the burning spear-第18部分

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finished？　　It　is　not　the　hill　which　keeps　you　back；　for　you　are　at　the

top；　and　your　horses　seem　rested。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　the　old　man；　with　another　contortion　of　his　face；　〃they're

restedleastways；　one　of　'em。〃



〃Then　what　delays　youif　not　that　British　sluggishness　which　we　in

public　life　find　such　a　terrible　handicap　to　our　efforts　in　conducting

the　war？〃



〃Ah！〃　said　the　old　man。　　〃But　out　of　one　you　don't　make　two；　guv'nor。

Git　on　the　offside　and　you'll　see　it　a　bit　steadier　and　a　bit　'oler　than

you　'ave　'itherto。〃



Struck　by　his　words；　which　were　accompanied　by　a　painful　puckering　of　the

checks；　Mr。　Lavender　moved　round　the　van　looking　for　some　defect　in　its

machinery；　and　suddenly　became　aware　that　the　off　horse　was　lying　on　the

ground；　with　the　traces　cut。　　It　lay　on　its　side；　and　did　not　move。



〃Oh！〃　cried　Mr。　Lavender；　〃oh！〃　　And　going　up　to　the　horse's　head　he

knelt　down。　　The　animal's　eye　was　glazing。



〃Oh！〃　he　cried　again；　〃poor　horse！　　Don't　die！〃　And　tears　dropped　out　of

his　eyes　on　to　the　horse's　cheek。　　The　eye　seemed　to　give　him　a　look；　and

became　quite　glazed。



〃Dead！〃　said　Mr　Lavender　in　an　awed　whisper。　〃This　is　horrible！　　What　a

thin　horsenothing　but　bones！〃　　And　his　gaze　haunted　the　ridge　and

furrow　of　the　horse's　carcase；　while　the　living　horse　looked　round　and

down　at　its　dead　fellow；　from　whose　hollow　face　a　ragged　forelock　drooped

in　the　dust。



〃I　must　go　and　apologize　to　that　old　man；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender　aloud；　〃for

