the prophet of berkeley square-第34节

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Capricornus　had　time　to　correct　his　sister's　Latin。



〃It　was　Miss　Minerva；〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃We　happened　to　meet　her。〃



〃Indeed；　sir。　Run　away；　my　pretties；　and　don't　eat　more　than　one　each；

or　mater　familias　will　not　approve。



Then；　as　the　little　ones　disappeared　into　the　shadows　of　the　region

above；　he　added　to　the　Prophet；



〃You've　nearly　been　the　death　of　Madame；　sir。〃



〃I'm　sure　I'm　very　sorry；〃　said　the　Prophet。



〃Sorrow　is　no　salve；　sir；　no　salve　at　all。　Were　it　not　for　her　books　I

fear　we　might　have　lost　her。〃



〃Good　gracious！〃



〃Mercifully　her　books　have　comforted　her。　She　is　resting　among　them

now。　Madame　is　possessed　of　a　magnificent　library；　sir；　encyclopaedic

in　its　scope　and　cosmopolitan　in　its　point　of　view。　In　it　are

represented　every　age　and　every　race　since　the　dawn　of　letters；

thousands　upon　thousands　of　authors；　sir；　Rabelais　and　Dean　Farrar；

Lamb　and　the　Hindoos；　Mettlelink　and　the　pith　of　the　great　philosophers

such　as　John　Oliver　Hobbes；　Locke；　Hume　and　Earl　Spencer；　the　biting

sarcasm　of　Hiny；　the　pathos　of　Peps；　the　oratorical　master…strokes　of

such　men　as　Gladstone；　Demosthenes　and　Keir　Hardie；　the　romance　of

Kipling；　sir；　of　Bret　Harte　and　Danty　Rossini；　the　poetry　of　Kempis　a

Browning　and　of　Elizabeth　Thomas　Barrettall；　all　are　there　bound　in

Persian　calf。　Among　these　she　seeks　for　solace。　To　these　she　flies　in

hours　of　anguish。〃



〃Does　she　indeed？〃　said　the　Prophet；　feeling　thoroughly　overwhelmed。



〃She　desires　me　to　take　you　to　her　at　once；　sir；　there　to　confer　and〃

he　lowered　his　voice　and　trembled　visibly〃to　arrange　measures　for　the

protection　of　my　life。〃



The　Prophet　found　himself　wishing　that　he　had　been　less　precipitate　in

covertly　alluding　to　Sir　Tiglath's　long　desire　of　assault　and　battery；

but　before　he　had　time　to　wish　anything　for　more　than　half　a　minute；

Mr。　Sagittarius　had　guided　him　ceremoniously　across　the　hall　and　was

turning　the　handle　of　a　door　that　was　decorated　with　black　and　scarlet

paint。



〃Here；　sir；〃　he　whispered；　〃you　will　find　Madame　surrounded　by　the

authors　whom　she　loves；　by　their　portraits；　their　biographies　and　their

writings。　Here　she　communes　with　the　great　philosophers；　sir；　the

poets；　the　historians　and　the　humourists　of　the　entire　world；　from　the

earliest　days　down　to　this　very　momentin　Persian　calf；　sir。〃



He　gazed　awfully　at　the　Prophet；　and　gently　opened　the　door　of　this

temple　of　the　intellect。



The　Prophet　expected　to　find　himself　ushered　into　a　gigantic　chamber；

lined　from　floor　to　ceiling　with　shelves　that　groaned　beneath　their

burden　of　the　literature　of　genius。　Indeed　he　had；　in　fancy；　beheld

even　the　chairs　and　couches　covered　with　stacks　of　volumes；　the　very

floor　littered　with　the　choicest　productions　of　the　brains　of　the　dead

and　living。　His　surprise　was；　therefore；　very　great　when；　on　passing

