the burning spear-第20节

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The　word　revived　Mr。　Lavender's　sense　of　proportion。



〃True；〃　he　said；　〃true。　　I　was　forgetting　for　the　moment。　　It　is

extraordinary　how　irresponsible　one's　thoughts　are　sometimes。　　Have　you

reason　to　suppose　that　he　is　dangerous？〃



〃I　should　have　thought　that　what　I　have　said　might　have　convinced　you；〃

replied　the　lady　reproachfully；　〃but　I　don't　wish　you　to　act　without

satisfying　yourself。　　It　is　not　as　if　you　knew　him；　of　course。　　I　have

easily　been　able　to　get　up　an　agitation　among　his　friends；　but　I　should

not　expect　an　outsiderso　I　thought　if　I　gave　you　his　address　you　could

form　your　own　opinion。〃



〃Yes；〃　murmured　Mr。　Lavender；　〃yes。　　It　is　in　the　last　degree　undesirable

that　any　man　of　German　origin　should　remain　free　to　work　possible　harm　to

our　country。　　There　is　no　question　in　this　of　hatred　or　of　mere　rabid

patriotism；〃　he　went　on；　in　a　voice　growing　more　and　more　far…away；　it　is

largely　the　A。　B。　C。　of　common　prudence。〃



〃I　ought　to　say；〃　interrupted　his　visitor；　〃that　we　all　thought　him；　of

course；　an　honourable　man　until　this　war；　or　we　should　not　have　been　his

friends。　　He　is　a　dentist；〃　she　added；　〃and；　I　suppose；　may　be　said　to　be

doing　useful　work；　which　makes　it　difficult。　　I　suggest　that　you　go　to

him　to　have　a　tooth　out。〃



Mr。　Lavender　quivered；　and　insensibly　felt　his　teeth。



〃Thank　you；〃　he　said　I　will　see　if　I　can　find　one。　　It　is　certainly　a

matter　which　cannot　be　left　to　chance。　　We　public　men；　madam；　often　have

to　do　very　hard　and　even　inhumane　things　for　no　apparent　reason。　　Our

consciences　alone　support　us。　　An　impression；　I　am　told；　sometimes　gets

abroad　that　we　yield　to　clamour。　　Those　alone　who　know　us　realize　how

unfounded　that　aspersion　is。〃



〃This　is　his　address；〃　said　the　lady；　rising；　and　handing　him　an

envelope。　　〃I　shall　not　feel　at　rest　until　he　is　safely　interned。　　You

will　not　mention　my　name；　of　course。　　It　is　tragic　to　be　obliged　to　work

against　one's　friends　in　the　dark。　　Your　young　neighbour　spoke　in

enthusiastic　terms　of　your　zeal；　and　I　am　sure　that　in　choosing　you　for

my　public　man　she　was　not　pullingerwas　not　making　a　mistake。〃



Mr。　Lavender　bowed。



〃I　hope　not；　madam；　he　said　humbly　I　try　to　do　my　duty。〃



The　lady　smiled　her　sinuous　smile　and　moved　towards　the　door；　leaving　on

the　air　a　faint　odour　of　vinegar　and　sandalwood。



When　she　was　gone　Mr。　Lavender　sat　down　on　the　edge　of　his　chair　before

the　tea…tray　and　extracted　his　teeth　while　Blink；　taking　them　for　a　bone；

gazed　at　them　lustrously；　and　the　moon…cat　between　his　feet　purred　from

repletion。　　〃There　is　reason　in　all　things；〃　he　thought；　running　his

finger　over　what　was　left　in　his　mouth；　〃but　not　in　patriotism；　for　that

would　prevent　us　from　consummating　the　destruction　of　our　common　enemies。

It　behoves　us　public　men　ever　to　set　an　extreme　example。　　Which　one　can　I

spare；　I　wonder？〃　　And　he　fixed　upon　a　large　rambling　tooth　on　the　left

wing　of　his　lower　jaw。　　〃It　will　hurt　horribly；　I'm　afraid；　and　if　I　have

an　anaesthetic　there　will　be　someone　else　present；　and　not　improbably　I

