the burning spear-第11部分

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sinking　his　chin　still　further　into　his　chest；　resumed：



〃It　might　run　another　week；　or　it　might　fall　down　to…morrowyou　never

can　tell。　　But　I'm　getting　lots　of　letters。　　Tremendous　public　interest。〃



〃Yes；　yes；〃　assented　Mr。　Lavender；　〃it's　most　important。〃



〃Of　course；　we　might　run　yours　with　it；〃　said　the　editor。　　〃But　I　don't

know；　I　think　it'd　kill　the　other。　　Still〃



〃I　shouldn't　like〃　began　Mr。　Lavender。



〃I　don't　believe　in　giving　them　more　than　they　want；　you　know；〃　resumed

the　editor。　　〃I　think　I'll　have　my　news　editor　in；〃　and　he　blew　into　a

tube。　　〃Send　me　Mr。　Crackamup。　　This　thing　of　yours　is　very　important；

sir。　　Suppose　we　began　to　run　it　on　Thursday。　　Yes；　I　should　think

they'll　be　tired　of　British　prisoners　by　then。〃



〃Don't　let　me；〃　began　Mr。　Lavender。



The　editor's　eye　became　unveiled　for　the　Moment。　　〃You'll　be　wanting　to

take　it　somewhere　else　if　weQuite！　　Well；　I　think　we　could　run　them

together。　　See　here；　Mr。　Crackamup〃Mr。　Lavender　saw　a　small　man　like

Beethoven　frowning　from　behind　spectacles　could　we　run　this　German

prisoner　stunt　alongside　the　British；　or　d'you　think　it　would　kill　it？〃



Mr。　Lavender　almost　rose　from　his　chair　in　surprise。　　〃Are　you〃　he

said；　〃is　it〃



The　small　man　hiccoughed；　and　said　in　a　raw　voice：



〃The　letters　are　falling　off。〃



〃Ah！〃　murmured　the　editor；　〃I　thought　we　should　be　through　by　Thursday。

We'll　start　this　new　stunt　Thursday。　　Give　it　all　prominence；　Crackamup。

It'll　focus　fury。　　All　to　the　goodall　to　the　good。　　Opinion's　ripe。〃

Then　for　a　moment　he　seemed　to　hesitate；　and　his　chin　sank　back　on　his

chest。　　〃I　don't　know；〃　he　murmured　of　course　it　may〃



〃Please；〃　began　Mr。　Lavender；　rising；　while　the　small　man　hiccoughed

again。　　The　two　motions　seemed　to　determine　the　editor。



〃That's　all　right；　sir；　〃　he　said；　rising　also；　〃that's　quite　all　right。

We'll　say　Thursday；　and　risk　it。　　Thursday；　Crackamup。　　〃And　he　held　out

his　hand　to　Mr。　Lavender。　　〃Good　morning；　sir；　good　morning。　　Delighted

to　have　seen　you。　　You　wouldn't　put　your　name　to　it？　　Well；　well；　it

doesn't　matter；　only　you　could　have　written　it。　　The　turn　of　phrase

immense！　　They'll　tumble　all　right！〃　　And　Mr。　Lavender　found　himself；

with　Mr。　Crackamup；　in　the　lobby。　　〃It's　bewildering；〃　he　thought；　〃how

quickly　he　settled　that。　　And　yet　he　had　such　repose。　　But　is　there　some

mistake？〃　　He　was　about　to　ask　his　companion；　but　with　a　distant　hiccough

the　small　man　had　vanished。　　Thus　deserted；　Mr。　Lavender　was　in　two　minds

whether　to　ask　to　be　readmitted；　when　the　four　gentlemen　with　notebooks

repassed　him　in　single　file　into　the　editor's　room。



〃My　name　is　Lavender；〃　he　said　resolutely　to　the　young　woman。　　〃Is　that

all　right？〃



〃Quite；〃　she　answered；　without　looking　up。



Mr。　Lavender　went　out　slowly；　thinking；　〃I　may　perhaps　have　said　more　in

that　interview　than　I　remember。　　Next　time　I　really　will　insist　on　having

