the burning spear-第21部分

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At　that　word　the　two　young　people　shrank　together　till　they　were　standing

side　by　side；　staring　at　Mr　Lavender　with　eyes　full　of　anxiety　and

wonder。　　Their　hands；　which　still　held　the　implements　of　dentistry；

insensibly　sought　each　other。



Be　under　no　apprehension；〃　cried　Mr。　Lavender；　much　moved；　〃I　can　see

that　you　are　greatly　attached；　and　even　though　your　husband　is　a　German；

he　is　still　a　man；　and　I　could　never　bring　myself　to　separate　him　from

you。〃



〃Who　are　you？〃　said　the　young　woman　in　a　frightened　voice；　putting　her

arm　round　her　husband's　waist。



〃Just　a　public　man；〃　answered　Mr。　Lavender。



〃I　came　here　from　a　sense　of　duty；　nothing　more；　assure　you。〃



〃Who　put　you　up　to　it？



〃That；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　bowing　as　best　he　could　from　the　angle　he　was

in；　〃I　am　not　at　liberty　to　disclose。　　But；　believe　me；　you　have　nothing

to　fear　from　this　visit；　I　shall　never　do　anything　to　distress　a　woman。

And　please　charge　me　as　if　the　tooth　had　been　extracted。〃



The　young　German　smiled；　and　shook　his　head。



〃Sir；〃　he　said；　〃I　am　grateful　to　you　for　coming；　for　it　shows　us　what

danger　we　are　in。　　The　hardest　ting　to　bear　has　been　the　uncertainty　of

our　bosition；　and　the　feeling　that　our　friends　were　working　behind　our

backs。　　Now　we　know　that　this　is　so　we　shall　vordify　our　souls　to　bear

the　worst。　　But；　tell　me；〃　he　went　on；　〃when　you　came　here；　surely　you

must　have　subbosed　that　to　tear　me　away　from　my　wife　would　be　very

bainful　to　her　and　to　myself。　　You　say　now　you　never　could　do　that；　how

was　it；　then；　you　came？〃



〃Ah；　sir！〃　cried　Mr。　Lavender；　running　his　hands　through　his　hair　and

staring　at　the　ceiling；　〃I　feared　this　might　seem　inconsistent　to　your

logical　German　mind。　　But　there　are　many　things　we　public　men　would　never

do　if　we　could　see　them　being　done。　　Fortunately；　as　a　rule　we　cannot。

Believe　me；　when　I　leave　you　I　shall　do　my　best　to　save　you　from　a　fate

which　I　perceive　to　be　unnecessary。〃



So　saying；　he　rose　from　the　chair；　and；　picking　up　his　hat；　backed

towards　the　door。



〃I　will　not　offer　you　my　hand；〃　he　said；　〃for　I　am　acutely　conscious　that

my　position　is　neither　dignified　nor　decent。　　I　owe　you　a　tooth　that　I

shall　not　readily　forget。　　Good…bye！〃



And　backing　through　the　doorway　he　made　his　way　down　the　stairs　and　out

into　the　street；　still　emotionalized　by　the　picture　of　the　two　young

people　holding　each　other　by　the　waist。　　He　had　not；　however；　gone　far

before　reason　resumed　its　sway；　and　he　began　to　see　that　the　red　velvet

chair　in　which　he　had　been　sitting　was　in　reality　a　wireless　apparatus

reaching　to　Berlin；　or　at　least　concealed　a　charge　of　dynamite　to　blow　up

some　King　or　Prime　Minister；　and　that　the　looking…glasses；　of　which　he

had　noticed　two　at　least；　were　surely　used　for　signalling　to　Gothas　or

Zeppelins。　　This　plunged　him　into　a　confusion　so　poignant　that；　rather　by