shall　feel　ill　afterwards；　and　be　unable　to　form　a　clear　judgment。　　I

must　steel　myself。　　Blink！〃



For　Blink　was　making　tremulous　advances　to　the　teeth。　　〃How　pleasant　to

be　a　dog！〃　thought　Mr。　Lavender；　〃and　know　nothing　of　Germans　and　teeth。

I　shall　be　very　unhappy　till　this　is　out；　but　Aurora　recommended　me；　and

I　must　not　complain；　but　rather　consider　myself　the　most　fortunate　of

public　men。〃　　And；　ruffling　his　hair　till　it　stood　up　all　over　his　head；

while　his　loose　eyebrow　worked　up　and　down；　he　gazed　at　the　moon…cat。



〃Moon…cat；〃　he　said　suddenly；　〃we　are　but　creatures　of　chance；　unable　to

tell　from　one　day　to　another　what　Fate　has　in　store　for　us。　　My　tooth　is

beginning　to　ache　already。　　That　is；　perhaps；　as　it　should　be；　for　I

shall　not　forget　which　one　it　is。　　〃So　musing　he　resumed　his　teeth；　and；

going　to　his　bookcase；　sought　fortitude　and　inspiration　in　the　records　of

a　Parliamentary　debate　on　enemy　aliens。



It　was　not　without　considerable　trepidation；　however；　on　the　following

afternoon　that　he　made　his　way　up　Welkin　Street；　and　rang　at　the　number

on　the　envelope　in　his　hand。



〃Yes　sir；　doctor　is　at　home；〃　said　the　maid。



Mr。　Lavender's　heart　was　about　to　fail　him　when；　conjuring　up　the　vision

of　Aurora；　he　said　in　a　faint　voice：　〃I　wish　to　see　him　professionally。〃

And；　while　the　maid　departed　up　the　stairs；　he　waited　in　the　narrow　hall；

alternately　taking　his　hat　off　and　putting　it　on　again；　so　great　was　his

spiritual　confusion。



〃Doctor　will　see　you　at　once；　sir。〃



Putting　his　hat　on　hastily；　Mr。　Lavender　followed　her　upstairs；　feeling

at　his　tooth　to　make　quite　sure　that　he　remembered　which　it　was。　　His

courage　mounted　as　he　came　nearer　to　his　fate；　and　he　marched　into　the

room　behind　the　maid　holding　his　hat　on　firmly　with　one　hand　and　his

tooth　in　firmly　with　the　other。　　There；　beside　a　red　velvet　dentist's

chair；　he　saw　a　youngish　man　dressed　in　a　white　coat；　with　round　eyes　and

a　domestic　face；　who　said　in　good　English：



〃What　can　I　do　for　you；　my　dear　sir？　　I　fear　you　are　in　bain。〃



〃In　great　pain；〃　replied　Mr。　Lavender　faintly；　〃in　great　pain。〃　　And；

indeed；　he　was；　for　the　nervous　crisis　from　which　he　was　suffering　had

settled　in　the　tooth；　on　which　he　still　pressed　a　finger　through　his

cheek。



〃Sit　down；　sir；　sit　down；〃　said　the　young　man；　〃and　perhaps　it　would　be

better　if　you　should　remove　your　hat。　　We　shall　not　hurd　youno；　no；　we

shall　not　hurd　you。〃



At　those　words；　which　seemed　to　cast　doubt　on　his　courage；　Mr。　Lavender

recovered　all　his　presence　of　mind。　　He　took　off　his　hat；　advanced

resolutely　to　the　chair；　sat　down　in　it；　and；　looking　up；　said：



〃Do　to　me　what　you　will；　I　shall　not　flinch；　nor　depart　in　any　way　from

the　behaviour　of　those　whose　duty　it　is　to　set　an　example　to　others。〃



So　saying；　he　removed　his　teeth；　and　placing　them　in　a　bowl　on　the　little

swinging　table　which　he　perceived　on　his　left　hand；　he　closed　his　eyes；

put　his　finger　in　his　mouth；　and　articulated：



〃'Ith　one。〃



〃Excuse　me；　sir；〃　said　the　young　German；　〃but　do　you　wish　a　dooth　oud？〃



〃'At　ish　my　deshire；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　keeping　his　finger　on　his　tooth；

