the burning spear-第16节

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our　soldiers　are　renowned。〃



〃You　are　a　great　believer　in　heroics；　Don　Pickwixote；〃　said　the　young

lady。



〃What　would　life　be　without　them？〃　returned　Mr。　Lavender。　　〃The　war　could

not　go　on　for　a　minute。〃



〃You're　right　there；〃　said　the　young　lady　bitterly。



〃You　surely；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　aghast；　cannot　wish　it　to　stop　until　we

have　destroyed　our　common　enemies？〃



〃Well；〃　said　the　young　lady；〃　I'm　not　a　Pacifist；　but　when　you　see　as

many　people　without　arms　and　legs　as　I　do；　heroics　get　a　bit　off；　don't

you　know。〃　　And　she　increased　her　pace　until　Mr。　Lavender；　who　was　not

within　four　inches　of　her　stature；　was　almost　compelled　to　trot。　　〃If　I

were　a　Tommy；〃　she　added；　〃I　should　want　to　shoot　every　man　who　uttered　a

phrase。　　Really；　at　this　time　of　day；　they　are　the　limit。〃



〃Aurora；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　〃if　you　will　permit　me；　who　am　old　enough

alas！to　be　your　father；　to　call　you　that；　you　must　surely　be　aware　that

phrases　are　the　very　munitions　of　war；　and　certainly　not　less　important

than　mere　material　explosives。　　Take　the　word　'Liberty；'　for　instance；

would　you　deprive　us　of　it？〃



The　young　lady　fixed　on　him　those　large　grey　eyes　which　had　in　them　the

roll　of　genius。　　〃Dear　Don　Pickwixote；〃　she　said；　〃I　would　merely　take　it

from　the　mouths　of　those　who　don't　know　what　it　means；　and　how　much　do

you　think　would　be　left？　　Not　enough　to　butter　the　parsnips　of　a　Borough

Council；　or　fill　one　leader　in　a　month　of　Sundays。　　Have　you　not

discovered；　Don　Pickwixote；　that　Liberty　means　the　special　form　of

tyranny　which　one　happens　to　serve　under；　and　that　our　form　of　tyranny　is

GAS。〃



〃High　heaven！〃　cried　Mr。　Lavender；　〃that　I　should　hear　such　words　from　so

red　lips！〃



〃I've　not　been　a　Pacifist；　so　far；〃　continued　the　young　lady；　stifling　a

yawn；　〃because　I　hate　cruelty；　I　hate　it　enough　to　want　to　be　cruel　to

it。　　I　want　the　Huns　to　lap　their　own　sauce。　　I　don't　want　to　be

revengeful；　but　I　just　can't　help　it。〃



〃My　dear　young　lady；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender　soothingly；　〃you　are　notyou

cannot　be　revengeful；　for　every　great　writer　and　speaker　tells　us　that

revengefulness　is　an　emotion　alien　to　the　Allies；　who　are　merely　just。



〃Rats！〃



At　this　familiar　word；　Blink　who　had　been　following　their　conversation

quietly；　threw　up　her　nose　and　licked　the　young　lady's　hand　so

unexpectedly　that　she　started　and　added：



〃Darling！〃



Mr。　Lavender；　who　took　the　expression　as　meant　for　himself；　coloured

furiously。



〃Aurora；〃　he　said　in　a　faint　voice；　〃the　rapture　in　my　heart　prevents　my

taking　advantage　of　your　sweet　words。　　Forgive　me；　and　let　us　go　quietly

in；　with　the　vision　I　have　seen；　for　I　know　my　place。〃



The　young　lady's　composure　seemed　to　tremble　in　the　balance；　and　her　lips

twitched；　then　holding　out　her　hand　she　took　Mr。　Lavender's　and　gave　it　a

good　squeeze。



〃You　really　are　a　dear；〃　she　said。　　〃I　think　you　ought　to　be　in　bed。　　My

name's　Isabel；　you　know。〃



〃Not　to　me；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender。　　You　are　the　Dawn；　nothing　shall　persuade

me　to　the　contrary。　　And　from　henceforth　I　swear　to　rise　with　you　every

morning。〃



〃Oh；　no！〃　cried　the　young　lady　please　don't　imagine　that　I　sniff　the

matutinal　as　a　rule。　　I　just　happened　to　be　in　a　night　shift。〃



〃No　matter；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　〃I　shall　see　you　with　the　eye　of　faith；

