the burning spear-第25节

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But　at　this　moment　Mr。　Lavender's　attention　was　diverted　by　the　sight　of

Blink　making　for　the　horizon；　and　crying　out　in　a　loud　voice：　〃My　dog！〃

he　dropped　the　coat　in　which　he　was　still　enveloped　and　set　off　running

after　her　at　full　speed；　without　having　taken　in　the　identity　of　the

gentleman　or　disclosed　his　own。　　Blink；　indeed；　scenting　another　flight

in　the　air；　had　made　straight　for　the　entrance　of　the　enclosure；　and

finding　a　motor　cab　there　with　the　door　open　had　bolted　into　it；　taking

it　for　her　master's　car。　　Mr。　Lavender　sprang　in　after　her。　　At　the　shake

which　this　imparted　to　the　cab；　the　driver；　who　had　been　dozing；　turned

his　head。



〃Want　to　go　back；　sir？〃　he　said。



〃Yes；〃　replied　Mr。　Lavender；　breathless；　〃London。〃









XVIII



SEES　TRUTH　FACE　TO　FACE



〃I　fear；〃　thought　Mr。　Lavender；　as　they　sped　towards　Town；　〃that　I　have

inadvertently　taken　a　joy…ride　which　belonged　to　that　distinguished

person　with　the　eyeglass。　　No　matter；　my　spirit　is　now　bright　for　the

adventure　I　have　in　hand。　　If　only　I　knew　where　I　could　find　the　Unseen

Powerbut　possibly　its　movements　may　be　recorded　in　these　journals。

〃And　taking　from　his　pocket　his　morning　papers；　which　he　had　not　yet　had

time　to　peruse；　he　buried　himself　in　their　contents。　　He　was　still　deeply

absorbed　when　the　cab　stopped　and　the　driver　knocked　on　the　window。　　Mr。

Lavender　got　out；　followed　by　Blink；　and　was　feeling　in　his　pocket　for

the　fare　when　an　exclamation　broke　from　the　driver：



〃Gorblimy！　I've　brought　the　wrong　baby！〃



And　before　Mr。　Lavender　had　recovered　from　his　surprise；　he　had　whipped

the　car　round　and　was　speeding　back　towards　the　flying　ground。



〃How　awkward！〃　thought　Mr。　Lavender；　who　was　extremely　nice　in　money

matters；　〃what　shall　I　do　now？〃　　And　he　looked　around　him。　　There；　as　it

were　by　a　miracle；　was　the　office　of　a　great　journal；　whence　obviously

his　distinguished　colleague　had　set　forth　to　the　flying　grounds；　and　to

which　he　had　been　returned　in　error　by　the　faithful　driver。



Perceiving　in　all　this　the　finger　of　Providence；　Mr。　Lavender　walked　in。

Those　who　have　followed　his　experiences　so　far　will　readily　understand

how　no　one　could　look　on　Mr。　Lavender　without　perceiving　him　to　be　a　man

of　extreme　mark；　and　no　surprise　need　be　felt　when　he　was　informed　that

the　Personage　he　sought　was　on　the　point　of　visiting　Brighton　to　open　a

hospital；　and　might　yet　be　overtaken　at　Victoria　Station。



With　a　beating　heart　he　took　up　the　trail　in　another　taxi…cab；　and；

arriving　at　Victoria；　purchased　tickets　for　himself　and　Blink；　and

inquired　for　the　Brighton　train。



〃Hurry　up！〃　replied　the　official。　　Mr。　Lavender　ran；　searching　the

carriage　windows　for　any　indication　of　his　objective。　　The　whistle　had

been　blown；　and　he　was　in　despair；　when　his　eye　caught　the　label

〃Reserved〃　on　a　first…class　window；　and　looking　in　he　saw　a　single　person

evidently　of　the　highest　consequence　smoking　a　cigar；　surrounded　by

papers。　　Without　a　moment's　hesitation　he　opened　the　door；　and；　preceded

by　Blink；　leaped　in。　　〃This　carriage　is　reserved；　sir；〃　said　the

Personage；　as　the　train　moved　out。



〃I　know；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　who　had　fallen　on　to　the　edge　of　the　seat

