the prophet of berkeley square-第36节

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〃But；　my　darling〃



〃Or　I　will；〃　cried　Madame。　〃Which　is　it　to　be？〃



〃Mr。　Sagittarius！〃　exclaimed　the　Prophet。



〃Very　well；〃　said　Madame。　〃Let　mine　be　the　weary　task　to　wait　and　watch

at　home。　/Fata　feminus/。　The　mystery　of　the　dressed　Crab　must　be

unveiled。　Should　this　mysterious　visitant　again　vouchsafe　a　prophetic

message；　a　practical　prophet　must　be　at　hand　to　receive　it。　Jupiter；

this　gentleman　is　not　practical。　This　report〃she　struck　the　paper　on

which　the　Prophet　had　dotted　down　his　notes〃is　badly　written。　The

cycloidal　curve　might　have　been　made　by　a　Board　School　child。　The

deductions　drawn/deductio　ad　absurdibus/reveal　no　talent；　none　of

the　prophetic　/feu　de　joie/　at　all。　But　this　mystery　of　the　dressed

Crab　may　mean　much。　Jupiter；　you　will　accompany　this　gentleman　back　to

London　and　you　will　assist　him　practically　at　the　telescope　to…night。〃



〃Very　well；　my　love。　I　will　risk　the　personal　danger；　for　your　and　the

children's〃



〃Butbut　really〃　began　the　Prophet。　〃I　am　very　sorry；　but〃



〃Madame　has　spoken；　sir；〃　said　Mr。　Sagittarius；　very　solemnly。



〃I　know　she　has。　Butyes；　I　know　there　are　no　buts　in　your　dictionary；

Madame；　I　know　there　aren'tbut　I　have　an　engagement　to…night　that　I

have　sworn〃



〃What　engagement；　sir？〃　said　Mr。　Sagittarius；　sternly。　〃You　have　sworn

to　us。　You　must　know　that。〃



〃I　have　sworn　to　almost　everyone；〃　cried　the　distracted　Prophet。　〃But

this　swearI　mean　this　oath　must　be　kept　before　yours。〃



〃Before　ours；　sir？〃



〃It　comes　on　before　eleven。　I　keep　my　oath　to　you　after　it。　I　manage

the　two；　don't　you　see？〃



〃He　will　see　that　you　manage　the　two；　Mr。　Vivian；　I　can　assure　you；〃

said　Madame；　viciously。　〃Won't　you；　Jupiter？〃



〃Certainly；　my　dear。　What　is　the　oath；　sir；　that　you　place　before

ours？〃



〃An　oath　to　Miss　Minerva；〃　returned　the　Prophet；　beginning　to　feel

reckless；　firm　in　the　conviction　that　it　was　henceforth　his　destiny　to

be　the　very　sport　of　Fate。



〃Ha！〃　cried　Mr。　Sagittarius。　〃The　double　life！〃



〃Who　is　Miss　Minerva；　pray？〃　said　Madame；　shooting　a　very　penetrating

glance　upon　her　husband。



〃Your　husband　can　tell　you　that；〃　replied　the　Prophet；　by　no　means

without　guile。



〃Jupiter；〃　cried　Madame；　〃what　is　the　meaning　of　this？　Who　is　this

person？〃



Mr。　Sagittarius　looked　exceedingly　uncomfortable。



〃My　dear；〃　he　began；　〃she　is　a　young　fethat　is；　a　young　woI　should

say〃



〃A　fe！　A　wo！　Explain　yourself；　Jupiter！〃



〃She　is　a　lady；　my　love。〃



〃A　lady！　Do　I　know　her？〃



〃I　believe　not；　my　dear。〃



〃And　do　you？〃



〃No；　my　darling。　That　isthat　is〃



〃Yes；　I　suppose！〃　said　Madame；　with　a　very　violent　click。



〃I　can　hardly　say；　Sophronia；　that；　I　can't　indeed。　I　have　met　her；　by

accident；　quite　by　accident　I　assure　you；　once　or　twice。〃



〃Where？〃



〃At　Jellybrand's。　She　goes　there　to　fetch　letters　on　the　same　day　as　I

do。〃



