamlaunch。Theybrokeopenwithastonehatchetsometinsofpreservedmeat，andseemedtoenjoythecontentsgreatly。Thebiscuitstheydidn\'tcareformuch，andthecakesofsoapwhichtheybegantoeatcouldnothonestlybesaidtobeanentiresuccessascomestibles。Butwhilewewatchedthematthese/horsd\'oeuvres/tothebanquetatwhichwewereexpectedtotakeaprominentpart，astragglercameupwithsomereservesupplies；Isawthem；tinsofdynamite——wecarrieddynamiteforblowingupthesnagsthatobstructedthenarrowerreachesoftheriver。Wewatchedthethievescrowdaroundthebearerofthetins，andwesawthatthegeneralimpressionthatprevailedinregardtothemwasthattheyhadcomeuponsomeofthemosthighlyconcentratedbeeftheyhadeverhadintheirhands。Whentheylaidthetinsamongthehotashesoftheirfiresandbegantobreakthemopenwiththeirstonehatchets，myengineerthoughtwithmethatalltheinteresttherewouldbeinthesubsequentproceedingscouldnotpossiblycompensateusforthewasteofprecioustimewhichwouldbeentailedbyourremaining。Weboltedinspiteofourfetteredhands，butbeforewehadgotmorethanacoupleofhundredyardsfromthecamp，theretookplacetheseverestearthquake，coincidentalwithathunderstormandthesaluteofabatteryofathousandheavyguns。Wewerewhirledintotheairlikefeathersinabreeze，butmanagedtocling——ourbondsbeingbroken——tosomeoftheboughsamongwhichwefoundourselves。Shortlyafterward，aquarterofanhourorso，therecameontheheaviestshowerIhadeverexperienced。Suchadownpourofbranchesoftrees，gnarledroots，brokenfruits，birds\'feathers，mutilatedapesofmanyspecies，and——
well，anatomicalspecimens！Itwentonandonuntiltheboughsaroundusweremadeintosplintersandwewerebeatentothegroundwiththeforceofthosemissiles，allthedenseforestaroundusechoingtotheshrieksoftheloriesandparrots，themonkeysandthewildcats。”
“Andnowthemissionaries，“saidElla，afterapause。
“Andwhathappenedafterthat?“whisperedPhyllis。
Heshookhishead。
“Afterthatwecameaway，“hesaid。“Wecouldn\'tseethattherewasanyneedforustostayloafingabouttheforestwhenwehadourbusinesstomindinanotherdirection。Ittookustwodays，however，findingourlaunch。”
“Andthatiswhatthemissionariescallyourdynamiteoutrageagainstthenatives?“saidElla。
“Soitwouldseem，“saidhe。“Isupposetheymanagedtogetsomeaccountofthebusiness；onecan\'thushupadynamiteoutrageevenintheinteriorofNewGuinea。”
“Butwhatagrossmisrepresentationoffactsitwastosaythatyouhadmassacredthenatives，“criedPhyllisindignantly。
Helaughedwithashrug。
“Oh，wemustalllive，“hesaid。
“Unlessthosewhotreattinsofdynamiteasthoughtheyweretinsofbrawn，“saidElla。ThenturningtoPhyllisshesmiled。
Phyllishadnodifficultyinterpretingthesmile。
“Yes，“shesaid，“youropinionwasquitecorrect:Mr。Courtlanddoesn\'tcarewhatpeoplesay，anditdoesn\'tmatterintheleastwhattheydosay，orwhatfalsehoodsarespreadabroad。”
“Notinthesmallestdegree，“saidElla。“HerbertCourtlandisstillHerbertCourtland。”
“ButsofarasIcangather，“saidMr。Courtland，“allthatthemissionariessaidofmewassubstantiallycorrect。”
“Readthepaperandyouwillseehowdetestablyfalseallthechargesare，“criedPhyllis，rising，——theservantshadnowlefttheroom，——andpickingupthe/SpiritualAneroid/fromwhereEllahadlaiditonachair。
HerbertCourtlandhadnotyetopenedit。Hetookitfromher，saying:
“Thankyou，MissAyrton。ButIreallydon\'tseethatitconcernsmeverymuchwhetherornotthechargesbroughtagainstmearetrueorfalse。Thematteriscertainlyoneforthe——the——ah——/SpiritualAneroid/anditsspecial/clientele/。”
