the prophet of berkeley square-第14节

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portentous　gravity；　exclaimed　in　thunderous　tones；



〃Sir；　are　you　a　man　of　science　or　have　you　the　brain　of　a　charlatan

enclosed　in　the　fleshy　envelope　of　a　conjurer　and　a　sinner？　Do　you

study　the　noble　and　beautiful　stars　for　their　own　sakes　to　find　out

what　they　are；　and　what　they　are　doing；　what　is　their　nature　and　what

their　place　in　the　great　scheme；　or　do　you　peek　and　pry　at　them　through

the　keyhole　of　a　contemptible　curiosity　in　order　to　discover　what　you

think　they　can　do　for　you；　to　set　you　on　high；　to　puff　you　out　into　a

personage　and　cause　you　to　be　noticed　of　the　foolish　ones　of　this

world？　Which　are　you；　sir；　a　young　man　of　parts　whose　hand　I　can　grasp

fraternally；　or　an　insulter　of　planets；　sir；　a　Peeping　Tom　upon　the

glorious　nudity　of　Venus；　a　Paul　Pry　squinting　at　the　mysteries　of

Mercury　for　an　unholy　and；　what　is　more；　an　idiotic　purpose？　What　do

you　ask　of　the　stars；　sir？　Tell　the　old　astronomer　that！〃



The　Prophet　was　considerably　taken　aback　by　this　tirade；　which　caused

the　many　ornaments　in　the　pretty　room　to　tremble。　He　gazed　at　his

grandmother；　and　found　her　nodding　approval　of　Sir　Tiglath。　He　glanced

at　Lady　Enid。　She　was　leaning　back　in　her　chair　and　looking　amused；

like　a　person　at　an　entertainment。



〃What　do　I　ask；　Sir　Tiglath？〃　he　murmured　in　some　confusion。



〃Do　you　ask　about　your　reverent　granddam's　hallowed　ankles；　sir？　Do　you

afflict　the　stars　with　inquiries　about　the　state　of　the　ridiculous

weather？　Is　that　it？〃



The　Prophet　understood　that　Mrs。　Merillia　had　been　frank　with　the

astronomer。　He　cast　upon　her　a　glance　of　respectful　reproach。



〃Yes；　Hennessey；〃　she　answered；　〃I　have。　My　dear　child；　I　thought　it

for　the　best。　This　prophetic　business　would　soon　have　been　turning　the

house　upside　down；　and　at　my　age　I'm　really　not　equal　to　living　at

close　quarters　with　a　determined　young　prophet。　To　do　so　would　upset

the　habits　of　a　lifetime。　So　Sir　Tiglath　knows　all　about　it。〃



There　was　a　moment　of　silence；　which　was　broken　by　the　agreeable　voice

of　Lady　Enid　saying；



〃All　about　what？　Remember；　please；　that　I'm　a　young　woman　and　that　all

young　women　share　one　quality。　All　about　what；　please？〃



Mrs。　Merillia　looked　at　the　Prophet。　The　Prophet　looked　at　Sir　Tiglath；

who　wagged　his　great　head　and　cried；　with　rolling　pathos　and　rebuke；



〃Oh…h…h…h！〃



〃PleaseMr。　Vivian！〃　repeated　Lady　Enid；　with　considerable

determination。



〃Grannie　means　that　Ithatwell；　that　I　have　been　enabled　by　the

stars　to　foretell　certain　future　events；〃　said　the　Prophet；　glancing

rather　furtively　at　Sir　Tiglath　while　he　spoke；　to　note　the　effect　of

the　desperate　declaration。〃



〃Oh…h…h…h！〃　bellowed　the　distressed　astronomer；　shaking　like　a　jelly　in

his　wrath。



〃What？〃　cried　Lady　Enid；　in　an　almost　piercing　voice；　and　with　a　manner

that　had　suddenly　become　most　animated。　〃Whatlike　Malkiel's　/Almanac/

does？〃



