the burning spear-第5节

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and　the　moment　appeared　to　Mr。　Lavender　auspicious　for　addressing　them。

Without；　therefore；　emerging　from　the　pond；　which　he　took　for　his；

platform；　he　spoke　as　follows：



〃Circumstances　over　which　I　have　no　control　have　given　me　the　advantage

of　your　presence　in　numbers　which　do　credit　to　the　heart　of　the　nation　to

which　we　all　belong。　　In　the　midst　of　the　greatest　war　which　ever

threatened　the　principle　of　Liberty；　I　rejoice　to　see　so　many　people　able

to　follow　the　free　and　spontaneous　impulses　of　their　inmost　beings。　　For；

while　we　must　remember　that　our　every　hour　is　at　the　disposal　of　our

country；　we　must　not　forget　the　maxim　of　our　fathers：　'Britons　never　will

be　slaves。'　　Only　by　preserving　the　freedom　of　individual　conscience；　and

at　the　same　time　surrendering　it　whole…heartedly　to　every　which　the　State

makes　on　us；　can　we　hope　defeat　the　machinations　of　the　arch　enemies　of

mankind。〃



At　this　moment　a　little　stone　hit　him　sharply　on　the　hand。



〃Who　threw　that　stone？〃　said　Mr。　Lavender。　　Let　him　stand　out。〃



The　culprit；　no　other　indeed　than　he　who　had　thrown　the　hat　in；　and　not

fetched　it　out　for　a　shilling；　thus　menaced　with　discovery　made　use　of　a

masterly　device；　and　called　out　loudly：



〃Pro…German！〃



Such　was　the　instinctive　patriotism　of　the　crowd　that　the　cry　was　taken

up　in　several　quarters；　and　for　the　moment　Mr。　Lavender　remained

speechless　from　astonishment。　　The　cries　of　〃Pro…German！〃　increased　in

volume；　and　a　stone　hitting　her　on　the　nose　caused　Blink　to　utter　a　yelp；

Mr。　Lavender's　eyes　blazed。



〃Huns！〃　he　cried；　〃Huns！　I　am　coming　out。〃



With　this　prodigious　threat　he　emerged　from　the　pond　at　the　very　moment

that　a　car　scattered　the　throng；　and　a　well…known　voice　said：



〃Well；　sir；　you　'ave　been　goin'　it！〃



〃Joe；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　〃don't　speak　to　me！〃



〃Get　in。〃



〃Never！〃



〃Pro…Germans！〃　yelled　the　crowd。



〃Get　in！〃　repeated　Joe。



And　seizing　Mr。　Lavender　as　if　collaring　him　at　football；　he　knocked　off

his　hat；　propelled　him　into　the　car；　banged　the　door；　mounted；　and

started　at　full　speed；　with　Blink　leaping　and　barking　in　front　of　them。



Debouching　from　Piave　Parade　into　Bottomley　Lane　he　drove　up　it　till　the

crowd　was　but　a　memory　before　he　stopped　to　examine　the　condition

his　master。　　Mr。　Lavender　was　hanging　out　of　window；　looking　back；　and

shivering　violently。



〃Well；　sir；〃　said　Joe。　　〃I　don't　think！〃



〃Joe；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender　that　crowd　ought　not　to　be　at　large。　　They　were

manifestly　Huns。



〃The　speakin's　been　a　bit　too　much　for　you；　sir；〃　said　Joe。　　〃But　you've

got　it　off　your　chest；　anyway。〃



Mr。　Lavender　regarded　him　for　a　moment　in　silence；　then　putting　his　hand

to　his　throat；　said　hoarsely：



〃No；　on　my　chest；　I　think；　Joe。　　All　public　speakers　do。　　It　is

inseparable　from　that　great　calling。〃



〃'Alf　a　mo'！〃　grunted　Joe；　diving　into　the　recesses　beneath　the　driving…

seat。　　〃'Ere；　swig　that　off；　sir。　　〃



Mr。　Lavender　raised　the　tumbler　of　fluid　to　his　mouth；　and　drank　it　off；

only　from　the　dregs　left　on　his　moustache　did　he　perceive　that　it　smelled

of　rum　and　honey。



〃Joe；〃　he　said　reproachfully；　〃you　have　made　me　break　my　pledge。〃



Joe　smiled。　　〃Well；　what　are　they　for；　sir？　　You'll　sleep　at　'ome　to…

night。〃



〃Never；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender。　　〃I　shall　sleep　at　High　Barnet；　I　must

