the prophet of berkeley square-第21节

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will　follow。　Have　you　a　good　memoryno；　a　pencil　and　notebook　will　be

best。　/Litterae　scriptus　manetur/；　as　we　all　know　full　well。　Have　you　a

pencil　and？〃



The　Prophet　nodded　mechanically。



〃Will　you　kindly　get　them？〃



The　Prophet　rose；　walked　to　his　writing　table　and　felt　for　the

implements。



〃If　you　will　sit　down　now　I　will　direct　you；〃　continued　Madame；

authoritatively。



The　Prophet　sat　down　at　the　table；　holding　a　lead　pencil　upside　down　in

one　hand　and　an　account…book　wrong　side　up　in　the　other。



〃Let's　seewhat's　to…day？〃　inquired　Madame；　of　her　husband。



〃The　seventeenth；　my　dear；〃　replied　Mr。　Sagittarius；　looking　at　his

wife　with　almost　sickly　adoration。



〃To　be　sure。　Capricornus's　day　for　Homer's　Idyl。　Very　well；　Mr。　Vivian；

to…day　being　the　seventeenth；　and　the　old　lady's　birthday　the

twentieth；　you　have　three　days；　or　rather　nights；　of　steady　work　before

you。〃



〃Steady　work？〃　murmured　the　Prophet。



〃What　should　be　his　hours；　Jupiter？〃　continued　Madame。　〃At　what　time　of

night　is　he　to　commence？　Shall　I　say　nine？〃



The　Prophet　remembered　feebly　that；　during　the　next　three　nights；　he

had　two　important　dinner…engagements；　a　party　at　the　Russian

Ambassador's；　and　a　reception　at　the　Lord　Chancellor's　just　opposite。

However；　he　made　no　remark。　Somehow　he　felt　that　words　were　useless

when　confronted　with　such　an　iron　will　as　that　of　the　lady　in　the

pelisse。



〃Nine　would　be　too　early；　my　dear；〃　said　Mr。　Sagittarius。　〃Eleven　p。m。

would　be　more　to　the　purpose。〃



〃Eleven　let　it　be　then；　punctually。　Will　you　dot　down；　Mr。　Vivian；　that

you　have　to　be　at　the　telescope　to　take　observations　at　eleven　p。m。

every　night　from　now　till　the　twentieth。〃



〃But　I　have　had　the　telesc〃



〃Kindly　dot　it　down。〃



The　Prophet　dotted　it　down　with　the　wrong　end　of　the　pencil　on　the

wrong　side　of　the　account…book。



〃And　what　are　his　hours　to　be　exactly；　Jupiter？〃　continued　Madame。

〃From　eleven　till　dawn；　I　suppose？〃



The　Prophet　shuddered。



〃Eleven　till　three　will　be　sufficient；　my　love。　The　crab；　you　know；　has

pretty　well　done　his　London　work　by　that　time。　And　the　old　lady　will

have　to　depend　very　much　on　the　crab　for　these　few　nights。〃



At　this　point　the　Prophet's　brain　began　to　swim。　Sparks　seemed　to　float

before　his　eyes；　and　amid　these　sparks；　nebulous　and　fragmentary

visions　appeared；　visions　of　his　beloved　grandmother　companioned　by

scorpions　and　serpents；　in　close　touch　with　camelopards　and　bovine

monsters；　and；　in　the　last　stress　of　terror　and　dismay；　left　entirely

dependent　upon　crustaceans　for　that　help　and　comfort　which　hitherto　her

devoted　grandson　had　ever　been　thankful　to　afford。



〃Oh；　very　well；〃　replied　Madame。　〃You　will　be　able　to　get　to　bed　at

three；　Mr。　Vivian。　Dot　that　down。〃



〃Thank　you；〃　murmured　the　Prophet；　making　a　minute　pencil　scratch　in