This　remark　had　a　very　striking　effect　upon　Sir　Tiglath；　an　effect

indeed　so　striking　that　it　held　Mrs。　Merillia；　Lady　Enid　and　the

Prophet　in　a　condition　of　paralytic　expectation　for　at　least　three

minutes　by　the　grandmother's　clock　in　the　corner　of　the　drawing…room。



The　venerable　astronomer　was　already　very　stout　in　person　and　very

inflamed　in　appearance。　But　at　this　point　in　the　discourse　he　suddenly

became　so　very　much　stouter　and　so　very　much　more　inflamed；　that　his

audience　of　three　gazed　upon　him　rather　as　little　children　gaze　upon

dough　which　has　been　set　by　the　cook　to　〃rise〃　and　which　is　fulfilling

its　mission　with　an　unexpected；　and　indeed　intemperate；　vivacity。　Their

eyes　grew　round；　their　features　rigid；　their　hands　tense；　their

attitudes　expectant。　Leaning　forward；　they　stared　upon　Sir　Tiglath　with

an　unwinking　fixity　and　preternatural　determination　that　was　almost

entirely　infantine。　And　while　they　did　so　he　continued　slowly　to　expand

in　size　and　to　deepen　in　colour　until　mortality　seemed　to　drop　from

him。　He　ceased　to　be　a　man　and　became　a　phenomenon；　a　purple　thing　that

journeyed　towards　some　unutterable　end；　portentous　as　marching

judgment；　tragic　as　fate；　searching　as　epidemic；　and　yet　heavily

painted　and　generally　touched　up　by　the　brush　of　some　humorous　demon；

such　as　lays　about　him　in　preparation　for　Christmas　pantomime；　sworn　to

provide　the　giants'　faces　and　the　ogres'　heads　for　Drury　Lane。



〃Don't！〃　at　last　cried　a　young　voice。　〃Don't；　Sir　Tiglath！〃



A　peal　of　laughter　followed　the　remark；　of　that　laughter　which　is　loud

and　yet　entirely　without　the　saving　grace　of　merriment；　a　mere　sudden

demonstration　of　hysteria。



〃Oh；　Sir　Tiglathdon't！〃



A　second　laugh　joined　the　first　and　rang　up　with　it；　older；　but　also

hystericalMrs。　Merillia's。



〃No；　noplease　don't；　Sir　TigTig〃



A　third　laugh　burst　into　the　ring；　seeming　to　complete　it　fatallythe

Prophet's。



〃Sir　Tiglathfor　Heaven's　sakedon't！〃



The　adjuration　came　from　a　trio　of　choked　voices；　and　might　have　given

pause　even　to　a　descending　lift　or　other　inflexible　and　blind　machine。



But　still　the　astronomer　grew　steadily　more　gigantic　in　person　and　more

like　the　god　of　wine　in　hue。　The　three　voices　failed；　and　the　terrible；

united　laughter　was　just　upon　the　point　of　breaking　forth　again　when　a

diversion　occurred。　The　door　of　the　drawing…room　was　softly　opened；　and

Mrs。　Fancy　Quinglet　appeared　upon　the　threshold；　holding　in　her　hands

an　ice…wool　shawl　for　the　comfort　of　her　mistress。　It　chanced　that　as

the　phenomenon　of　the　astronomer　was　based　upon　a　large　elbow　chair

exactly　facing　the　door　she　was　instantly　and　fully　confronted　by　it。

She　did　not　drop　the　shawl；　as　any　ordinary　maid　would　most　probably

have　done。　Mrs。　Fancy　was　not　of　that　kidney。　She　did　not　even　turn

tail；　or　give　a　month's　warning　or　a　scream。　She　was　of　those　women　

who；　when　they　meet　the　inevitable；　instinctively　seem　to　recognise

that　it　demands　courage　as　a　manner　and　truth　as　a　greeting。　She；