“ButaquestionistobeaskedaboutitintheHouseofCommons。I
saidsojustnow，“criedPhyllis。
“AndeventheHouseofCommonsdoesn\'tmattermuch，“saidElla。
“Thatiswhatpapathought，“saidPhyllismeekly。“OnlyIknowthatifMr。Courtlandthoughtitworthnoticing，papawouldbequitepleasedtoputacounterquestion。ThatiswhyIcamehereto-day。”
“Itwassogoodofyou，“saidtheman。
“MyPhyllisisallthatisgood。Letusreturntothedrawingroom，“
saidElla，rising。
Theyreturnedtothedrawingroom；butwhentheyhadbeenintheapartmentforperhapsfourminutes，certainlynotfive，PhyllissaiditwasnecessaryforhertohurryhomeinorderthattheafternoonlettersshouldbesenttoherfatherattheHouse。
Withanotherwordofappreciationofherkindness，Mr。Courtlandheldherhandasecondlongerthanwasabsolutelynecessarytomaintainacharacterforcivility。
“Sheisthemostcharminggirlintheworld，“remarkedEllatothevisitor，whoremainedwhenPhyllishadleft。
“Isshe?“saidhe。
“Iknowit。Don\'tyou?“askedshe。
“HowdoIknow?“hesaid。“Ihavethoughtnothingaboutit。Ifyousaysheischarming，Iampleasedtohearit。Itmattersnomoretomethattheworldisfullofcharminggirlsthanthatthekrakenisstillatthebottomofthesea。Onewomanfillsallmythoughts。Myheartisfullofher。”
“Andyouwanthertoriskthesalvationofhersoulforyou?“
“Yes；thatisjustwhatIwant。”
Heremainedwithherforanotherhour。
CHAPTERXIV。
THEHONORABLEMEMBERISCLEARLYOUTOFORDER。
Mr。Ayrtonmethisdaughterthenextmorningwiththegoodnewsthathehadfoundamonghisspecimencasesofphrases，onethatwouldeffectuallysilencethememberfromWaleswhohadbeennominatedbytheNonconformistEasternMissionarySocietytoputthatquestiontotheministeroftheAnnexationDepartmentonthesubjectofMr。
Courtland，theexplorer。Mr。Ayrtonwasthebetterpleasedathisdiscovery，becauseoftheinoffensivenatureofthephrasewhichhehadtakenoutofitscase，sotospeak。Asarule，hedidnotmindbeingoffensiveifonlyhisphrasewasapt。Onlypeoplewhohadnoartisticappreciationfoundfaultwiththetoneofsomeofhismostnotablephrases。Hedidnotmindwhethertheywerejustorunjust，theysaid。Asifamancanbebothhonestandwittyatthesametime！
Itsohappened，however，thatthepartytowhichMr。Ayrtonbelongedhadbecomegreatlyconcernedinrespectofanelementthathadjustcometothesurfacetostillfurthercomplicatethecourseofpolitics。ThiswastheNonconformistConscience——hithertoa/quantitenegligeable/inthecalculationsoftheleaders，butnowonethatitappearedabsolutelynecessarytotakeintoaccountasafactor。Tobesure，therewereagoodmanypeoplewhoputtheirtonguesintheircheekswhenanymentionwasmadeoftheNonconformistConscience:theysaiditwasnomoretobetakenseriouslythantheSpectorontheBrockenortheAthanasianCreed。Itwasonlythetrickofanelectioneeringagentdesirousofescapingfromanuntenableposition。
Therewereotherpersons，however(mostlyNonconformists)，whowerefoundreadytodeclarethattheNonconformistConsciencewasaGreatandLivingTruth。Theonlypointuponwhichstatesmenofallpartieswereagreedwasthatitwasworthpurchasing。TheNonconformiststhemselves，uponwhomtheGreatandLivingTruthwassprung，hadnonotionatfirstthatitcouldbeturnedintoanegotiablesecurityoccupyingashighaplaceinthemarketas，say，Argentinebonds。Butitdidnottakethemverylongtofindoutthatevenanabstractionsuchasthiscouldbeturnedtogoodaccountbydiscreetmaneuvering。