a　proof。　　Or　have　they　taken　me　for　some　other　public　man？〃　This　notion

was　so　disagreeable；　however；　that　he　dismissed　it；　and　passed　into　the

street。



On　Thursday；　the　day　fixed　for　his　fresh　tour　of　public　speaking；　he

opened　the　great　journal　eagerly。　　Above　the　third　column　was　the

headline：　　OUR　VITAL　DUTY：　BY　A　GREAT　PUBLIC　MAN。　　〃That　must　be　it；〃　he

thought。　　The　article；　which　occupied　just　a　column　of　precious　space；

began　with　an　appeal　so　moving　that　before　he　had　read　twenty　lines　Mr。

Lavender　had　identified　himself　completely　with　the　writer；　and　if　anyone

had　told　him　that　he　had　not　uttered　these　sentiments；　he　would　have

given　him　the　lie　direct。　　Working　from　heat　to　heat　the　article　finished

in　a　glorious　outburst　with　a　passionate　appeal　to　the　country　to　starve

all　German　prisoners。



Mr。　Lavender　put　it　down　in　a　glow　of　exultation。　　〃I　shall　translate

words　into　action；〃　he　thought；　〃I　shall　at　once　visit　a　rural　district

where　German　prisoners　are　working　on　the　land；　and　see　that　the　farmers

do　their　duty。　　〃And；　forgetting　in　his　excitement　to　eat　his　breakfast；

he　put　the　journal　in　his　pocket；　wrapped　himself　in　his　dust…coat　and

broad…brimmed　hat；　and　went　out　to　his　car；　which　was　drawn　up；　with

Blink；　who　had　not　forgotten　her　last　experience；　inside。



〃We　will　go　to　a　rural　district；　Joe；〃　he　said；　getting　in。



〃Very　good；　sir；〃　answered　Joe　；　and；　unnoticed　by　the　population；　they

glided　into　the　hazy　heat　of　the　June　morning。



〃Well；　what　abaht　it；　sir？〃　said　Joe；　after　they　had　proceeded　for　some

three　hours。　　〃Here　we　are。〃



Mr。　Lavender；　who　had　been　lost　in　the　beauty　of　the　scenes　through　which

he　was　passing；　awoke　from　reverie；　and　said：



〃I　am　looking　for　German　prisoners；　Joe；　if　you　see　a　farmer；　you　might

stop。〃



〃Any　sort　of　farmer？〃　asked　Joe。



〃Is　there　more　than　one　sort？〃　returned　Mr。　Lavender；　smiling。



Joe　cocked　his　eye。　　〃Ain't　you　never　lived　in　the　country；　sir？〃



〃Not　for　more　than　a　few　weeks　at　a　time；　Joe；　unless　Rochester　counts。

Of　course；　I　know　Eastbourne　very　well。〃



〃I　know　Eastbourne　from　the　inside；〃　said　Joe　discursively。　　〃I　was　a

waiter　there　once。〃



〃An　interesting　life；　a　waiter's；　Joe；　I　should　think。〃



〃Ah！　　Everything　comes　to　'im　who　waits；　they　say。　　But　abaht　farmers

you've　got　a　lot　to　learn；　sir。〃



〃I　am　always　conscious　of　that；　Joe；　the　ramifications　of　public　life　are

innumerable。〃



〃I　could　give　you　some　rummikins　abaht　farmers。　　I　once　travelled　in

breeches。〃



〃You　seem　to　have　done　a　great　many　things　Joe。〃



〃That's　right；　sir。　　I've　been　a　sailor；　a　'traveller；'　a　waiter；　a

scene…shifter；　and　a　shover；　and　I　don't　know　which　was　the　cushiest　job。

But；　talking　of　farmers：　there's　the　old　English　type　that　wears

Bedfordsdon't　you　go　near　'im；　'e　bites。　　There's　the　modern　scientific

farmer；　but　it'll　take　us　a　week　to　find　'im。　　And　there's　the　small…

'older；　wearin'　trahsers；　likely　as　not；　I　don't　think　'e'd　be　any　use　to

