第35章

It behoves us public men ever to set an extreme example.Which one can Ispare, I wonder?" And he fixed upon a large rambling tooth on the left wing of his lower jaw."It will hurt horribly, I'm afraid; and if I have an anaesthetic there will be someone else present; and not improbably Ishall feel ill afterwards, and be unable to form a clear judgment.Imust steel myself.Blink!"

For Blink was making tremulous advances to the teeth."How pleasant to be a dog!" thought Mr.Lavender, "and know nothing of Germans and teeth.

I shall be very unhappy till this is out; but Aurora recommended me, and I must not complain, but rather consider myself the most fortunate of public men." And, ruffling his hair till it stood up all over his head, while his loose eyebrow worked up and down, he gazed at the moon-cat.

"Moon-cat," he said suddenly, "we are but creatures of chance, unable to tell from one day to another what Fate has in store for us.My tooth is beginning to ache already.That is, perhaps, as it should be, for Ishall not forget which one it is."So musing he resumed his teeth; and, going to his bookcase, sought fortitude and inspiration in the records of a Parliamentary debate on enemy aliens.

It was not without considerable trepidation, however, on the following afternoon that he made his way up Welkin Street, and rang at the number on the envelope in his hand.

"Yes sir, doctor is at home," said the maid.

Mr.Lavender's heart was about to fail him when, conjuring up the vision of Aurora, he said in a faint voice: "I wish to see him professionally."And, while the maid departed up the stairs, he waited in the narrow hall, alternately taking his hat off and putting it on again, so great was his spiritual confusion.

"Doctor will see you at once, sir."

Putting his hat on hastily, Mr.Lavender followed her upstairs, feeling at his tooth to make quite sure that he remembered which it was.His courage mounted as he came nearer to his fate, and he marched into the room behind the maid holding his hat on firmly with one hand and his tooth in firmly with the other.There, beside a red velvet dentist's chair, he saw a youngish man dressed in a white coat, with round eyes and a domestic face, who said in good English:

"What can I do for you, my dear sir? I fear you are in bain.""In great pain," replied Mr.Lavender faintly, "in great pain." And, indeed, he was; for the nervous crisis from which he was suffering had settled in the tooth, on which he still pressed a finger through his cheek.

"Sit down, sir, sit down," said the young man, "and perhaps it would be better if you should remove your hat.We shall not hurd you--no, no, we shall not hurd you."At those words, which seemed to cast doubt on his courage, Mr.Lavender recovered all his presence of mind.He took off his hat, advanced resolutely to the chair, sat down in it, and, looking up, said:

"Do to me what you will; I shall not flinch, nor depart in any way from the behaviour of those whose duty it is to set an example to others."So saying, he removed his teeth, and placing them in a bowl on the little swinging table which he perceived on his left hand, he closed his eyes, put his finger in his mouth, and articulated:

"'Ith one."

"Excuse me, sir," said the young German, "but do you wish a dooth oud?""'At ish my deshire," said Mr.Lavender, keeping his finger on his tooth, and his eyes closed."'At one.""I cannot give you gas without my anaesthedist.""I dow," said Mr.Lavender; "be wick."

And, feeling the little cold spy-glass begin to touch his gums, he clenched his hands and thought: "This is the moment to prove that I, too, can die for a good cause.If I am not man enough to bear for my country so small a woe I can never again look Aurora in the face."The voice of the young dentist dragged him rudely from the depth of his resignation.

"Excuse me, but which dooth did you say?"Mr.Lavender again inserted his finger, and opened his eyes.

The dentist shook his head."Imbossible," he said; "that dooth is perfectly sound.The other two are rotten.But they do not ache?"Mr.Lavender shook his head and repeated:

"At one."

"You are my first client this week, sir," said the young German calmly, "but I cannot that dooth dake out."At those words Mr.Lavender experienced a sensation as if his soul were creeping back up his legs; he spoke as it reached his stomach.

"Noc?" he said.

"No," replied the young German.It is nod the dooth which causes you the bain.

Mr.Lavender, suddenly conscious that he had no pain, took his finger out.

"Sir," he said, "I perceive that you are an honourable man.There is something sublime in your abnegation if, indeed, you have had no other client this week.

"No fear," said the young German."Haf I, Cicely?"Mr.Lavender became conscious for the first time of a young woman leaning up against the wall, with a pair of tweezers in her hand.

"Take it out, Otto," she said in a low voice, "if he wants it.""No no," said Mr.Lavender sharply, resuming his teeth; "I would not for the world burden your conscience.""My clients are all batriots," said the young dentist, "and my bractice is Kaput.We are in a bad way, sir," he added, with a smile, "but we try to do the correct ting."Mr.Lavender saw the young woman move the tweezers in a manner which caused his blood to run a little cold.

"We must live," he heard her say.

"Young madam," he said, "I honour the impulse which makes you desire to extend your husband's practice.Indeed, I perceive you both to be so honourable that I cannot but make you a confession.My tooth is indeed sound, though, since I have been pretending that it isn't, it has caused me much discomfort.I came here largely to form an opinion of your husband's character, with a view to securing his internment.

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.