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no mourning for your master。〃
So saying； he flung his arms round her； and embraced her warmly； inhaling
with the most poignant emotion her sheep…like odour。 He was still
engaged with her when the door was opened； and Joe came in。
〃Joe；〃 said Mr。 Lavender resolutely； 〃sit down and light your pipe。 You
will find a bottle of pre…war port in the sideboard。 Open it； and； drink
my health； indeed； I myself will drink it too； for it may give me
courage。 We have been good friends； Joe；〃 he went on while Joe was
drawing the cork；〃 and have participated in pleasant and sharp
adventures。 I have called you in at this moment； which may some day seem
to you rather solemn； partly to shake your hand and partly to resume the
discussion on public men which we held some days ago； if you remember。〃
〃Ah！〃 said Joe； with his habitual insouciance； 〃when I told you that they
give me the 'ump。
Yes； what abaht it； sir？ 'Ave they been sayin' anything particular
vicious？〃 His face flying up just then with the cork which he was
extracting encountered the expression on Mr。 Lavender's visage； and he
added： 〃Don't take wot I say to 'eart； sir； try as you like you'll never
be a public man。〃
Those words； which seemed to Mr。 Lavender to seal his doom； caused a
faint pink flush to invade his cheeks。
〃No；〃 continued Joe； pouring out the wine； you 'aven't got the brass in
times like these。 I dare say you've noticed； sir； that the times is
favourable for bringing out the spots on the body politic。 'Ere's
'ealth！〃
〃Joe；〃 said Mr。 Lavender； raising the glass to his lips with solemnity；
〃I wish you a most happy and prosperous life。 Let us drink to all those
qualities which make you par excellence one of that great race； the best
hearted in the world； which never thinks of to…morrow； never knows when
it is beaten； and seldom loses its sense of humour。
〃Ah！〃 returned Joe enigmatically； half…closing one of his greenish eyes；
and laying the glass to one side of his reddish nose。 Then； with a quick
movement； he swallowed its contents and refilled it before Mr。 Lavender
had succeeded in absorbing more than a drop。
〃I don't say；〃 he continued； 〃but what there's a class o' public man
that's got its uses； like the little 'un that keeps us all alive； or the
perfect English gentleman what did his job； and told nobody nothin' abaht
it。 You can 'ave confidence in a man like thatthat's why 'e's gone
an' retired； 'e's civilized； you see； the finished article； but all this
raw material； this 'get…on' or 'get…out' lot； that's come from 'oo knows
where； well； I wish they'd stayed there with their tell…you…how…to…do…it
and their 'ymns of 'ate。〃
〃Joe；〃 said Mr。 Lavender； 〃are you certain that therein does not speak
the snob inherent in the national bosom？ Are you not unconsciously
paying deference to the word gentleman？〃
〃Why not； sir？〃 replied Joe； tossing off his second glass。 〃It'd be a
fine thing for the country if we was all gentlemenstraight； an' a
little bit stupid； and 'ad 'alf a thought for others。〃 And he refilled
his master's glass。 〃I don't measure a gentleman by 'is money； or 'is
title； not even by 'is clothesI measure 'im by whether he can stand
'avin' power in 'is 'ands without gettin' unscrupled or swollen 'eaded；
an' whether 'e can do what he thinks right without payin' attention； to
clamour。 But； mind you； 'e's got to 'ave right thoughts too； and a
feelin' 'eart。 'Ere's luck； sir。
Mr。 Lavender； who； absorbed in his chauffeur's sentiments； had now drunk
two glasses； rose from his； chair； and clutching his hair said： 〃I will
not conceal from you； Joe； that I have always assumed every public man
came up to that standard； at least。〃
〃Crikey said Joe。 'Ave you really； sir？ My Gawd！ Got any use for the
rest of this bottle？〃
〃No； Joe； no。 I shall never have use for a bottle again。〃
〃In that case I might as well；〃 said Joe； pouring what remained into a
tumbler and drinking it off。 〃Is there any other topic you'd like to
mention？ If I can 'ave any influence on you； I shall be very glad。〃
〃Thank you； Joe；〃 returned Mr。 Lavender； 〃what I have most need of at
this moment is solitude and your good wishes。 And will you kindly take
Blink away； and when she has had her run； place her in my bedroom； with
