the burning spear-第4章

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III



MR。　LAVENDER　ADDRESSES　A　CROWD　OF　HUNS



〃'Give　them　ginger！'〃　thought　Mr。　Lavender；　approaching　the　first　houses。

〃My　first　task；　however；　will　be　to　collect　them。〃



〃Can　you　tell　me；〃　he　said　to　a　dustman；　〃where　the　market…place　is？〃



〃Ain't　none。〃



〃The　Town　Hall；　then？〃



〃Likewise。〃



〃What　place　is　there；　then；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；〃　where　people

congregate？〃



〃They　don't。〃



〃Do　they　never　hold　public　meetings　here？〃



〃Ah！〃　said　the　dustman　mysteriously。



〃I　wish　to　address　them　on　the　subject　of　babies。〃



〃Bill！　Gent　abaht　babies。　　Where'd　he　better　go？〃



The　man　addressed；　however；　who　carried　a　bag　of　tools；　did　not　stop。



〃You；'ear？〃　said　the　dustman；　and　urging　his　horse；　passed　on。



〃How　rude！〃　thought　Mr。　Lavender。　　Something　cold　and　wet　was　pressed

against　his　hand；　he　felt　a　turmoil；　and　saw　Blink　moving　round　and　round

him；　curved　like　a　horseshoe；　with　a　bit　of　string　dangling　from　her

white　neck。　　At　that　moment　of　discouragement　the　sight　of　one　who

believed　in　him　gave　Mr。　Lavender　nothing　but　pleasure。　　〃How　wonderful

dogs　are！〃　he　murmured。　　The　sheep…dog　responded　by　bounds　and

ear…splitting　barks；　so　that　two　boys　and　a　little　girl　wheeling　a

perambulator　stopped　to　look　and　listen。



〃She　is　like　Mercury；〃　thought　Mr。　Lavender；　and　taking　advantage　of　her

interest　in　his　hat；　which　she　had　knocked　off　in　her　effusions；　he

placed　his　hand　on　her　head　and　crumpled　her　ear。　　The　dog　passed　into　an

hypnotic　trance；　broken　by　soft　grumblings　of　pleasure。　　〃The　most

beautiful　eyes　in　the　world！〃　thought　Mr。　Lavender；　replacing　his　hat；

〃the　innocence　and　goodness　of　her　face　are　entrancing。〃



In　his　long　holland　coat；　with　his　wide…brimmed　felt　hat　all　dusty；　and

the　crutch…handled　stick　in　his　hand；　he　had　already　arrested　the

attention　of　five　boys；　the　little　girl　with　the　perambulator；　a　postman；

a　maid…servant；　and　three　old　ladies。



〃What　a　beautiful　dog　yours　is！〃　said　one　of　the　old　ladies；　〃dear

creature！　　Are　you　a　shepherd？〃



Mr。　Lavender　removed　his　hat。



〃No；　madam；〃　he　said；　〃a　public　speaker。〃



〃How　foolish　of　me！〃　replied　the　old　lady。



〃Not　at　all；　madam；　the　folly　is　mine。〃　　And　Mr。　Lavender　bowed。

〃I　have　come　here　to　give　an　address　on　babies。〃



The　old　lady　looked　at　him　shrewdly；　and；　saying　something　in　a　low　voice

to　her　companions；　passed　on；　to　halt　again　a　little　way　off。



In　the　meantime　the　rumour　that　there　was　a　horse　down　in　the　Clemenceau

Road　had　spread　rapidly；　and　more　boys；　several　little　girls；　and　three

soldiers　in　blue；　with　red　ties；　had　joined　the　group　round　Mr。　Lavender；

to　whom　there　seemed　something　more　than　providential　in　this　rapid

assemblage。　　Looking　round　him　for　a　platform　from　which　to　address　them；

he　saw　nothing　but　the　low　wall　of　the　little　villa　garden　outside　which

he　was　standing。　　Mounting　on　this；　therefore；　and　firmly　grasping　the

branch　of　a　young　acacia　tree　to　steady　himself；　he　stood　upright；　while

B1ink；　on　her　hind　legs；　scratched　at　the　wall；　whining　and　sniffing　his　feet。

Encouraged　by　the　low　murmur　of　astonishment；　which　swelled　idly

into　a　shrill　cheer；　Mr。　Lavender　removed　his　hat；　and　spoke　as　follows：



〃Fellow　Britons；　at　this　crisis　in　the　history　of　our　country　I　make　no

apology　for　addressing　myself　to　the　gathering　I　see　around　me。　　Here；　in

the　cradle　of　patriotism　and　the　very　heart　of　Movements；　I　may　safely

assume　that　you　are　aware　of　the　importance　of　Man…power。　　At　a　moment

when　every　man　of　a　certain　age　and　over　is　wanted　at　the　front；　and

every　woman　of　marrigeable　years　is　needed　in　hospitals；　in　factories；　on

the　land；　or　where　not；　we　see　as　never　before　the　paramount　necessity　of

mobilizing　the　forces　racial　progress　and　increasing　the　numbers　of　our

population。　　Not　a　man；　not　a　woman　can　be　spared　from　the　great　task　in

which　they　are　now　engaged；　of　defeating　the　common　enemy。　　Side　by　side

