the burning spear-第5章

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



Blink　looked　up　into　his　face；　and；　with　the　acumen　for　which　her　breed

is　noted；　perceiving　he　desired　her　to　enter　the　water　backed　away　from

it。



〃She　is　not　a　water　dog；〃　explained　Mr。　Lavender　to　the　three　soldiers　in

blue　clothes。



〃Good　dog；　fetch　it！〃　Blink　backed　into　the　soldiers；　who；　bending　down；

took　her　by　head　tail；　threw　her　into　the　pond；　and　encouraged　her　on

with　small　stones　pitched　at　the　hat。　　Having　taken　the　plunge；　the

intelligent　animal　waded　boldly　to　the　hat；　and　endeavoured　by　barking

and　making　little　rushes　at　it　with　her　nose；　to　induce　it　to　return　to

shore。



〃She　thinks　it's　a　sheep；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　〃a　striking　instance　of

hereditary　instinct。〃



Blink；　unable　to　persuade　the　hat；　mounted　it　with　her　fore…paws　and　trod

it　under。



〃Ooray！〃　shouted　the　crowd。



〃Give　us　a　shilling；　guv'nor；　an'　I'll　get　it　for　yer？〃



〃Thank　you；　my　boy；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　producing　a　shilling。



The　boythe　same　boy　who　had　thrown　it　instepped　into　the　water　and

waded　towards　the　hat。　　But　as　he　approached；　Blink　interposed　between

him　and　the　hat；　growling　and　showing　her　teeth。



〃Does　she　bite？〃　yelled　the　boy。



〃Only　strangers；〃　cried　Mr。　Lavender。



Excited　by　her　master's　appeal；　Blink　seized　the　jacket　of　the　boy；　who

made　for　the　shore；　while　the　hat　rested　in　the　centre　of　the　pond；　the

cynosure　of　the　stones　with　which　the　soldiers　were　endeavouring　to　drive

it　towards　the　bank。　　By　this；　time　the　old　lady　had　rejoined　Mr。

Lavender。



〃Your　nice　hat　she　murmured。



〃I　thank　you　for　your　sympathy；　madam；〃　Lavender；　running　his　hand

through　his　hair；　〃in　moments　like　these　one　realizes　the　deep　humanity

of　the　British　people。　　I　really　believe　that　in　no　other　race　could　you

find　such　universal　interest　and　anxiety　to　recover　a　hat。　　Say　what　you

will；　we　are　a　great　nation；　who　only；　need　rousing　to　show　our　best

qualities。　　Do　you　remember　the　words　of　the　editor：　'In　the　spavined　and

spatch…cocked　ruin　to　which　our　inhuman　enemies　have　reduced

civilization；　we　of　the　island　shine　with　undimmed　effulgence　in　all

those　qualities　which　mark　man　out　from　the　ravening　beast'？〃



〃But　how　are　you　going　to　get　your　hat？〃　asked　the　old　lady。



〃I　know　not；〃　　returned　Mr。　Lavender；　still　under　the　influence　of　the

sentiment　he　had　quoted；　〃but　if　I　had　fifteen　hats　I　would　take　them　all

off　to　the　virtues　which　have　been　ascribed　to　the　British　people　by　all

those　great　men　who　have　written　and　spoken　since　the　war　began。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　the　old　lady　soothingly。　　〃But；　I　think　you　had　better　come

under　my　sunshade。　　The　sun　is　very　strong。〃



〃Madam；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　〃you　are　very　good；　but　your　sunshade　is　too