the　midst　of　a　bill　for　butcher's　meat。



〃During　these　hoursbut　you　can　tell　him　the　rest；　Jupiter。〃



So　saying；　and　with　an　air　of　one　retiring　from　business　upon　a　well…

earned　competence；　Madame　Sagittarius　lay　back　in　her　chair；　settled

her　bonnet…strings；　flicked　a　crumb　from　the　football　of　violets　that

decorated　her　left　side；　and；　extending　her　kid　boots　towards　the

cheerful　blaze　that　came　from　the　fire；　fell　with　a　sigh　into　a

comfortable　meditation。　Mr。　Sagittarius；　on　the　other　hand；　assumed　a

look　of　rather　hectoring　authority；　and　was　about　to　utter　what　the

Prophet　had　very　little　doubt　was　a　command　when　there　came　a　gentle

tap　to　the　door。



〃Come　in；〃　said　the　Prophet。



He　thought　he　had　spoken　in　his　ordinary　voice。　In　reality　he　had

merely　uttered　a　very　small　whisper。　The　tap　was　repeated。



〃Louder；　sir；　louder！〃　said　Mr。　Sagittarius；　encouragingly。



〃Come　in！〃　shrieked　the　Prophet。



Mr。　Ferdinand　appeared；　looking　more　like　the　elderly　spinster　lady

when　confronted　with　the　corporal　in　the　Life　Guards　than　ever。



〃If　you　please；　sir；　I　was　to　tell　you　that　Lady　Enid　Thistle　is　with

Mrs。　Merillia　taking　tea。　Mrs。　Merillia　thought　you　would　wish　to

know。〃



Madame　Sagittarius　took　the　kid　boots　from　the　blaze　on　hearing　this

aristocratic　name。　Mr。　Sagittarius　assumed　a　look　of　reverence；　and　the

Prophet　realised；　more　acutely　than　ever；　that　even　well…born　young

women　can　be　inquisitive。



〃Very　well；〃　he　said。　〃Say　I'llI'll〃he　succeeded　in　making　his

voice　sound　absolutely　firm〃I'll　come　in　a　moment。〃



〃Yes；　sir。〃



Mr。　Ferdinand　cast　a　glance　of　respectful；　but　unlimited；　horror　upon

the　Prophet's　guests　and　retired；　while　the　Prophet；　calling　upon　all

his　manhood；　turned　to　Mr。　Sagittarius。



〃I　regret　more　than　I　can　say　that　I　shall　be　obliged　now　to　obey　my

grandmother's　summons；〃　he　said　courteously。　〃Suppose　we　defer　this

this　pleasant　little　discussion　to　some　future　oc〃



〃Impossible；　sir！〃　cried　Mr。　Sagittarius。　〃Quite　impossible。　You　must

get　to　work　to…night；　and　how　can　you　do　it　without　your　directions？〃



〃Oh；　I　can　manage　all　right；〃　said　the　Prophet；　desperately。　〃I　can

give　a　guess　as　to〃



〃/Non　sunt　ad　astrae　mollibus　a　terrus　viae/！〃　cried　Madame。　〃The　road

from　Berkeley　square　to　the　stars　is　not　so　easy；　is　it；　Jupiter？〃



〃No　indeed；　my　love。　Why〃



〃Then；〃　exclaimed　the　Prophet；　much　agitated；　and　feeling　it　incumbent

upon　him　to　get　rid　of　Mr。　Sagittarius　at　once　lest　the　curiosity　of

Lady　Enid　should　increase　beyond　all　measure；　and　lead　to　an　encounter

between　the　two　clients　of　Jellybrand's；　〃then　kindly　give　me　my

directions　as　briefly　as　possible；　and〃



There　was　another　tap　upon　the　door。



〃What　is　it？〃　cried　the　Prophet；　distractedly；　〃Come　in！〃



Mr。　Ferdinand　re…entered　very　delicately。



〃Her　ladyship　can　only　stay　a　minute；　sir。　Mrs。　Merillia　hopes　you　can

leave　your　businessI　said　as　you　was　very　busy；　sirand　come　up　to

