the burning spear-第2章

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The　officer　looked　down　at　him。



〃What　for？〃



〃For　speaking　about　the　country。〃



〃Ministry　of　Propagation？　　First　on　the　right；　second　door　on　the　left。〃



〃Thank　you。　　The　Police　are　wonderful。〃



〃None　of　that；〃　said　the　officer　coldly。



〃I　only　said　you　were　wonderful。〃



〃I　'eard　you。〃



〃But　you　are。　　I　don't　know　what　the　country　would　do　without　you。　　Your

solid　qualities；　your　imperturbable　bonhomie；　your　truly　British

tenderness　towards〃



〃Pass　away！〃　said　the　officer。



〃I　am　only　repeating　what　we　all　say　of　you；〃　rejoined　Mr。　Lavender

reproachfully。



〃Did　you　'ear　me　say　'Move　on；'〃　said　the　officer；　〃or　must　I　make　you　an

example？〃



〃YOU　are　the　example；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender　warmly。



〃Any　more　names；〃　returned　the　officer；　〃and　I　take　you　to　the　station。〃

And　he　moved　out　into　the　traffic。　　Puzzled　by　his　unfriendliness　Mr。

Lavender　resumed　his　search；　and；　arriving　at　the　door　indicated；　went

in。　　A　dark；　dusty；　deserted　corridor　led　him　nowhere；　till　he　came　on　a

little　girl　in　a　brown　frock；　with　her　hair　down　her　back。



〃Can　you　tell　me；　little　one〃　he　said；　laying　his　hand　on　her　head。



〃Chuck　it！〃　said　the　little　girl。



〃No；　no！〃　responded　Mr。　Lavender；　deeply　hurt。　　〃Can　you　tell　me　where　I

can　find　the　Minister？〃



〃'Ave　you　an　appointment？



〃No；　but　I　wrote　to　him。　　He　should　expect　me。〃



〃Wot　nyme？〃



〃John　Lavender。　　Here　is　my　card。〃



〃I'll　tyke　it　in。　　Wyte　'ere！〃



〃Wonderful！〃　mused　Mr。　Lavender；　〃the　patriotic　impulse　already　stirring

in　these　little　hearts！　　What　was　the　stanza　of　that　patriotic　poet？



　　　　　　　　　〃'Lives　not　a　babe　who　shall　not　feel　the　pulse

　　　　　　　　　　Of　Britain's　need　beat　wild　in　Britain's　wrist。

　　　　　　　　　　And；　sacrificial；　in　the　world's　convulse

　　　　　　　　　　Put　up　its　lips　to　be　by　Britain　kissed。'



