the burning spear-第7节

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

stained　cause　of　our　common　enemies。　　Conscious　of　the　purity　of　our

private　lives；　we　do　not　care　what　is　said　of　us　so　long　as　we　can　fulfil

our　duty　to　our　country。　　Abstinence　from　every　form　of　spirituous　liquor

has　been　the　watchword　of　all　public　men　since　this　land　was　first

threatened　by　the　most　stupendous　cataclysm　which　ever　hung　over　the

heads　of　a　great　democracy。　　We　have　never　ceased　to　preach　the　need　for

it；　and　those　who　say　the　contrary　are　largely　Germans　or　persons　lost　to

a　sense　of　decency。〃　　So　saying；　he　threw　off　all　the　bedclothes；　and

fell　back　with　a　groan。



〃Easy；　easy；　my　dear　sir！〃　said　the　voice。



〃Have　you　a　pain　in　your　back？〃



〃I　shall　not　submit；〃　returned　our　hero；　〃to　the　ministrations　of　a　Hun；

sooner　will　I　breathe　my　last。〃



〃Turn　him　over；〃　said　the　voice。　　And　Mr。　Lavender　found　himself　on　his

face。



〃Do　you　feel　that？〃　said　the　voice。



Mr。　Lavender　answered　faintly　into　his　pillow：



〃It　is　useless　for　you　to　torture　me。　　No　German　hand　shall　wring　from　me

a　groan。〃



〃Is　there　mania　in　his　family？〃　asked　the　voice。　　At　this　cruel　insult

Mr。　Lavender；　who　was　nearly　smothered；　made　a　great　effort；　and　clearing

his　mouth　of　the　pillow；　said：



〃Since　we　have　no　God　nowadays；　I　call　the　God　of　my　fathers　to　witness

that　there　is　no　saner　public　man　than　I。〃



It　was；　however；　his　last　effort；　for　the　wriggle　he　had　given　to　his

spine　brought　on　a　kind　of　vertigo；　and　he　relapsed　into　unconsciousness。









V



IS　CONVICTED　OF　A　NEW　DISEASE



Those　who　were　assembled　round　the　bed　of　Mr。　Lavender　remained　for　a

moment　staring　at　him　with　their　mouths　open；　while　Blink　growled　faintly

from　underneath。



〃Put　your　hand　here；〃　said　the　doctor　at　last。



There　is　a　considerable　swelling；　an　appearance　of　inflammation；　and　the

legs　are　a　curious　colour。　　You　gave　him　three…quarters　of　a　tumbler　of

rumhow　much　honey？〃



Thus　addressed；　Joe　Petty；　leaning　his　head　a　little　to　one　side；

answered：



〃Not　'alf　a　pot；　sir。〃



〃Um！　　There　are　all　the　signs　here　of　something　quite　new。　　He's　not　had

a　fall；　has　he？〃



〃Has　he？〃　said　Mrs。　Petty　severely　to　her　husband。



〃No；〃　replied　Joe。



〃Singular！〃　said　the　doctor。　　Turn　him　back　again；　I　want　to　feel　his

head。　　Swollen；　it　may　account　for　his　curious　way　of　talking。　　Well；

shove　in　quinine；　and　keep　him　quiet；　with　hot　bottles　to　his　feet。　　I

think　we　have　come　on　a　new　war　disease。　　I'll　send　you　the　quinine。

Good　morning。



〃Wot　oh！〃　said　Joe　to　his　wife；　when　they　were　left　alone　with　the

unconscious　body　of　their　master。　　〃Poor　old　Guv。！　　Watch　and　pray！〃



〃However　could　you　have　given　him　such　a　thing？〃



〃Wet　outside；　wet　your　inside；〃　muttered　Joe　sulkily；　〃'as　always　been　my

motto。　　Sorry　I　give　'im　the　honey。　　Who'd　ha'　thought　the　product　of　an