address　them　there　tomorrow　on　abstinence　during　the　war。〃



〃As　you　please；　sir。　　But　try　and　'ave　a　nap　while　we　go　along。〃　　And

lifting　Blink　into　the　car；　where　she　lay　drenched　and　exhausted　by

excitement；　with　the　petal　of　a　purple　flower　clinging　to　her　black　nose；

he　mounted　to　his　seat　and　drove　off。　　Mr。　Lavender；　for　years

unaccustomed　to　spirituous　liquor；　of　which　he　had　swallowed　nearly　half

a　pint　neat；　passed　rapidly　into　a　state　of　coma。　　Nor　did　he　fully

regain　consciousness　till　he　awoke　in　bed　the　next　morning。











IV



INTO　THE　DANGERS　OF　A　PUBLIC　LIFE



〃At　what　time　is　my　meeting？〃　thought　Mr。　Lavender　vaguely；　gazing　at　the

light　filtering　through　the　Venetian　blind。　　〃Blink！〃



His　dog；　who　was　lying　beside　his　bed　gnawing　a　bone　which　with　some

presence　of　mind　she　had　brought　in；　raised　herself　and　regarded　him　with

the　innocence　of　her　species。　　〃She　has　an　air　of　divine　madness；〃

thought　Mr。　Lavender；　which　is　very　pleasing　to　me。　　I　have　a　terrible

headache。〃　　And　seeing　a　bellrope　near　his　hand　he　pulled　it。



A　voice　said：　〃Yes；　sir。〃



〃I　wish　to　see　my；　servant；　Joe　Petty；〃　said　Lavender。　　〃I　shall　not

require　any　breakfast　thank　you。　　What　is　the　population　of　High　Barnet？〃



〃I'm　sure　I　don't　know　what　you're　talking　about；　sir；〃　answered　the

voice；　which　seemed　to　be　that　of　his　housekeeper；　〃but　you　can't　see

Joe；　he's　gone　out　with　a　flea　in　his　ear。　　The　idea　of　his　letting　you

get　your　feet　wet　like　that！



〃How　is　this？〃　said　Mr。　Lavender。　　〃I　thought　you　were　the　chambermaid　of

the　inn　at　High　Barnet？〃



〃No；　indeed；〃　said　Mrs。　Petty　soothingly；　placing　a　thermometer　in　his

mouth。　　〃Smoke　that　a　minute；　sir。　　Oh！　look　at　what　this　dog's　brought

in！　　Fie！〃　　And　taking　the　bone　between　thumb　and　finger　she　cast　it　out

of　the　window；　while　Blink；　aware　that　she　was　considered　in　the　wrong；

and　convinced　that　she　was　in　the　right；　spread　out　her　left　paw；　laid

her　head　on　her　right　paw；　and　pressed　her　chin　hard　against　it。　　Mrs。

Petty；　returning　from　the　window；　stood　above　her　master；　who　lay　gazing

up　with　the　thermometer　jutting　out　through　the　middle　of　his　moustache。



〃I　thought　so！〃　she　said；　removing　it；　〃a　hundred　and　one。　　No　getting　up

for　you；　sir！　　That　Joe！〃



〃Mrs。　Petty；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender　rather　feebly；　for　his　head　pained　him

