the prophet of berkeley square-第27节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Rest〃　'/〃



〃No！　No！〃　ejaculated　the　Prophet；　pale　with　horror　at　this　revelation。



〃/Rest/；　Crampton　Vale；　N。　I　lose　them　in　the　shadows。　The　next　day　I

call　and　find　your　grandmother　is　dying　from　the　noise　made　by　boys

bringing　you　private　telegrams。　And　then　you　tell　me；　meMinerva

Partridgethat　you　have　no　double　life！　Yes；　you　can　let　him　get　up

now；　please。〃



The　cabman　permitted　the　horse　to　do　so　and　they　again　struggled

funereally　forward。　The　Prophet　was　still　very　pale。



〃I　suppose　it　is　useless　tovery　well；〃　he　said。　〃My　life　is　double。〃



〃Ah！〃



〃But　only　lately；　quite　lately。〃



〃Never　mind　that。　Oh！　How　glad　I　am　that　you　have　had　the　courage　too！

You　will　soon　get　into　it；　as　I　did。　But　you　should　have　all　your

telegrams　and　so　forth　directed　to　Jellybrand's。〃



〃It's　too　late；〃　replied　the　Prophet；　dejectedly。　〃Too　late。　I　do　wish

that　horse　wouldn't　fall　down　so　continually！　It's　most　monotonous。〃



〃The　poor　man　naturally　wants　the　extra　sixpence。　I　think　I　shall　give

him　a　shilling。　But　now　who　is　Mr。　Sagittarius？〃



〃Who　is　he？〃



〃Yes。　I've　seen　him　several　times　at　Jellybrand's；　and　when　I　first　met

him　I　though　he　was　an　outside　broker。〃



〃You！　Was　it　on　the　pier　at　Margate？〃



〃Certainly　not！　Really；　Mr。　Vivian！　even　in　my　double　life　I

occasionally　draw　the　line。〃



〃I　beg　your　pardon。　Ithe　horse　confuses　me。〃



〃Well；　he's　stopped　knocking　now　and　will　be　up　in　another　minute。　Who

did　you　say　Mr。　Sagittarius　was？〃



〃I　didn't　say　he　was　anybody；　but　he's　a　man。〃



〃I'd　guessed　that。〃



〃And　an　acquaintance　of　mine。〃



〃Yes？〃



〃I'm　afraid　it's　going　to　rain。〃



〃It　generally　does　in　Knightsbridge。　Yes？〃



〃Is　Sir　Tiglath　likely　to　be　in？〃



〃He　knows　I'm　coming。　Well；　you　haven't　told　me　who　Mr。　Sagittarius

is。〃



〃Lady　Enid；〃　said　the　Prophet；　desperately；　〃I　know　very　little　of　Mr。

Sagittarius　beyond　the　fact　that　he's　a　man；　which　I've　already

informed　you　of。〃



〃Is　he　an　outside　broker？〃



〃No。〃



〃Then　he's　Malkiel。　You　can't　deny　it。〃



〃I　can　deny　anything；〃　said　the　Prophet；　who；　already　upset　by　the

events　of　the　day；　was　now　goaded　almost　to　desperation。　〃I　can　and

and　must。　There's　the　horse　down　again！〃



〃I　shall　have　to　give　the　man　one　and　sixpence。　Are　your　going　to　keep

your　promise　to　Mrs。　Merillia　and　Sir　Tiglath？〃



To　this　question　the　Prophet　determined　to　give　a　direct　answer；　in

order　to　draw　Lady　Enid　away　from　the　more　dangerous　subjects。



〃No；〃　he　said；　with　a　spasm　of　pain。



〃I　knew　you　wouldn't　be　able　to。〃



〃Why？〃



〃Because　when　one's　once　been　really　and　truly　silly　it's　impossible

not　to　repeat　the　act；　absolutely　impossible。　You'll　never　stop　now。

You'll　go　on　from　one　thing　to　another；　as　I　do。〃



〃I　cannot　think　that　prophecy　is　silly；〃　said　the　Prophet；　with　some

stiffness。