'armless　insect　could　'a　done　'im　in　like　this？〃



Fiddle　said　Mrs。　Petty。　　〃In　my　belief　it's　come　on　through　reading　those

newspapers。　　If　I　had　my　way　I'd　bum　the　lot。　　Can　I　trust　you　to　watch

him　while　I　go　and　get　the　bottles　filled？〃



Joe　drooped　his　lids　over　his　greenish　eyes；　and；　with　a　whisk　of　her

head；　his　wife　left　the　room。



〃Gawd　'elp　us！〃　thought　Joe；　gazing　at　his　unconscious　master；　and

fingering　his　pipe；　〃'ow　funny　women　are！　　If　I　was　to　smoke　in　'ere

she'd　have　a　fit。　　I'll　just　'ave　a　whiff　in　the　window；　though！〃　　And；

leaning　out；　he　drew　the　curtains　to　behind　him　and　lighted　his　pipe。



The　sound　of　Blink　gnawing　her　bone　beneath　the　bed　alone　broke　the

silence。



〃I　could　do　with　a　pint　o'　bitter；〃　thought　Joe；　and；　noticing　the　form

of　the　weekly　gardener　down　below；　he　said　softly：



〃'Ello；　Bob！〃



〃'Ello？〃　replied　the　gardener。　　〃'Ow's　yours？〃



〃Nicely。〃



〃Goin'　to　'ave　some　rain？〃



〃Ah！〃



〃What's　the；　matter　with　that？〃



〃Good　for　the　crops。〃



〃Missis　well？〃



〃So；　so。〃



〃Wish　mine　was。〃



〃Wot's　the　matter　with　her？〃



〃Busy！〃　replied　Joe；　sinking　his　voice。　　Never　'ave　a　woman　permanent；

that's　my　experience。



The　gardener　did　not　reply；　but　stood　staring　at　the　lilac…bush　below　Joe

Petty's　face。　　He　was　a　thin　man；　rather　like　an　old　horse。



〃Do　you　think　we　can　win　this　war？〃　resumed　Joe。



〃Dunno；〃　replied　the　gardener　apathetically。



〃We　seem　to　be　goin'　back　nicely　all　the　time。〃



Joe　wagged　his　head。　　〃You've　'it　it；〃　he　said。　　And；　jerking　his　head

back　towards　the　room　behind　him；　〃Guv'nor's　got　it　now。〃



〃What？〃



〃The　new　disease。〃



〃What　new　disease？〃



〃Wy；　the　Run…abaht…an…tell…'em…'ow…to…do…it。〃



〃Ah！〃



〃'E's　copped　it　fair。　　In　bed。〃



〃You　don't　say！〃



〃Not　'alf！〃　Joe　sank　his　voice　still　lower。　　〃Wot'll　you　bet　me　I　don't

ketch　it　soon？〃



The　gardener　uttered　a　low　gurgle。



〃The　cats　'ave　been　in　that　laylock；〃　he　replied；　twisting　off　a　broken

branch。　　〃I'll　knock　off　now　for　a　bit　o'　lunch。〃



But　at　that　moment　the　sound　of　a　voice　speaking　as　it　might　be　from　a

cavern；　caused　him　and　Joe　Petty　to　stare　at　each　other　as　if　petrified。



〃Wot　is　it？〃　whispered　Joe　at　last。



The　gardener　jerked　his　head　towards　a　window　on　the　ground　floor。



〃Someone　in　pain；〃　he　said。



〃Sounds　like　the　Guv'nor's　voice。〃



〃Ah！〃　said　the　gardener。



〃Alf　a　mo'！〃　　And；　drawing　in　his　head；　Joe　peered　through　the　curtains。

The　bed　was　empty　and　the　door　open。



〃Watch　it！　'E's　loose！〃　　he　called　to　the　gardener；　and　descended　the

stairs　at　a　run。



In　fact；　Mr。　Lavender　had　come　out　of　his　coma　at　the　words；　〃　D'you

think　we　can　win　this　war？〃　　And；　at　once　conscious　that　he　had　not　read

the　morning　papers；　had　got　out　of　bed。　　Sallying　forth　just　as　he　was　he

had　made　his　way　downstairs；　followed　by　Blink。　　Seeing　the　journals

lying　on　the　chest　in　the　hall；　he　took　all　five　to　where　he　usually　went

