the burning spear-第12节

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to　the　plough〃and；　his　imagination　taking　flight　at　those　words；　he

went　on　in　a　voice　calculated　to　reach　the　great　assembly　of　farmers

which　he　now　saw　before　him　with　their　backs　turned〃and　never　shall　we

take　it　away　till　we　have　reduced　every　acre　in　the　country　to　an　arable

condition。　　In　the　future　not　only　must　we　feed　ourselves；　but　our　dogs；

our　horses；　and　our　children；　and　restore　the　land　to　its　pristine　glory

in　the　front　rank　of　the　world's　premier　industry。　　But　me　no　buts；〃　he

went　on　with　a　winning　smile；　remembering　that　geniality　is　essential　in

addressing　a　country　audience；　〃and　butter　me　no　butter；　for　in　future　we

shall　require　to　grow　our　margarine　as　well。　　Let　us；　in　a　word；　put

behind　us　all　prejudice　and　pusillanimity　till　we　see　this　country　of

ours　once　more　blooming　like　one　great　cornfield；　covered　with　cows。

Sirs；　I　am　no　iconoclast；　let　us　do　all　this　without　departing　in　any　way

from　those　great　principles　of　Free　Trade；　Industrialism；　and　Individual

Liberty　which　have　made　our　towns　the　largest；　most　crowded；　and

wealthiest　under　that　sun　which　never　sets　over　the　British　Empire。　　We

do　but　need　to　see　this　great　problem　steadily　and　to　see　it　whole；　and

we　shall　achieve　this　revolution　in　our　national　life　without　the

sacrifice　of　a　single　principle　or　a　single　penny。　　Believe　me；

gentlemen；　we　shall　yet　eat　our　cake　and　have　it。〃



Mr。　Lavender　paused　for　breath；　the　headlines　of　his　great　speech　in

tomorrow's　paper　dancing　before　his　eyes：　〃THE　CLIMACTERICEATS　CAKE　AND

HAS　ITA　GREAT　CONCLUSION。〃　　The　wind；　which　had　risen　somewhat　during

Mr。　Lavender's　speech；　fluttered　the　farmer's　garments　at　this　moment；　so

that　they　emitted　a　sound　like　the　stir　which　runs　through　an　audience　at

a　moment　of　strong　emotion。



〃Ah！〃　cried　Mr。　Lavender；　〃I　see　that　I　move　you；　gentlemen。　　Those　have

traduced　you　who　call　you　unimpressionable。　　After　all；　are　you　not　the

backbone　of　this　country　up　which　runs　the　marrow　which　feeds　the　brain；

and　shall　you　not　respond　to　an　appeal　at　once　so　simple　and　so

fundamental？　　I　assure　you；　gentlemen；　it　needs　no　thought；　indeed；　the

less　you　think　about　it　the　better；　for　to　do　so　will　but　weaken　your

purpose　and　distract　your　attention。　　Your　duty　is　to　go　forward　with

stout　hearts；　firm　steps；　and　kindling　eyes；　in　this　way　alone　shall　we

defeat　our　common　enemies。　　And　at　those　words；　which　he　had　uttered　at

the　top　of　his　voice；　Mr。　Lavender　stood　like　a　clock　which　has　run　down；

rubbing　his　eyes。　　For　Blink；　roaming　the　field　during　the　speech；　and

encountering　quadruped　called　rabbit；　which　she　had　never　seen　before；

had　backed　away　from　it　in　dismay；　brushed　against　the　farmer's　legs　and

caused　his　breeches　to　fall　down；　revealing　the　sticks　on　which　they　had

been　draped。　　When　Mr。　Lavender　saw　this　he　called　out　in　a　loud　voice

Sir；　you　have　deceived　me。　　I　took　you　for　a　human　being。　　I　now　perceive

that　you　are　but　a　selfish　automaton；　rooted　to　your　own　business；

without　a　particle　of　patriotic　sense。　　Farewell！〃









VIII



STARVES　SOME　GERMANS



After　parting　with　the　scarecrow　Mr。　Lavender　who　felt　uncommonly　hungry'

