the burning spear-第1节

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　The　Burning　Spear


by　John　Galsworthy









Being　the　Experiences　of　Mr。　John　Lavender　in　the　Time　of　War



Recorded　by：　A。　R。　PM　　　＇John　Galsworthy＇





＇NOTE：　John　Galsworthy　said　of　this　work：　〃The　Burning　Spear〃　was　revenge

of　the　nerves。　　Was　it　bad　enough　to　have　to　bear　the　dreads　and　strains

and　griefs　of　war。〃　　Several　years　after　its　first　publication　he

admitted　authorship　and　it　was　included　in　the　collected　edition　of　his

works　D。W。＇





　　　　　　　　　〃With　a　heart　of　furious　fancies；

　　　　　　　　　　Whereof　I　am　commander；

　　　　　　　　　　With　a　burning　spear　and　a　horse　of　air

　　　　　　　　　　In　the　wilderness　I　wander；

　　　　　　　　　　With　a　night　of　ghosts　and　shadows

　　　　　　　　　　I　summoned　am　to　tourney

　　　　　　　　　　Ten　leagues　beyond　the　wide　world's　end

　　　　　　　　　　For　me　it　is　no　journey。〃



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　TOM　O'BEDLAM











THE　BURNING　SPEAR







I



THE　HERO



In　the　year　　there　dwelt　on　Hampstead　Heath　a　small　thin　gentleman　of

fifty…eight；　gentle　disposition；　and　independent　means；　whose　wits　had

become　somewhat　addled　from　reading　the　writings　and　speeches　of　public

men。　　The　castle　which；　like　every　Englishman；　he　inhabited　was　embedded

in　lilac　bushes　and　laburnums；　and　was　attached　to　another　castle；

embedded；　in　deference　to　our　national　dislike　of　uniformity；　in　acacias

and　laurustinus。　　Our　gentleman；　whose　name　was　John　Lavender；　had　until

the　days　of　the　Great　War　passed　one　of　those　curious　existences　are

sometimes　to　be　met　with；　in　doing　harm　to　nobody。　　He　had　been　brought

up　to　the　Bar；　but　like　most　barristers　had　never　practised；　and　had

spent　his　time　among　animals　and　the　wisdom　of　the　past。　　At　the　period

in　which　this　record　opens　he　owned　a　young　female　sheep…dog　called

Blink；　with　beautiful　eyes　obscured　by　hair；　and　was　attended　to　by　a

thin　and　energetic　housekeeper；　in　his　estimation　above　all　weakness；

whose　name　was　Marian　Petty；　and　by　her　husband；　his　chauffeur；　whose

name　was　Joe。



It　was　the　ambition　of　our　hero　to　be；　like　all　public　men；　without　fear

and　without　reproach。　　He　drank　not；　abstained　from　fleshly　intercourse；

and　habitually　spoke　the　truth。　　His　face　was　thin；　high　cheek…boned；　and

not　unpleasing；　with　one　loose　eyebrow　over　which　he　had　no　control；　his

