the burning spear-第22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！




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

castle；　awaiting　her　confinement；　purred　loudly；　regarding　him　with

burning　eyes；　as　was　her　fashion　when　she　wanted　milk；　Mr。　Lavender　put

down　the　saucer　and　continued　his　meditations。　　〃Everything　is　vain；　the

world　is　full　of　ghosts　and　shadows；　but　in　friendliness　and　the　purring

of　a　little　cat　there　is　solidity。〃



〃A　lady　has　called；　sir。〃



Looking　up；　Mr。　Lavender　became　aware　of　Mrs。　Petty。



〃How　very　agreeable！



〃I　don't　know；　sir；〃　returned　his　housekeeper　in　her　decisive　voice；　〃but

she　wants　to　see　you。　　Name　of　Pullbody。〃



〃Pullbody；〃　repeated　Mr。　Lavender　dreamily；　〃I　don't　seem　Ask　her　in；

Mrs。　Petty；　ask　her　in。〃



〃It's　on　your　head；　sir；〃　said　Mrs。　Petty；　and　went　out。



Mr。　Lavender　was　immediately　conscious　of　a　presence　in　dark　green　silk；

with　a　long　upper　lip；　a　loose　lower　lip；　and　a　fixed　and　faintly　raddled

air；　moving　stealthily　towards　him。



〃Sit　down；　madam；　I　beg。　　Will　you　have　some　tea？〃



The　lady　sat　down。　　〃Thank　you；　I　have　had　tea。　　It　was　on　the

recommendation　of　your　next…door　neighbour；　Miss　Isabel　Scarlet〃



〃Indeed；〃　replied　Mr。　Lavender；　whose　heart　began　to　beat；　〃command　me；

for　I　am　entirely　at　her　service。〃



〃I　have　come　to　see　you；〃　began　the　lady　with　a　peculiar　sinuous　smile；

〃as　a　public　man　and　a　patriot。〃



Mr。　Lavender　bowed；　and　the　lady　went　on：　I　am　in　very　great　trouble。

The　fact　is；　my　sister's　husband's　sister　is　married　to　a　German。〃



〃Is　it　possible；　madam？〃　murmured　Mr。　Lavender；　crossing　his　knees；　and

joining　the　tips　of　his　fingers。



〃Yes；〃　resumed　the　lady；　〃and　what's　more；　he　is　still　at　large。〃



Mr。　Lavender；　into　whose　mind　there　had　instantly　rushed　a　flood　of

public　utterances；　stood　gazing　at　her　haggard　face　in　silent　sympathy。



〃You　may　imagine　my　distress；　sir；　and　the　condition　of　my　conscience；〃

pursued　the　lady；　〃when　I　tell　you　that　my　sister's　husband's　sister　is　a

very　old　friend　of　mineand；　indeed；　so　was　this　German。　　The　two　are　a

very　attached　young　couple；　and；　being　childless；　are　quite　wrapped　up　in

each　other。　　I　have　come　to　you；　feeling　it　my　duty　to　secure　his

internment。〃



Mr。　Lavender；　moved　by　the　human　element　in　her　words；　was　about　to　say；

〃But　why；　madam？〃　when　the　lady　continued：



〃I　have　not　myself　precisely　heard　him　speak　well　of　his　country。　　But

the　sister　of　a　friend　of　mine　who　was　having　tea　in　their　house

distinctly　heard　him　say　that　there　were　two　sides　to　every　question；　and

that　he　could　not　believe　all　that　was　said　in　the　English　papers。



〃Dear　me！〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　troubled；　〃that　is　serious。〃



