the burning spear-第6节

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up　and　smiled。



〃Believe　me；〃　continued　Mr。　Lavender；　〃no　task　in　these　days　is　so

important　as　the　cultivation　of　the　soil；　now　that　we　are　fighting　to　the

last　man　and　the　last　dollar　every　woman　and　child　in　th　islands　should

put　their　hands　to　the　plough。　　And　at　that　word　his　vision　became

feverishly　enlarged；　so　that　he　seemed　to　see　not　merely　the　young　lady；

but　quantities　of　young　ladies；　filling　the　whole　garden。



〃This；〃　he　went　on；　raising　his　voice；　〃is　the　psychological　moment；　the

turning…point　in　the　history　of　these　islands。　　The　defeat　of　our　common

enemies　imposes　on　us　the　sacred　duty　of　feeding　ourselves　once　more。

'There　is　a　tide　in　the　affairs　of　men　which　taken　at　the　flood　leads　on

to　Oh！〃　　For　in　his　desire　to　stir　his　audience；　Mr。　Lavender　had

reached　out　too　far；　and　losing　foothold　on　his　polished　bedroom　floor；

was　slipping　down　into　the　lilac…bush。　　He　was　arrested　by　a　jerk　from

behind；　where　Blink；　moved　by　this　sudden　elopement　of　her　master；　had

seized　him　by　the　nightshirt　tails；　and　was　staying　his　descent。



〃Is　anything　up？〃　said　the　young　lady。



〃I　have　lost　my　balance；〃　thickly　answered　Mr。　Lavender；　whose　blood　was

running　to　his　head；　which　was　now　lower　than　his　feet。〃　Fortunately；　my

dog　seems　to　be　holding　me　from　behind。　　But　if　someone　could　assist　her

it　would　be　an　advantage；　for　I　fear　that　I　am　slipping。〃



〃Hold　on！〃　cried　the　young　lady。　　And　breaking　through　the　low　privet

hedge　which　separated　the　domains；　she　vanished　beneath　him　with　a　low

gurgling　sound。



Mr。　Lavender；　who　dared　not　speak　again　for　fear　that　Blink；　hearing　his

voice；　might　let　go　to　answer；　remained　suspended；　torn　with　anxiety

about　his　costume。　　〃If　she　comes　in；〃　he　thought；　〃I　shall　die　from

shame。　　And　if　she　doesn't；　I　shall　die　from　a　broken　neck。　　What　a

dreadful　alternative！　　And　he　firmly　grasped　the　most　substantial　lilac…

boughs　within；　his　reach；　listening　with　the　ears　of　a　hare　for　any　sound

within　the　room；　in　which　he　no　longer　was　to　any　appreciable　extent。

Then　the　thought　of　what　a　public　man　should　feel　in　his　position　came　to

his　rescue。　　〃We　die　but　once；〃　he　mused；　〃rather　than　shock　that

charming　lady　let　me　seek　oblivion。〃　And　the　words　of　his　obituary　notice

at　once　began　to　dance　before　his　eyes。　　〃This　great　public　servant

honoured　his　country　no　less　in　his　death　than　in　his　life。'　　Then

striking　out　vigorously　with　his　feet　he　launched　his　body　forward。　　The

words　〃My　goodness　resounded　above　him；　as　all　restraining　influence　was

suddenly　relaxed；　Mr。　Lavender　slid　into　the　lilac…bush；　turned　heels

over　head；　and　fell　bump　on　the　ground。　　He　lay　there　at　full；　length；

conscious　of　everything；　and　especially　of　the　faces　of　Blink　and　the

young　lady　looking　down　on　him　from　the　window。



〃Are　you　hurt？〃　she　called。



〃No；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender　that　iseryes；〃　he　added；　ever　scrupulously

exact。



〃I'm　coming　down；〃　said　the　young　lady。



〃Don't　move！〃



With　a　great　effort　Mr。　Lavender　arranged　his　costume；　and　closed　his

eyes。　　〃　How　many　lie　like　this；　staring　at　the　blue　heavens！〃　he

thought。



〃Where　has　it　got　you？〃　said　a　voice；　and　he　saw　the　young　lady　bending

over　him。



〃'In　the　dorsal　region；　I　think；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender。　　〃But　I　suffer　more

from　the　thought　that　Ithat　you〃



〃That's　all　right；〃　said　the　young　lady；　〃I'm　a　V。A。D。　　It　WAS　a　bump！

Let's　see　if　you　can〃　and　taking　his　hands　she　raised　him　to　a

sitting　posture。　　〃Does　it　work？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender　rather　faintly。