Madame's　very　intellectual　brow　was　over…clouded　with　storm。　She　turned

upon　the　Prophet。



〃And　what　of　this　person；　Mr。　Vivian？〃　she　cried。　〃What　of　her　and　this

oath？〃



The　Prophet；　who　was　secretly　very　delighted　with　the　diversion　he　had

so　cleverly　created；　hastened　to　reply；



〃I　have　promised　most　solemnly　to　meet　her　to…night　at　a　house　in　the

Zoological　Gardens！〃



〃A　house　in　the　Zoological　Gardens！〃



〃I　mean　at　the　Zoological　House；　the　residence　of　Mrs。　Vane　Bridgeman；

who　is〃



But；　at　this　point　in　his　explanation；　the　Prophet　was　interrupted　by

both　his　hearers。



〃The　Jellybrand　one！〃　cried　Mr。　Sagittarius。



〃The　prophets'　patron！〃　vociferated　Madame。







CHAPTER　XVI



　THE　PROPHET　RETURNS　FROM　THE　MOUSE　WITH　TWO　OLD　AND　VALUED　FRIENDS



At　these　exclamations　the　Prophet　started　in　some　surprise。



〃You　know　this　lady？〃　he　asked。



〃By　repute；　sir；〃　replied　Mr。　Sagittarius。



〃Who　does　not？〃　cried　Madame。　〃She　built　the　'Prophets'　Rest'　at

Birchington。〃



〃And　the　Mediums'　Almshouses　at　Sunnington。〃



〃And　the　'Palmists'　Retreat'　at　Millaby　Bay。〃



〃And　the〃



〃I　see　you　know　all　about　her；〃　interposed　the　Prophet。　〃Well；　she　is

giving　a　reception　to…night　at　Zoological　House　and　I　have　sworn　to　be

there。　But　I　shall　get　home　by　eleven。　You　will　understand；　however；

that　I　cannot　have　the　pleasure　of　entertaining　Mr。　Sagittarius　during

the　evening　under　my　own　roof。　I　regret　this　extremely；　but　you　see　it

is　unavoidable。〃



To　the　Prophet's　great　surprise　this　lucid　explanation　was　received　by

his　hearers　with　a　strange　silence　and　a　combined　meditative；　and　even

moony；　staring　which　was　to　him　inexplicable。　Both　Madame　and　Mr。

Sagittarius　seemed　suddenly　immersed　in　contemplation。　They　began；　he

thought；　to　look　like　Buddhists；　or　like　those　devoted　persons　who；　in

the　times　of　the　desert　monks；　remained　for　long　periods　posed　upon

pillows　in　sandy　wastes　musing　upon　Eternity。　At　first；　as　he　met　their

fixed　eyes；　he　fancied　that　they　were；　perhaps；　falling　into　a　trance；

but　presently　the　conviction　seized　him　that　they　must　be；　on　the

contrary；　busily　thinking　out　some　problem。　He　hoped　fervently　that　he

did　not　form　part　of　it。　At　length　the　quivering　silence　was　broken　by

Mr。　Sagittarius。



〃I　might　accompany　you　to　Mrs。　Bridgeman's；　sir；〃　he　said　to　the

Prophet。　〃Might　I　not；　Sophronia？〃



〃Oh；　but〃　began　the　Prophet；　very　hastily。



〃The　lady　has　frequently　pressed　me　to　accept　of　her　hospitality。〃



〃Indeed！〃



〃For　years　she　has　been　writing　to　me　at　Jellybrand's；　under　my　real

name　of　Malkiel　the　Second；　you　understand。　She　addresses　me　simply　as

the　master。'　〃



〃But　do　the　postal　authorities〃



〃Not　upon　the　envelope；　sir；　not　upon　the　envelope。〃



〃I　see。〃



〃Hitherto；　true　to　myself；　true　to　the　principles　of　Malkiel　the　First；

and　to　the　instincts　of　Madame；　I　have　declined　her　personal

acquaintance。　But　there　is　no　reason　why　you　should　not　introduce　me　to

