the burning spear-第26节

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

that　caster　of　doubts。　　I　have　seen　the　Truth　face；　to　face；　and　am

greatly　encouraged　to　further　public　effort。　　With　many　apologies　I　can

now　get　out；〃　he　added；　as　the　train　stopped　at　South　Croydon。　　〃Blink！〃

And；　followed　by　his　dog；　he　stepped　from　the　train。



The　Personage；　who　was　indeed　no　other　than　the　private　secretary　of　the

private　secretary　of　It　whom　Mr。　Lavender　had　designated　as　the　Truth

watched　him　from　the　window。



〃Well；　that　WAS　a　treat；　dear　papa！〃　he　murmured　to　himself；　emitting　a

sigh　of　smoke　after　his　retreating　interlocutor。









XIX



IS　IN　PERIL　OF　THE　STREET



On　the　Sunday　following　this　interview　with　the　Truth　Mr。　Lavender；　who

ever　found　the　day　of　rest　irksome　to　his　strenuous　spirit；　left　his

house　after　an　early　supper。　　It；　had　been　raining　all　day；　but　the

sinking　sun　had　now　emerged　and　struck　its　level　light　into　the　tree　tops

from　a　still　cloudy　distance。　　Followed　by　Blink；　he　threaded　the　puddled

waste　which　lies　to　the　west　of　the　Spaniard's　Road；　nor　was　it　long

before　the　wild　beauty　of　the　scene　infected　his　spirit；　and　he　stood

still　to　admire　the　world　spread　out。　　The　smoke　rack　of　misted　rain　was

still　drifting　above　the　sunset　radiance　in　an　apple…green　sky；　and

behind　Mr。　Lavender；　as　he　gazed　at　those　clouds　symbolical　of　the

world's　unrest；　a　group　of　tall；　dark　pine…trees；　wild　and　witch…like；

had　collected　as　if　in　audience　of　his　cosmic　mood。　　He　formed　a　striking

group　for　a　painter；　with　the　west　wind　flinging　back　his　white　hair；　and

fluttering　his　dark　moustache　along　his　cheeks；　while　Blink；　a　little　in

front　of　him；　pointed　at　the　prospect　and　emitted　barks　whose　vigour

tossed　her　charming　head　now　to　this　side　now　to　that。



〃How　beautiful　is　this　earth！〃　thought　Mr。　Lavender；　〃and　how　simple　to

be　good　and　happy　thereon。　　Yet　must　we　journey　ten　leagues　beyond　the

wide　world's　end　to　find　justice　and　liberty。　　There　are　dark　powers　like

lions　ever　in　the　path。　　Yes；〃　he　continued；　turning　round　to　the

pinetrees；　who　were　creaking　slightly　in　the　wind；　〃hate　and　oppression；

greed；　lust；　and　ambition！　There　you　stand　malevolently　regarding　me。

Out　upon　you；　dark　witches　of　evil！　　If　I　had　but　an　axe　I　would　lay　you

lower　than　the　dust。〃　　But　the　poor　pine…trees　paid　no　attention　save　to

creak　a　little　louder。　　And　so　incensed　was　Mr。　Lavender　by　this

insensibility　on　the　part　of　those　which　his　own　words　had　made　him

perceive　were　the　powers　of　darkness　that　he　would　very　likely　have

barked　his　knuckles　on　them　if　Blink　by　her　impatience　had　not　induced

him　to　resume　his　walk　and　mount　on　to　the　noble　rampart　of　the

Spaniard's　Road。



Along　this　he　wandered　and　down　the　hill　with　the　countless　ghosts　and

shadows　of　his　brain；　liberating　the　world　in　fancy　from　all　the

hindrances　which　beset　the　paths　of　public　men；　till　dark　fell；　and　he

was　compelled　to　turn　towards　home。　　Closely　attended　by　the　now　sobered

Blink　he　had　reached　the　Tube　Station　when　he　perceived　in　the　inky　war…

time　dusk　that　a　woman　was　following　him。　　Dimly　aware　that　she　was　tall

and　graceful　he　hurried　to　avoid　her；　but　before　long　could　but　note　that

she　was　walking　parallel　and　turning　her　face　towards　him。　　Her　gloved

hand　seemed　to　make　a　beckoning　movement；　and　perceiving　at　once　that　he

was　the　object　of　that　predatory　instinct　which　he　knew　from　the　many

letters　and　protests　in　his　journals　to　be　one　of　the　most　distressing

features　of　the　War；　he　would　have　broken　into　a　run　if　he　had　not　been

travelling　up…hill；　being　deprived　of　this　means　of　escape；　his　public

nature　prevailed；　and　he　saw　that　it　was　his　duty　to　confront　the　woman；

and　strike　a　blow　at；　the　national　evil　stalking　beside　him。　　But　he　was

in　a　difficulty；　for　his　natural　delicacy　towards　women　seemed　to

preclude　him　from　treating　her　as　if　she　were　what　she　evidently　was；

while　his　sense　of　dutyurged　him　with　equal　force　to　do　so。



A　whiff　of　delicious　scent　determined　him。　　Madam；〃　he　said；　without

looking　in　her　face；　which；　indeed；　was　not　visibleso　great　was　the

darkness；　〃it　is　useless　to　pursue　one　who　not　only　has　the　greatest

veneration　for　women　but　regards　you　as　a　public　danger　at　a　time　when

all　the　energies　of　the　country　should　be　devoted　to　the　defeat　of　our

common　enemies。〃



The　woman；　uttering　a　sound　like　a　laugh；　edged　towards　him；　and　Mr。

Lavender　edged　away；　so　that　they　proceeded　up　the　street　crabwise；　with

Blink　adhering　jealously　to　her　master's　heels。



〃Do　you　know；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　with　all　the　delicacy　in　his　power；