the　drawing…room。〃



〃Yes；　yes。　I'll　come。　Say　I'll　come；　Mr。　Ferdinand。〃



〃Yes；　sir。〃



As　the　door　closed　the　Prophet　exclaimed　excitedly；



〃I　fear　I　really　must〃



〃Take　down　your　directions；　sir；〃　broke　in　Mr。　Sagittarius；　firmly。



〃Very　well；〃　rejoined　the　Prophet；　desperately；　seizing　his　pencil　and

the　account…book。　〃What　are　they？〃



〃You　swear　to　follow　them；　sir？〃



〃Yes；　yes；　anythinganything！〃



〃Have　you　a　star　map？〃



〃Yesno！〃



〃You　must　get　one。〃



〃Very　well。〃



〃You　had　better　do　so　at　the　Stores。〃



Madame　breathed　an　almost　sensuous　sigh　which　caused　her　husband　to

glance　tenderly　towards　her。



〃I　know；　my　love；　I　know；〃　he　said。　〃It　may　come　some　day。〃



〃/O　festum　dies！　Longa　intervallam！/〃　she　murmured；　shaking　her　bonnet

with　the　manner　of　a　martyr　to　duty。



Mr。　Sagittarius　was　greatly　moved。



〃She's　a　saint；〃　he　whispered　aside　to　the　Prophet；　as　if　imparting

some　necessary　information。



〃Certainly。　Please　go　on！〃



Mr。　Sagittarius　started；　as　if　suddenly　recalled　to　mundane　matters。



〃Get　it　at　the　Stores；〃　he　said。　〃In　the　astronomical　department。〃



〃Very　well。〃



〃Having　done　so；　and　keeping　the　old　lady　perpetually　in　your　mind；　you

will　place　her　in　the　claws　of　the　crab〃



〃What！〃



〃Mentally；　sir；　mentally；　of　course。〃



〃Oh。〃



〃And；　allowing　for　the　natural　effect　of　the　scorpion　and　serpent　upon

one　of　her　venerable　age〃



〃Good　Heavens！〃



〃When　close　round　her；　as　they　will　bebut　you　will　observe　that　for

yourself〃



The　Prophet　shut　his　eyes　as　one　who　refuses　to　behold　sacrilege。



〃You　will　trace　the　cycloidal　curve　of　the　planetscan　you　do　that？〃



The　Prophet　nodded。



〃As　it　affects　her　birthday；　the　twentieth。　Should　the　lynx　be　near

her〃



〃No；　no！〃　cried　the　Prophet。　〃It　shall　not　be！〃



〃Well；　you'll　have　to　find　that　out　and　keep　an　eye　to　it。　But　should

it　be；　you　will　commit　to　paper　what　result　its　presence　is　likely　to

produce　to　her；　and　work　the　whole　thing　out　clearly　for　myself　and

Madame　on　paperin　prophetic　form；　of　courseso　that　we　receive　it

bywhat　post　shall　I　say；　my　dear？〃



〃First　post；　Jupiter。〃



〃First　post　onwhat　day　is　the　twentieth？〃



〃I　don't　know；〃　replied　the　Prophet；　helplessly。



〃A　Thursday；〃　said　Madame。　〃Capricornus's　day　for　chronic　sections。〃



〃She　always　knows；〃　said　Mr。　Sagittarius　to　the　Prophet。



〃Always。〃



〃Very　well　then；　first　post　Thursday　morning。　Now　is　that　quite　clear？〃



〃Oh；　quite；　quite。〃



〃You　will　of　course　send　the　old　lady's　horoscope　to　us　at　the　same

time　with　full　particulars。〃



〃Full　particulars？〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃What　of？〃



〃Of　her　removal　from　the　bottle；　cutting　of　her　first　tooth；　short

coating；　going　into　skirts；　putting　of　the　hair　up；　day　of　marriage　and

widowhood；　illnesses〃



〃Especially　the　rashes；　Jupiter；〃　struck　in　Madame。



〃What　a　mind！〃　said　Mr。　Sagittarius　aside　to　the　Prophet。



〃What！〃