the　house　as　Mr。　Sagittarius；　no　reason　at　all。〃



The　Prophet　knew　only　too　well　that　there　was　not；　but　before　he　had

time　to　go　on　trying　to　wriggle　out　of　the　complication；　Madame　struck

in。



〃Miss　Minerva　is　to　be　present　at　this　reception；　I　believe；〃　she　said

sharply。



〃Yes；　she　is；〃　answered　the　Prophet；　illumined　by　a　ray　of　hope。



〃Jupiter；〃　said　Madame；　〃I　will　accompany　you　and　Mr。　Vivian　to　the

Zoological　Gardens　to…night。　It　is　my　sacred　duty。〃



The　Prophet　groaned。



〃But；　my　darling〃



〃The　reception　over；　I　will　assist　you　and　Mr。　Vivian　at　the　telescope

in　the　Berkeley　Square。　In　your　presence　I　can　do　so　without　departing

from　my　principles；　/salvo　pudoribus/。　Do　not　interrupt　me；　Jupiter；　if

you　please。　I　have　thought　the　matter　out。　The　crisis　in　our　fate　is　at

hand。　Upon　the　events　of　the　next　three　nights　depends　our　future。

These　mysterious　messages　of　which　Mr。　Vivian　speaks　must　be　examined

into　by　us　upon　the　spot。　This　mystery　of　the　dressed　Crab　must　be　made

clear。　A　woman's　intellect　is　needed。　A　woman's　intellect　shall　not　be

wanting。　Ill　as　I　am；　worn　down　by　the　occurrences　of　yesterday　and　by

this　gentleman's　incessant　telegrams；　I　will　leave　my　books〃here　she

waved　one　hand　towards　the　dwarf　bookcase〃I　will　assume　an

appropriate　/neglige/　and　my　outdoor　boots；　a　fichu　and　bonnet；　and

will　accompany　you　at　once　to　the　Berkeley　Square；　there　to　confer　and

arrange　the　programme　of　the　evening。　Mrs。　Bridgeman　would　fall　down

before　us　in　worship　could　she　know　who　we　really　are。　As　it　is；　Mr。

Vivian　will　introduce　us　modestly　as　two　old　and　valued　friends。　The

time　may　be　at　hand　when　we　need　no　longer　hide　ourselves　beneath　an

/alibi/。　Till　then　we　must　possess　ourselves；　and　Mr。　Vivian　must

possess　us；　in　patience。　Ill　as　I　am；　I　will　accompany　you。　To…night

shall　see　me　in　the　Zoological　Gardens　at　my　husband's　side。〃



Before　the　prospect　of　this　sublime　self…sacrifice　both　Mr。　Sagittarius

and　the　Prophet　were　as　men　dumb。　They　said　not　a　word。　They　only

gazedwith　a　sort　of　strange　idiotcyat　Madame　as　she　rose；　with　an

elaborate　and　studied　feebleness；　from　the　maroon　couch　and　prepared　to

go　upstairs　to　assume　the　appropriate　/neglige/。　Only　when　she　was　at

her　full　height　did　the　Prophet；　rendered　desperate　by　the　terrible

results　of　his　own　ingenuity；　nerve　himself　to　utter　one　last　protest。



〃I　really　do　not　think　it　would　be　quite　according　to　the　rules　of

etiquette　which　prevail　in　the　central　districts；〃　he　cried；　〃for　a

lady　to　spend　the　night　in　the　butler's　pantry　of　a　comparative

stranger；　even　when　accompanied　by　her　husband。　It　might　give　rise　to

talk　in　the　square；　and〃



〃The　butler's　pantry；　sir！〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Sagittarius。　〃Explain

yourself；　I　beg。〃



〃The　telescope　is　there；　and〃



〃I　have　passed　beyond　the　reach　of　etiquette；〃　said　Madame；　looking

considerably　like　Joan　of　Arc　and　other　well…know