the burning spear-第11章

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At　the　far　end；　under　an　acacia；　Mrs。　Sinkin　could　see　the　form　of　a

young　lady　in　a　blue　dress；　lying　in　a　hammock；　with　a　cigarette　between

her　lips　and　a　yellow　book　in　her　hands。　　She　approached　her　thinking；

〃Dear　me！　　how　comfortable；　in　these　days！〃　　And；　putting　her　head　a

little　on　one　side；　she　said　with　a　smile：　〃My　name　is　Sinkin。　　I　hope

I'm　not　disturbing　you。



The　young　lady　rose　with　a　vigorous　gesture。



〃Oh；　no！　　Not　a　bit。〃



〃I　do　admire　some　people；〃　said　the　old　lady；　they　seem　to　find　time　for

everything。〃



The　young　lady　stretched　herself　joyously。



〃I'm　taking　it　out　before　going　to　my　new　hospital。　　Try　it；〃　she　said

touching　the　hammock；　〃it's　not　bad。　　Will　you　have　a　cigarette？〃



〃I'm　afraid　I'm　too　old　for　both；〃　said　the　old　lady；　〃though　I've　often

thought　they　must　be　delightfully　soothing。　　I　wanted　to　speak　to　you

about　your　neighbour。〃



The　young　lady　rolled　her　large　grey　eyes。　　〃Ah！〃　she　said；　〃he's

perfectly　sweet。〃



〃I　know；〃　said　the　old　lady；　〃and　has　such　a　dear　dog。　　My　nephew's　very

interested　in　them。　　You　may　have　heard　of　himWilfred　Sinkina　very

clever　man；　on　so　many　Committees。〃



〃Not　really？〃　said　the　young　lady。



〃Oh；　yes！　　He　has　one　of　those　heads　which　nothing　can　disturb；　so

valuable　in　these　days。〃



〃And　what　sort　of　a　heart？〃　asked　the　young　lady；　emitting　a　ring　of

smoke。



〃Just　as　serene。　　I　oughtn't　to　say　so；　but　I　think　he's　rather　a

wonderful　machine。〃



〃So　long　as　he's　not　a　doctor！　　You　can't　think　how　they　get　on　your

nerves　when　they're；　like　that。　　I've　bumped　up　against　so　many　of　them。

They　fired　me　at　last！〃



〃Really？　　Where？　　I　thought　they　only　did　that　to　the　dear　horses。　　Oh；

what　a　pretty　laugh　you　have！　　It's　so　pleasant　to　hear　anyone　laugh；　in

these　days。〃



〃I　thought　no　one　did　anything　else！　　I　mean；　what　else　can　you　do；

except　die；　don't　you　know？〃



〃I　think　that's　rather　a　gloomy　view；〃　said　the　old　lady　placidly。　　But

about　your　neighbour。　　What　is　his　name？〃



〃Lavender。　　But　I　call　him　Don　Pickwixote。〃



〃Dear　me；　do　you　indeed？　　Have　you　noticed　anything　very　eccentric　about

him？〃



〃That　depends　on　what　you　call　eccentric。　　Wearing　a　nightshirt；　for

instance？　　I　don't　know　what　your　standard　is；　you　see。〃



The　old　lady　was　about　to　reply　when　a　voice　from　the　adjoining　garden

was　heard　saying：



〃Blink！　　Don't　touch　that　charming　mooncat！〃



〃Hush！〃　murmured　the　young　lady；　and　seizing　her　visitor's　arm；　she　drew

her　vigorously　beneath　the　acacia　tree。　　Sheltered　from　observation　by

those　thick　and　delicate　branches；　they　stooped；　and　applying　their　eyes

to　holes　in　the　privet　hedge；　could　see　a　very　little　cat；　silvery…fawn

in　colour　and　far　advanced　in　kittens；　holding　up　its　paw　exactly　like　a

dog；　and　gazing　with　sherry…coloured　eyes　at　Mr。　Lavender；　who　stood　in

the　middle　of　his　lawn；　with　Blink　behind　him。



〃If　you　see　me　going　to　laugh；〃　whispered　the　young　lady；　〃pinch　me

hard。〃



〃Moon…cat；〃　repeated　Mr。　Lavender；　〃where　have　you　come　from？　　And　what

do　you　want；　holding　up　your　paw　like　that？　　What　curious　little　noises

you　make；　duckie！〃　　The　cat；　indeed；　was　uttering　sounds　rather　like　a

duck。　　It　came　closer　to　Mr。　Lavender；　circled　his　legs；　drubbed　itself

against　Blink's　chest；　while　its　tapered　tail；　barred　with　silver；

brushed　her　mouth。



〃This　is　extraordinary；〃　they　heard　Mr。　Lavender　say；　〃I　would　stroke　it

if　I　wasn't　so　stiff。　　How　nice　of　you　little　moon…cat　to　be　friendly　to

my　play…girl！　　For　what　is　there　in　all　the　world　so　pleasant　to　see　as

friendliness　between　a　dog　and　cat！〃



At　those　words　the　old　lady；　who　was　a　great　lover　of　animals；　was　so

affected　that　she　pinched　the　young　lady　by　mistake。



〃Not　yet！〃　whispered　the　latter　in　some　agony。　　〃Listen！〃



〃Moon…cat；〃　Mr。　Lavender　was　saying；　〃Arcadia　is　in　your　golden　eyes。