small。　　To　deprive　you　of　even　an　inch　of　its　shade　would　be　unworthy　of

anyone　in　public　life。〃　　So　saying；　he　recoiled　from　the　proffered

sunshade　into　the　pond；　which　he　had　forgotten　was　behind　him。



〃Oh；　dear！〃　said　the　old　lady；　〃now　you've　got　your　feet　wet！〃



〃It　is　nothing；〃　responded　Mr。　Lavender　gallantly。　　And　seeing　that　he

was　already　wet；　he　rolled　up　his　trousers；　and　holding　up　the　tails　of

his　holland　coat；　turned　round　and　proceeded　towards　his　hat；　to　the

frantic　delight　of　the　crowd。



〃The　war　is　a　lesson　to　us　to　make　little　of　little　things；　〃　he　thought；

securing　the　hat　and　wringing　it　out。　　〃My　feet　are　wet；　buthow　much

wetter　they　would　be　in　the　trenches；　if　feet　can　be　wetter　than　wet

through；〃　he　mused　with　some　exactitude。　　〃Down；　Blink；　down！〃　　For　Blink

was　plastering　him　with　the　water…marks　of　joy　and　anxiety。　　〃Nothing　is

quite　so　beautiful　as　the　devotion　of　one's　own　dog；〃　thought　Mr。

Lavender；　resuming　the　hat；　and　returning　towards　the　shore。　　The　by…now…

considerable　throng　were　watching　him　with　every　mark　of　acute　enjoyment；

and　the　moment　appeared　to　Mr。　Lavender　auspicious　for　addressing　them。

Without；　therefore；　emerging　from　the　pond；　which　he　took　for　his；

platform；　he　spoke　as　follows：



〃Circumstances　over　which　I　have　no　control　have　given　me　the　advantage

of　your　presence　in　numbers　which　do　credit　to　the　heart　of　the　nation　to

which　we　all　belong。　　In　the　midst　of　the　greatest　war　which　ever

threatened　the　principle　of　Liberty；　I　rejoice　to　see　so　many　people　able

to　follow　the　free　and　spontaneous　impulses　of　their　inmost　beings。　　For；

while　we　must　remember　that　our　every　hour　is　at　the　disposal　of　our

country；　we　must　not　forget　the　maxim　of　our　fathers：　'Britons　never　will

be　slaves。'　　Only　by　preserving　the　freedom　of　individual　conscience；　and

at　the　same　time　surrendering　it　whole…heartedly　to　every　which　the　State

makes　on　us；　can　we　hope　defeat　the　machinations　of　the　arch　enemies　of

mankind。〃



At　this　moment　a　little　stone　hit　him　sharply　on　the　hand。



〃Who　threw　that　stone？〃　said　Mr。　Lavender。　　Let　him　stand　out。〃



The　culprit；　no　other　indeed　than　he　who　had　thrown　the　hat　in；　and　not

fetched　it　out　for　a　shilling；　thus　menaced　with　discovery　made　use　of　a

masterly　device；　and　called　out　loudly：



〃Pro…German！〃



Such　was　the　instinctive　patriotism　of　the　crowd　that　the　cry　was　taken

up　in　several　quarters；　and　for　the　moment　Mr。　Lavender　remained

speechless　from　astonishment。　　The　cries　of　〃Pro…German！〃　increased　in

volume；　and　a　stone　hitting　her　on　the　nose　caused　Blink　to　utter　a　yelp；

Mr。　Lavender's　eyes　blazed。



〃Huns！〃　he　cried；　〃Huns！　I　am　coming　out。〃



With　this　prodigious　threat　he　emerged　from　the　pond　at　the　very　moment

that　a　car　scattered　the　throng；　and　a　well…known　voice　said：



〃Well；　sir；　you　'ave　been　goin'　it！〃



〃Joe；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　〃don't　speak　to　me！〃



〃Get　in。〃



〃Never！〃



〃Pro…Germans！〃　yelled　the　crowd。



〃Get　in！〃　repeated　Joe。



And　seizing　Mr。　Lavender　as　if　collaring　him　at　football；　he　knocked　off

his　hat；　propelled　him　into　the　car；　banged　the　door；　mounted；　and

started　at　full　speed；　with　Blink　leaping　and　barking　in　front　of　them。



Debouching　from　Piave　Parade　into　Bottomley　Lane　he　drove　up　it　till　the

crowd　was　but　a　memory　before　he　stopped　to　examine　the　condition

his　master。　　Mr。　Lavender　was　hanging　out　of　window；　looking　back；　and

shivering　violently。



〃Well；　sir；〃　said　Joe。　　〃I　don't　think！〃



〃Joe；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender　that　crowd　ought　not　to　be　at　large。　　They　were

manifestly　Huns。



〃The　speakin's　been　a　bit　too　much　for　you；　sir；〃　said　Joe。　　〃But　you've

got　it　off　your　chest；　anyway。〃



Mr。　Lavender　regarded　him　for　a　moment　in　silence；　then　putting　his　hand

to　his　throat；　said　hoarsely：



〃No；　on　my　chest；　I　think；　Joe。　　All　public　speakers　do。　　It　is

inseparable　from　that　great　calling。〃



〃'Alf　a　mo'！〃　grunted　Joe；　diving　into　the　recesses　beneath　the　driving…

seat。　　〃'Ere；　swig　that　off；　sir。　　〃



Mr。　Lavender　raised　the　tumbler　of　fluid　to　his　mouth；　and　drank　it　off；

only　from　the　dregs　left　on　his　moustache　did　he　perceive　that　it　smelled

of　rum　and　honey。



〃Joe；〃　he　said　reproachfully；　〃you　have　made　me　break　my　pledge。〃



Joe　smiled。　　〃Well；　what　are　they　for；　sir？　　You'll　sleep　at　'ome　to…

night。〃



〃Never；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender。　　〃I　shall　sleep　at　High　Barnet；　I　must

address　them　there　tomorrow　on　abstinence　during　the　war。〃



〃As　you　please；　sir。　　But　try　and　'ave　a　nap　while　we　go　along。〃　　And

lifting　Blink　into　the　car；　where　she　lay　drenched　and　exhausted　by

excitement；　with　the　petal　of　a　purple　flower　clinging　to　her　black　nose；

he　mounted　to　his　seat　and　drove　off。　　Mr。　Lavender；　for　years

unaccustomed　to　spirituous　liquor；　of　which　he　had　swallowed　nearly　half

a　pint　neat；　passed　rapidly　into　a　state　of　coma。　　Nor　did　he　fully

regain　consciousness　till　he　awoke　in　bed　the　next　morning。











IV



INTO　THE　DANGERS　OF　A　PUBLIC　LIFE



〃At　what　time　is　my　meeting？〃　thought　Mr。　Lavender　vaguely；　gazing　at　th