the burning spear-第3节

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gaining　on　us！〃



〃Well　I　never　see　anything　like　this；〃　said　Joe；　〃chasin'　wot's　chasing

you！　　Hi！　　Hi！〃



Urged　on　by　their　shouts　and　the　noise　of　the　pursuing　car；　the　poor　dog

redoubled　her　efforts　to　rejoin　her　master；　and　Mr。　Lavender；　Joe；　and

the　car；　which　had　begun　to　emit　the　most　lamentable　creaks　and　odours；

redoubled　theirs。



〃I　shall　bust　her　up；〃　said　Joe。



〃I　care　not！〃　cried　Mr。　Lavender。　　〃I　must　recover　the　dog。〃



They　flashed　through　the　outskirts　of　the　Garden　City。　　〃Stop　her；　stop

her！〃　called　Mr。　Lavender　to　such　of　the　astonished　inhabitants　as　they

had　already　left　behind。　　〃This　is　a　nightmare；　Joe！〃



〃'It's　a　blinkin'　day…dream；〃　returned　Joe；　forcing　the　car　to　an

expiring　spurt。



〃If　she　gets　to　that　'ill　before　we　ketch　'er；　we're　done；　the　old　geyser

can't　'alf　crawl　up　'ills。〃



〃We're　gaining；〃　shrieked　Mr。　Lavender；　〃I　can　see　her　tongue。〃



As　though　it　heard　his　voice；　the　car　leaped　forward　and　stopped　with　a

sudden　and　most　formidable　jerk；　the　door　burst　open；　and　Mr。　Lavender

fell　out　upon　his　sheep…dog。



Fortunately　they　were　in　the　only　bed　of　nettles　in　that　part　of　the

world；　and　its　softness　and　that　of　Blink　assuaged　the　severity　of　his

fall；　yet　it　was　some　minutes　before　he　regained　the　full　measure　of　his

faculties。　　He　came　to　himself　sitting　on　a　milestone；　with　his　dog　on

her　hind　legs　between　his　knees；　licking　his　face　clean；　and　panting　down

his　throat。



〃Joe；〃　he　said；　〃where　are　you〃？



The　voice　of　Joe　replied　from　underneath　the　car：　〃Here　sir。　　She's

popped。〃



〃Do　you　mean　that　our　journey　is　arrested？〃



〃Ah！　　We're　in　irons。　　You　may　as　well　walk　'ome；　sir。　　It　ain't　two

miles。



〃No！　no！〃　said　Mr。　Lavender。　　〃We　passed　the　Garden　City　a　little　way

back　；　I　could　go　and　hold　a　meeting。　　How　long　will　you　be？〃



〃A　day　or　two；〃　said　Joe。



Mr。　Lavender　sighed；　and　at　this　manifestation　of　his　grief　his　sheep…dog

redoubled　her　efforts　to　comfort　him。　　〃Nothing　becomes　one　more　than　the

practice　of　philosophy；〃　he　thought。　　〃I　always　admired　those　great

public　men　who　in　moments　of　national　peril　can　still　dine　with　a　good

appetite。　　We　will　sit　in　the　car　a　little；　for　I　have　rather　a　pain；　and

think　over　a　speech。〃　　So　musing　he　mounted　the　car；　followed　by　his　dog；

and　sat　down　in　considerable　discomfort。



〃What　subject　can　I　choose　for　a　Garden　City？〃　he　thought；　and

remembering　that　he　had　with　him　the　speech　of　a　bishop　on　the　subject　of

babies；　he　dived　into　his　bundle　of　literature；　and　extracting　a　pamphlet

began　to　con　its　periods。　　A　sharp　blow　from　a　hammer　on　the　bottom　of　the

car　just　below　where　Blink　was　sitting　caused　him　to　pause　and　the　dog　to

rise　and　examine　her　tiny　tail。



〃Curious；〃　thought　Mr。　Lavender　dreamily；　〃how　Joe　always　does　the　right

thing　in　the　wrong　place。　　He　is　very　English。〃　　The　hammering　continued；

and　the　dog；　who　traced　it　to　the　omnipotence　of　her　master；　got　up　on

the　seat　where　she　could　lick　his　face。　　Mr。　Lavender　was　compelled　to

stop。



〃Joe；〃　he　said；　leaning　out　and　down；　〃must　you？〃



