This contention was too plain to be combated by the girl.  She did not for a moment see her way out of the amazing logic of the lady.  Quite a minute had passed before she said: 

“If he propounds such views without having a firm conviction that they are true, he has acted a contemptible part, Lady Earlscourt.  I think far too highly of him to entertain for a single moment the idea that he is not sincere.”

“But if you believe that he is sincere, why should you say that you will not marry him?”

“I would not marry an atheist, however sincere he might be.”

“An atheist!  But Mr. Holland is not an atheist; on the contrary, he actually believes that there are two Gods; one worshiped of the Jews long ago, the other by us nowadays.  An atheist!  Oh, no!”

“I’m afraid that I can’t explain to you, dear Lady Earlscourt.”

Once more Phyllis shook her head with some degree of sadness.  She felt that it would indeed be impossible for her to explain to this lady of logic that she believed the truth to be a horizon line, and that any opinion which was a little above this line was as abhorrent as any that was a little below it.

“If you are stubborn, God may marry you to a Dissenter yet,” said Lady Earlscourt solemnly.

Phyllis smiled and shook her head again.

“Oh, you needn’t shake your head, my dear,” resumed Lady Earlscourt.  “I’ve known of such judgments falling on girls before now—­yes, when the Dissenters were well off.  But no Dissenter rides straight to hounds.”

Phyllis laughed.

“More logic,” she said, and shook hands with her friend.

“That girl has another man in her eye,” said her friend sagaciously, when Phyllis had left her opposite her own tea-table.  “But I don’t despair; if we can only persuade our bishop to prosecute George Holland, she may return to him all right.”

She invariably referred to the bishop as if he were a member of the Earlscourt household; but it was understood that the bishop had never actually accepted the responsibilities incidental to such a position; though he had his views on the subject of Lady Earlscourt’s cook.

This interview had taken place a week before the dinner party for which Phyllis was carefully dressed by her maid Fidele while Herbert Courtland was walking away from the house.  In spite of her logic, Lady Earlscourt now and again stumbled across the truth.  When it occurred to her that Phyllis had another man in her eye,—­the phrase was Lady Earlscourt’s and it served very well to express her meaning,—­she had made some careful inquiries on the subject of the girl’s male visitors, and she had, of course, found out that no other man occupied that enviable position; no social oculist would be required to remove the element which, in Lady Earlscourt’s estimation, caused Phyllis’ vision to be distorted.

George Holland was at the dinner.  Phyllis had been asked very quietly by the hostess if she would mind being taken in by George Holland; if she had the least feeling on the matter, Sir Lionel Greatorex would not mind taking her instead of Mrs. Vernon-Brooke.  But Phyllis had said that of course she would be delighted to sit beside Mr. Holland.  Mr. Holland was one of her best friends.