through　the　door；　he　beheld　Madame　Sagittarius　reposing　at　full　length

upon　a　maroon　sofa　in　a　small　apartment；　whose　bare　walls；　were

entirely　innocent　of　book…shelves。　Indeed　the　only　thing　of　the　sort

which　was　visible　was　a　dwarf　revolving　bookcase　which　stood　beside　the

sofa；　and　contained　some　twenty　volumes　bound；　as　Mr。　Sagittarius　had

stated；　in　Persian　calf；　each　of　these　volumes　being　numbered　and

adorned　with　a　label　on　which　was　printed　in　letters　of　gold；　〃The

Library　of　Famous　Literature：　Edited　by　Dr。　Carter。　Tasty　Tit…bits　from

all　Times。〃



〃Madame；　sir；　in　her　library；〃　whispered　Mr。　Sagittarius　by　the　door。

〃She　is　absorbed；　sir；　and　does　not　notice　us。〃



In　truth　Madame　Sagittarius　did　appear　to　be　absorbed　in　thought；　or

something　else；　for　her　eyes　were　closed；　her　mouth　was　open；　and　a

sound　of　regular　breathing　filled　the　little　room。



〃She　is　thinking　out　some　problem；　sir；〃　continued　Mr。　Sagittarius。

〃She　is　communing　with　the　mighty　dead。　Sophronia；　my　love；　Sophronia；

Capricornus　has　brought　the　gentleman　according　to　your　orders。　Sophy！

Sophy！〃



His　final　utterances；　which　were　somewhat　strident　caused　Madame

Sagittarius　to　come　away　from　her　communion　with　the　mighty　dead　with　a

loud　ejaculation　of　the　nature　of　a　snort　combined　with　a　hissing

whistle；　to　kick　up　her　indoor　kid　boots　into　the　air；　turn　upon　her

right　elbow；　and　present　a　countenance　marked　with　patches　of　red　and

white；　and　a　pair　of　goggling；　and　yet　hazy；　eyes　to　the　intruders　upon

her　intellectual　exertions。



〃Mr。　Vivian　has　come；　Sophronia；　according　to　your　directions。〃



Madame　uttered　a　second　snort；　brought　her　feet　to　the　floor；　arranged

her　face　in　a　dignified　expression　with　one　fair　hand；　breathed

heavily；　and　finally　bowed　to　the　Prophet　with　majestic　reserve　and

remarked；　with　the　professional　click；



〃I　was　immersed　in　thought　and　did　not　perceive　your　entrance。　/Mens

invictus　manetur/。　Be　seated；　I　beg。〃



Here　certain　very　elaborate　contortions　and　swellings　of　her

interesting　countenance　suggested　that　she　was　repressing　a　good…sized

yawn；　and　she　was　obliged　to　rearrange　her　features　with　both　hands

before　she　could　continue。



〃Thought　conquers　matter；　as　PlautoI　should　say　as　Platus　very

rightly　obesrved。〃



〃Quite　so；〃　assented　the　Prophet；　trying　to　live　up　to　the　library；　but

scarcely　succeeding。



〃Even　in　the　days　of　the　great　Juvenile；〃　proceeded　Madame；　〃to　whose

satires　I　owe　much〃here　she　laid　a　loving　hand　upon　Vol。　2　of　the

〃Library　of　Famous　Literature。〃〃Long　ere　the　days　when　Lord　Lytton

and　his　Caxtons　introduced　us　to　the　blessings　of　the　printing　press

there　were　doubtless　ladies　who；　like　myself；　could　forget　the

treachery　and　the　lies　of　men　in　silent　communion　with　the　brains　of

the　departed。　Far　better　to　be　Milton's　'Il　Penserosero'　than　Lord

Byron's　'L'Allegra！'　〃



To　this　pronounciamento；　which　was　interrupted　several　times　by　more

alarming　contortions　of　the　brain…worker's　face；　the　Prophet　replied