at　this　time　of　the　morning；　and　sat　down　to　read。　　Once　there；　the　pain

he　was　in；　added　to　the　disorder　occasioned　in　his　brain　by　the　five

leaders；　caused　him　to　give　forth　a　summary　of　their　contents；　while

Blink　pressed　his　knees　with　her　chin　whenever　the　rising　of　his　voice

betokened　too　great　absorption；　as　was　her　wont　when　she　wanted　him　to

feed　her。　　Joe　Petty　joined　the　gardener　in　considerable　embarrassment。



〃Shan't　I　not　'alf　cop　it　from　the　Missis？〃　he　murmured。　　〃The　door's

locked。〃



The　voice　of　Mr。　Lavender　maintained　its　steady　flow；　rising　and　falling

with　the　tides　of　his　pain　and　his　feelings。　　〃What；　then；　is　our　duty？

Is　it　not　plain　and　simple？　　We　require　every　man　in　the　Army；　for　that

is　the　'sine　qua　non'　of　victory。　　We　must　greatly　reinforce　the　ranks　of

labour　in　our　shipyardsships；　ships；　ships；　always　more　ships；　for

without　them　we　shall　infallibly　be　defeated。　　We　cannot　too　often　repeat

that　we　must　see　the　great　drama　that　is　being　played　before　our　eyes

steadily；　and　we　must　see　it　whole。。。。　　Not　a　man　must　be　taken　from　the

cultivation　of　our　soil；　for　on　that　depends　our　very　existence　as　a

nation。　　Without　abundant　labour　of　the　right　sort　on　the　land　we　cannot

hope　to　cope　with　the　menace　of　the　pirate　submarine。　　We　must　have　the

long　vision；　and　not　be　scuppered　by　the　fears　of　those　who　would　deplete

our　most　vital　industry　。　　。　　。　　。　　In　munition　works；〃　wailed　Mr。

Lavender's　voice；　as　he　reached　the　fourth　leader；　〃we　still　require　the

maximum　of　effort；　and　a　considerable　reinforcement　of　manpower　will　in

that　direction　be　necessary　to　enable　us　to　establish　the　'overwhelming

superiority　in　the　air　and　in　guns　which　alone　can　ensure　the　defeat

of　our　enemies〃。。。。　　He　reached　the　fifth　in　what　was　almost　a　scream。

〃Every　man　up　to　sixty　must　be　mobilized　but　here　we　would　utter　the　most

emphatic　caveat。　　In　the　end　this　war　will　be　won　by　the　country　whose

financial　position　stands　the　strain　best。　　The　last　copper　bullet　will

be　the　deciding　factor。　　Our　economic　strength　must　on　no　account　be

diminished。　　We　cannot　at　this　time　of　day　afford　to　deplete　the　ranks　of

trade　and　let　out　the　very　life…blood　in　our　veins。　　〃We　must　see；〃

groaned　Mr。　Lavender；　〃the　problem　steadily；　and　see　it　whole。〃



〃Poor　old　geyser！〃　said　the　gardener；　〃'e　do　seem　bad。〃



〃Old　me！〃　said　Joe。



〃I'll　get　on　the　sill　and　see　what　I　can　do　through　the　top　o'　the

window。〃



He　got　up；　and；　held　by　the　gardener；　put　his　arm　through。　　There　was　the

sound　of　considerable　disturbance；　and　through　the　barking　of　Blink；　Mr。

Lavender's　voice　was　heard　again：　〃　Stanch　in　the　middle　of　the

cataclysm；　unruffled　by　the　waters　of　heaven　and　hell；　let　us　be　captains

of　our　souls。　　Down；　Blink；　down！〃



〃He's　out！〃　said　Joe；　rejoining　the　gardener。　　〃Now　for　it；　before　my

missis　comes！〃　and　he　ran　into　the　house。



Mr。　Lavender　was　walking