"
"No matter," said Mr. Lavender; "I shall see you with the eye of faith,
in your night shifts, and draw from the vision strength to continue my
public work beckoned by the fingers of the roseate future."
"Well," murmured the young lady, "so long for now; and do go back to
bed. It's only about five." And waving the tips of those fingers, she
ran lightly up the garden-path and disappeared into her house.
Mr. Lavender remained for a moment as if transfigured; then entering
his garden, he stood gazing up at her window, until the thought that she
might appear there was too much for him, and he went in.
XI
BREAKS UP A PEACE MEETING
While seated at breakfast on the morning after he had seen this vision,
Mr. Lavender, who read his papers as though they had been Holy Writ,
came on an announcement that a meeting would be held that evening at a
chapel in Holloway under the auspices of the "Free Speakers' League," an
association which his journals had often branded with a reputation, for
desiring Peace. On reading the names of the speakers Mr. Lavender felt
at once that it would be his duty to attend. "There will," he thought,
"very likely be no one there to register a protest. For in this country
we have pushed the doctrine of free speech to a limit which threatens
the noble virtue of patriotism.
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