“Curious,” thought Mr. Lavender dreamily, “how Joe always does the right thing in the wrong place.  He is very English.”  The hammering continued, and the dog, who traced it to the omnipotence of her master, got up on the seat where she could lick his face.  Mr. Lavender was compelled to stop.

“Joe,” he said, leaning out and down; “must you?”

The face of Joe, very red, leaned out and up.  “What’s the matter now, sir?”

“I am preparing a speech; must you hammer?”

“No,” returned Joe, “I needn’t.”

“I don’t wish you to waste your time,” said Mr Lavender.

“Don’t worry about that, sir,” replied Joe; “there’s plenty to do.”

“In that case I shall be glad to finish my speech.”

Mr. Lavender resumed his seat and Blink her position on the floor, with her head on his feet.  The sound of his voice soon rose again in the car like the buzzing of large flies. “’If we are to win this war we must have an ever-increasing population.  In town and countryside, in the palace and the slum, above all in the Garden City, we must have babies.’”

Here Blink, who had been regarding him with lustrous eyes, leaped on to his knees and licked his mouth.  Again Mr. Lavender was compelled to stop.

“Down, Blink, down!  I am not speaking to you.  ’The future of our country depends on the little citizens born now.  I especially appeal to women.  It is to them we must look——­’”

“Will you ’ave a glass, sir?”

Mr. Lavender saw before him a tumbler containing a yellow fluid.

“Joe,” he said sadly, “you know my rule——­”

“’Ere’s the exception, sir.”

Mr. Lavender sighed.  “No, no; I must practise what I preach.  I shall soon be rousing the people on the liquor question, too.”

“Well, ’ere’s luck,” said Joe, draining the glass.  “Will you ’ave a slice of ’am?”

“That would not be amiss,” said Mr. Lavender, taking Joe’s knife with the slice of ham upon its point. “‘It is to them that we must look,’” he resumed, “’to rejuvenate the Empire and make good the losses in the firing-line.’” And he raised the knife to his mouth.  No result followed, while Blink wriggled on her base and licked her lips.

“Blink!” said Mr. Lavender reproachfully.  “Joe!”

“Sir!”

“When you’ve finished your lunch and repaired the car you will find me in the Town Hall or market-place.  Take care of Blink.  I’ll tie her up.  Have you some string?”

Having secured his dog to the handle of the door and disregarded the intensity of her gaze, Mr. Lavender walked back towards the Garden City with a pamphlet in one hand and a crutch-handled stick in the other.  Restoring the ham to its nest behind his feet, Joe finished the bottle of Bass.  “This is a bit of all right!” he thought dreamily.  “Lie down, you bitch!  Quiet!  How can I get my nap while you make that row?  Lie down!  That’s better.”