She　looked　at　him　with　frank　admiration。



〃You're　worse　than　I　am！　It's　splendid！〃



〃Worse！〃



〃Why；　yes。　You're　foolish　enough　to　think　your　silly　acts　sensible。　I

wish　I　could　get　to　that。　Then　perhaps　I　could　impose　on　Sir　Tiglath

more　easily　too。〃



She　considered　this　idea　seriously；　as　they　started　on　again；　and

gradually　got　free　of　the　little　crowd　that　had　been　sitting　on　the

horse's　head。



〃I　must　impose　upon　him；〃　she　said。　〃And　you've　got　to　help　me。〃



〃I！〃　cried　the　Prophet；　feeling　terribly　unequal　to　everything。　〃I

cannot　possibly　consent〃



〃Yes；　dear　Mr。　Vivian；　you　can。　And　if　two　thoroughly　silly　people

can't　impose　upon　one　sensible　old　man；　it　will　be　very　strange　indeed。

And　now　I'm　going　to　tell　you　what　I　hadn't　time　to　tell　you

yesterday。〃



She　leaned　forward　and　tapped　sharply　on　the　rattling　glass　in　front　of

the　cab。　The　cabman；　bending　down；　twisted　his　whiskers　towards　her。



〃Don't　go　too　fast。〃



〃I　can't　get　'im　to　fall　down　agyne；　lydy。　'E's　too　tired。〃



〃I　daresay。　But　don't　let　him　walk　quite　so　fast。〃



She　drew　back。



〃Mr。　Vivian；〃　she　saidand　the　Prophet　thought　she　had　never　looked

more　sensible　than　now；　as　she　began　this　revelation〃Mr。　Vivian；

among　the　silly　people　I　have　met　in　my　dear　double　life；　who　do　you

think　are　the　very　silliest？〃



〃The　anti…vaccinators？〃



〃No。　Besides；　they　so　often　have　small…pox　and　become　quite　sensible。〃



〃The　atheists？〃



〃I　used　to　think　so；　but　not　now。　And　most　of　those　I　knew　are　Roman

Catholics　at　present。〃



〃The　women　who　don't　desire　to　be　slaves？〃



〃There　aren't　any。〃



〃The　tearers　of　Paderewski's　hair？〃



〃I　so　seldom　meet　them；　because　they　all　live　out　in　the　suburbs。〃



〃The　tight…lacers？〃



〃They　get　red　noses；　poor　things；　and　disappear。　They're　not　permanent

enough　to　count　as　the　very　silliest。〃



〃I　give　it　up。〃



〃The　Spiritualists　and　the　Christian　Scientists。　That's　why　I　love　them

best；　and　spend　most　of　my　double　life　with　them。　How　you　would　get　on

with　them！　How　much　at　ease　you　would　be　in　their　midst！〃



〃Really！　But　aren't　they　in　opposite　camps？〃



〃Dear　things！　They　often　think　so；　I　believe。　But　really　they　aren't。

Half　the　Christian　Scientists　begin　as　Spiritualists。　And　a　great　many

Spiritualists　were　once　Christian　Scientists。〃



〃Which　are　you？〃



〃Both；　of　course。〃



〃Dear　me！〃



〃As　you　will　be　when　you've　got　thoroughly　into　your　double　life。　Well；

my　greatest　friendin　my　double　life；　you　understandis　a　Mrs。　Vane

Bridgeman；　a　Christian　Scientist　and　Spiritualist。　She　is　very　rich；

and　magnificently　idiotic。　She　supports　all　foolish　charities。　She　has

almshouses　for　broken…down　mediums　on　Sunnington　Common　in　Kent。　She

has　endowed　a　hospital　for　sick　fortune…tellers。　She　gave　five　hundred

pounds　to　the　home　for　indigent　thought…readers；　and　nearly　as　much　to

the　'Palmists'　Seaside　Retreat'　at　Millaby　Bay　near　Dover。　I　don't　know

