the burning spear-第12章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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　lady。　　〃I　fear　I　live　a　very

quiet　lifeexcept　for　picking　over　sphagnum　moss。〃



〃Oh；　well！　　There's　no　hurry。〃



〃Well；　I　shall　tell　my　nephew　what　I've　seen；〃　said　the　old　lady。　　〃Good…

bye。〃



〃Good…bye；〃　responded　the　young；　and；　picking　up　her　yellow　book；　she　got

back　into　the　hammock　and　relighted　her　cigarette。









VII



SEES　AND　EDITOR；　AND　FINDS　A　FARMER



Not　for　some　days　after　his　fall　from　the　window　did　Mr。　Lavender　begin

to　regain　the　elasticity　of　body　necessary　to　the　resumption　of　public

life。　　He　spent　the　hours　profitably；　however；　in　digesting　the

newspapers　and　storing　ardour。　　On　Tuesday　morning；　remembering　that　no

proof　of　his　interview　had　yet　been　sent　him；　and　feeling　that　he　ought

not　to　neglect　so　important　a　matter；　he　set　forth　to　the　office　of　the

great　journal　from　which；　in　the　occult　fashion　of　the　faithful；　he　was

convinced　the　reporter　had　come。　　While　he　was　asking　for　the　editor　in

the　stony　entrance；　a　young　man　who　was　passing　looked　at　him　attentively

and　said：　〃Ah；　sir；　here　you　are！　He's　waiting　for　you。　　Come　up；　will

you？〃



Mr。　Lavender　followed　up　some　stairs；　greatly　gratified　at　the　thought

that　he　was　expected。　　The　young　man　led　him　through　one　or　two　swing

doors　into　an　outer　office；　where　a　young　woman　was　typing。



Mr。　Lavender　shook　his　head；　and　sat　down　on　the　edge　of　a　green　leather

chair。　　The　editor；　resuming　his　seat；　crossed　his　legs　deferentially；

and　sinking　his　chin　again　on　his　chest；　began：



〃About　your　article。　　My　only　trouble；　of　course；　is　that　I'm　running

that　stunt　on　British　prisonersgreat　success！　　You've　seen　it；　I

suppose？〃



〃Yes；　indeed；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　I　read　you　every　day。