opposite；　〃and　only　the　urgency　of　my　business　would　have　caused　me　to

violate　the　sanctity　of　your　retreat；　for；　believe　me；　I　have　the

instincts　if　not　the　habits　of　a　gentleman。〃



The　Personage；　who　had　made　a　move　of　his　hand　as　if　to　bring　the　train

to　a　standstill；　abandoning　his　design；　replaced　his　cigar；　and

contemplated　Mr。　Lavender　from　above　it。



The　latter　remained　silent；　returning　that　remarkable　stare；　while　Blink

withdrew　beneath　the　seat　and　pressed　her　chin　to　the　ground；　savouring

the　sensation　of　a　new　motion。



〃Yes；〃　he　thought；　〃those　eyes　have　an　almost　superhuman　force　and

cunning。　　They　are　the　eyes　of　a　spider　in　the　centre　of　a　great　web。

They　seem　to　draw　me。〃



〃You　are　undoubtedly　the　Unseen　Power；　sir；〃　he　said　suddenly；　〃and　I

have　reached　the　heart　of　the　mystery。　　From　your　own　lips　I　shall　soon

know　whether　I　am　a　puppet　or　a　public　man。〃



The　Personage；　who　by　his　movements　was　clearly　under　the　impression　that

he　had　to　do　with　a　lunatic；　sat　forward　with　his　hands　on　his　knees

ready　to　rise　at　a　moment's　notice；　he　kept　his　cigar　in　his　mouth；

however；　and　an　enforced　smile　on　the　folds　of　his　face。



〃What　can　I　do　for　you；　sir？〃　he　said。



〃Will　you　have　a　cigar？〃



〃No；　thank　you；〃　replied　Mr。　Lavender；　〃I　must　keep　the　eyes　of　my　spirit

clear；　and　come　to　the　point。　　Do　you　rule　this　country　or　do　you　not？

For　it　is　largely　on　the　answer　to　this　that　my　future　depends。　　In

telling　others　what　to　do　am　I　speaking　as　my　conscience　or　as　your

conscience　dictates；　and；　further；　if　indeed　I　am　speaking　as　your

conscience　dictates；　have　you　a　conscience？〃



The　Personage；　who　had　evidently　made　up　his　mind　to　humour　the　intruder；

flipped　the　ash　off　his　cigar。



Well；　sir；　he　said；　I　don't　know　who　the　devil　you　may　be；　but　my

conscience　is　certainly　as　good　as　yours。〃



〃That；〃　returned　Mr：　Lavender　with　a　sigh；　is　a　great　relief；　for　whether

you　rule　the　country　or　not；　you　are　undoubtedly　the　source　from　which　I；

together　with　the　majority　of　my　countrymen；　derive　our　inspirations。

You　are　the　fountainhead　at　which　we　draw　and　drink。　　And　to　know　that

your　waters　are　pure；　unstained　by　taint　of　personal　prejudice　and　the

love　of　power；　will　fortify　us　considerably。　　Am　I　to　assume；　then；　that

above　all　passion　and　pettiness；　you　are　an　impersonal　force　whose

innumerable　daily　editions　reflect　nothing　but　abstract　truth；　and　are　in

no　way　the　servants　of　a　preconceived　and　personal　view　of　the

situation？〃



〃You　want　to　know　too　much；　don't　you　think？〃　said　the　Personage　with　a

smile。



〃How　can　that　be；　sir？〃　asked　Mr。　Lavender：　If　you　are　indeed　the

invisible　king　swaying　the　currents　of　national　life；　and　turning　its

tides　at　will；　it　is　essential　that　we　should　believe　in　you；　and　before

we　can　believe　in　you　must　we　not　know　all　about　you？〃



〃By　Jove；　sir；〃　replied　the　Personage；　〃that　strikes　me　as　being　contrary

to　all　the　rules　of　religion。　　I　thought　faith　was　the　ticket。〃



By　this　answer　Mr。　Lavender　was　so　impressed　that　he　sat　for　a　moment　in

silence；　with　his　eyebrow　working　up　and　down。



〃Sir；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃you　have　given　me　a　new　thought。　　If　you　are

right；　to　disbelieve　in　you　and　the　acts　which　you　perform；　or　rather　the

editions　which　you　issue；　is　blasphemy。〃



〃I　should　think　so；〃　said　the　Personage；　emitting　a　long　whiff　of　smoke。

Hadn't　that　ever　occurred　to　you　before？〃



〃No；〃　replied　Mr。　Lavender；　naively；　〃for　I　have　never　yet　disbelieved

anything　in　those　journals。〃



The　Personage　coughed　heartily。



〃I　have　always　regarded　them；〃　went　on　Mr。　Lavender；　〃as　I　myself　should

wish　to　be　regarded；　'without　fear　and　without　reproach。'　　For　that　is；

as　I　understand　it；　the　principle　on　which　a　gentleman　must　live；　ever

believing　of　others　what　he　would　wish　believed　of　himself。　　With　the

exception　of　Germans；〃　he　added　hastily。



〃Naturally；〃　returned　the　Personage。　　〃And　I'll　defy　you　to　find　anything

in　them　which　disagrees　with　that　formula。　　Everything　they　print　refers

to　Germans　if　not　directly　then　obliquely。　　Germans　are　the　'idee　fixe'；

and　without　an　'idee　fixe'；　as　you　know；　there's　no　such　thing　as

religion。　　Do　you　get　me？〃



〃Yes；　indeed；〃　cried　Mr。　Lavender；　enthused；　for　the　whole　matter　now

seemed　to　him　to　fall　into　coherence；　and；　what　was　more；　to　coincide

with　his　preconceptions；　so　that　he　had　no　longer　any　doubts。　　〃You；　sir…

…the　Unseen　Powerare　but　the　crystallized　embodiment　of　the　national

sentiment　in　time　of　war；　in　serving　you；　and　fulfilling　the　ideas　which

you　concrete　in　your　journals；　we　public　men　are　servants　of　the　general

animus；　which　in　its　turn　serves　the　blind　and　burning　instinct　of

justice。　　This　is　eminently　satisfactory　to　me；　who　would　wish　no　better

fate　than　to　be　a　humble　lackey　in　that　house。〃　　He　had　no　sooner；

however；　spoken　those　words　than　Joe　Petty's　remarks　about　Public　Opinion

came　back　to　him；　and　he　added：　　〃But　are　you　really　the　general　animus；

or　are　you　only　the　animus　of　Mayors；　that　is　the　question？〃



The　personage　seemed　to　follow　this　thought　with　difficulty。　　〃What's

that？〃　he　said。



Mr。　Lavender　ran　his　hands　through　his　hair。



〃And　turns；〃　he　said；　〃on　what　is　the　unit　of　national　feeling　and

intelligence？　　Is　it　or　is　it　not　a　Mayor？〃



The　Personage　smiled。　　〃Well；　what　do　you　think？〃　he　said。　　〃Haven't　you

ever　heard　them　after　dinner？　　There's　no　question　about　it。　　Make　your

mind　easy　if　that's　your　only　trouble。〃



Mr。　Lavender；　greatly　cheered　by　the　genial　certainty　in　this　answer；

said：　〃I　thank　you；　sir。　　I　shall　go　back　and　refute　that　common　scoffer；

that　ca