with　a　vague　affirmative；　while　Mr。　Sagittarius　whispered；



〃Her　whole　knowledge；　sir；　comes　straight　from　there〃pointing　towards

the　dwarf　bookcase。　〃She　brought　it　on　the　instalment　system。　Dr。

Carter　has　made　her　what　she　is！　That　man；　sir；　deserves　to　be

canonised。　Eight　guineas　and　a　half；　sir；　and　such　a　result！〃



〃Such　a　result！〃　the　Prophet　whispered　back。



By　this　time　Madame　Sagittarius　had　apparently　ceased　to　commune　with

the　dead；　for　her　striking　face　assumed　a　more　normal　expression　of

feminine　bitterness　as　she　realised　who　was　before　her；　and　she

exclaimed　sharply；



〃Oh；　so　you've　come　at　last；　Mr。　Vivian！　And　pray　what　have　you　to　say？

What　about　the　rashes？　And　what　is　this　danger　that　threatens　Mr。

Sagittarius？〃



〃We'd　better　take　the　danger　first；　my　dear；〃　said　Mr。　Sagittarius；

with　grave　anxiety。



〃Very　well。　Not　that　it　should　be　the　most　important　to　one　who　wears

the　/toga　virilibus/！〃



〃True；　my　love。　Still；　to　take　it　first　will　clear　the　ground；　I　think；

and　set　me　more　at　ease。　Well；　sir？〃



Thus　adjured；　the　Prophet　resolved　to　make　a　clean　breast　of　Sir

Tiglath's　declarations；　and　he　therefore　replied；



〃I　thought　it　only　right　to　wire　to　you　as　I　did；　having　learnt　that

there　is　in　London　a　gentleman；　an　eminent　man；　who　has　for　five…and…

forty　years　been　seeking　for　Malkiel　with　the　avowed　intention　of

of〃



〃Oh　what；　sir；　of　what？〃　said　Mr。　Sagittarius　with　trembling　lips。



〃Of　doing　him　violence；〃　replied　the　Prophet；　impressively。



〃What　is　the　gent's　name？〃　said　Mr。　Sagittarius；　in　great　agitation。



〃His　name！　/Nomen　volens/！〃　added　Madame。



〃That；〃　said　the　Prophet；　〃I　prefer　not　to　say　at　present。〃



〃But　why　should　he　desire　to？〃



〃Because　you　are　a　prophet。〃



〃There；　Jupiter！〃　cried　Madame；　with　flushed　spitefulness。　〃What　have　I

always　said！　All　prophets　are　what　they　call　outsiders/hors

d'oeuvres/；　neither　more　nor　less。〃



〃I　know；　my　love；　I　know。　But　how　should　this　gent　recognise　me　for　a

prophet？　I'm　sure　my　dress；　my　manner；　are　those　of　an　outside　broker；

as　I　have　often　told　you；　Sophy。　How〃



〃The　gentleman　has　not　yet　recognised　you；〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃At　the

moment　he　believes　you　to　be　an　American　syndicate。〃



〃Thank　mercy！〃　ejaculated　Mr。　Sagittarius。



〃But　one　can　never　tell；〃　added　the　Prophet。　〃He　might　find　out。〃



〃Nonsense！〃　cried　Madame　at　this　juncture。　〃We　might　quite　well　have

gone　to　the　square　yesterday　as　I　always　suspected。　But　you　are　so

timid；　Jupiter。　/Timeo　DanDan/well；　/Dan/　something　or　other；　as

Virgil　so　truly　says。〃



〃Cautious；　Sophronia；　only　cautious；　for　your　and　the　children's

sakes！〃



〃I　call　a　man　who's　afraid　even　when　he's　passing　everywhere　as　an

American　syndicate　a　cowardly　custard；〃　rejoined　Madame；　who　appeared

to　be　suffering　under　that　peculiar　form　of　flushed　irritability　which

is　apt　to　follow　on　heavy　thought；　indulged　in　to　excess　in　a　recumbent

position　during