was　about　to　despair　of　finding　any　German　prisoners　when　he　saw　before

him　a　gravel…pit；　and　three　men　working　therein。　　Clad　in　dungaree；　and

very　dusty；　they　had　a　cast　of　countenance　so　unmistakably　Teutonic　that

Mr。　Lavender　stood　still。　　They　paid　little　or　no　attention　to　him；

however；　but　went　on　sadly　and　silently　with　their　work；　which　was　that

of　sifting　gravel。　　Mr。　Lavender　sat　down　on　a　milestone　opposite；　and

his　heart　contracted　within　him。　　〃They　look　very　thin　and　sad；〃　he

thought；　〃I　should　not　like　to　be　a　prisoner　myself　far　from　my　country；

in　the　midst　of　a　hostile　population；　without　a　woman　or　a　dog　to　throw

me　a　wag　of　the　tail。　　Poor　men！　　For　though　it　is　necessary　to　hate　the

Germans；　it　seems　impossible　to　forget　that　we　are　all　human　beings。

This　is　weakness；〃　he　added　to　himself；　〃which　no　editor　would　tolerate

for　a　moment。　　I　must　fight　against　it　if　I　am　to　fulfil　my　duty　of

rousing　the　population　to　the　task　of　starving　them。　　How　hungry　they

look　alreadytheir　checks　are　hollow！　　I　must　be　firm。　　Perhaps　they

have　wives　and　families　at　home；　thinking　of　them　at　this　moment。　　But；

after　all；　they　are　Huns。　　What　did　the　great　writer　say？　　'Vermin

creatures　no　more　worthy　of　pity　than　the　tiger　or　the　rat。'　　How　true！

And　yetBlink！〃　　For　his　dog；　seated　on　her　haunches；　was　looking　at　him

with　that　peculiarly　steady　gaze　which　betokened　in　her　the　desire　for

food。　　〃Yes；〃　mused　Mr。　Lavender；　〃pity　is　the　mark　of　the　weak　man。　　It

is　a　vice　which　was　at　one　time　rampant　in　this　country；　the　war　has　made

one　beneficial　change　at　leastwe　are　moving　more　and　more　towards　the

manly　and　unforgiving　vigour　of　the　tiger　and　the　rat。　　To　be　brutal！

This　is　the　one　lesson　that　the　Germans　can　teach　us；　for　we　had　almost

forgotten　the　art。　　What　danger　we　were　in！　　Thank　God；　we　have　past

masters　again　among　us　now！〃　　A　frown　became　fixed　between　his　brows。

〃Yes；　indeed；　past　masters。　　How　I　venerate　those　good　journalists　and

all　the　great　crowd　of　witnesses　who　have　dominated　the　mortal　weakness；

pity。　　'The　Hun　must　and　shall　be　destroyedroot　and　branchhip　and

thighbag　and　baggage　man；　woman；　and　babethis　is　the　sole　duty　of　the

great　and　humane　British　people。　　Roll　up；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　roll　up！

