Part 22 (2/2)

”Emblematic,” said Gorman, ”symbolical.”

”The Irish party,” I said, ”trampling on Belfast.”

”The spirit of poetry in Ireland,” said Mrs. Ascher, ”defying materialism.”

”That,” I said, ”is a far nicer way of putting it.”

I took another look at the spirit of poetry. Mrs. Ascher was evidently beginning to understand Ireland. Instead of being nude, or nearly nude, as spirits generally are, this one was draped from head to foot. In Ireland we are very particular about decency, and we like everything to have on lots of clothes.

”But now,” said Mrs. Ascher, tragically, ”the brief dream is over.

Materialism is triumphant, is armed, is mighty.”

I looked at Gorman for some sort of explanation.

”I've just been telling Mrs. Ascher,” he said, ”about the gun-running at Larne.”

”The mailed fist,” said Mrs. Ascher, ”will beat into the dust the tender shoots of poesy and all high imaginings; will crush the soul of Ireland, and why? Oh, why?”

”Perhaps it won't,” I said. ”My own idea is that Malcolmson doesn't mean to use those guns aggressively. He'll keep quite quiet unless the soul of poetry in Ireland goes for him in some way.”

”We can make no such compromise,” said Mrs. Ascher. ”Art must be all or nothing, must be utterly triumphant or else perish with uncontaminated soul.”

”The exclusion of Ulster from the scope of the Bill,” said Gorman, ”is the latest proposition; but we won't agree to it.”

”Well,” I said, ”it's your affair, not mine. I mean to stay in London and keep safe; but I warn you that if the spirit of poesy attempts to triumph utterly over Malcolmson he'll shoot at it. I know him and you don't. You think he's a long-eared pig, but that ought to make you all the more careful. Pigs are noted for their obstinacy.”

”What we've got to do,” said Gorman, ”is devise some way of countering this new move. Something picturesque, something that newspapers will splash with big headlines.”

I do not think that Mrs. Ascher heard this. She was looking at the upper part of the window with a sort of rapt, Joan of Arc expression of face.

I felt that she was meditating lofty things, probably trying to hit on some appropriate form of self-sacrifice.

”I shall go among the people,” she said, ”your people, my people, for I am spiritually one of them. I shall go from cottage to cottage, from village to village, walking barefooted along the mountain roads, dressed in a peasant woman's petticoat. They will take me for one of themselves and I shall sing war songs to them, the great inspiring chants of the heroes of old. I shall awake them to a sense of their high destiny.

I shall set the young men's feet marching, thousands and thousands of them. I shall fill the women's hearts with pride.”

Then, for the first and only time since I have known him, Gorman's patience gave way. I do not blame him. The thought of Mrs. Ascher as an Irish peasant, singing street ballads outside public houses, would have upset the temper of Job.

”That's all very well,” he said, ”but the other people have the guns.”

”We must have guns, too,” said Mrs. Ascher, ”and s.h.i.+ning swords and long spears tipped with light. Buy guns.”

With a really impressive gesture she dragged the rings from the fingers, first of one hand, then of the other, and flung them on the ground at Gorman's feet. Even when working in her studio Mrs. Ascher wears a great many rings.

”Buy. Buy,” she said.

She unclasped the necklace which she wore and flung it down beside the rings. It was a pearl necklace, but not by any means the handsomest pearl necklace she owned.

”More,” she said, ”you must have more.”

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