So　young　to　bring　their　lives　to　the　service　of　the　country！〃



〃Come　on；〃　said　the　little　girl；　reappearing　suddenly；　〃e'll　see　you。〃



Mr。　Lavender　entered　a　room　which　had　a　considerable　resemblance　to　the

office　of　a　lawyer　save　for　the　absence　of　tomes。　　It　seemed　furnished

almost　exclusively　by　the　Minister；　who　sat　with　knees　crossed；　in　a　pair

of　large　round　tortoiseshell　spectacles；　which　did　not；　however；　veil　the

keenness　of　his　eyes。　　He　was　a　man　with　close

cropped　grey　hair；　a　broad；　yellow；　clean…shaven　face；　and　thrusting　grey

eyes。



〃Mr。　Lavender；〃　he　said；　in　a　raw；　forcible　voice；　〃sit　down；　will　you？〃



〃I　wrote　to　you；〃　began　our　hero；　〃expressing　the　wish　to　offer　myself　as

a　speaker。〃



〃Ah！〃　said　the　Minister。　　〃Let's　seeLavender；　Lavender。　　Here's　your

letter。〃　　And　extracting　a　letter　from　a　file　he　read　it；　avoiding　with

difficulty　his　tortoiseshell　spectacles。　　〃You　want　to　stump　the　country？

M。A。；　Barrister；　and　Fellow　of　the　Zoological。　　Are　you　a　good　speaker？〃



〃If　zeal…　〃　began　Mr。　Lavender。



〃That's　it；　spark！　　We're　out　to　win　this　war；　sir。〃



〃Quite　so；〃　began　Mr。　Lavender。　　〃If　devotion〃



〃You'll　have　to　use　gas；〃　said　the　Minister；　and　we　don't　pay。〃



〃Pay！〃　cried　Mr。　Lavender　with　horror；　〃no；　indeed！〃



The　Minister　bent　on　him　a　shrewd　glance。



〃What's　your　line？　　Anything　particular；　or　just　general　patriotism？

I　recommend　that；　but　you'll　have　to　put　some　punch　into　it；　you

know。〃



〃I　have　studied　all　the　great　orators　of　the　war；　sir；〃　said　Mr。

Lavender；　〃and　am　familiar　with　all　the　great　writers　on；　it。　　I　should

form　myself　on　them；　and　if　enthusiasm〃



〃Quite！〃　said　the　Minister。　　〃If　you　want　any　atrocities　we　can　give　you

them。　　No　facts　and　no　figures；　just　general　pat。〃



〃I　shall　endeavour〃　began　Mr。　Lavender。



〃Well；　good…bye；〃　said　the　Minister；　rising。　　〃When　do　you　start？〃



Mr。　Lavender　rose　too。　　〃To…morrow；〃　he　said；　〃if　I　can　get　inflated。〃



The　Minister　rang　a　bell。



〃You're　on　your　own；　mind；〃　he　said。　　〃No　facts；　what　they　want　is

ginger。　　Yes；　Mr。　Japes？　〃



And　seeing　that　the　Minister　was　looking　over　his　tortoiseshell。

spectacles　at　somebody　behind　him；　Mr。　Lavender　turned　and　went　out。　　In

the　corridor　he　thought；　〃What　terseness！　　How　different　from　the　days

when　Dickens　wrote　his　'Circumlocution　Office'！　　Punch！〃　　And　opening　the

wrong　door；　he　found　himself　in　the　presence　of　six　little　girls　in　brown

frocks；　sitting　against　the　walls　with　their　thumbs　in　their　mouths。



〃Oh！〃　he　said；　〃I'm　afraid　I've　lost　my　way。〃



The　eldest　of　the　little　girls　withdrew　a　thumb。



〃What　d'yer　want？〃



〃The　door；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender。



〃Second　on　the　right。〃



〃Goodbye；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender。



The　little　girls　did　not　answer。　　And　he　went　out　thinking；　〃These

children　are　really　wonderful！　　What　devotion　one　sees！　　And　yet　the

country　is　not　yet　fully　roused！〃









II



THE　VALET



Joe　Petty　stood　contemplating　the　car　which；　purchased　some　fifteen　years

before　had　not　been　used　since　the　war　began。　　Birds　had　nested　in　its

hair。　　It　smelled　of　mould　inside；　it　creaked　from　rust。　　〃The　Guv'nor

must　be　cracked；〃　he　thought；　〃to　think　we　can　get　anywhere　in　this　old

geyser。　　Well；　well；　it's　summer；　if　we　break　down　it　won't　break　my

'eart。　　Government　jobbetter　than　diggin'　or　drillin'。　　Good　old　Guv。！〃

So　musing；　he　lit　his　pipe　and　examined　the　recesses　beneath　the　driver's

seat。　　〃A　bottle　or　three；〃　he　thought；　〃in　case　our　patriotism　should

get　us　stuck　a　bit　off　the　beaten；　a　loaf　or　two；　some　'oney　in　a　pot；

and　a　good　old　'am。



A　life　on　the　rollin'　road'　　'Ow　they　can　give　'im　the　job　I　can't

think！〃　　His　soliloquy　was　here　interrupted　by　the　approach　of　his　wife；

bearing　a　valise。



〃Don't　you　wish　you　was　comin'；　old　girl？〃　he　remarked　to　her　lightly。



〃I　do　not；　I'm　glad　to　be　shut　of　you。　　Keep　his　feet　dry。　　What　have　you

got　under　there？〃



Joe　Petty　winked。



〃What　a　lumbering　great　thing　it　looks！〃　said　Mrs。　Petty；　gazing　upwards。



〃Ah！〃　returned　her　husband　thoughtfully；　we'll　'ave　the　population　round

us　without　advertisement。　　And　taking　the　heads　of　two　small　boys　who　had

come　up；　he　knocked　them　together　in　an　absent…minded　fashion。



〃Well；〃　said　Mrs。　Petty；　〃I　can't　waste　time。　　Here's　his　extra　set　of

teeth。　　Don't　lose　them。　　Have　you　got　your　own　toothbrush？　　Use　it；　and

behave　yourself。　　Let　me　have　a　line。　　And　don't　let　him　get　excited。〃

She　tapped　her　forehead。



〃Go　away；　you　boys；　shoo！〃



The　boys；　now　six　in　number；　raised　a　slight　cheer　；　for　at　that　moment

Mr。　Lavender；　in　a　broad…brimmed　grey　felt　hat　and　a　holland　dust…coat；

came　out　through　his　garden…gate　carrying　a　pile　of　newspapers　and

pamphlets　so　large　that　his　feet；　legs；　and　hat　alone　were　visible。



〃Open　the　door；　Joe！〃　he　said；　and　stumbled　into　the　body　of　the　vehicle。

A　shrill　cheer　rose　from　the　eight　boys；　who　could　see　him　through　the

further　window。　　Taking　this　for　an　augury　Of　success；　Mr。　Lavender

removed　his　hat；　and　putting　his　head　through　the　window；　thus　addressed

the　ten　boys：



I　thank　you。　　The　occasion　is　one　which　I　shall　ever　remember。　　The

Government　has　charged　me　with　the　great　task　of　rousing　our　country　in

days　which　demand　of　each　of　us　the　utmost　exertions。　　I　am　proud　to　feel

that　I　have　here；　on　the　very　threshold　of　my　task；　an　audience　of　bright

young　spirits；　each　one　of　whom　in　this　democratic　country　has　in　him

perhaps　the　makings　of　a　General　or　even　of　a　Prime　Minister。　　Let　it　be

your　earnest　endeavour；　boys〃



At　this　moment　a　piece　of　indiarubber　rebounded　from　Mr。　Lavender's

forehead；　and　he　recoiled　into　the　body　of　the　car。



〃Are　you　right；　sir？〃　said　Joe；　looking　in；　and　without　waiting　for　reply

he　started　the　engine。　　The　car　moved　out　amid　a　volley　of　stones；　balls；

cheers；　and　other　missiles　from　the　fifteen　boys　who　pursued　it　with

frenzy。　　Swaying　slightly　from　side　to　side；　with　billowing　bag；　it

gathered　spe