no　doubt　he　is　even　more　distressed　than　I　am。〃



〃Not　'e；　guv'nor；〃　　said　a　voice；　and　looking　beside　him　he　saw　the　aged

driver　standing　beside　him；　〃not　'e；　for　of　all　the　crool　jobs　I　ever

'addrivin'　that　'orse　these　last　three　months　'as　been　the　croolest。

There　'e　lies　and　'es　aht　of　it；　and　that's　where　they'd　all　like　to　be。

Speed；　done　'im　in；　savin'　'is　country's　'time　an'　'is　country's　oats；

that　done　'im　in。　　A　good　old　'orse；　a　willin'　old　'orse；　'as　broke　'is

'eart　tryin'　to　do　'is　bit　on　'alf　rations。　　There　'e　lies；　and　I'm　glad

'e　does。〃　　And　with　the　back　of　his　hand　the　old　fellow　removed　some

brown　moisture　which　was　trembling　on　his　jaw。　　Mr。　Lavender　rose　from

his　knees。



〃Dreadful！monstrous！〃　he　cried；　〃poor　horse！　　Who　is　responsible　for

this？〃



〃Why；〃　said　the　old　driver；　〃the　gents　as　sees　it　steady　and　sees　it　'ole

from　one　side　o'　the　van；　same　as　you。



So　smitten　to　the　heart　was　Mr。　Lavender　by　those　words　that　he　covered

his　ears　with　his　hands　and　almost　ran　from　the　scene；　nor　did　he　stop

till　he　had　reached　the　shelter　of　his　study；　and　was　sitting　in　his　arm…

chair　with　Blink　upon　his　feet。　　〃I　will　buy　a　go…cart；〃　he　thought　Blink

and　I　will　pull　our　weight　and　save　the　poor　horses。　　We　can　at　least

deliver　our　own　milk　and　vegetables。〃



He　had　not　been　sitting　there　for　half…an…hour　revolving　the　painful

complexities　of　national　life　before　the　voice　of　Mrs。　Petty　recalled　him

from　that　sad　reverie。



〃Dr。　Gobang　to　see　you；　sir。〃



At　sight　of　the　doctor　who　had　attended　him　for　alcoholic　poisoning　Mr。

Lavender　experienced　one　or　those　vaguely　disagreeable　sensations　which

follow　on　half…realized　insults。



〃Good…morning；　sir；〃　said　the　doctor；　thought　I'd　just　look　in　and　make

my　mind　easy　about　you。　　That　was　a　nasty　attack。　　Do　you　still　feel　your

back？〃



〃No；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender　rather　coldly；　while　Blink　growled。



〃Nor　your　head　？〃



〃I　have　never　felt　my　head；〃　replied　Mr。　Lavender；　still　more　coldly。



〃I　seem　to　remember〃　began　the　doctor。



〃Doctor；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender　with　dignity；　surely　you　know　that　public

mendo　not　feeltheir　headsit　would　not　do。　　They　sometimes　suffer

from　their　throats；　but　otherwise　they　have　perfect　health；　fortunately。〃



The　doctor　smiled。



〃Well；　what　do　you　think　of　the　war？〃　he　asked　chattily。



〃Be　quiet；　Blink；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender。　　Then；　in　a　far…away　voice；　he

