the burning spear-第6章

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IV



INTO　THE　DANGERS　OF　A　PUBLIC　LIFE



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

light　filtering　through　the　Venetian　blind。　　〃Blink！〃



His　dog；　who　was　lying　beside　his　bed　gnawing　a　bone　which　with　some

presence　of　mind　she　had　brought　in；　raised　herself　and　regarded　him　with

the　innocence　of　her　species。　　〃She　has　an　air　of　divine　madness；〃

thought　Mr。　Lavender；　which　is　very　pleasing　to　me。　　I　have　a　terrible

headache。〃　　And　seeing　a　bellrope　near　his　hand　he　pulled　it。



A　voice　said：　〃Yes；　sir。〃



〃I　wish　to　see　my；　servant；　Joe　Petty；〃　said　Lavender。　　〃I　shall　not

require　any　breakfast　thank　you。　　What　is　the　population　of　High　Barnet？〃



〃I'm　sure　I　don't　know　what　you're　talking　about；　sir；〃　answered　the

voice；　which　seemed　to　be　that　of　his　housekeeper；　〃but　you　can't　see

Joe；　he's　gone　out　with　a　flea　in　his　ear。　　The　idea　of　his　letting　you

get　your　feet　wet　like　that！



〃How　is　this？〃　said　Mr。　Lavender。　　〃I　thought　you　were　the　chambermaid　of

the　inn　at　High　Barnet？〃



〃No；　indeed；〃　said　Mrs。　Petty　soothingly；　placing　a　thermometer　in　his

mouth。　　〃Smoke　that　a　minute；　sir。　　Oh！　look　at　what　this　dog's　brought

in！　　Fie！〃　　And　taking　the　bone　between　thumb　and　finger　she　cast　it　out

of　the　window；　while　Blink；　aware　that　she　was　considered　in　the　wrong；

and　convinced　that　she　was　in　the　right；　spread　out　her　left　paw；　laid

her　head　on　her　right　paw；　and　pressed　her　chin　hard　against　it。　　Mrs。

Petty；　returning　from　the　window；　stood　above　her　master；　who　lay　gazing

up　with　the　thermometer　jutting　out　through　the　middle　of　his　moustache。



〃I　thought　so！〃　she　said；　removing　it；　〃a　hundred　and　one。　　No　getting　up

for　you；　sir！　　That　Joe！〃



〃Mrs。　Petty；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender　rather　feebly；　for　his　head　pained　him

