the burning spear-第23节

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Mr。　Lavender　passed　his　three　days；　therefore；　in　perfect　repose；　feeding

Blink；　staring　at　the　ceiling；　and　conversing　with　Joe。　　An　uneasy　sense

that　he　had　been　lacking　in　restraint　caused　his　mind　to　dwell　on　life　as

seen　by　the　monthly　rather　than　the　daily　papers；　and　to　hold　with　his

chauffeur　discussions　of　a　somewhat　philosophical　character。



〃As　regards　the　government　of　this　country；　Joe；〃　he　said；　on　the　last

evening　of　his　retirement；　〃who　do　you　consider　really　rules？　　For　it　is

largely　on　this　that　our　future　must　depend。〃



〃Can't　say；　sir；〃　answered　Joe；　〃unless　it's　Botty。〃



〃I　do　not　know　whom　or　what　you　signify　by　that　word；〃　replied　Mr。

Lavender；　〃I　am　wondering　if　it　is　the　People　who　rule。〃



〃The　People！〃　replied　Joe；〃　the　People's　like　a　gent　in　a　lunatic　asylum；

allowed　to　'ave　instinks　but　not　to　express　'em。　　One　day　it'll　get　aht；

and　we　shall　all　step　lively。〃



〃It　is；　perhaps；　Public　Opinion；〃　continued　Mr。　Lavender　to　himself；　〃as

expressed　in　the　Press。〃



〃Not　it；〃　said　Joe　the　nearest　opinion　the　Press　gets　to　expressin'　is

that　of　Mayors。　　'Ave　you　never　noticed；　sir；　that　when　the　Press　is　'ard

up　for　support　of　an　opinion　that　the　public　don't　'old；　they　go　to　the

Mayors；　and　get　'em　in　two　columns？〃



〃Mayors　are　most　valuable　public　men；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender。



〃I've　nothin'　against　'em；〃　replied　Joe；　〃very　average　lot　in　their　walk

of　life；　but　they　ain't　the　People。〃



Mr。　Lavender　sighed。　　〃What；　then；　is　the　People；　Joe？〃



〃I　am；〃　replied　Joe；　〃I've　got　no　opinions　on　anything　except　that　I　want

to　live　a　quiet　lifejust　enough　beer　and　'baccy；　short　hours；　and　no

worry。〃



〃'If　you　compare　that　with　the　aspirations　of　Mayors　you　will　see　how

sordid　such　a　standard　is；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　gravely。