excessively；　〃bring　me　the　morning　papers。〃



〃No；　sir。　　The　thermometer　bursts　at　an　an'　ten。　　I'll　bring　you　the

doctor。〃



Mr。　Lavender　was　about　to　utter　a　protest　when　he　reflected　that　all

public　men　had　doctors。



〃About　the　bulletin？〃　　he　said　faintly。



〃What？〃　ejaculated　Mrs。　Petty；　whose　face　seemed　to　Mr。　Lavender　to　have

become　all　cheekbones；　eyes；　and　shadows。　　Joe　never　said　a　about　a

bullet。　　Where？　and　however　did　you　get　it　in？



〃I　did　not　say　'bullet　in'；〃　murmured　Mr。　Lavender　closing　his　eyes！　〃I

said　bulletin。　　They　have　it。〃



At　this　mysterious　sentence　Mrs。　Petty　lifted　her　hands；　and　muttering

the　word　〃Ravin'！〃　hastened　from　the　room。　　No　sooner　had　she　gone；

however；　than　Blink；　whose　memory　was　perfect；　rose；　and　going　to　the

window　placed　her　forepaws　on　the　sill。　　Seeing　her　bone　shining　on　the

lawn　below；　with　that　disregard　of　worldly　consequence　which　she　shared

with　all　fine　characters；　she　leaped　through。　　The　rattle　of　the　Venetian

blind　disturbed　Mr。　Lavender　from　the　lethargy　to　which　he　had　reverted。

〃Mr。　John　Lavender　passed　a　good　night；〃　he　thought；　〃but　his　condition

is　still　critical。〃　　And　in　his　disordered　imagination　he　seemed　to　see

people　outside　Tube　stations；　standing　stock…still　in　the　middle　of　the

traffic；　reading　that　bulletin　in　the　evening　papers。　　〃Let　me　see；〃　he

mused；　〃how　will　they　run？　　To…morrow　I　shall　be　better；　but　not　yet　able

to　leave　my　bed；　the　day　after　to…morrow　I　shall　have　a　slight　relapse；

and　my　condition　will　still　give　cause　for　anxiety；　on　the　day　following…

…What　is　that　noise。　　For　a　sound　like　the　whiffling　of　a　wind　through

dry　sticks　combined　with　the　creaking　of　a　saw　had；　impinged　on　his

senses。　　It　was　succeeded　by　scratching。　　〃Blink！〃　said　Mr。　Lavender。

A　heartrending　whine　came　from　outside　the　door。　　Mr。　Lavender　rose　and

opened　it。　　His　dog　came　in　carrying　her　bone；　and　putting　it　down　by　the

bed　divided　her　attention　between　it　and　her　master's　legs；　revealed　by

the　nightshirt　which；　in　deference　to　the　great　Disraeli；　he　had　never

abandoned　in　favour　of　pyjamas。　　Having　achieved　so　erect　a　posture　Mr。


Lavender；　whose　heated　imagination　had　now　carried　him　to　the

convalescent　stage　of　his　indisposition；　felt　that　a　change　of　air　would

do　him　good；　and　going　to　the　window；　leaned　out　above　a　lilac…tree。



〃Mr。　John　Lavender〃　he　murmured；　〃has　gone　to　his　seat　to　recuperate

before　resuming　his　public　duties。



While　he　stood　there　his　attention　was　distracted　by　a　tall　young　lady　of

fine　build　and　joyous　colour；　who　was　watering　some　sweet…peas　in　the

garden　of　the　adjoining　castle：　Naturally　delicate；　Mr。　Lavender　at　once

sought　a　jacket；　and；　having　put　it　on；　resumed　his　position　at　the

window。　　He　had　not　watched　her　more　than　two　minutes　before　he　saw　that

she　was　cultivating　soil；　and；　filled　with　admiration；　he　leaned　still

further　out；　and　said：



〃My　dear　young　madam；　you　are　doing　a　great　work。〃



Thus　addressed；　the　young　lady；　who　had　those　roving　grey　eyes　which　see

everything　and　betoken　a　large　nature　not　devoid　of　merry　genius；　looked

up　and　smiled。



〃Believe　me；〃　continued　Mr。　L