The　face　of　Joe；　very　red；　leaned　out　and　up。　　〃What's　the　matter　now；

sir？〃



〃I　am　preparing　a　speech；　must　you　hammer？〃



〃No；〃returned　Joe；　〃I　needn't。〃



〃I　don't　wish　you　to　waste　your　time；〃　said　Mr　Lavender。



〃Don't　worry　about　that；　sir；〃　replied　Joe；　〃there's　plenty　to　do。〃



〃In　that　case　I　shall　be　glad　to　finish　my　speech。〃



Mr。　Lavender　resumed　his　seat　and　Blink　her　position　on　the　floor；　with

her　head　on　his　feet。　The　sound　of　his　voice　soon　rose　again　in　the　car

like　the　buzzing　of　large　flies。　　〃'If　we　are　to　win　this　war　we　must

have　an　ever…increasing　population。　　In　town　and　countryside；　in　the

palace　and　the　slum；　above　all　in　the　Garden　City；　we　must　have　babies。'〃



Here　Blink；　who　had　been　regarding　him　with　lustrous　eyes；　leaped　on　to

his　knees　and　licked　his　mouth。　　Again　Mr。　Lavender　was　compelled　to

stop。



〃Down；　Blink；　down！　　I　am　not　speaking　to　you。　　'The　future　of　our

country　depends　on　the　little　citizens　born　now。　I　especially　appeal　to

women。　It　is　to　them　we　must　look'〃



〃Will　you　'ave　a　glass；　sir？〃



Mr。　Lavender　saw　before　him　a　tumbler　containing　a　yellow　fluid。



〃Joe；〃　he　said　sadly；　〃you　know　my　rule〃



〃'Ere's　the　exception；　sir。〃



Mr。　Lavender　sighed。　　〃　No；　no；　I　must　practise　what　I　preach。　　I　shall

soon　be　rousing　the　people　on　the　liquor　question；　too。〃



Well；　'ere's　luck；〃　said　Joe；　draining　the　glass。　　〃Will　you　'ave　a　slice

of　'am？〃



〃That　would　not　be　amiss；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　taking　Joe's　knife　with　the

slice　of　ham　upon　its　point。　　　〃'It　is　to　them　that　we　must　look；'〃　he

resumed；　〃'to　rejuvenate　the　Empire　and　make　good　the　losses　in　the

firing…line。'〃　　And　he　raised　the　knife　to　his　mouth。　　No　result

followed；　while　Blink　wriggled　on　her　base　and　licked　her　lips。



〃Blink！〃　said　Mr。　Lavender　reproachfully。　〃Joe！〃



〃Sir！〃



〃When　you've　finished　your　lunch　and　repaired　the　car　you　will　find　me　in

the　Town　Hall　or　market…place。　　Take　care　of　Blink。　　I'll　tie　her　up。

Have　you　some　string？〃



Having　secured　his　dog　to　the　handle　of　the　door　and　disregarded　the

intensity　of　her　gaze；　Mr。　Lavender　walked　back　towards　the　Garden　City

with　a　pamphlet　in　one　hand　and　a　crutch…handled　stick　in　the　other。

Restoring　the　ham　to　its　nest　behind　his　feet；　Joe　finished　the　bottle　of

Bass。　　〃This　is　a　bit　of　all　right！〃　he　thought　dreamily。　　Lie　down；　you

bitch！　　Quiet！　　How　can　I　get　my　nap　while　you　make　that　row？　　Lie　down！

That's　better。〃



Blink　was　silent；　gnawing　at　her　string。　　The　smile　deepened　on　Joe's

face；　his　head　fell　a　little　one　side　his　mouth　fell　open　a　fly　flew　into

it。



〃Ah！〃　he　thought；　spitting　it　out；　〃dog's　quiet　now。〃　　He　slept。









III



MR。　LAVENDER　ADDRESSES　A　CROWD　OF　HUNS



〃'Give　them　ginger！'〃　thought　Mr。　Lavender；　approaching　the　first　houses。

〃My　first　task；　however；　will　be　to　collect　them。〃



〃Can　you　tell　me；〃　he　said　to　a　dustman；　〃where　the　market…place　is？〃



〃Ain't　none。〃



〃The　Town　Hall；　then？〃



〃Likewise。〃



〃What　place　is　there；　then；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；〃　where　people