Truthsometimesisheardonanelectionplatform，andyettruthisbutanabstractquality。Why，thenshouldnotaGreatandLivingTruthbecomearegulargoldminetoitsinventor?Itwasasgreataninventionastheartofelectroplating，whichitcloselyresembled，andaquiteasnicethingcouldbemadeoutofitbyalittledexterousmanipulation。Iftheconscienceissilver，theNonconformistConscienceisatleastelectroplateofafirst-classquality，itwasargued；andapoliticalmanifesto，whichwaspracticallyafinancialprospectus，wasissuedwithaviewoffloatingtheNonconformistConscienceCompany，Limited。
Englishpoliticscannotbyanypossibilityberegardedasanexactscience；andthusitwasthatallpoliticalpartieswereatthistimemakingbidsforsharesintheenterprise。Theleadersofoneparty，infact，expressedthemselvesreadytobuyupthewholeconcern，andtheyactuallytenderedbillspayableattwelvemonthsforallthevendors\'
interest，anditwasonlywhenthesebillsbecamedueandwerereturneddishonoredthattheshadowycharacterofthetransactionwasmadeplain，andthecountrywasconvulsedatthedisclosureofthefactthatthevendorshaddisposedofaperfectlyworthlessinvention，andthatthepurchasershadpaidforitbypromisesthatwereequallyworthless。
Allthishappenedlater，however；whenthefusswasmadeabouttheatrocitiesbyanexplorerinNewGuinea，andMr。Ayrtonwascontemplatingacounterquestionthatshouldcastridiculeuponthemissionariesandtheirchampion，hewasgiventounderstandbytheleadersofhisparty，who，itwasbelieved，hadasmallparcelofbaronetciesdoneupinofficialtwine，withblankspacesforthenameandaddressineach，awaitingdistributionatthefirstchangeofGovernment，thathemusttakenostepthatmightjeopardizetherelationsofthepartywiththevendorsoftheNonconformistsConscience。The/SpiritualAneroid/wastheleadingNonconformistorgan，anditwouldnotdotosneeratthemissionarieswhomitsupported。Itwouldbebetterthatalltheexplorerswhohadeverriskedtheirlivesonbehalfofcivilizationshouldgobytheboardthanthatasinglevoteshouldbelosttotheparty，hewasassuredbytheSeniorWhip。
Thiswasratherirritatingtotheartistinphrases；becauseitstoodtoreasonthatthemajorityofhisphraseswerecalculatedtobehurtfultohisopponents。Hewasthusquiteelatedwhenhecameuponsomethingwhichwould，hefeltsure，callcommentinthepressattheexpenseofthememberfromWaleswithoutcastinganyslightuponNonconformistMissionaryenterprise。
Hereadoutthethingtohisdaughter，andhewassurprisedtofindthatshewasnotappreciativeofitsuniquecharm。Thiswasrathertoobad，hefelt，consideringthatitwasshewhohadenlistedhisservicesinthisparticularmatter。
“Idon\'tthinkMr。CourtlandwantsanybodytotakehispartinParliamentoroutofit，“saidshe。“Andthat\'swhyIthinkitwouldbebettertoletthatMr。Apthomasaskhisquestionwithoutinterruption。WhatcantheMinisterofAnnexationsayexceptthathehasnoinformationonthesubject，andthatifhehadhecouldnotinterfere，ashehadnojurisdictionontheFlyRiver?“
“Thatiswhathewillreplyasamatterofcourse，“saidherfather。
“ButthatwillnotpreventthenewspapersthatareonthesideofWalesandthemissionariesfromsayingwhattheypleaseinthewayofcommentontheatrocitiesinNewGuinea。”
“Mr。Courtlandwillnotmindwhatevertheymaysay，“criedPhyllis。
“ThatwastheviewItookofthematterinregardtoMr。Courtland\'sattitudewhenyoumentionedittomeatfirst，“saidhe。“Ididn\'tsupposethathewasthemantobebrokendownbecausesomefoolishpaperattackshim；butyouwereemphaticinyourdenunciationoftheinjusticethatwouldbeliabletobedoneif——“
“Oh，IhadonlyspokenforabouthalfanhourtoMr。Courtlandthen，“
saidPhyllis。“IthinkIknowhimbetternow。”