you。



〃What　am　I　to　do　then？〃　asked　Mr　Lavender。



〃Ah！〃　said　Joe；　'ave　lunch。〃



Mr。　Lavender　sighed；　his　hunger　quarelling　with　his　sense　of　duty。　　〃I

should　like　to　have　found　a　farmer　first；〃　he　said。



〃Well；　sir；　I'll　drive　up　to　that　clump　o'beeches；　and　you　can　have　a

look　round　for　one　while　I　get　lunch　ready。



〃That　will　do　admirably。〃



There's　just　one　thing；　sir；〃　said　Joe；　when　his　master　was　about　to

start；　〃don't　you　take　any　house　you　come　across　for　a　farm。　　They're

mostly　cottages　o'　gentility　nowadays；　in'abited　by　lunatics。〃



〃I　shall　be　very　careful；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender。



〃This　glorious　land！〃　he　thought；　walking　away　from　the　beech　clump；　with

Blink　at　his　heels；　〃how　wonderful　to　see　it　being　restored　to　its　former

fertility　under　pressure　of　the　war！　　The　farmer　must　be　a　happy　man；

indeed；　working　so　nobly　for　his　country；　without　thought　of　his　own

prosperity。　　How　flowery　those　beans　look　already！〃　　he　mused；　glancing

at　a　field　of　potatoes。　　〃Now　that　I　am　here　I　shall　be　able　to　combine

my　work　on　German　prisoners　with　an　effort　to　stimulate　food　production。

Blink！〃　　For　Blink　was　lingering　in　a　gateway。　　Moving　back　to　her；　Mr。

Lavender　saw　that　the　sagacious　animal　was　staring　through　the　gate　at　a

farmer　who　was　standing　in　a　field　perfectly　still；　with　his　back　turned；

about　thirty　yards　away。



〃Have　you〃　Mr。　Lavender　began　eagerly；　〃is　itare　you　employing　any

German　prisoners；　sir？〃



The　farmer　did　not　seem　to　hear。　　〃He　must；〃　thought　Mr。　Lavender；　〃be　of

the　old　stolid　English　variety。〃



The　farmer；　who　was　indeed　attired　in　a　bowler　hat　and　Bedford　cords；

continued　to　gaze　over　his　land；　unconscious　of　Mr。　Lavender's　presence。



〃I　am　asking　you　a　question；　sir；〃　resumed　the　latter　in　a　louder　voice。〃

And　however　patriotically　absorbed　you　may　be　in　cultivating　your　soil；

there　is　no　necessity　for　rudeness。〃



The　farmer　did　not　move　a　muscle。



〃Sir；〃　began　Mr。　Lavender　again；　very　patiently；　〃though　I　have　always

heard　that　the　British　farmer　is　of　all　men　least　amenable　to　influence

and　new　ideas；　I　have　never　believed　it；　and　I　am　persuaded　that　if　you

will　but　listen　I　shall　be　able　to　alter　your　whole　outlook　about　the

agricultural　future　of　this　country。〃　　For　it　had　suddenly　occurred　to

him　that　it　might　be　a　long　time　before　he　had　again　such　an　opportunity

of　addressing　a　rural　audience　on　the　growth　of　food；　and　he　was　loth　to

throw　away　the　chance。　　The　farmer；　however；　continued　to　stand　with　his

hack　to　the　speaker；　paying　no　more　heed　to　his　voice　than　to　the　buzzing

of　a　fly。



〃You　SHALL　hear　me；〃　cried　Mr。　Lavender；　unconsciously　miming　a　voice

from　the　past；　and　catching；　as　he　thought；　the　sound　of　a　titter；　he

flung　his　hand　out；　and　exclaimed：



〃Grass；　gentlemen；　grass　is　the　hub　of　the　matter。　　We　have　put　our　hand

to　the　plough〃and；　his　imagination　taking　flight　at　those　words；　he

we