the window closed。 Good…night； Joe。 Call me late tomorrow morning。
〃Certainly； sir。 Good…night； sir。〃
〃Good…night； Joe。 Shake hands。〃
When Joe was gone； accompanied by the unwilling Blink； turning her
beautiful dark eyes back to the last； Mr。 Lavender sat down at his
bureau； and drawing a sheet of paper to him； wrote at the top of it。
〃My last Will and Testament。〃
It was a long time before he got further； and then entirely omitted to
leave anything in it； completely preoccupied by the preamble； which
gradually ran as follows：
〃I； John Lavender； make known to all men by these presents that the
act which I contemplate is symbolical； and must in no sense be taken
as implying either weariness of life or that surrender to misfortune
which is unbecoming to an English public gentleman。〃 （Over this
description of himself Mr。 Lavender was obliged to pause some time
hovering between the two designations； and finally combining them as
the only way out of his difficulty。） 〃Long and painful experience
has convinced me that only by retiring from the former can I retain
the latter character； and only by retiring from both can I point the
moral ever demanded by my countrymen。 Conscious； indeed； that a
mere act of private resignation would have no significance to the
body politic； nor any deflecting influence on the national life； I
have chosen rather to disappear in blue flame； so that every
Englishman may take to heart my lesson； and learn from my strange
fate how to be himself uninfluenced by the verbiage of others。 At
the same time； with the utmost generosity； I wish to acknowledge in
full my debt towards all those great writers and speakers on the war
who have exercised so intoxicating an influence on my mind。〃 （Here
followed an alphabetical list of names beginning with B and ending
with S。）
〃I wish to be dissociated firmly from the views of my chauffeur Joe
Petty； and to go to my last account with an emphatic assertion that
my failure to become a perfect public gentleman is due to private
idiosyncrasies rather than to any conviction that it is impossible；
or to anything but admiration of the great men I have mentioned。 If
anybody should wish to paint me after I am dead； I desire that I may
he represented with my face turned towards the Dawn； for it is at
that moment so symptomatic of a deep adorationwhich I would scorn
to make the common property of gossiping tonguesthat I intend to
depart。 If there should be anything left of mewhich is less than
probable considering the inflammatory character of the material I
design for my pyreI would be obliged if； without giving anybody
any trouble； it could be buried in my garden； with the usual
Hampstead tablet。
〃'JOHN LAVENDER；
THE PUBLIC MAN； WHO DIED FOR HIS
COUNTRY'S GOOD； LIVED HERE。'
〃In conclusion； I would say a word to that land I have loved and
served： 'Be not extreme！ Distrust the words； of others。 To
yourself be true！ As you are strong be gentle； as you are brave be
modest！ Beloved country； farewell！'〃
Having written that final sentence he struggled long with himself before
he could lay down the pen。 But by this time the port he had drunk had
begun to have its usual effect； and he fell into a doze； from which he
was awakened five hours later by the beams of a full moon striking in on
him。
〃The hour has come；〃 he thought； and； opening the French…window； he went
out on to the lawn； where the dew lay white。 The freshness in the air；
the glamour of the moonlight； and the fumes of the port combined to make
him feel strangely rhumantic； and if he had possessed a musical
instrument he would very likely have begun to play on it。 He spent some
moments tracking to and fro in the dew before he settled on the centre of
the lawn as the most suitable spot for the act which he contemplated； for
thence he would be able to turn his last looks towards Aurora's bedroom…
window without interference from foliage。 Having drawn a twelve…foot
circle in the dew with his toe he proceeded in the bright moonlight to
the necessary accumulation of his funeral pile； conveying from his study；
book by book； journal by journal； pamphlet by pamphlet； the hoarded
treasures of the last four years； and as he carefully placed each one；
building up at once a firm and cunning st