〃Try　and　stand；〃　said　the　young　lady；　pulling。



Mr。　　Lavender　tried；　and　stood；　but　no；　sooner　was　he　on　his　feet　than

she　turned　her　face　away。　　Great　tears　rolled　down　her　cheeks；　and　she

writhed　and　shook　all　over。



〃Don't！〃　cried　Mr。　Lavender；　much　concerned。　　〃I　beg　you　not　to　cry。

It's　nothing；　I　assure　younothing！〃　　The　young　lady　with

an　effort　controlled　her　emotion；　and　turned　her　large　grey　eyes　on　him。



〃The　angelic　devotion　of　nurses！〃　murmured　Mr。　Lavender；　leaning　against

the　wall　of　the　house　with　his　hand　to　his　back。　　〃Nothing　like　it　has

been　seen　since　the　world　began。〃



〃I　shall　never　forget　the　sight！〃　said　the　young　lady；　choking。



Mr。　Lavender；　who　took　the　noises　she　made　for　sobbing；　was　unutterably

disturbed。



〃I　can't　bear　to　see　you　distressed　on　my　account；〃　he　said。　　〃I　am　quite

well；　I　assure　you；　lookI　can　walk！〃　　And　he　started　forth　up　the

garden　in　his　nightshirt　and　Norfolk　jacket。　　When　he　turned　round　she

was　no　longer　there；　sounds　of　uncontrollable　emotion　were　audible　from

the　adjoining　garden。　　Going　to　the　privet　hedge；　he　looked　aver。　　She

was　lying　gracefully　on　the　grass；　with　her　face　smothered　in　her　hands；

and　her　whole　body　shaking。　　〃Poor　thing！〃　thought　Mr。　Lavender。　　〃No

doubt　she　is　one　of　those　whose　nerves　have　been　destroyed　by　the

terrible　sights　she　has　seen！〃　　But　at　that　moment　the　young　lady　rose

and　ran　as　if　demented　into　her　castle。　　Mr。　Lavender　stayed　transfixed。

〃Who　would　not　be　ill　for　the　pleasure　of　drinking　from　a　cup　held　by　her

hand？〃　he　thought。　　〃I　am　fortunate　to　have　received　injuries　in　trying

to　save　her　from　confusion。　　Down；　Blink；　down！〃



For　his　dog；　who　had　once　more　leaped　from　the　window；　was　frantically

endeavouring　to　lick　his　face。　　Soothing　her；　and　feeling　his　anatomy；

Mr。　Lavender　became　conscious　that　he　was　not　alone。　　An　old　lady　was

standing　on　the　gardenpath　which　led　to　the　front　gate；　holding　in　her

hand　a　hat。　　Mr。　Lavender　sat　down　at　once；　and　gathering　his　nightshirt

under　him；　spoke　as　follows：



〃There　are　circumstances；　madam；　which　even　the　greatest　public　servants

cannot　foresee；　and　I；　who　am　the　humblest　of　them；　ask　you　to　forgive　me

for　receiving　you　in　this　costume。〃



〃I　have　brought　your　hat　back；　〃　said　the　old　lady　with　a　kindling　eye；

〃they　told　me　you　lived　here　and　I　was　anxious　to　know　that　you　and　your

dear　dog　were　none　the　worse。



〃Madam；〃　replied　Mr。　Lavender；　〃I　am　infinitely　obliged　to　you。　　Would

you　very　kindly　hang　my；　hat　up　on　theerweeping　willow。　　tree？〃



At　this　moment　a　little　white　dog；　who　accompanied　the　old　lady；　began

sniffing　round　Mr。　Lavender；　and　Blink；　wounded　in　her　proprietary

instincts；　placed　her　paws　at　once　on　her　master's　shoulders；　so　that　he

fell　prone。　　When　he　recovered　a　sitting　posture　neither　the　old　lady　nor

the　little　dog　were　in　sight；　but　his　hat　was　hanging　on　a　laurel　bush。

〃There　seems　to　be　something　fateful　about　this　morning；〃　he　mused；　〃I

had　better　go　in　before　the　rest　of　the　female　population〃　and

recovering　his　feet　with　difficulty；　he　took　his　hat；　and　was　about　to

enter　the　house　when　he　saw　the　young　lady　watching　him　from　an　upper

window　of　the　adjoining　castle。　　Thinking　to　relieve　her　anxiety；　he　said

at　once：



〃My　dear　young　lady；　I　earnestly　beg　you　to　believe　that　such　a　thing

never　happens　to　me；　as　a　rule。〃



Her　face　was　instantly　withdrawn；　and；　sighing　deeply；　Mr。　Lavender

entered　the　house　and　made　his　way　upstairs。　　〃　Ah！〃　he　thought；

painfully　recumbent　in　his　bed　once　more；　〃though　my　bones　ache　and　my

head　burns　I　have　performed　an　action　not　unworthy　of　the　traditions　of

public　life。　　There　is　nothing　more　uplifting　than　to　serve　Youth　and

Beauty　at　the　peril　of　one's　existence。　　Humanity　and　Chivalry　have　ever

been　the　leading　characteristics　of　the　British　race；〃　and；　really　half…

delirious　now；　he　cried　aloud：　〃This　incident　will　for　ever　inspire　those

who　have　any　sense　of　beauty　to　the　fulfilment　of　our　common　task。

Believe　me；　we　shall　never　sheathe　the　sword　until　the　cause　of　humanity

and　chivalry　is　safe　once　more。〃



Blink；　ever　uneasy　about　sounds　which　seemed　to　her　to　have　no　meaning；

stood　up　on　her　hind　legs　and　endeavoured　to　stay　them　by　licking　his

face；　and　Mr。　Lavender；　who　had　become　so　stiff　that　he　could　not　stir

without　great　pain；　had　to　content　himself　by　moving　his　head　feebly　from

side　to　side　until　his　dog；　having　taken　her　fill；　resumed　the

examination　of　her　bone。　　Perceiving　presently　that　whenever　he　began　to…

talk　she　began　to　lick　his　face；　he　remained　silent；　with　his　mouth　open

and　his　eyes　shut；　in　an　almost　unconscious　condition；　from　which　he　was

roused　by　a　voice　saying：



〃He　is　suffering　from　alcoholic　poisoning。〃



The　monstrous　injustice　of　these　words　restored　his　faculties；　and　seeing

before　him　what　he　took　to　be　a　large　concourse　of　people　composed　in

reality　of　Joe　Petty；　Mrs。　Petty；　and　the　doctorhe　thus　addressed　them

in　a　faint；　feverish　voice：



〃The　pressure　of　these　times；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　brings　to　the　fore

the　most　pushing　and　obstreperous　blackguards。　　We　have　amongst　us

persons　who；　under　the　thin　disguise　of　patriotism；　do　not　scruple　to

bring　hideous　charges　against　public　men。　　Such　but　serve　the　blood…

stained　cause　of　our　common　enemies。　　Consc