with　our　American　cousins；　with　la　belle　France；　and　the　Queen　of　the

Adriatic；　we　are　fighting　to　avert　the　greatest　menace　which　ever

threatened　civilization。　　Our　cruel　enemies　are　strong　and　ruthless。

While　I　have　any　say　in　this　matter；　no　man　or　woman　shall　be　withdrawn

from　the　sacred　cause　of　victory；　better　they　should　die　to　the　last　unit

than　that　we　should　take　our　hands　from　the　plough。　　But；　ladies　and

gentlemen；　we　must　never　forget　that　in　the　place　of　every　one　who　dies

we　must　put　two。　　Do　not　be　content　with　ordinary　measures；　these　are　no

piping　times　of　peace。　　Never　was　there　in　the　history　of　this　country

such　a　crying　need　forfor　twins；　if　I　may　put　it　picturesquely。　　In

each　family；　in　each　home　where　there　are　no　families；　let　there　be　two

babies　where　there　was　one；　for　thus　only　can　we　triumph　over　the

devastation　of　this　war。〃　　At　this　moment　the　now　considerable　audience；

which　had　hitherto　been　silent；　broke　into　a　shrill　〃'Ear；　'ear！〃　and　Mr。

Lavender；　taking　his　hand　from　the　acacia　branch　to　silence　them；　fell

off　the　wall　into　the　garden。　　Seeing　her　master　thus　vanish；　Blink；　who

had　never　ceased　to　whine　and　sniff　his　toes；　leaped　over　and　landed　on

his　chest。　　Rising　with　difficulty；　Mr。　Lavender　found　himself　in　front

of　an　elderly　man　with　a　commercial　cast　of　countenance；　who　said：

〃You're　trespassing！〃



〃I　am　aware　of　it；〃　returned　Mr。　Lavender　and　I　beg　your　pardon。　　It　was

quite　inadvertent；　however。



〃Rubbish！〃　said　the　man。



〃I　fell　off　the　wall。〃



〃Whose　wall　do　you　think　it　is？〃　　said　the　man。



〃How　should　I　know？〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　〃I　am　a　stranger。〃



〃Out　you　go；〃　said　the　man；　applying　his　boot　to　Blink。



〃Mr。　Lavender's　eyes　blazed。〃　　You　may　insult　me；〃　he　said；　〃but　you　must

not　kick　my　dog；　or　I　shall　do　you　an　injury。



〃Try！〃　said　the　man。



〃I　will；〃　responded　Mr。　Lavender；　taking　off　his　holland　coat。



To　what　extremities　he　would　have　proceeded　cannot　be　told；　for　at　this

moment　the　old　lady　who　had　taken　him　for　a　shepherd　appeared　on　the

path；　tapping　her　forehead　with　finger。



〃All　right！〃　said　the　owner　of　the　garden；　〃take　him　away。〃



The　old　lady　laced　her　hand　within　Mr。　Lavender's　arm。　　〃Come　with　me；

sir；〃　　she　said；　〃and　your　nice　doggie。〃



Mr。　Lavender；　whose　politeness　to　ladies　was　invariable；　bowed；　and

resuming　his　coat　accompanied　her　through　the　'garden　gate。　　〃He　kicked

my　dog；〃　he　said；　〃no　action　could　be　more　despicable。〃



〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　the　old　lady　soothingly。　　〃Poor　doggie！〃



The　crowd；　who　had　hoped　for　better　things；　here　gave　vent　to　a　prolonged

jeer。



〃Stop！〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　〃I　am　going　to　take　a　collection。



〃There；　there！〃　　said　the　old　lady。　　〃Poor　man！〃



〃I　don't　know　what　you　mean　by　that；　madam；　said　Mr。　Lavender；　whose

spirit　was　roused；　〃I　shall　certainly　take　a　collection；　in　the　interests

of　our　population。　　〃So　saying　he　removed　his　hat；　and　disengaging　his

arm　from　the　old　lady's　hand；　moved　out　into　the　throng；　extending　the

hat。　　A　boy　took　it　from　him　at　once；　and　placing　it　on　his　head；　ran

off；　pursued　by　Blink；　who；　by　barking　and　jumping　up　increased　the　boy's

speed　to　one　of　which　he　could　never　have　thought　himself　capable。　　Mr。

Lavender　followed；　calling　out　〃Blink！〃　at　the　top　of　his　voice。　　The

crowd　followed　Mr。　Lavender；　and　the　old　lady　followed　crowd。　　Thus　they

proceeded　until　the　boy；　arriving　at　a　small　piece　of　communal　water；

flung　the　hat　into　the　middle　of　it；　and；　scaling　the　wall；　made　a

strategic　detour　and　became　a　disinterested　spectator　among　the　crowd。

The　hat；　after　skimming　the　surface　of　the　pond；　settled　like　a　water…

lily；　crown　downwards；　while　Blink；　perceiving　in　all　this　the　hand　of

her　master；　stood　barking　at　it　wildly。　　Mr。　Lavender　arrived　at　the　edge

of　the　pond　slightly　in　advance　of　the　crowd。



〃Good　Blink！〃　he　said。　　〃Fetch　it！　Good　Blink！〃



Blink　looked　up　i