You　have　come；　no　doubt；　to　show　us　how　far　we　have　strayed　away　from

it。〃　　And　too　stiff　to　reach　the　cat　by　bending；　Mr。　Lavender　let　himself

slowly　down　till　he　could　sit。　　〃Pan　is　dead；〃　he　said；　as　he　arrived　on

the　grass　and　crossed　his　feet；　〃and　Christ　is　not　alive。　　Moon…cat！〃



The　little　cat　had　put　its　head　into　his　hand；　while　Blink　was　thrusting

her　nose　into　his　mouth。



〃I'm　going　to　sneeze！〃　　whispered　the　old　lady；　strangely　affected。



〃Pull　your　upper　lip　down　hard；　like　the　German　Empress；　and　count　nine！〃

murmured　the　young。



While　the　old　lady　was　doing　this　Mr。　Lavender　had　again　begun　to　speak。



〃Life　is　now　nothing　but　explosions。　　Gentleness　has　vanished；　and　beauty

is　a　dream。　　When　you　have　your　kittens；　moon…cat；　bring　them　up　in

amity；　to　love　milk；　dogs；　and　the　sun。〃



The　moon…cat；　who　had　now　reached　his　shoulder；　brushed　the　tip　of　her

tail　across　his　loose　right　eyebrow；　while　Blink's　jealous　tongue　avidly

licked　his　high　left　cheekbone。　　With　one　hand　Mr。　Lavender　was　cuddling

the　cat's　head；　with　the　other　twiddling　Blink's　forelock；　and　the

watchers　could　see　his　eyes　shining；　and　his　white　hair　standing　up　all

ruffled。



〃Isn't　it　sweet？〃　murmured　the　old　lady。



〃Now　pinch　me！〃　whispered　the　young：　　Lower；　harder！　　Oo！〃



〃Ah！　moon…cat；〃　went　on　Mr。　Lavender；　〃come　and　live　with　us。　　You　shall

have　your　kittens　in　the　bathroom；　and　forget　this　age　of　blood　and

iron。〃



Both　the　old　lady　and　the　young　were　removing　moisture　from　their　eyes

when；　the　voice　of　Mr。　Lavender；　very　changed；　recalled　them　to　their

vigil。　　His　face　had　become　strained　and　troubled。



〃Never；〃　he　was　saying；　〃will　we　admit　that　doctrine　of　our　common

enemies。　　Might　is　not　right　gentlemen　those　who　take　the　sword　shall

perish　by　the　sword。　　With　blood　and　iron　we　will　ourselves　stamp　out

this　noxious　breed。　　No　stone　shall　be　left　standing；　and　no　babe

sleeping　in　that　abandoned　country。　　We　will　restore　the　tide　of

humanity；　if　we　have　to　wade　through　rivers　of　blood　across　mountains　of

iron。〃



〃Whom　is　he　calling　gentlemen？〃　whispered　the　old　lady。



But　Blink；　by　anxiously　licking　Mr。　Lavender's　lips；　had　produced　a

silence　in　which　the　young…lady　did　not　dare　reply。　　The　sound　of　the

little　cat's　purring　broke　the　hush。



〃Down；　Blink；　down！〃　said　Mr。　Lavender。



Watch　this　little　moon…cat　and　her　perfect　manners！　　We　may　all　learn

from　her　how　not　to　be　crude。　　See　the　light　shining　through　her　pretty

ears！〃



The　little　cat；　who　had　seen　a　bird；　had　left　Mr。　Lavender's　shoulder；

and　was　now　crouching　and　moving　the　tip　of　its　tail　from　side　to　side。



〃She　would　like　a　bird　inside　her；　but　let　us　rather　go　and　find　her　some

milk　instead；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　and　he　began　to　rise。



〃Do　you　know；　I　think　he's　quite　sane；　whispered　the　old　lady；　〃except；

perhaps；　at　intervals。　　What　do　you？〃



〃Glorious　print！〃　cried　Mr。　Lavender　suddenly；　for　a　journal　had　fallen

from　his　pocket；　and　the　sight　of　it　lying　there；　out　of　his　reach；

excited　him。　　〃Glorious　print！　　I　can　read　you　even　from　here。　　When　the

enemy　of　mankind　uses　the　word　God　he　commits　blasphemy！　　How　different

from　us！〃　And　raising　his　eyes　from　the　journal　Mr。　Lavender　fastened

them；　as　it　seemed　to　his　anxious　listeners；　on　the　tree　which　sheltered

them。　　〃Yes！　　Those　unseen　presences；　who　search　out　the　workings　of　our

heart；　know　that　even　the　most　Jingo　among　us　can　say；　'I　am　not　as　they

are！'　　Come；　mooncat！〃



So　murmuring；　he　turned　and　moved　towards　the　house；　clucking　with　his

tongue；　and　followed　by　Blink。



〃Did　he　mean　us？〃　said　the　old　lady　nervously。



〃No；　that　was　one　of　his　intervals。　　He's　not　mad；　he's　just　crazy。〃



〃Is　there　any　difference；　my　dear？〃



〃Why；　we're　all　crazy　about　something；　you　know；　it's　only　a　question　of

what。〃



〃But　what　is　his　what？〃



〃He's　got　a　message。　　They're　in　the　air；　you　know。〃



〃I　haven't　come　across　them；〃　said　the　old　lad