The　editor　made　a　little　movement　which　showed　that　he　was　flattered；　and

sinking　his　chin　still　further　into　his　chest；　resumed：



〃It　might　run　another　week；　or　it　might　fall　down　to…morrowyou　never

can　tell。　　But　I'm　getting　lots　of　letters。　　Tremendous　public　interest。〃



〃Yes；　yes；〃　assented　Mr。　Lavender；　〃it's　most　important。〃



〃Of　course；　we　might　run　yours　with　it；〃　said　the　editor。　　〃But　I　don't

know；　I　think　it'd　kill　the　other。　　Still〃



〃I　shouldn't　like〃　began　Mr。　Lavender。



〃I　don't　believe　in　giving　them　more　than　they　want；　you　know；〃　resumed

the　editor。　　〃I　think　I'll　have　my　news　editor　in；〃　and　he　blew　into　a

tube。　　〃Send　me　Mr。　Crackamup。　　This　thing　of　yours　is　very　important；

sir。　　Suppose　we　began　to　run　it　on　Thursday。　　Yes；　I　should　think

they'll　be　tired　of　British　prisoners　by　then。〃



〃Don't　let　me；〃　began　Mr。　Lavender。



The　editor's　eye　became　unveiled　for　the　Moment。　　〃You'll　be　wanting　to

take　it　somewhere　else　if　weQuite！　　Well；　I　think　we　could　run　them

together。　　See　here；　Mr。　Crackamup〃Mr。　Lavender　saw　a　small　man　like

Beethoven　frowning　from　behind　spectacles　could　we　run　this　German

prisoner　stunt　alongside　the　British；　or　d'you　think　it　would　kill　it？〃



Mr。　Lavender　almost　rose　from　his　chair　in　surprise。　　〃Are　you〃　he

said；　〃is　it〃



The　small　man　hiccoughed；　and　said　in　a　raw　voice：



〃The　letters　are　falling　off。〃



〃Ah！〃　murmured　the　editor；　〃I　thought　we　should　be　through　by　Thursday。

We'll　start　this　new　stunt　Thursday。　　Give　it　all　prominence；　Crackamup。

It'll　focus　fury。　　All　to　the　goodall　to　the　good。　　Opinion's　ripe。〃

Then　for　a　moment　he　seemed　to　hesitate；　and　his　chin　sank　back　on　his

chest。　　〃I　don't　know；〃　he　murmured　of　course　it　may〃



〃Please；〃　began　Mr。　Lavender；　rising；　while　the　small　man　hiccoughed

again。　　The　two　motions　seemed　to　determine　the　editor。



〃That's　all　right；　sir；　〃　he　said；　rising　also；　〃that's　quite　all　right。

We'll　say　Thursday；　and　risk　it。　　Thursday；　Crackamup。　　〃And　he　held　out

his　hand　to　Mr。　Lavender。　　〃Good　morning；　sir；　good　morning。　　Delighted

to　have　seen　you。　　You　wouldn't　put　your　name　to　it？　　Well；　well；　it

doesn't　matter；　only　you　could　have　written　it。　　The　turn　of　phrase

immense！　　They'll　tumble　all　right！〃　　And　Mr。　Lavender　found　himself；

with　Mr。　Crackamup；　in　the　lobby。　　〃It's　bewildering；〃　he　thought；　〃how

quickly　he　settled　that。　　And　yet　he　had　such　repose。　　But　is　there　some

mistake？〃　　He　was　about　to　ask　his　companion；　but　with　a　distant　hiccough

the　small　man　had　vanished。　　Thus　deserted；　Mr。　Lavender　was　in　two　minds

whether　to　ask　to　be　readmitted；　when　the　four　gentlemen　with　notebooks

repassed　him　in　single　file　into　the　editor's　room。



〃My　name　is　Lavender；〃　he　said　resolutely　to　the　young　woman。　　〃Is　that

all　right？〃



〃Quite；〃　she　answered；　without　looking　up。



Mr。　Lavender　went　out　slowly；　thinking；　〃I　may　perhaps　have　said　more　in

that　interview　than　I　remember。　　Next　time　I　really　will　insist　on　having

a　proof。　　Or　have　they　taken　me　for　some　other　public　man？〃　This　notion

was　so　disagreeable；　however；　that　he　dismissed　it；　and　passed　into　the

street。



On　Thursday；　the　day　fixed　for　his　fresh　tour　of　public　speaking；　he

opened　the　great　journal　eagerly。　　Above　the　third　column　was　the

headline：　　OUR　VITAL　DUTY：　BY　A　GREAT　PUBLIC　MAN。　　〃That　must　be　it；〃　he

thought。　　The　article；　which　occupied　just　a　column　of　precious　space；

began　with　an　appeal　so　moving　that　before　he　had　read　twenty　lines　Mr。

Lavender　had　identified　himself　completely　with　the　writer；　and　if　anyone

had　told　him　that　he　had　not　uttered　these　sentiments；　he　would　have

given　him　the　lie　direct。　　Working　from　heat　to　heat　the　article　finished

in　a　glorious　outburst　with　a　passionate　appeal　to　the　country　to　starve

all　German　prisoners。



Mr。　Lavender　put　it　down　in　a　glow　of　exultation。　　〃I　shall　translate

words　into　action；〃　he　thought；　〃I　shall　at　once　visit　a　rural　district

where　German　prisoners　are　working　on　the　land；　and　see　that　the　farmers

do　their　duty。　　〃And；　forgetting　in　his　excitement　to　eat　his　breakfast；

he　put　the　journal　in　his　pocket；　wrapped　himself　in　his　dust…coat　and

broad…brimmed　hat；　and　went　out　to　his　car；　which　was　drawn　up；　with

Blink；　who　had　not　forgotten　her　last　experience；　inside。



〃We　will　go　to　a　rural　district；　Joe；〃　he　said；　getting　in。



〃Very　good；　sir；〃　answered　Joe　；　and；　unnoticed　by　the　population；　they

glided　into　the　hazy　heat　of　the　June　morning。



〃Well；　what　abaht　it；　sir？〃　said　Joe；　after　they　had　proceeded　for　some

three　hours。　　〃Here　we　are。〃



Mr。　Lavender；　who　had　been　lost　in　the　beauty　of　the　scenes　through　which

he　was　passing；　awoke　from　reverie；　and　said：



〃I　am　looking　for　German　prisoners；　Joe；　if　you　see　a　farmer；　you　might

stop。〃



〃Any　sort　of　farmer？〃　asked　Joe。



〃Is　there　more　than　one　sort？〃　returned　Mr。　Lavender；　smiling。



Joe　cocked　his　eye。　　〃Ain't　you　never　lived　in　the　country；　sir？〃



〃Not　for　more　than　a　few　weeks　at　a　time；　Joe；　unless　Rochester　counts。

Of　course；　I　know　Eastbourne　very　well。〃



〃I　know　Eastbourne　from　the　inside；〃　said　Joe　discursively。　　〃I　was　a

waiter　there　once。〃



〃An　interesting　life；　a　waiter's；　Joe；　I　should　think。〃



〃Ah！　　Everything　comes　to　'im　who　waits；　they　say。　　But　abaht　farmers

you've　got　a　lot　to　learn；　sir。〃



〃I　am　always　conscious　of　that；　Joe；　the　ramifications　of　public　life　are

innumerable。〃



〃I　could　give　you　some　rummikins　abaht　farmers。　　I　once　travelled　in

breeches。〃



〃You　seem　to　have　done　a　great　many　things　Joe。〃



〃That's　right；　sir。　　I've　been　a　sailor；　a　'traveller；'　a　waiter；　a

scene…shifter；　and　a　shover；　and　I　don't　know　which　was　the　cushiest　job。

But；　talking　of　farmers：　there's　the　old　English　type　that　wears

Bedfordsdon't　you　go　near　'im；　'e　bites。　　There's　the　modern　scientific

farmer；　but　it'll　take　us　a　week　to　find　'im。　　And　there's　the　small…

'older；　wearin'　trahsers；　likely　as　not；　I　don't　think　'e'd　be　any　use　to

you。



〃What