“Yes，youhavespokenwithhimforanotherhalfhour；youthereforeknowhimtwiceaswellasyoudid，“remarkedherfather。“Iwonderifheadmittedtoyouhavingdoneallthathewasaccusedofdoing。”
HesawinamomentfromthelittleuneasymovementofhereyesthathehadmadeanexcellentguessatthegeneralresultoftheconversationatMrs。Linton\'slittlelunch。HehadnotyetsucceededinobtaininganydetailsfromhisdaughterregardinghervisittoElla。ShehadmerelytoldhimthatEllahadkepthertolunch，andthatMr。
Courtlandhadbeentherealso。
“Yes。Idobelievethatheadmittedeverything，“hecontinued，withalaughashethoughthowcleverhewas。(Hehadfrequentreasonsforlaughingthatlaugh。)
“No，“saidPhyllisdoubtfully；“hedidnotadmiteverything。”
“Therewassomereservation?PerhapsitwasmelinitethatheemployedforthemassacreoftheinnocentsofNewGuinea，notdynamite。”
“No；itwasdynamite。Butthenativeshadstolenitfromhissteamlaunchandtheyexplodeditthemselves。”
Mr。Ayrtonlaybackinhischairconvulsedwithlaughter。
“Andthatisthetruestoryofthedynamitemassacre?“hecried。“Thatishowitcomesthat，inthewordsofthe/Aneroid/，theworksofevangelizationonNonconformistprinciplesislikelytoberetardedforsometime?Themissionariesarequiterighttoo。Andwhatabouthismiracles——theysuggestedamiracle，didn\'tthey?“
“Oh，thatwassomefoolishnessaboutsettingspiritsofwineonfire，“
saidPhyllis。“Thenativesthoughtthatitwaswater，youknow。”
Mr。Ayrtonlaughedmoreheartilythanbefore。
“Thatisthecrowninginfamy，“hecried。“MydearPhyllis，itwouldbequiteimpossibletoallowsodeliciousaseriesofmissionarymuddlestopassunnoticed。IthinkIseemywayclearlyinthematter。”
Sheknewthathedid。Sheknewthatheregardedmostincidentsinthepoliticalworldmerelyasfeederstohisphrase-makingcapacity。SheknewthatitwouldbeimpossibletorepresshimnowinthematterofCourtlandandthemissionaries；shefullyrealizedthefeelingsofFrankenstein。
Onlytheweakestprotestdidshemakeagainstherfather\'sintendedaction；andthuswhenthedaycameforMr。Apthomas\'question，thatgentlemanfromWalesinquired，“IfHerMajesty\'sMinisterforAnnexationscouldgivetheHouseanyinformationregardingtheso-
calledexplorationsofMr。HerbertCourtlandintheislandofNewGuinea，particularlyinrespectofamassacreofnativesbydynamiteintheregionoftheFlyRiver；andifitwastruethatthegentlemanjustnamedhadpermittedhimselftobeworshipedasagodbytheaboriginesofanotherregion；andifHerMajesty\'sMinisterforDomesticAffairswaspreparedtosaythatitwaslegalforoneofHerMajesty\'ssubjectstoassumetheprivilegesandfunctionsofagod，andiftheFirstLordoftheTreasurywaspreparedtocommunicatetotheHousewhatcourse，ifany，HerMajesty\'sgovernmentmeanttoadoptwithaviewtothepreventionofsimilaroutragesinthesameregioninthefuture?“
Mr。AyrtonrosebeforetheMinisteroftheAnnexationDepartmenthadquiteconcludedhisyawn，andsaidhetrustedthathewasinorder(criesof“Yes，yes，“fromthosememberswhoknewthatthehonorablememberhadanenliveningphrasewhichhewantedtogetridof)ininquiring，inconnectionwiththesamesubject，iftherighthonorablegentlemancouldinformtheHouseiftherewasanytruthinthereportcurrentinfinancialandothercirclesthattheobjectoftheexplorationsofMr。HerbertCourtlandwasthediscoveryofasmallmammaloftheporcinetribe，andifoneoftheLawOfficersoftheCrownwaspreparedtoassuretheHousethatitwouldbecontrarytotheprovisionsoftheCompaniesAct，andtheCompaniesActAmendmentAct，topermitthisNewGuineapigtoassumethefunctionsofthedirectorofLimitedLiabilityCompanies，whosedirectoratewaslargelycomposedofmembersofbothHousesofParliament(greatlaughterfromhonorablegentlemenwhowereawarethattheMr。Apthomashadnoincomebeyondtheremunerationhereceivedasadirectorofcompanies)；andifHerMajesty\'sMinisterforAgriculturewaspreparedtostatethatitwastheintentionofHerMajesty\'sGovernmenttoprohibittheintroductionof，atanyratethemalesofthemammalsjustreferredto，consideringtherapidincreaseinrepresentativeassembliesoftheEnglishorWelshbore——(Greatlaughter，whichpreventedtheconcludingwordsofthesentencebeingaudibleinthegallery。)