added：　〃Whatever　the　clouds　which　have　gathered　above　our　heads　for　the

moment；　and　whatever　the　blows　which　Fate　may　have　in　store　for　us；　we

shall　not　relax　our　efforts　till　we　have　attained　our　aims　and　hurled　our

enemies　back。　　Nor　shall　we　stop　there；〃　he　went　on；　warming　at　his　own

words。　　〃It　is　but　a　weak…kneed　patriotism　which　would　be　content　with

securing　the　objects　for　which　we　began　to　fight。　　We　shall　not　hesitate

to　sacrifice　the　last　of　our　men；　the　last　of　our　money；　in　the　sacred

task　of　achieving　the　complete　ruin　of　the　fiendish　Power　which　has

brought　this　great　calamity　on　the　world。　　Even　if　our　enemies　surrender

we　will　fight　on　till　we　have　dictated　terms　on　the　doorsteps　of

Potsdam。〃



The　doctor；　who；　since　Mr。　Lavender　began　to　speak；　had　been　looking　at

him　with　strange　intensity；　dropped　his　eyes。



〃Quite　so；〃　he　said　heartily；　〃quite　so。　　Well；　good…morning。　　I　only

just　ran　in！〃　　And　leaving　Mr。　Lavender　to　the　exultation　he　was

evidently　feeling；　this　singular　visitor　went　out　and　closed　the　door。

Outside　the　garden…gate　he　rejoined　the　nephew　Sinkin。



〃Well？〃　asked　the　latter。



〃Sane　as　you　or　me；〃　said　the　doctor。　　〃A　little　pedantic　in　his　way　of

expressing　himself；　but　quite　all　there；　really。〃



〃Did　his　dog　bite　you？〃　muttered　the　nephew。　　〃No；〃　said　the　doctor

absently。　　〃I　wish　to　heaven　everyone　held　his　views。　　So　long。　　I　must

be　getting　on。〃　　And　they　parted。



But　Mr。　Lavender；　after　pacing　the　room　six　times；　had　sat　down　again　in

his　chair；　with　a　cold　feeling　in　the　pit　of　his　stomach；　such　as　other

men　feel　on　mornings　after　a　debauch。









XIII



ADDRESSES　SOME　SOLDIERS　ON　THEIR　FUTURE



On　pleasant　afternoons　Mr。　Lavender　would　often　take　his　seat　on　one　of

the　benches　which　adorned　the　Spaniard's　Road　to　enjoy　the　beams　of　the

sun　and　the　towers　of　the　City　confused　in　smoky　distance。　　And　strolling

forth　with　Blink　on　the　afternoon　of　the　day　on　which　the　doctor　had　come

to　see　him　he　sat　down　to　read　a　periodical；　which　enjoined　on　everyone

the　necessity　of　taking　the　utmost　interest　in　soldiers　disabled　by　the

war。　　〃Yes；〃　he　thought；　〃it　is　indeed　our　duty　to　force　them；　no　matter

what　their　disablements；　to　continue　and　surpass　the　heroism　they

displayed　out　there；　and　become　superior　to　what　they　once　were。〃　　And　it

seemed　to　him　a　distinct　dispensation　of　Providence　when　the　rest　of　his

bench　was　suddenly　occupied　by　three　soldiers　in　the　blue　garments　and

red　ties　of　hospital　life。　　They　had　been　sitting　there　for　some　minutes；

divided　by　the　iron　bars　necessary　to　the　morals　of　the　neighbourhood；

while　Mr。　Lavender　cudgelled　his　brains　for　an　easy　and　natural　method　of

approach；　before　Blink　supplied　the　necessary　avenue　by　taking　her　stand

before　a　soldier　and　looking　up　into　his　eye。



〃Lord！〃　said　the　one　thus　accosted；　〃what　a　fyce！　　Look　at　her　moustache！

Well；　cocky；　'oo　are　you　starin'　at？〃



〃My　dog；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　perceiving　his　chance；　〃has　an　eye　for　the

strange　and　beautiful。



〃Wow　said　the　soldier；　whose　face　was　bandaged；　she'll　get　it　'ere；　won't

she？〃



Encouraged　by　the　smiles　of　the　soldier　and　his　comrades；　Mr。　Lavender

went　on　in　the　most　natural　voice　he　could　assume。



〃I'm　sure　you　appreciate；　my　friends；　the　enormous　importance　of　your　own

futures？　〃



The　three　soldiers；　whose　faces　were　all　bandaged；　looked　as　surprised　as

they　could　between　them；　and　did　not　answer。　　Mr。　Lavender　went　on；

dropping　unconsciously　into　the　diction　of　the　article　he　had　been

reading：　〃We　are　now　at　the　turning…point　of　the　ways；　and　not　a　moment

is　to　be　lost　in　impressing　on　the　disabled　man　the　paramount　necessity

of　becoming　again　the　captain　of　his　soul。　　He　who　was　a　hero　in　the

field　must　again　lead　us　in　those　qualities　of　enterprise　and　endurance

which　have　made　him　the　admiration　of　the　world。〃



The　three　soldiers　had　turned　what　was　visible　of　their　faces　towards　Mr。

Lavender；　and；　seeing　that　he　had　riveted　their　attention；　he　proceeded：

〃The　apathy　which　hospital　produces；　together　with　the　present　scarcity

of　labour；　is　largely　responsible　for　the　dangerous　position　in　which　the

disabled　man　now　finds　himself。　　Only　we　who　have　not　to　face　his　future

can　appreciate　what　that　future　is　likely　to　be　if　he　does　not　make　the

most　strenuous　efforts　to　overcome　it。　　Boys；〃　he　added　earnestly；

remembering　suddenly　that　this　was　the　word　which　those　who　had　the

personal　touch　ever　employed；　〃are　you　making　those　efforts？　　Are　you

equipping　your　minds？　　Are　you　taking　advantage　of　your　enforced　leisure

to　place　yourselves　upon　some　path　of　life　in　which　you　can　largely　hold

your　own　against　all　comers？〃



He　paused　for　a　reply。



The　soldiers；　silent　for　a　moment；　in　what　seemed　to　Mr。　Lavender　to　be

sheer　astonishment；　began　to　fidget；　then　the　one　next　him　turned　to　his

neighbour；　and　said：



〃Are　we；　Alf？　　Are　we　doin'　what　the　gentleman　says？〃



〃I