eyes；　bright　and　of　hazel　hue；　looked　his　fellows　in　the　face　without

seeing　what　was　in　it。　　Though　his　moustache　was　still　dark；　his　thick

waving　hair　was　permanently　white；　for　his　study　was　lined　from　floor　to

ceiling　with　books；　pamphlets；　journals；　and　the　recorded　utterances　of

great　mouths。　　He　was　of　a　frugal　habit；　ate　what　was　put　before　him

without　question；　and　if　asked　what　he　would　have；　invariably　answered：

〃What　is　there？〃　without　listening　to　the　reply。　　For　at　mealtimes　it　was

his　custom　to　read　the　writings　of　great　men。



〃Joe；〃　he　would　say　to　his　chauffeur；　who　had　a　slight　limp；　a　green

wandering　eye；　and　a　red　face；　with　a　rather　curved　and　rather　redder

nose；　〃You　must　read　this。〃



And　Joe　would　answer：



〃Which　one　is　that；　sir？〃



〃Hummingtop；　a　great　man；　I　think；　Joe。〃



〃A　brainy　chap；　right　enough；　sir。〃



〃He　has　done　wonders　for　the　country。　　Listen　to　this。〃　　　And　Mr。

Lavender　would　read　as　follows：　〃If　I　had　fifty　sons　I　would　give　them

all。　　〃If　I　had　forty　daughters　they　should　nurse　and　scrub　and　weed　and

fill　shells；　if　I　had　thirty　country…houses　they　should　all　be　hospitals；

if　I　had　twenty　pens　I　would　use　them　all　day　long；　if　had　ten　voices

they　should　never　cease　to　inspire　and　aid　my　country。〃



〃If　'e　had　nine　lives；〃　interrupted　Joe；　with　a　certain　suddenness；　〃'e'd

save　the　lot。〃



Mr。　Lavender　lowered　the　paper。



〃I　cannot　bear　cynicism；　Joe；　there　is　no　quality　so　unbecoming　to　a

gentleman。〃



〃Me　and　'im　don't　put　in　for　that；　sir。〃



〃Joe；　Mr。　Lavender　would　say　you　are；　incorrigible。。。。〃



Our　gentleman；　in　common　with　all　worthy　of　the　name；　had　a　bank…book；

which；　in　hopes　that　it　would　disclose　an　unsuspected　balance；　he　would

have　〃made　up〃　every　time　he　read　an　utterance　exhorting　people　to　invest

and　save　their　country。



One　morning　at　the　end　of　May；　finding　there　was　none；　he　called　in　his

housekeeper　and　said：



〃Mrs。　Petty；　we　are　spending　too　much；　we　have　again　been　exhorted　to

save。　　Listen！　　'Every　penny　diverted　from　prosecution　of　the　war　is　one

more　spent　in　the　interests　of　the　enemies　of　mankind。　　No　patriotic

person；　I　am　confident；　will　spend　upon　him　or　herself　a　stiver　which

could　be　devoted　to　the　noble　ends　so　near　to　all　our　hearts。　　Let　us

make　every　spare　copper　into　bullets　to　strengthen　the　sinews　of　war！'