and　his　eyes　closed。　　〃'At　one。〃



〃I　cannot　give　you　gas　without　my　anaesthedist。〃



〃I　dow；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　〃be　wick。〃



And；　feeling　the　little　cold　spy…glass　begin　to　touch　his　gums；　he

clenched　his　hands　and　thought：　〃This　is　the　moment　to　prove　that　I；　too；

can　die　for　a　good　cause。　　If　I　am　not　man　enough　to　bear　for　my　country

so　small　a　woe　I　can　never　again　look　Aurora　in　the　face。〃



The　voice　of　the　young　dentist　dragged　him　rudely　from　the　depth　of　his

resignation。



〃Excuse　me；　but　which　dooth　did　you　say？〃



Mr。　Lavender　again　inserted　his　finger；　and　opened　his　eyes。



The　dentist　shook　his　head。　　〃Imbossible；〃　he　said；　〃that　dooth　is

perfectly　sound。　　The　other　two　are　rotten。　　But　they　do　not　ache？〃



Mr。　Lavender　shook　his　head　and　repeated：



〃At　one。〃



〃You　are　my　first　client　this　week；　sir；〃　said　the　young　German　calmly；

〃but　I　cannot　that　dooth　dake　out。〃



At　those　words　Mr。　Lavender　experienced　a　sensation　as　if　his　soul　were

creeping　back　up　his　legs；　he　spoke　as　it　reached　his　stomach。



〃Noc？〃　he　said。



〃No；〃　replied　the　young　German。　　It　is　nod　the　dooth　which　causes　you　the

bain。



Mr。　Lavender；　suddenly　conscious　that　he　had　no　pain；　took　his　finger

out。



〃Sir；〃　he　said；　〃I　perceive　that　you　are　an　honourable　man。　　There　is

something　sublime　in　your　abnegation　if；　indeed；　you　have　had　no　other

client　this　week。



〃No　fear；〃　said　the　young　German。　　〃Haf　I；　Cicely？〃



Mr。　Lavender　became　conscious　for　the　first　time　of　a　young　woman　leaning

up　against　the　wall；　with　a　pair　of　tweezers　in　her　hand。



〃Take　it　out；　Otto；〃　she　said　in　a　low　voice；　〃if　he　wants　it。〃



〃No　no；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender　sharply；　resuming　his　teeth；　〃I　would　not　for

the　world　burden　your　conscience。〃



〃My　clients　are　all　batriots；〃　said　the　young　dentist；　〃and　my　bractice

is　Kaput。　　We　are　in　a　bad　way；　sir；〃　he　added；　with　a　smile；　〃but　we　try

to　do　the　correct　ting。〃



Mr。　Lavender　saw　the　young　woman　move　the　tweezers　in　a　manner　which

caused　his　blood　to　run　a　little　cold。



〃We　must　live；〃　he　heard　her　say。



〃Young　madam；〃　he　said；　〃I　honour　the　impulse　which　makes　you　desire　to

extend　your　husband's　practice。　　Indeed；　I　perceive　you　both　to　be　so

honourable　that　I　cannot　but　make　you　a　confession。　　My　tooth　is　indeed

sound；　though；　since　I　have　been　pretending　that　it　isn't；　it　has　caused

me　much　discomfort。　　I　came　here　largely　to　form　an　opinion　of　your

husband's　character；　with　a　view　to　securing　his　internment。



At　that　word　the　two　young　people　shrank　together　till　they　were　standing

side　by　side；　staring　at　Mr　Lavender