congregate？〃



〃They　don't。〃



〃Do　they　never　hold　public　meetings　here？〃



〃Ah！〃　said　the　dustman　mysteriously。



〃I　wish　to　address　them　on　the　subject　of　babies。〃



〃Bill！　Gent　abaht　babies。　　Where'd　he　better　go？〃



The　man　addressed；　however；　who　carried　a　bag　of　tools；　did　not　stop。



〃You；'ear？〃　said　the　dustman；　and　urging　his　horse；　passed　on。



〃How　rude！〃　thought　Mr。　Lavender。　　Something　cold　and　wet　was　pressed

against　his　hand；　he　felt　a　turmoil；　and　saw　Blink　moving　round　and　round

him；　curved　like　a　horseshoe；　with　a　bit　of　string　dangling　from　her

white　neck。　　At　that　moment　of　discouragement　the　sight　of　one　who

believed　in　him　gave　Mr。　Lavender　nothing　but　pleasure。　　〃How　wonderful

dogs　are！〃　he　murmured。　　The　sheep…dog　responded　by　bounds　and

ear…splitting　barks；　so　that　two　boys　and　a　little　girl　wheeling　a

perambulator　stopped　to　look　and　listen。



〃She　is　like　Mercury；〃　thought　Mr。　Lavender；　and　taking　advantage　of　her

interest　in　his　hat；　which　she　had　knocked　off　in　her　effusions；　he

placed　his　hand　on　her　head　and　crumpled　her　ear。　　The　dog　passed　into　an

hypnotic　trance；　broken　by　soft　grumblings　of　pleasure。　　〃The　most

beautiful　eyes　in　the　world！〃　thought　Mr。　Lavender；　replacing　his　hat；

〃the　innocence　and　goodness　of　her　face　are　entrancing。〃



In　his　long　holland　coat；　with　his　wide…brimmed　felt　hat　all　dusty；　and

the　crutch…handled　stick　in　his　hand；　he　had　already　arrested　the

attention　of　five　boys；　the　little　girl　with　the　perambulator；　a　postman；

a　maid…servant；　and　three　old　ladies。



〃What　a　beautiful　dog　yours　is！〃　said　one　of　the　old　ladies；　〃dear

creature！　　Are　you　a　shepherd？〃



Mr。　Lavender　removed　his　hat。



〃No；　madam；〃　he　said；　〃a　public　speaker。〃



〃How　foolish　of　me！〃　replied　the　old　lady。



〃Not　at　all；　madam；　the　folly　is　mine。〃　　And　Mr。　Lavender　bowed。

〃I　have　come　here　to　give　an　address　on　babies。〃



The　old　lady　looked　at　him　shrewdly；　and；　saying　something　in　a　low　voice

to　her　companions；　passed　on；　to　halt　again　a　little　way　off。



In　the　meantime　the　rumour　that　there　was　a　horse　down　in　the　Clemenceau

Road　had　spread　rapidly；　and　more　boys；　several　little　girls；　and　three

soldiers　in　blue；　with　red　ties；　had　joined　the　group　round　Mr。　Lavender；

to　whom　there　seemed　something　more　than　providential　in　this　rapid

assemblage。　　Looking　round　him　for　a　platform　from　which　to　address　them；

he　saw　nothing　but　the　low　wall　of　the　little　villa　garden　outside　which

he　was　standing。　　Mounting　on　this；　therefore；　and　firmly　grasping　the

branch　of　a　young　acacia　tree　to　steady　himself；　he　stood　upright；　while

B1ink；　on　her　hind　legs；　scra