〃how　terribly　subversive　of　the　national　effort　it　is　to　employ　your

beauty　and　your　grace　to　snare　and　slacken　the　sinews　of　our　glorious

youth？　　The　mystery　of　a　woman's　glance　in　times　like　these　should　be

used　solely　to　beckon　our　heroes　on　to　death　in　the　field。　　But　you；

madam；　than　whom　no　one　indeed　has　a　more　mysterious　glance；　have　turned

it　to　ends　which；　in　the　words　of　a　great　public　man；　profane　the　temple

of　ourour〃



Mr。　Lavender　stopped；　for　his　delicacy　would　not　allow　him　even　in　so

vital　a　cause　to　call　bodies　bodies。　　The　woman　here　edged　so　close　that

he　bolted　across　her　in　affright；　and　began　to　slant　back　towards　the

opposite　side　of　the　street。



〃Madam；〃　he　said；　you　must　have　perceived　by　now　that　I　am；　alas！　　not

privileged　by　age　to　be　one　of　the　defenders　of　my　country；　and　though　I

am　prepared　to　yield　to　you；　if　by　so　doing　I　can　save　some　young　hero

from　his　fate；　I　wish　you　to　clearly　understand　that　only　my　sense　of

duty　as　a　public　man　would　induce　me　to　do　any　such　thing。〃　　At　this　he

turned　his　eyes　dreadfully　upon　her　graceful　form　still　sidling　towards

him；　and；　conscious　again　of　that　delightful　scent；　felt　a　swooning

sensation　which　made　him　lean　against　a　lamp…post。　　〃Spare　me；　madam；〃　he

said　in　a　faint　voice　for　my　country's　sake　I　am　ready　to　do　anything；

but　I　must　tell　you　that　I　worship　another　of　your　sex　from　afar；　and　if

you　are　a　woman　you　will　not　seek　to　make　me　besmirch　that　adoration　or

imperil　my　chivalry。〃



So　saying；　he　threw　his　arms　round　the　lamppost　and　closed　his　eyes；

expecting　every　moment　to　be　drawn　away　against　his　will　into　a　life　of

vice。



A　well…known　voice；　strangled　to　the　pitch　almost　of　inaudibility；　said

in　his　ear：



〃Oh；　Don　Pickwixote；　Don　Pickwixote；　you　will　be　the　death　of　me！〃



Electrified；　Mr。　Lavender　opened　his　eyes；　and　in　the　dull　orange　rays　of

the　heavily　shaded　lamp　he　saw　beside　him　no　other　than　the　writhing；

choking　figure　of　Aurora　herself。　　Shocked　beyond　measure　by　the　mistake

he　had　made；　Mr。　Lavender　threw　up　his　hands　and　bolted　past　her　through

the　gateway　of　his　garden；　nor　did　he　cease　running　till　he　had　reached

his　bedroom　and　got　under　the　bed；　so　terribly　was　he　upset。　　There；　in

the　company　of　Blink；　he　spent　perhaps　the　most　shame…stricken　hours　of

his　existence；　cursing　the　memory　of　all　those　bishops　and　novelists　who

had　caused　him　to　believe　that　every　woman　in　a　dark　street　was　a　danger

to　the　State；　nor　could　the　persuasion　of　Mrs。　Petty　or　Joe　induce　him　to

come　out；　so　that　in　despair　they　were　compelled　to　leave　him　to　pass　the

night　in　this　penitential　position；　which　he　did　without　even　taking　out

his　teeth。









XX



RECEIVES　A　REVELATION



Fully　a　week　elapsed　before　Mr。　Lavender　recovered　from　the　effects　of

the　night　which　he　had　spent　under　his　bed　and　again　took　his　normal

interest　in　the　course　of　national　affairs。　　That　which　at　length　tore

him　from　his　torpid　condition　and　refixed　his　imagination　was　an　article

in　one　of；　his　journals　on　the　League　of　Nations；　which　caused　him

suddenly　to　perceive　that　this　was　the　most　important　subject　of　the　day。

Carefully　extracting　the　address　of　the　society　who　had　the　matter　in

hand；　he　determined　to　go　down　forthwith　and　learn　from　their　own　lips

how　he　could　best　induce　everybody　to　join　them　in　their　noble

undertaking。　　Shutting　every　window；　therefore　and　locking　Blink

carefully　into　his　study；　he　set　forth　and　took　the　Tube　to　Charing

Cross。



Arriving　at　the　premises　indicated　he　made　his　way　in　lifts　and　corridors

till　he　came　to　the　name　of　this　great　world　undertaking　upon　the　door　of

Room　443；　and　paused　for　a　moment　to　recover　from　the　astonishment　he

felt　that　the　whole　building　at　least　was　not　occupied　by　the　energies　of

such　a　prodigious　association。



〃Appearances；　however；　are　deceptive；〃　he　thought；　〃and　from　a　single

grain　of　mustard…seed　whole　fields　will　flower。〃　　He　knocked　on　the　door；

therefore；　and　receiving　the　reply；　〃Cub　id；〃　in　a　female　voice；　he

entered　a　room　where　two　young　ladies　with　bad　colds　were　feebly　tapping

type…writers。



〃Can　I　see　the　President？〃　asked　Mr。　Lavender。



〃Dot　at　the　bobent；〃　said　one　of　the　young　ladies。　　〃