A　great　speech。　　What　can　we　do　without？〃



〃The　newspapers；　sir。〃



〃Don't　be　foolish；　Mrs。　Petty。　　From　what　else　could　we　draw　our

inspiration　and　comfort　in　these　terrible　days？〃



Mrs。　Petty　sniffed。　　〃Well；　you　can't　eat　less　than　you　do；〃　she　said；

〃but　you　might　stop　feedin'　Blink　out　of　your　rationsthat　I　do　think。〃



〃I　have　not　found　that　forbidden　as　yet　in　any　public　utterance；〃

returned　Mr。　Lavender；　〃but　when　the　Earl　of　Betternot　tells　us　to　stop；

I　shall　follow　his　example；　you　may　depend　on　that。　　The　country　comes

before　everything。　　〃Mrs。　Petty　tossed　her　head　and　murmured　darkly



〃Do　you　suppose　he's　got　an　example；　Sir？〃



〃Mrs。　Petty；〃　replied　Mr。　Lavender；　〃that　is　quite　unworthy　of　you。　　But；

tell　me；　what　can　we　do　without？〃



〃I　could　do　without　Joe；〃　responded　Mrs。　Petty；　〃now　that　you're　not

using　him　as　chauffeur。〃



〃Please　be　serious。　　Joe　is　an　institution；　besides；　I　am　thinking　of

offering　myself　to　the　Government　as　a　speaker　now　that　we　may　use　gas。〃



Ah！〃　said　Mrs。　Petty。



〃I　am　going　down　about　it　to…morrow。〃



〃Indeed；　sir！〃



〃I　feel　my　energies　are　not　fully　employed。〃



〃No；　sir？〃



〃By　the　way；　there　was　a　wonderful　leader　on　potatoes　yesterday。　　We　must

dig　up　the　garden。　　Do　you　know　what　the　subsoil　is？〃



〃Brickbats　and　dead　cats；　I　expect；　sir。〃



〃Ah！　　We　shall　soon　improve　that。　　Every　inch　of　land　reclaimed　is　a　nail

in　the　coffin　of　our　common　enemies。〃



And　going　over　to　a　bookcase；　Mr。　Lavender　took　out　the　third　from　the

top　of　a　pile　of　newspapers。　　〃Listen！〃　he　said。　　〃'The　problem　before　us

is　the　extraction　of　every　potential　ounce　of　food。　　No　half　measures

must　content　us。　　Potatoes！　　Potatoes！　　No　matter　how；　where；　when　the

prime　national　necessity　is　now　the　growth　of　potatoes。　　All　Britons

should　join　in　raising　a　plant　which　may　be　our　very　salvation。



〃Fudge！〃　murmured　Mrs。　Petty。



Mr。　Lavender　read　on；　and　his　eyes　glowed。



〃Ah！〃　he　thought；　〃I；　too；　can　do　my　bit　to　save　England。。。。　It　needs　but

the　spark　to　burn　away　the　dross　of　this　terrible　horse…sense　which　keeps

the　country　back。



〃Mrs。　Petty！〃　　But　Mrs。　Petty　was　already　not。



　　　　　　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。



The　grass　never　grew　under　the　feet　of　Mr。　Lavender；　No　sooner　had　he

formed　his　sudden　resolve　than　he　wrote　to　what　he　conceived　to　be　the

proper　quarter；　and　receiving　no　reply；　went　down　to　the　centre　of　the

official　world。　　It　was　at　time　of　change　and　no　small　national

excitement；　brooms　were　sweeping　clean；　and　new　offices　had　arisen

everywhere。　　Mr。　Lavender　passed　bewildered　among　large　stone　buildings

and　small　wooden　buildings；　not　knowing　where　to　go。　　He　had　bought　no

clothes　since　the　beginning　of　the　war；　except　the　various　Volunteer

uniforms　which　the　exigencies　of　a　shifting　situation　had　forced　the

authorities　to　withdraw　from　time　to　time；　and　his；　small　shrunken　figure

struck　somewhat　vividly　on　the　eye；　with　elbows　and　knees　shining　in　the

summer　sunlight。　　Stopping　at　last　before　the　only　object　which　seemed

unchanged；　he　said：



〃Can　you　tell　me　where　the　Ministry　is？〃



The　officer　looked　down　at　him。



〃What　for？〃



〃For　speaking　about　the　country。〃



〃Ministry　of　Propagation？　　First　on　the　right；　second　door　on　the　left。〃



〃Thank　you。　　The　Police　are　wonderful。〃



〃None　of　that；〃　said　the　officer　coldly。



〃I　only　said　you　were　wonderful。〃



〃I　'eard　you。〃



〃But　you　are。　　I　don't　know　what　the　country　would　do　without　you。　　Your

solid　qualities；　your　imperturbable　bonhomie；　your　truly　British

tenderness　towards〃



〃Pass　away！〃　said　the　officer。



〃I　am　only　repeating　what　we　all　say　of　you；〃　rejoined　Mr。　Lavender

reproachfully。



〃Did　you　'ear　me　say　'Move　on；'〃　said　the　officer；　〃or　must　I　make　you　an

example？〃



〃YOU　are　the　example；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender　warmly。



〃Any　more　names；〃　returned　the　officer；　〃and　I　take　you　to　the　station。〃

And　he　moved　out　into　the　traffic。　　Puzzled　by　his　unfriendliness　Mr。

Lavender　resumed　his　search；　and；　arriving　at　the　door　indicated；　went

in。　　A　dark；　dusty；　deserted　corridor　led　him　nowhere；　till　he　came　on　a