accident　than　design；　he　found　himself　again　at　Hampstead　instead　of　at

Scotland　Yard。　　〃In　the　society　of　Aurora　alone；〃　he　thought；　〃can　I　free

myself　from　the　goadings　of　conscience；　for　it　was　she　who　sent　me　on

that　errand。〃　　And；　instead　of　going　in；　he　took　up　a　position　on　his

lawn　whence　he　could　attract　her　attention　by　waving　his　arms。　　He　had

been　doing　this　for　some　time；　to　the　delight　of　Blink；　who　thought　it　a

new　game；　before　he　saw　her　in　her　nurse's　dress　coming　out　of　a　French…

window　with　her　yellow　book　in　her　hand。　　Redoubling　his　efforts　till　he

had　arrested　her　attention；　he　went　up　to　the　privet　hedge；　and　said；　in

a　deep　and　melancholy　voice：



〃Aurora；　I　have　failed　in　my　duty；　and　the　errand　on　which　you　sent　me　is

unfulfilled。　　Mrs。　Pullbody's　sister's　husband's　sister's　husband　is

still；　largely　speaking；　at　large。〃



〃I　knew　he　would　be；〃　replied　the　young　lady；　with　her　joyous　smile

that's　why　I　put　her　on　to　youthe　cat！〃



At　a　loss　to　understand　her　meaning；　Mr。　Lavender；　who　had　bent　forward

above　the　hedge　in　his　eagerness　to　explain；　lost　his　balance；　and；

endeavouring　to　save　the　hedge；　fell　over　into　some　geranium　pots。



〃Dear　Don　Pickwixote；〃　cried　the　young　lady；　assisting　him　to　rise；　〃have

you　hurt　your　nose？〃



〃It　is　not　that；〃　said　Mr。　Lavender；　removing　some　mould　from　his　hair；

and　stifling　the　attentions　of　Blink；　〃but　rather　my　honour；　for　I　have

allowed　my　duty　to　my　country　to　be　overridden　by　the　common　emotion　of

pity。〃



〃Hurrah！〃　cried　the　young　lady。　　〃It'll　do　you　ever　so　much　good。〃



〃Aurora！〃　cried　Mr。　Lavender　aghast；　walking　at　her　side。　　But　the　young

lady　only　uttered　her　enchanting　laugh。



〃Come　and　lie　down　in　the　hammock！〃　she　said　you're　looking　like　a　ghost。

I'll　cover　you　up　with　a　rug；　and　smoke　a　cigarette　to　keep　the　midges

off　you。　Tuck　up　your　legs；　that's　right！〃



〃No！〃　said　Mr。　Lavender　from　the　recesses　of　the　hammock；　feeling　his

nose；　〃let　the　bidges　bide　me。　　I　deserve　they　should　devour　me　alive。



〃All　right；〃　said　the　young　lady。　　〃But　have　a　nap；　anyway！　　〃And　sitting

down　in　a　low　chair；　she　opened　her　book　and　lit　a　cigarette。



Mr。　Lavender　remained　silent；　watching　her　with　the　eyes　of　an　acolyte；

and　wondering　whether　he　was　in　his　senses　to　have　alighted　on　so　rare　a

fortune。　　Nor　was　it　long　before　he　fell　into　a　hypnotic　doze。



How　long　Mr。　Lavender　had　been　asleep　he　could　not　of　course　tell　before

he　dreamed　that　he　was　caught　in　a　net；　the　meshes　of　which　were　formed

of　the　cries　of　newspaper　boys　announcing　atrocities　by　land　and　sea。　　He

awoke　looking　into　the　eyes　of　Aurora；　who；　to　still　his　struggles；　had

taken　hold　of　his　ankles。



〃My　goodness！　　You　are　thin　were　the　first　words　he　heard。　　〃No　wonder

you're　lightheaded。〃



Mr。　Lavender；　whose　returning　chivalry　struggled　with　unconscious

delight；　murmured　with　difficulty：



〃Let　me　go；　let　me　go；　it　is　too　heavenly！



〃Well；　have　you　finished　kicking？〃　asked　the　young　lady。