〃Sordid　it　may　be；　sir；〃　replied　Joe；　〃but　there's；　a　thing　abaht　it　you

'aven't　noticed。　　I　don't　want　to　sacrifice　nobody　to　satisfy　my

aspirations。　　Why？　　Because　I've　got　none。　　That's　priceless。　　Take　the

Press；　take　Parlyment；　take　Mayorsall　mad　on　aspirations。　　Now　it's

Free　Trade；　now　it's　Imperialism；　now　it's　Liberty　in　Europe；　now　it's

Slavery　in　Ireland；　now　it's　sacrifice　of　the　last　man　an'　the　last

dollar。　　You　never　can　tell　what　aspiration'll　get　'em　next。　　And　the

'ole　point　of　an　aspiration　is　the　sacrifice　of　someone　else。　　Don't　you

make　a　mistake；　sir。　　I　defy　you　to　make　a　public　speech　which　'asn't　got

that　at　the　bottom　of　it。〃



〃We　are　wandering　from　the　point；　Joe；〃　returned　Mr。　Lavender。　　〃Who　is

it　that　governs；　the　country？〃



〃A　Unseen　Power；〃　replied　Joe　promptly。



〃How？〃



〃Well；　sir；　we're　a　democratic　country；　ain't　we？　　Parlyment's　elected　by

the　People；　and　Gover'ment's　elected　by　Parlyment。　　All　right　so　far；　but

what　'appens？　　Gover'ment　says　'I'm　going　to　do　this。'　　So　long　as　it

meets　with　the　approval　of　the　Unseen　Power；　well　an'　good。　　But　what　if

it　don't？　　The　U。P。　　gets　busy；　in　an　'undred　papers　there　begins　to

appear　what　the　U。P。　　calls　Public　Opinion；　that's　to　say　the　opinion　of

the　people　that　agree　with　the　U。P。　　There　you　'ave　it；　sir；　only　them

and　it　appears　strong。　　Attacks　on　the　Gover'ment　policy；　nasty　things

said　abaht　members　of　it　that's　indiscreet　enough　to　speak　aht　what；　they

thinkGerman　fathers；　and　other　secret　vices；　an'　what's　more　than　all；

not　a　peep　at　any　opinion　that　supports　the　Gover'ment。　　Well；　that　goes

on　day　after　day；　playin'　on　the　mind　of　Parlyment；　if　they've　got　any；

and　gittin'　on　the　Gover'ment's　nerves；　which　they've　got　weak；　till　they

says：　'Look　'ere；　it's　no　go；　Public　Opinion　won't　stand　it。　　We　shall　be

outed；　and　that'll　never　do；　because　there's　no　other　set　of　fellows　that

can　save　this　country。'　　Then　they　'ave　a　meetin'　and　change　their

policy。　　And　what　they've　never　seen　is　that　they've　never　seen　Public

Opinion　at　all。　　All　they've　seen　is　what　the　U。P。　　let　'em。　　Now　if　I

was　the　Gover'ment；　I'd　'ave　it　out　once　for　all　with　the　U。　P。〃



〃Ah！〃　cried　Mr。　Lavender；　whose　eyes　were　starting　from　his；　head；　so

profoundly　was　he　agitated　by　what　was　to　him　a　new　thought。



〃Yes；〃　continued　Joe；　〃if　I　was　the　Gover'ment；　next　time　it　'appened；

I'd　say：　'All　right；　old　cock；　do　your　damnedest。　　I　ain't　responsible　to

you。　　Attack；　suppress；　and　all　the　rest　of　it。　　We're　goin'　to　do　what

we　say；　all　the　same！'　　And　then　I'd　do　it。　　And　what'd　come　of　it？

Either　the　U。P。　would　go　beyond　the　limits　of　the　Lawand　then　I'd　jump

on　it；　suppress　its　papers；　and　clap　it　into　quodor　it'd　take　it　lyin'

