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Page 38
'You,' he said, 'will be one of the large, and, I hope, interested
audience. Nothing more. But it is quite possible that the spirit may
not move me. I may not feel inspired to speak. I am not one of those
who love speaking for speaking's sake. If I have no message for the
many-headed, I shall remain silent.'
'Then I hope the dickens you won't have,' said Mike. Of all things he
hated most being conspicuous before a crowd--except at cricket, which
was a different thing--and he had an uneasy feeling that Psmith would
rather like it than otherwise.
'We shall see,' said Psmith absently. 'Of course, if in the vein, I
might do something big in the way of oratory. I am a plain, blunt man,
but I feel convinced that, given the opportunity, I should haul up my
slacks to some effect. But--well, we shall see. We shall see.'
And with this ghastly state of doubt Mike had to be content.
It was with feelings of apprehension that he accompanied Psmith from
the flat to Trafalgar Square in search of a cab which should convey
them to Clapham Common.
They were to meet Mr Waller at the edge of the Common nearest the
old town of Clapham. On the journey down Psmith was inclined to be
_debonnaire_. Mike, on the other hand, was silent and apprehensive.
He knew enough of Psmith to know that, if half an opportunity were
offered him, he would extract entertainment from this affair after
his own fashion; and then the odds were that he himself would be
dragged into it. Perhaps--his scalp bristled at the mere idea--he
would even be let in for a speech.
This grisly thought had hardly come into his head, when Psmith spoke.
'I'm not half sure,' he said thoughtfully, 'I sha'n't call on you for a
speech, Comrade Jackson.'
'Look here, Psmith--' began Mike agitatedly.
'I don't know. I think your solid, incisive style would rather go down
with the masses. However, we shall see, we shall see.'
Mike reached the Common in a state of nervous collapse.
Mr Waller was waiting for them by the railings near the pond. The
apostle of the Revolution was clad soberly in black, except for a tie
of vivid crimson. His eyes shone with the light of enthusiasm, vastly
different from the mild glow of amiability which they exhibited for six
days in every week. The man was transformed.
'Here you are,' he said. 'Here you are. Excellent. You are in good
time. Comrades Wotherspoon and Prebble have already begun to speak. I
shall commence now that you have come. This is the way. Over by these
trees.'
They made their way towards a small clump of trees, near which a
fair-sized crowd had already begun to collect. Evidently listening
to the speakers was one of Clapham's fashionable Sunday amusements. Mr
Waller talked and gesticulated incessantly as he walked. Psmith's
demeanour was perhaps a shade patronizing, but he displayed interest.
Mike proceeded to the meeting with the air of an about-to-be-washed dog.
He was loathing the whole business with a heartiness worthy of a better
cause. Somehow, he felt he was going to be made to look a fool before
the afternoon was over. But he registered a vow that nothing should
drag him on to the small platform which had been erected for the
benefit of the speaker.
As they drew nearer, the voices of Comrades Wotherspoon and Prebble
became more audible. They had been audible all the time, very much so,
but now they grew in volume. Comrade Wotherspoon was a tall, thin man
with side-whiskers and a high voice. He scattered his aitches as a
fountain its sprays in a strong wind. He was very earnest. Comrade
Prebble was earnest, too. Perhaps even more so than Comrade
Wotherspoon. He was handicapped to some extent, however, by not having
a palate. This gave to his profoundest thoughts a certain weirdness, as
if they had been uttered in an unknown tongue. The crowd was thickest
round his platform. The grown-up section plainly regarded him as a
comedian, pure and simple, and roared with happy laughter when he urged
them to march upon Park Lane and loot the same without mercy or
scruple. The children were more doubtful. Several had broken down, and
been led away in tears.
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