how　many　Christian　Science　Temples　she　hasn't　erected；　or　subscribed

liberally　to。　She　turns　every　table　in　her　house。　She　won't　leave　even

one　alone。　Her　early　breakfasts　for　star…gazers　are　famous；　and　it's

impossible　to　dine　with　her　without　sitting　next　to　a　horoscope…caster；

or　being　taken　into　dinner；　of　courseby　a　crystal　diviner　or　a

nose…prophet。〃



〃A　nose…prophet！　What's　that？〃



〃A　person　who　tells　your　fortune　by　the　shape　of　your　nose。〃



〃Oh；　I　see。〃



〃Well；　you　understand　now　that　there's　no　sillier　person　in　London　than

dear　Mrs。　Bridgeman？〃



〃Oh；　quite。〃



〃She's　done　a　great　deal　for　me；　more　than　I　can　ever　repay。〃



〃Indeed。〃



〃Yes；　in　introducing　me　to　the　real　inner　circles　of　idiotcy。　Well；　in

return；　I've　sworn〃



〃You　too！〃



〃What　do　you　mean？〃



〃Oh；　nothing。　I　beg　your　pardon。　Please　go　on。〃



She　looked　at　him　curiously；　and　continued。



〃I've　swornthat　is；　pledged　my　honour；　you　know〃



〃I　know！　I　know！〃



〃To　introduce　her　to　at　least　one　thoroughly　sensible　persona　man；

she　prefers。〃



〃And　you've　chosen？〃



〃Sir　Tiglath；　because　he's　the　only　one　I　know。　Once；　I　confess；　I

thought　of　you。〃



〃Of　me！〃



〃Yes；　but　of　course　I　didn't　really　know　you　then。〃



She　looked　at　him　with　genuine　regard。　The　Prophet　scarcely　knew

whether　to　feel　delighted　or　distressed。



〃Now；　you　see；　Mr。　Vivian；　if　Sir　Tiglath　found　out　for　certain　that　I

was　Miss　Minerva；　he　might　discover　my　double　life；　and　if　he　did　that；

he　is　so　sensible　that　I　am　sure　he　would　never　speak　to　me　again；　and

I　could　not　fulfil　my　vow　to　dear　Mrs。　Bridgeman。〃



〃I　quite　see。〃



〃Nor　my　other　vow　to　myself。〃



〃Which　one？〃



〃Oh；　never　mind。〃



〃I　won't。〃



〃He　only　said　that　about　partridges　in　January；　I　find；　because　he

happened　to　see　one　of　my　letters　in　Jellybrand's　window。　He　doesn't

associate　that　letter　with　me。　So　it　ought　to　be　all　right；　and　I've

arranged　my　campaign。〃



〃But　what　can　I？〃



She　smiled　at　him　with　some　Scottish　craft。



〃Don't　bother。　You've　got　to　be　my　aide…de…camp；　that's　all。　Ah；　here

we　are！〃



For　at　this　moment　the　horse；　with　a　great　effort　succeeded　in　falling

down；　for　the　last　time；　before　the　astronomer's　door。







CHAPTER　XII



THE　ELABORATE　MIND　OF　MISS　MINERVA



On　being　shown；　by　an　elderly　housekeeper　with　a　Berlin　wool　fringe；

into　an　old…fashioned　oval　book…room；　Lady　Enid　and　the　Prophet

discovered　the　astronomer　sitting　there　/tete…a…tete/　with　a　muffin；

which　lay　on　a　china　plate　surrounded　by　manuscripts；　letters；

pamphlets；　books　and　blotting…paper。　He　was　engaged　in　tracing　lines

upon　an　immense　sheet　of　foolscap　with　the　aid　of　a　ruler　and　a　pair　of

compasses；　and　when　he　perceived　his　visitors；　he　merely　rolled　his

glassy　eyes　at　them；　shook　his　large　head　as　if　in　rebuke；　and　then

returned　to　his　occupation　without　uttering　a　word。



Lady　Enid　was　in　nowise　abashed。　She　l