the burning spear-第21章

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Well；　cocky；　'oo　are　you　starin'　at？〃



〃My　dog；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　perceiving　his　chance；　〃has　an　eye　for　the

strange　and　beautiful。



〃Wow　said　the　soldier；　whose　face　was　bandaged；　she'll　get　it　'ere；　won't

she？〃



Encouraged　by　the　smiles　of　the　soldier　and　his　comrades；　Mr。　Lavender

went　on　in　the　most　natural　voice　he　could　assume。



〃I'm　sure　you　appreciate；　my　friends；　the　enormous　importance　of　your　own

futures？　〃



The　three　soldiers；　whose　faces　were　all　bandaged；　looked　as　surprised　as

they　could　between　them；　and　did　not　answer。　　Mr。　Lavender　went　on；

dropping　unconsciously　into　the　diction　of　the　article　he　had　been

reading：　〃We　are　now　at　the　turning…point　of　the　ways；　and　not　a　moment

is　to　be　lost　in　impressing　on　the　disabled　man　the　paramount　necessity

of　becoming　again　the　captain　of　his　soul。　　He　who　was　a　hero　in　the

field　must　again　lead　us　in　those　qualities　of　enterprise　and　endurance

which　have　made　him　the　admiration　of　the　world。〃



The　three　soldiers　had　turned　what　was　visible　of　their　faces　towards　Mr。

Lavender；　and；　seeing　that　he　had　riveted　their　attention；　he　proceeded：

〃The　apathy　which　hospital　produces；　together　with　the　present　scarcity

of　labour；　is　largely　responsible　for　the　dangerous　position　in　which　the

disabled　man　now　finds　himself。　　Only　we　who　have　not　to　face　his　future

can　appreciate　what　that　future　is　likely　to　be　if　he　does　not　make　the

most　strenuous　efforts　to　overcome　it。　　Boys；〃　he　added　earnestly；

remembering　suddenly　that　this　was　the　word　which　those　who　had　the

personal　touch　ever　employed；　〃are　you　making　those　efforts？　　Are　you

equipping　your　minds？　　Are　you　taking　advantage　of　your　enforced　leisure

to　place　yourselves　upon　some　path　of　life　in　which　you　can　largely　hold

your　own　against　all　comers？〃



He　paused　for　a　reply。



The　soldiers；　silent　for　a　moment；　in　what　seemed　to　Mr。　Lavender　to　be

sheer　astonishment；　began　to　fidget；　then　the　one　next　him　turned　to　his

neighbour；　and　said：



〃Are　we；　Alf？　　Are　we　doin'　what　the　gentleman　says？〃



〃I　can　answer　that　for　you；〃　returned　Mr。　Lavender　brightly；　〃for　I　can

tell　by　your　hospitalized　faces　that　you　are　living　in　the　present；　a

habit　which；　according　to　our　best　writers；　is　peculiar　to　the　British。

I　assure　you；〃　he　went　on　with　a　winning　look；　〃there　is　no　future　in

that。　　If　you　do　not　at　once　begin　to　carve　fresh　niches　for　yourselves

in　the　temple　of　industrialism　you　will　be　engulfed　by　the　returning

flood；　and　left　high　and　dry　upon　the　beach　of　fortune。〃



During　these　last　few　words　the　half　of　an　irritated　look　on　the　faces　of

the　soldiers　changed　to　fragments　of　an　indulgent　and　protective

expression。



〃Right　you　are；　guv'nor；〃　said　the　one　in　the　middle。　　Don't　you　worry；

we'll　see　you　home　all　right。



〃It　is　you；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　〃that　I　must　see　home。　　For　that　is