excessively；　〃bring　me　the　morning　papers。〃



〃No；　sir。　　The　thermometer　bursts　at　an　an'　ten。　　I'll　bring　you　the

doctor。〃



Mr。　Lavender　was　about　to　utter　a　protest　when　he　reflected　that　all

public　men　had　doctors。



〃About　the　bulletin？〃　　he　said　faintly。



〃What？〃　ejaculated　Mrs。　Petty；　whose　face　seemed　to　Mr。　Lavender　to　have

become　all　cheekbones；　eyes；　and　shadows。　　Joe　never　said　a　about　a

bullet。　　Where？　and　however　did　you　get　it　in？



〃I　did　not　say　'bullet　in'；〃　murmured　Mr。　Lavender　closing　his　eyes！　〃I

said　bulletin。　　They　have　it。〃



At　this　mysterious　sentence　Mrs。　Petty　lifted　her　hands；　and　muttering

the　word　〃Ravin'！〃　hastened　from　the　room。　　No　sooner　had　she　gone；

however；　than　Blink；　whose　memory　was　perfect；　rose；　and　going　to　the

window　placed　her　forepaws　on　the　sill。　　Seeing　her　bone　shining　on　the

lawn　below；　with　that　disregard　of　worldly　consequence　which　she　shared

with　all　fine　characters；　she　leaped　through。　　The　rattle　of　the　Venetian

blind　disturbed　Mr。　Lavender　from　the　lethargy　to　which　he　had　reverted。

〃Mr。　John　Lavender　passed　a　good　night；〃　he　thought；　〃but　his　condition

is　still　critical。〃　　And　in　his　disordered　imagination　he　seemed　to　see

people　outside　Tube　stations；　standing　stock…still　in　the　middle　of　the

traffic；　reading　that　bulletin　in　the　evening　papers。　　〃Let　me　see；〃　he

mused；　〃how　will　they　run？　　To…morrow　I　shall　be　better；　but　not　yet　able

to　leave　my　bed；　the　day　after　to…morrow　I　shall　have　a　slight　relapse；

and　my　condition　will　still　give　cause　for　anxiety；　on　the　day　following…

…What　is　that　noise。　　For　a　sound　like　the　whiffling　of　a　wind　through

dry　sticks　combined　with　the　creaking　of　a　saw　had；　impinged　on　his

senses。　　It　was　succeeded　by　scratching。　　〃Blink！〃　said　Mr。　Lavender。

A　heartrending　whine　came　from　outside　the　door。　　Mr。　Lavender　rose　and

opened　it。　　His　dog　came　in　carrying　her　bone；　and　putting　it　down　by　the

bed　divided　her　attention　between　it　and　her　master's　legs；　revealed　by

the　nightshirt　which；　in　deference　to　the　great　Disraeli；　he　had　never

abandoned　in　favour　of　pyjamas。　　Having　achieved　so　erect　a　posture　Mr。


Lavender；　whose　heated　imagination　had　now　carried　him　to　the

convalescent　stage　of　his　indisposition；　felt　that　a　change　of　air　would

do　him　good；　and　going　to　the　window；　leaned　out　above　a　lilac…tree。



〃Mr。　John　Lavender〃　he　murmured；　〃has　gone　to　his　seat　to　recuperate

before　resuming　his　public　duties。



While　he　stood　there　his　attention　was　distracted　by　a　tall　young　lady　of

fine　build　and　joyous　colour；　who　was　watering　some　sweet…peas　in　the

garden　of　the　adjoining　castle：　Naturally　delicate；　Mr。　Lavender　at　once

sought　a　jacket；　and；　having　put　it　on；　resumed　his　position　at　the

window。　　He　had　not　watched　her　more　than　two　minutes　before　he　saw　that

she　was　cultivating　soil；　and；　filled　with　admiration；　he　leaned　still

further　out；　and　said：



〃My　dear　young　madam；　you　are　doing　a　great　work。〃



Thus　addressed；　the　young　lady；　who　had　those　roving　grey　eyes　which　see

everything　and　betoken　a　large　nature　not　devoid　of　merry　genius；　looked

up　and　smiled。



〃Believe　me；〃　continued　Mr。　Lavender；　〃no　task　in　these　days　is　so

important　as　the　cultivation　of　the　soil；　now　that　we　are　fighting　to　the

last　man　and　the　last　dollar　every　woman　and　child　in　th　islands　should

put　their　hands　to　the　plough。　　And　at　that　word　his　vision　became

feverishly　enlarged；　so　that　he　seemed　to　see　not　merely　the　young　lady；

but　quantities　of　young　ladies；　filling　the　whole　garden。



〃This；〃　he　went　on；　raising　his　voice；　〃is　the　psychological　moment；　the

turning…point　in　the　history　of　these　islands。　　The　defeat　of　our　common

enemies　imposes　on　us　the　sacred　duty　of　feeding　ourselves　once　more。

'There　is　a　tide　in　the　affairs　of　men　which　taken　at　the　flood　leads　on

to　Oh！〃　　For　in　his　desire　to　stir　his　audience；　Mr。　Lavender　had

reached　out　too　far；　and　losing　foothold　on　his　polished　bedroom　floor；

was　slipping　down　into　the　lilac…bush。　　He　was　arrested　by　a　jerk　from

behind；　where　Blink；　moved　by　this　sudden　elopement　of　her　master；　had

seized　him　by　the　nightshirt　tails；　and　was　staying　his　descent。



〃Is　anything　up？〃　said　the　young　lady。



〃I　have　lost　my　balance；〃　thickly　answered　Mr。　Lavender；　whose　blood　was

running　to　his　head；　which　was　now　lower　than　his　feet。〃　Fortunately；　my

dog　seems　to　be　holding　me　from　behind。　　But　if　someone　could　assist　her

it　would　be　an　advantage；　for　I　fear　that　I　am　slipping。〃



〃Hold　on！〃　cried　the　young　lady。　　And　breaking　through　the　low　privet

hedge　which　separated　the　domains；　she　vanished　beneath　him　with　a　low

gurgling　sound。



Mr。　Lavender；　who　dared　not　speak　again　for　fear　that　Blink；　hearing　his

voice；　might　let　go　to　answer；　remained　suspended；　torn　with　anxiety

about　his　costume。　　〃If　she　comes　in；〃　he　thought；　〃I　shall　die　from

shame。　　And　if　she　doesn't；　I　shall　die　from　a　broken　neck。　　What　a

dreadful　alternative！　　And　he　firmly　grasped　the　most　substantial　lilac…

boughs　within；　his　reach；　listening　with　the　ears　of　a　hare　for　any　sound

within　the　room；　in　which　he　no　longer　was　to　any　appreciable　extent。

Then　the　thought　of　what　a　public　man　should　feel　in　his　position　came　to

his　rescue。　　〃We　die　but　once；〃　he　mused；　〃rather　than　shock　that

charming　lady　let　me　seek　oblivion。〃　And　the　words　of　his　obituary　notice

at　once　began　to　dance　before　his　eyes。　　〃This　great　public　servant

honoured　his　country　no　less　in　his　death　than　in　his　life。'　　Then

striking　out　vigorously　with　his　feet　he　launched　his　body　forward。　　The

words　〃My　goodness　resounded　above　him；　as　all　restraining　influence　was

suddenly　relaxed；　Mr。　Lavender　slid　into　the　lilac…bush；　turned　heels

over　head；　and　fell　bump　on　the　ground。　　He　lay　there　at　full；　length；

conscious　of　everything；　and　especially　of　the　faces　of　Blink　and　the

young　lady　looking　down　on　him　from　the　window。



〃Are　you　hurt？〃　she　called。



〃No；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender　that　iseryes；〃　he　added；　ever　scrupulously

exact。



〃I'm　coming　down；〃　said　the　young　lady。



〃Don't　move！