therefore；　stared　straight　at　Sir　Tiglathmuch　as　she　stared　at　Mrs。

Merillia　when　she　was　about　to　arrange　that　lady's　wig　for　an　assembly

and　remarked　in　a　decisive；　though　very　respectful；　tone　of　voice；



〃The　gentleman's　about　to　burst；　ma'am。　I　can't　speak　different　nor

mean　other。〃



Upon　finding　their　thoughts　thus　deftly　gathered　up　and　woven　into　a

moderately　grammatical　sentence；　Mrs。　Merillia；　Lady　Enid　and　the

Prophet　experienced　a　sense　of　extraordinary　relief；　and　no　longer　felt

the　stern　necessity　of　laughing。　But　this　was　not　the　miracle　worked　by

Mrs。　Fancy。　Had　she；　even　then；　rested　satisfied　with　her　acumen；

maintained　silence　and　awaited　the　immediate　fulfilment　of　her

prediction；　what　must　have　happened　can　hardly　be　in　doubt。　But　she　was

seized　by　that　excess　of　bravery　which　is　called　foolhardiness；　and

driven　by　it　to　that　peculiar　and　thoughtless　vehemence　of　action　which

sometimes　wins　V。C。's　for　men　who；　in　later　days；　conceal　amazement

under　the　cherished　decoration。　She　suddenly　laid　down　the　ice…wool

shawl　upon　a　neighbouring　sociable；　walked　up　to　the　phenomenon　of　the

astronomer；　and　remarked　to　it　with　great　distinctness；



〃You're　about　to　burst；　sir。　I　know　it；　sir；　and　I　can't　know　other。〃



At　this　point　the　miracle　happened；　for；　instead　of　responding　to　the

lady's…maid's　appeal；　and　promptly　disintegrating　into　his　respective

atoms；　Sir　Tiglath　suddenly　became　comparatively　small　and

comparatively　pale；　sat　forward；　wagged　his　head　at　Mrs。　Fancy；　and

rumbled　out　in　his　ordinary　voice；



〃Have　you　never　heard　where　liars　go　to；　woman？　Oh…h…h…h！〃



On　finding　that　nothing　of　supreme　horror　was　about　to　happen；　Mrs。

Fancy's　courageas　is　the　way　of　woman's　courageforsook　her；　she

broke　into　tears；　and　had　to　be　immediately　led　forth　to　the　servant's

hall　by　the　Prophet；　exclaiming　persistently　with　every　step　they

took；



〃I　can't　help　it；　Master　Hennessey。　I　say　again　as　I　said　aforethe

gentleman's　about　to　burst。　Them　that　knows　other　let　them　declare　it。〃



〃Yes；　yes。　It's　all　right；　Fancy；　it's　all　right。　We　all　agree　with

you。　Now；　now；　you　mustn't　cry。〃



〃I　can'tknowother；　Master　Hennessey；　normean　different。　I　can't

indeed；　Master　Hennessey；　I　can'tknow　othernor〃



〃No；　no。　Of　course　not。　There；　sit　down　and　compose　yourself。〃



He　gave　the　poor；　afflicted　liar　tenderly　into　the　care　of　the　upper

housemaid；　and　retraced　his　steps　quickly　to　the　drawing…room。　As　he

entered　it　he　heard　Sir　Tiglath　saying；



〃The　stars　in　their　courses　tremble　when　the　accursed　name　of　Malkiel

is　mentioned；　and　the　old　astronomer　is　dissolved　in　wrath　at　sound　of

the　pernicious　word。　Oh…h…h…h！〃



〃There；　Hennessey！〃　cried　Mrs。　Merillia；　turning　swiftly　to　her

grandson　with　all　her　cap　ribands　fluttering。　〃You　hear　what　Sir

Tiglath　says？〃



〃If　that　accursed　name　belonged　to　an　individual；〃　continued　the

astronomer；　waving　his　hands　frantically　over　the　last　rema