〃Yes；〃　returned　Mr。　Lavender　in　a　fainting　voice〃　alas！〃



The　young　lady　let　go　of　his　ankles；　and；　aiding　him　to　rise　from　the

hammock；　said：　〃　I　know　what's　the　matter　with　you　nowyou're　starving

yourself。　　You　ought　to　be　kept　on　your　back　for　three　months　at　least；

and　fed　on　butter。〃



Mr。　Lavender；　soothing　the　feelings　of　Blink；　who；　at　his　struggles；　had

begun　to　pant　deeply；　answered　with　watering　lips：



〃Everyone　in　these　days　must　do　twice　as　much　as　he　ought；　and　I　eat

half；　for　only　in　this　way　can　we　compass　the　defeat　of　our　common

enemies。〃　　The　young　lady's　answer；　which　sounded　like　〃Bosh！〃　was　lost

in　Mr。　Lavender's　admiration　of　her　magnificent　proportions　as　she　bent

to　pick　up　her　yellow　book。



〃Aurora；〃　he　said；　〃I　know　not　what　secret　you　share　with　the　goddesses；

suffer　me　to　go　in　and　give　thanks　for　this　hour　spent　in　your　company。〃



And　he　was　about　to　recross　the　privet　hedge　when　she　caught　him　by　the

coat…tag；　saying：



〃No；　Don　Pickwixote；　you　must　dine　with　us。　　I　want　you　to　meet　my

father。　　Come　along！〃　　And；　linking　her　arm　in　his；　she　led　him　towards

her　castle。　　Mr。　Lavender；　who　had　indeed　no；　option　but　to　obey；　such

was　the　vigour　of　her　arm；　went　with　a　sense　of　joy　not　unmingled　with

consternation　lest　the　personage　she　spoke　of　should　have　viewed　him　in

the　recent　extravagance　of　his　dreaming　moments。



〃I　don't　believe；〃　said　the　young　lady；　gazing　down　at　him；　〃that　you

weigh　an　ounce　more　than　seven　stone。　　It's　appalling！



〃Not；〃　returned　Mr。　Lavender；　〃by　physical　weight　and　force　shall　we　win

this　war；　for　it　is　at　bottom　a　question　of　morale。　　Right　is；　ever

victorious　in　the　end；　and　though　we　have　infinitely　greater　material

resources　than　our　foes；　we　should　still　triumph　were　we　reduced　to　the

last　ounce；　because　of　the　inherent　nobility　of　our　cause。〃



〃You'll　be　reduced　to　the　last　ounce　if　we　don't　feed；　you　up　somehow；〃

said　the　young　lady。



〃Would　you　like　to　wash　your　hands？〃



Mr。　Lavender　having　signified　his　assent；　she　left　him　alone　in　a　place

covered　with　linoleum。　　When；　at　length；　followed　by　Blink；　he　emerged

from　dreamy　ablutions；　Mr。　Lavender；　saw　that　she　had　changed　her　dress

to　a　flowing　blue　garment　of　diaphanous　character；　which　made　her　appear；

like　an　emanation　of　the　sky。　　He　was　about　to　say　so　when　he　noticed　a

gentleman　in　khaki　scrutinizing　him　with　lively　eyes　slightly　injected

with　blood。



〃Don　Pickwixote；〃　said　the　young　lady；　〃my　father；　Major　Scarlet。〃



Mr。　Lavender's　hand　was　grasped　by　one　which　seemed　to　him　made　of　iron。



〃I　am　honoured；　sir；〃　he　said　painfully；　〃to　meet　the　father　of　my

charming　young　neighbour。〃



The　Major　answered　in　a　voice　as　clipped　as　his　grey　bottle…brush

moustache；　〃Delighted！　　Dinner's　ready。　　Come　along！〃



Mr。　Lavender　saw　that　he　had　a　mouth　which　seemed　to　have　a　bitt　in　it；

several　hairs　on　a　finely　rounded　head；　and　an　air　of　efficient　and

truculent　bonhomie　t