down。　　Whichever　'appened　it'd　be　all　up　with　the　U。　P。　　I'd　a　broke　its

chain　off　my　neck　for　good。　　But　I　ain't　the　Gover'ment；　an　Gover'ment's

got　tender　feet。　　I　ask　you；　sir；　wot's　the　good　of　havin'　a

Constitooshion；　and　a　the　bother　of　electing　these　fellows；　if　they　can't

act　according　to　their　judgment　for　the　short　term　of　their　natural

lives？　　The　U。P。　　may　be　patriotic　and　estimable；　and　'ave　the　best

intentions　and　all　that；　but　its　outside　the　Constitooshion；　and　what's

more；　I'm　not　goin'　to　spend　my　last　blood　an'　my　last　money　in　a

democratic　country　to　suit　the　tastes　of　any　single　man；　or　triumpherate；

or　wotever　it　may　be　made　of。　　If　the　Government's　uncertain　wot　the

country　wants　they　can　always　ask　it　in　the　proper　way；　but　they　never

ought　to　take　it　on　'earsay　from　the　papers。　　That's　wot　I　think。〃



While　he　was　speaking　Mr。　Lavender　had　become　excited　to　the　point　of

fever；　for；　without　intending　it；　Joe　had　laid　bare　to　him　a　yawning

chasm　between　his　worship　of　public　men　and　his　devotion　to　the　Press。

And　no　sooner　had　his　chauffeur　finished　than　he　cried：　〃Leave　me；　Joe；

for　I　must　think　this　out。〃



〃Right；　sir；〃　answered　Joe　with　his　smile；　and　taking　the　tea…tray　from

off　his　master；　he　set　it　where　it　must　infallibly　be　knocked　over；　and

went　out。



〃Can　it　be　possible；〃　thought　Mr。　Lavender；　when　he　was　alone；　〃that　I　am

serving　God　and　Mammon？　　And　which　is　God　and　which　is　Mammon？〃　he　added；

letting　his　thoughts　play　over　the　countless　speeches　and　leading

articles　which　had　formed　his　spiritual　diet　since　the　war　began。　　〃Or；

indeed；　are　they　not　both　God　or　both　Mammon？　　If　what　Joe　says　is　true；

and　nothing　is　recorded　save　what　seems　good　to　this　Unseen　Power；　have　I

not　been　listening　to　ghosts　and　shadows；　and　am　I；　indeed；　myself

anything　but　the　unsubstantial　image　of　a　public　man？　　For　it　is　true

that　I　have　no　knowledge　of　anything　save　what　is　recorded　in　the

papers。〃　　And　perceiving　that　the　very　basis　of　his　faith　was　endangered；

he　threw　off　the　bedclothes；　and　began　to　pace　the　room。　　〃Are　we；　then；

all；〃　he　thought；　〃being　bounded　like　india…rubber　balls　by　an　unseen

hand；　and　is　there　no　one　of　us　strong　enough　to　bounce　into　the　eye　of

our　bounder　and　overthrow　him？　　My　God；　I　am　unhappy；　for　it　is　a

terrible　thing　not　to　know　which　my　God　is；　and　whether　I　am　a　public　man

or　an　india…rubber　ball。　　〃And　the　more　he　thought　the　more　dreadful　it

seemed　to　him；　now　that　he　perceived　that　all　those　journals；　pamphlets；

and　reports　with　which　his　study　walls　were　lined　might　not　be　the　truth；

but　merely　authorized　versions　of　it。



〃This；〃　he　said　aloud；　〃is　a　nightmare　from　which　I　must　awaken　or　lose

all　my　power　of　action　and　my　ability　to　help　my　country　in　its　peril。〃



And　sudden　sweat　broke　out　on　his　brow；　for　he　perceived　that　he　had　now

no　means　of　telling　even　whether　there　was　a　peril；　so　strangely　had

Joe's　words　affected　his　powers　of　credulity。



〃But　surely；〃　he　thought；　steadying　himself　by　gripping　his　washstand；

〃there　was；　at　least；　a　peril　once。　　And　yet；　how　do　I　know　even　that；

for　I　have　only　been　told　so　；　and　the　tellers　themselves　were　only　told

so　by　this　Unseen　Power　；　and　suppose　it　has　made　a　mistake　or　has　some

private　ends　to　serve！　　Oh！　it　is　terrible；　and　there　is　no　end　to　it。

〃And　he　shook　the　crockery　in　the　spasms　which　followed　the　first

awakenings　of　these　religious　doubts。　　〃Where；　then；　am　I　to　go；〃　he

cried；　〃for　knowledge　of　the　truth？　　For　even　books　would　seem　dependent

on　the　good　opinion　of　this　Unseen　Power；　and　would　not　reach　my　eyes

unless　they　were　well　spoken　of　by　it。〃



And　the　more　he　thought　the　more　it　seemed　to　him　that　nothing　could　help

him　but　to　look　into　the　eyes　of　this　Unseen　Power；　so　that　he　might　see

for　himself　whether　it　was　the　Angel　of　Truth　or　some　Demon　jumping　on

the　earth。　　No　sooner　had　this　conviction　entered　his　brain　than　he

perceived　how　in　carrying　out　such　an　enterprise　he　would　not　only　be

setting　his　own　mind　at　rest；　and　re…establishing　or　abolishing　his

faith；　but　would　be　doing　the　greatest　service　which　he　could　render　to

his　country　and　to　all　public　men。　　〃Thus；〃　he　thought；　〃shall　I

cannonize　my　tourney；　and　serve　Aurora；　who　is　the　dawn　of　truth　and

beauty　in　the　world。　　I　am　not　yet　worthy；　however；　of　this　adventure；