〃Yes；〃　went　on　the　lady；　〃and　on　another　occasion　my　sister's　husband

himself　heard　him　remark　that　a　man　could　not　help　loving　his　country　and

hoping　that　it　would　win。〃



〃But　that　is　natural；〃　began　Mr。　Lavender。



〃What！〃　said　the　lady；　nearly　rising；　〃when　that　country　is　Germany？〃



The　word　revived　Mr。　Lavender's　sense　of　proportion。



〃True；〃　he　said；　〃true。　　I　was　forgetting　for　the　moment。　　It　is

extraordinary　how　irresponsible　one's　thoughts　are　sometimes。　　Have　you

reason　to　suppose　that　he　is　dangerous？〃



〃I　should　have　thought　that　what　I　have　said　might　have　convinced　you；〃

replied　the　lady　reproachfully；　〃but　I　don't　wish　you　to　act　without

satisfying　yourself。　　It　is　not　as　if　you　knew　him；　of　course。　　I　have

easily　been　able　to　get　up　an　agitation　among　his　friends；　but　I　should

not　expect　an　outsiderso　I　thought　if　I　gave　you　his　address　you　could

form　your　own　opinion。〃



〃Yes；〃　murmured　Mr。　Lavender；　〃yes。　　It　is　in　the　last　degree　undesirable

that　any　man　of　German　origin　should　remain　free　to　work　possible　harm　to

our　country。　　There　is　no　question　in　this　of　hatred　or　of　mere　rabid

patriotism；〃　he　went　on；　in　a　voice　growing　more　and　more　far…away；　it　is

largely　the　A。　B。　C。　of　common　prudence。〃



〃I　ought　to　say；〃　interrupted　his　visitor；　〃that　we　all　thought　him；　of

course；　an　honourable　man　until　this　war；　or　we　should　not　have　been　his

friends。　　He　is　a　dentist；〃　she　added；　〃and；　I　suppose；　may　be　said　to　be

doing　useful　work；　which　makes　it　difficult。　　I　suggest　that　you　go　to

him　to　have　a　tooth　out。〃



Mr。　Lavender　quivered；　and　insensibly　felt　his　teeth。



〃Thank　you；〃　he　said　I　will　see　if　I　can　find　one。　　It　is　certainly　a

matter　which　cannot　be　left　to　chance。　　We　public　men；　madam；　often　have

to　do　very　hard　and　even　inhumane　things　for　no　apparent　reason。　　Our

consciences　alone　support　us。　　An　impression；　I　am　told；　sometimes　gets

abroad　that　we　yield　to　clamour。　　Those　alone　who　know　us　realize　how

unfounded　that　aspersion　is。〃



〃This　is　his　address；〃　said　the　lady；　rising；　and　handing　him　an

envelope。　　〃I　shall　not　feel　at　rest　until　he　is　safely　interned。　　You

will　not　mention　my　name；　of　course。　　It　is　tragic　to　be　obliged　to　work

against　one's　friends　in　the　dark。　　Your　young　neighbour　spoke　in

enthusiastic　terms　of　your　zeal；　and　I　am　sure　that　in　choosing　you　for

my　public　man　she　was　not　pullingerwas　not　making　a　mistake。〃



Mr。　Lavender　bowed。



〃I　hope　not；　madam；　he　said　humbly　I　try　to　do　my　duty。〃



The　lady　smiled　her　sinuous　smile　and　moved　towards　the　door；　leaving　on

the　air　a　faint　odour　of　vinegar　and　sandalwood。



When　she　was　gone　Mr。　Lavender　sat　down　on　the　edge　of　his　chair　before

the　tea…tray　and　extracted　his　teeth　while　Blink；　taking　them　for　a　bone；

gazed　at　them　lustrously；　and　the　moon…cat　between　his　feet　purred　from

repletion。　　〃There　is　reason　in　all　things；〃　he　thought；　running　his

finger　over　what　was　left　in　his　mouth；　〃but　not　in　patriotism；　for　that

would　prevent　us　from　consummating　the　destruction　of　our　common　enemies。

It　behoves　us　public　men　ever　to　set　an　extreme　example。　　Which　one　can　I

spare；　I　wonder？〃　　And　he　fixed　upon　a　large　rambling　tooth　on　the　left

wing　of　his　lower　jaw。　　〃It　will　hurt　horribly；　I'm　afraid；　and　if　I　have

an　anaesthetic　there　will　be　someone　else　present；　and　not　improbably　I

shall　feel　ill　afterwards；　and　be　unable　to　form　a　clear　judgment。　　I

must　steel　myself。　　Blink！〃



For　Blink　was　making　tremulous　advances　to　the　teeth。　　〃How　pleasant　to

be　a　dog！〃　thought　Mr。　Lavender；　〃and　know　nothing　of　Germans　and　teeth。

I　shall　be　very　unhappy　till　this　is　out；　but　Aurora　recommended　me；　and

I　must　not　complain；　but　rather　consider　myself　the　most　fortunate　of

public　men。〃　　And；　ruffling　his　hair　till　it　stood　up　all　over　his　head；

while　his　loose　eyebrow　worked　up　and　down；　he　gazed　at　the　moon…cat。



〃Moon…cat；〃　he　said　suddenly；　〃we　are　but　creatures　of　chance；　unable　to

tell　from　one　day　to　another　what　Fate　has　in　store　for　us。　　My　tooth　is

beginning　to　ache　already。　　That　is；　perhaps；　as　it　should　be；　for　I

shall　not　forget　which　one　it　is。　　〃So　musing　he　resumed　his　teeth；　and；

going　to　his　bookcase；　sought　fortitude　and　inspiration　in　the　records　of

a　Parliamentary　debate　on　enemy　aliens。



It　was　not　without　considerable　trepidation；　however；　on　the　following

afternoon　that　he　made　his　way　up　Welkin　Street；　and　rang　at　the　number

on　the　envelope　in　his　hand。



〃Yes　sir；　doctor　is　at　home；〃　said　the　maid。



Mr。　Lavender's　heart　was　about　to　fail　him　when；　conjuring　up　the　vision

of　Aurora；　he　said　in　a　faint　voice：　〃I　wish　to　see　him　professionally。〃

And；　while　the　maid　departed　up　the　stairs；　he　waited　in　the　narrow　hall；

alternately　taking　his　hat　off　and　putting　it　on　again；　so　great　was　his

spiritual　confusion。



〃Doctor　will　see　you　at　once；　sir。〃



Putting　his　hat　on　hastily；　Mr。　Lavender　followed　her　upstairs；　feeling

at　his　tooth　to　make　quite　sure　that　he　remembered　which　it　was。　　His

courage　mounted　as　he　came　nearer　to　his　fate；　and　he　marched　into　the

room　behind　the　maid　holding　his　hat　on　firmly　with　one　hand　and　his

tooth　in　firmly　with　the　other。　　There；　beside　a　r