THESPEAKER:Order！order！ThehonorablememberforHazelboroughmustconfinehimselfstrictlytotheissuedraisedbythehonorablegentlemanfromWales。ThehonorablememberforHazelboroughisonlypermittedtofollowthehonorablegentlemanfromWalesbytheindulgenceoftheHouse。
MR。AYRTON:Sir，Ibowtotherulingofthechair，andwillcontinuebyinquiringifHerMajesty\'sMinisterforthePublicWorshipDepartmentcanstatetotheHouseifitistruethatanewspaperpublishedwithinthePrincipalityofWalesrecentlymadetheannouncementthatthehonorablememberwhohadjustmadeinquiriesregardingtheexplorationofMr。HerbertCourtland，wastheidolofhisconstituents[Laughter，andcriesof“Order！“]，andiftherighthonorablegentlemanispreparedtostatethattheprovisionsoftheIdolatryActare——
THESPEAKER:Thehonorablememberisclearlyoutoforder。ThequestionofidolatryinWalesisnotatpresentbeforetheHouse。
MR。AYRTON:Sir，IgivenoticethatnextsessionIshallmovearesolutionregardingidolatryinthePrincipalityofWales[Laughterandcheers。]
TheministerforAnnexationwasabouttorisewhenMR。MUDLARKY(Ballynamuck)askediftheintroductionoftheguineapigswouldbeprejudicialtotheinterestsofthehigherandnoblerIrishanimalwho，hewouldremindtheMinisterforPublicWorship，wasnottobeconfoundedwiththeherdwhoseexamplewasclearlyemulatedbythepresentgovernmentinseekingself-destructionbyrunningdownasteepplaceintothesea。(Criesof“Order，order！“)Iftherewasanydoubtbefore，thehonorablemembercontinued，astotheinfluencewhichwasatworkinthatGadareneherd，whichassumedthefunctionsofHerMajesty\'sgovernment，thesoundsthatnowcamefromtheTreasuryBencheswouldconvinceeventhemostskepticalthatsacredhistoryissometimesrepeatedbyprofane，buthecouldnotcomplimentthedevils，whohadthebadtasteto——(SeveralhonorablemembershereroseamidthecheersoftheIrishMembers，andasceneofconfusiontookplace。)
THESPEAKER[sternly]:Order，Order！ThehonorablememberfromBallynamuckmustresumehisseat。Heisoutoforder。ThequestionbeforetheHouseisnotthegoodtasteofdemoniacvisitants。Icallupontherighthonorablegentleman，theMinisterfortheDepartmentofAnnexation。
MR。McCULLUM(BlairpukeyBurghs):Mr。Speaker，onemoment。Tosavetime，willtherighthonorablegentlemansayiftheHighlandCrofters，whoselandwasstolenfromtheminorderthatthemembersoftheUpperHouse——
THESPEAKER:Order！TheMinisterfortheDepartmentofAnnexation。
MR。BLISTER(Battersea，Mid):Mr。Speaker，thoughIdon\'tdoanyworkmyself，I\'mtherepresentativeoflabor，onlythosecontemptibleskunks，theworkingmen，don\'tseethattheyhaveamanforaleader——aman，that\'sme——that\'sJoeBlister。AndastheUpperHousehasbeenintroduced，I\'llrun，eat，orswearwiththebestofthatlotoftap-
roomloafers；I\'lldoanythingbutfightthem——except，ofcourse，onalaborplatform，andif——
THESPEAKER:Thehonorablememberisoutoforder。TheMinisterfortheDepartmentofAnnexations。
THEMINISTERFORANNEXATIONS:No，sir；Ihavenoinformation[Cheersandlaughter。]
TheHousethenwentintoCommitteeofSupply。