largely　the　duty　of　us　who　have　not　had　the　great　privilege　of　fighting

for　our　country。〃



These　words；　which　completed　the　soldiers'　conviction　that　Mr。　Lavender

was　not　quite　all　there；　caused　them　to　rise。





〃Come　on；　then；〃　said　one；　we'll　see　each　other　home。　　We've　got　to　be　in

by　five。　　You　don't　have　a　string　to　your　dog；　I　see。〃



〃Oh　no！〃　said　Mr。　Lavender　puzzled　〃I　am　not　blind。〃



〃Balmy；〃　said　the　soldier　soothingly。　　〃Come　on；　sir；　an'　we　can　talk

abaht　it　on　the　way。〃



Mr。　Lavender；　delighted　at　the　impression　he　had　made；　rose　and　walked

beside　them；　taking　insensibly　the　direction　for　home。



〃What　do　you　advise　us　to　do；　then；　guv'nor？〃　said　one　of　the　soldiers。



〃Throw　away　all　thought　of　the　present；〃　returned　Mr。　Lavender；　with

intense　earnestness；　〃forget　the　past　entirely；　wrap　yourselves　wholly　in

the　future。　　Do　nothing　which　will　give　you　immediate　satisfaction。　　Do

not　consider　your　families；　or　any　of　those　transient　considerations　such

as　pleasure；　your　homes；　your　condition　of　health；　or　your　economic

position；　but　place　yourselves　unreservedly　in　the　hands　of　those　who　by

hard　thinking　on　this　subject　are　alone　in　the　condition　to　appreciate

the　individual　circumstances　of　each　of　you。　　For　only　by　becoming　a

flock　of　sheep　can　you　be　conducted　into　those　new　pastures　where　the

grass　of　your　future　will　be　sweet　and　plentiful。　　Above　all；　continue　to

be　the　heroes　which　you　were　under　the　spur　of　your　country's　call；　for

you　must　remember　that　your　country　is　still　calling　you。〃



〃That's　right；〃　said　the　soldier　on　Mr。　Lavender's　left。　　〃Puss；　puss！

Does　your　dog　swot　cats？〃



At　so　irrelevant　a　remark　Mr。　Lavender　looked　suspiciously　from　left　to

right；　but　what　there　was　of　the　soldiers'　faces　told　him　nothing。



〃Which　is　your　hospital？〃　he　asked。



〃Down　the　'ill；　on　the　right；〃　returned　the　soldier。　　〃Which　is　yours？〃



〃Alas！　it　is　not　in　a　hospital　that　I〃



〃I　know；〃　said　the　soldier　delicately；　〃don't　give　it　a　name；　no　need。

We're　all　friends　'ere。　　Do　you　get　out　much？〃



〃I　always　take　an　afternoon　stroll；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　〃when　my　public

life　permits。　　If　you　think　your　comrades　would　like　me　to　come　and

lecture　to　them　on　their　future　I　should　be　only　too　happy。〃



〃D'you　'ear；　Alf？〃　said　the　soldier。　　〃D'you　think　they　would？〃



The　soldier；　addressed　put　a　finger　to　the　sound　side　of　his　mouth　and

uttered　a　catcall。



〃I　might　effect　a　radical　change　in　their　views；　continued　Mr。　Lavender；

a　little　puzzled。　　〃Let　me　leave　you　this　periodical。　　Read　it；　and　you

will　see　how　extremely　vital　all　that　I　have　been　saying　is。　　And　then；

perhaps；　if　you　would　send　me　a　round　robin；　such　as　is　usual　in　a

democratic　country；　I　could　pop　over　almost　any　day　after　five。　　I

sometimes　feel〃and　here　Mr。　Lavender　stopped　in　the　middle　of　the　road；

overcome　by　sudden　emotion〃　that　I　have　really　no　right　to　be　alive

when　I　see　what　you　have　suffered　for　me。〃



〃That's　all　right；　old　bean；〃；　said　the　soldier　on　his　left；　〃you'd　'a

done　the　same　for　us　but　for　your　disabilities。　　We　don't　grudge　it

you'。〃



〃Boys；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　〃you　are　men。　　I　cannot　tell　you　how　much　I

admire　and　love　you。〃



〃Well；　give　it　a　rest；　then；　t'ain't　good　for　yer。　　And；　look　'ere！　　Any

time　they　don't　treat　you　fair　in　there；　tip　us　the　wink；　and　we'll　come

over　and　do　in　your　'ousekeeper。〃



Mr。　Lavender　smiled。



〃My　poor　housekeeper！〃　he　said。　　〃I　thank　you　all　the　same　for　your

charming　goodwill。　　This　is　where　I　live；〃　he　added；　stopping　at　the　gate

of　the　little　house　smothered　in　lilac　and　laburnum。　　〃Can　I　offer　you

some　tea？〃



The　three　soldiers　looked　at　each　other；　and　Mr。　Lavender；　noticing　their

surprise；　attributed　it　to　the　word　tea。



〃I　regret　exceedingly　that　I　am　a　total　abstainer；〃　he　said。



The　remark；　completing　the　soldiers'　judgment　of　his　case；　increased

their　surprise　at　the　nature　of　his　residence；　it　remained　unanswered；

save　by　a　shuffling　of　the　feet。



Mr。　Lavender　took　off　his　hat。



〃I　consider　it　a　great　privilege；〃　he　said；　〃to　have　been　allowed　to

converse　with　you。　　Goodbye；　and　God　bless　you！〃



So　saying；　he　opened　the　gate　and　entered　his　little　garden　carrying　his

hat　in　his　hand；　and　followed　by　Blink。



The　soldiers　watched　him　disappear　within；　then　continued　on　their　way

down　the　hill　in　silence。



〃Blimy；〃　said　one　suddenly；　〃some　of　these　old　civilians　'ave　come　it

balmy　on　the　crumpet　since　the　war　began。　　Give　me　the　trenches！〃









XIV



ENDEAVOURS　TO　INTERN　A　GERMAN



Aglow　with　satisfaction　at　what　he　had　been　able　to　do　for　the　wounded

soldiers；　Mr。　Lavender　sat　down　in　his　study　to　drink　the　tea　which　he

found　there。　　〃There　is　nothing　in　life；〃　he　thought；　〃which　gives　one

such　satisfaction　as　friendliness　and　being　able　to　do　something　for

others。　　Moon…cat！〃



The　moon…cat；　who；　since　Mr。　Lavender　had　given　her　milk；　abode　in　his

castle；　awaiting　her　confinement；　pur