Great　thoughtgreat　language！　　And　yet〃



Here　Mr。　Lavender　broke　into　a　gentle　sweat；　while　the　Germans　went　on

sifting　gravel　in　front　of　him；　and　Blink　continued　to　look　up　into　his

face　with　her　fixed；　lustrous　eyes。　　〃What　an　awful　thing；〃　he　thought；

〃to　be　a　man。　　If　only　I　were　just　a　public　man　and　could；　as　they　do；

leave　out　the　human　and　individual　side　of　everything；　how　simple　it

would　be！　　It　is　the　being　a　man　as　well　which　is　so　troublesome。　　A　man

has　feelings；　it　is　wrongwrong！　　There　should　be　no　connection　whatever

between　public　duty　and　the　feelings　of　a　man。　　One　ought　to　be　able　to

starve　one's　enemy　without　a　quiver；　to　watch　him　drown　without　a　wink。

In　fact；　one　ought　to　be　a　German。　　We　ought　all　to　be　Germans。　　Blink；

we　ought　all　to　be　Germans；　dear！　　I　must　steel　myself！〃　　And　Mr。

Lavender　wiped　his　forehead；　for；　though　a　great　idea　had　come　to　him；　he

still　lacked　the　heroic　savagery　to　put　it　into　execution。　　〃It　is　my

duty；〃　he　thought；　〃to　cause　those　hungry；　sad…looking　men　to　follow　me

and　watch　me　eat　my　lunch。　　It　is　my　duty。　　God　give　me　strength！　　For

unless　I　make　this　sacrifice　of　my　gentler　nature　I　shall　be　unworthy　to

call　myself　a　public　man；　or　to　be　reported　in　the　newspapers。　　'En

avant；　de　Bracy！'〃　So　musing；　he　rose；　and　Blink　with　him。　　Crossing　the

road；　he　clenched　his　fists；　and　said　in　a　voice　which　anguish　made

somewhat　shrill：



〃Are　you　hungry；　my　friends？



The　Germans　stopped　sifting　gravel；　looked　up　at　him；　and　one　of　them

nodded。



〃And　thirsty？〃



This　time　they　all　three　nodded。



〃Come　on；　then；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender。



And　he　led　the　way　back　along　the　road；　followed　by　Blink　and　the　three

Germans。　　Arriving　at　the　beech　clump　whose　great　trees　were　already

throwing　shadows；　denoting　that　it　was　long　past　noon；　Mr。　Lavender　saw

that　Joe　had　spread　food　on　the　smooth　ground；　and　was；　indeed；　just

finishing　his　own　repast。



〃What　is　there　to　eat？〃　thought　Mr。　Lavender；　with　a　soft　of　horror。

〃For　I　feel　as　if　I　were　about　to　devour　a　meal　of　human　flesh。〃　　And　he

looked　round　at　the　three　Germans　slouching　up　shamefacedly　behind　him。



〃Sit　down；　please；〃　he　said。　　The　three　men　sat　down。



〃Joe；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender　to　his　surprised　chauffeur；　〃serve　my　lunch。

Give　me　a　large　helping；　and　a　glass　of　ale。　　〃And；　paler　than　his

holland　dust…coat；　he　sat　resolutely　down　on　the　bole　of　a　beech；　with

Blink　on　her　haunches　beside　him。　　While　Joe　was　filling　a　plate　with

pigeon…pie　and　pouring　out　a　glass　of　foaming　Bass；　Mr。　Lavender　stared

at　the　three　Germans　and　suffered　the　tortures　of　the　damned。　　〃I　will

not　flinch；〃　he　thought；　〃God　helping　me；　I　certainly　will　not　flinch。

Nothing　shall　prevent　my　going　through　with　it。〃　　And　his　eyes；　more

prominent　than　a　hunted　rabbit's；　watched　the　approach　of　Joe　with　the

plate　and　glass。　　The　three　men　also　followed　the　movements　of　the

chauffeur；　and　it　seemed　to　Mr。　Lavender　that　their　eyes　were　watering。

〃Courage！〃　he　murmured　to　himself；　transfixing　a　succulent　morsel　with

his　fork　and　conveying　it　to　his　lips。　　For　fully　a　minute　he　revolved

the　tasty　mouthful；　which　he　could　not　swallow；　while　the　three　men's

eyes　watched　him　with　a　sort　of　lugubrious　surprise。　　〃If；〃　he　thought

with　anguish；　〃if　I　were　a　prisoner　in　Germany！　　Come；　come！　　One　effort；

it's　only　the　first　mouthful！〃　and　with　a　superhuman　effort；　he

swallowed。　　〃Look　at　me！〃　he　cried　to　the　three　；Germans；　〃look　at　me！