in　your　night　shifts；　and　draw　from　the　vision　strength　to　continue　my

public　work　beckoned　by　the　fingers　of　the　roseate　future。〃



〃Well；〃　murmured　the　young　lady；　〃so　long　for　now；　and　do　go　back　to　bed。

It's　only　about　five。〃　　And　waving　the　tips　of　those　fingers；　she　ran

lightly　up　the　garden…path　and　disappeared　into　her　house。



Mr。　Lavender　remained　for　a　moment　as　if　transfigured；　then　entering　his

garden；　he　stood　gazing　up　at　her　window；　until　the　thought　that　she

might　appear　there　was　too　much　for　him；　and　he　went　in。









XI



BREAKS　UP　A　PEACE　MEETING



While　seated　at　breakfast　on　the　morning　after　he　had　seen　this　vision；

Mr。　Lavender；　who　read　his　papers　as　though　they　had　been　Holy　Writ；　came

on　an　announcement　that　a　meeting　would　be　held　that　evening　at　a　chapel

in　Holloway　under　the　auspices　of　the　〃Free　Speakers'　League；〃　an

association　which　his　journals　had　often　branded　with　a　reputation；　for

desiring　Peace。　　On　reading　the　names　of　the　speakers　Mr。　Lavender　felt

at　once　that　it　would　be　his　duty　to　attend。　　〃There　will；〃　he　thought；

〃very　likely　be　no　one　there　to　register　a　protest。　　For　in　this　country

we　have　pushed　the　doctrine　of　free　speech　to　a　limit　which　threatens　the

noble　virtue　of　patriotism。　　This　is　no　doubt　a　recrudescence　of　that

terrible　horse…sense　in　the　British　people　which　used　to　permit　everybody

to　have　his　say；　no　matter　what　he　said。　　Yet　I　would　rather　stay　at

home；〃　he　mused　〃for　they　will　do　me　violence；　I　expect；　cowardice；

however；　would　not　become　me；　and　I　must　go。〃



He　was　in　a　state　of　flurry　all　day；　thinking　of　his　unpleasant　duty

towards　those　violent　persons；　and　garbishing　up　his　memory　by　reading

such　past　leaders　in　his　five　journals　as　bore　on　the　subject。　　He　spoke

no　word　of　his　intentions；　convinced　that　he　ran　a　considerable　risk　at

the　hands　of　the　Pacifists；　but　too　sensible　of　his　honour　to　assist

anyone　to　put　that　spoke　in　his　wheel　which　he　could　not　help　longing

for。



At　six　o'clock　he　locked　Blink　into　his　study；　and　arming　himself　with

three　leaders；　set　forth　on　his　perilous　adventure。　　Seven　o'clock　saw

him　hurrying　along　the　dismal　road　to　the　chapel；　at　whose　door　he　met

with　an　unexpected　check。



〃Where　is　your　ticket？〃　said　a　large　man。



〃I　have　none；〃　replied　Mt。　Lavender；　disconcerted；　〃for　this　is　a　meeting

of　the　Free　Speakers'　League；　and　it　is　for　that　reason　that

have　come。〃



The　large　man　looked　at　him　attentively。　　〃No　admittance　without　ticket；〃

he　said。



〃I　protest；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender。　　〃How　can　you　call　yourselves　by　that

name　and　not　let　me　in？〃



The　large　man　smiled。



〃Well；　he　said；　you　haven't　the　strength　ofof　a　rabbitin　you　go！〃



Mr。　Lavender　found　himself　inside　and　some　indignation。



The　meeting　had　begun；　and　a　tall　man　at　the　pulpit　end；　with　the　face　of

a　sorrowful　bull；　was　addressing　an　audience　composed　almost　entirely　of

women　and　old　men；　while　his　confederates　sat　behind　him　trying　to　look

as　if　they　were　not　present。　　At　the　end　of　a　row；　about　half…way　up　the

chapel；　Mr。　Lavender　composed　himself　to　listen；　thinking；　〃However　eager

I　may　be　to　fulfil　my　duty　and　break　up　this　meeting；　it　behoves　me　as　a

fair…minded　man　to　ascertain　first　what　manner　of　meeting　it　is　that　I　am

breaking　up。〃　　But　as　the　speaker　progressed；　in　periods　punctuated　by

applause　from　what；　by　his　experience　at　the　door；　Mr。　Lavender　knew　to

be　a　packed　audience；　he　grew　more　and　more　uneasy。　　It　cannot　be　said

that　he　took　in　what　the　speaker　was　saying；　obsessed　as　he　was　by　the

necessity　of　formulating　a　reply；　and　of　revolving；　to　the　exclusion　of

all　else；　the　flowers　and　phrases　of　the　leaders　which　during　the　day　he

had　almost　learned　by　heart。　　But　by　nature　polite　he　waited　till　the

orator　was　sitting　down　before　he　rose；　and；　with　the　three　leaders

firmly　grasped　in　his　hand；　walked　deliberately　up　to　the　seated

speakers。　　Turning　his　back　on　them；　he　said；　in　a　voice　to　which

nervousness　and　emotion　lent　shrillness：



〃Ladies　and　gentlemen；　it　is　now　your　turn；　in　accordance　with　the

tradition　of　your　society；　to　listen　to　me。　　Let　us　not　mince　matters

with　mealy　mouths。　　There　are　in　our　midst　certain　viperous　persons；　like

that　notorious　gentleman　who　had　the　sulphurous　impudence　to　have　a

French　fatherFrench！　gentlemen；　not　German；　ladies…mark　the　cunning　and

audacity　of　the　fellow；　like　that　renegade　Labour　leader；　who　has　never

led　anything；　yet；　if　he　had　his　will；　would　lead　us　all　into　the　pit　of

destruction；　like　those　other　high…brow　emasculates　who　mistake　their

pettifogging　pedantry　for　pearls　of　price；　and　plaster　the　plain　issue

before　us　with　perfidious　and　Pacifistic　platitudes。　　We　say　at　once；　and

let　them　note　it；　we　will　have　none　of　them　；　we　will　have〃　　Here　his

words　were　drowned　by　an　interruption　greater　even　than　that；　which　was

fast　gathering　among　the　row　of　speakers　behind　him；　and　the　surprised

audience　in　front　；　and　he　could　see　the　large　man　being　forced　from　the

door　and　up　the　aisle　by　a　posse　of　noisy　youths；　till　he　stood　with　arms

pinioned；　struggling　to　turn　round；　just　in　front　of　Mr。　Lavender。

Seeing　his　speech　thus　endangered；　the　latter　cried　out　at　the　top　of　his

voice：　〃Free　speech；　gentlemen；　free　speech；　I　have　come　here　expressly

to　see　that　we　have　nothing　of　the　sort。〃　　At　this　the　young　men；　who　now

filled　the　aisle；　raised　a　mighty　booing。



〃Gentlemen；〃　shouted　Mr。　Lavender；　waving　his　leaders；　〃gentlemen…〃　But

at　this　moment　the　large　man　was　hurled　into　cont