the prophet of berkeley square-第15部分

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almost　with　the　seductive　adroitness　of　a　Drury　Lane　thiefand　drawn

him　down　a　tartan　passage　into　a　very　sensible…looking　boudoir；　in

which　Lady　Enid　was　sitting　by　a　wood　fire　with　a　very　tall　and　lusty

young　man。



〃Mr。　Hennessey　Vivian！〃



〃What；　Bobyou　here！〃　said　the　Prophet　to　the　lusty　young　man；　after

shaking　hands　a　little　distractedly　with　Lady　Enid。



〃Yes；　old　chap。　But　I'm　just　off。　I　know　you　two　want　to　have　a

confab；〃　returned　Mr。　Robert　Green；　wringing　his　old　school　friend's

hand。　〃Niddy's　given　me　the　chuck。　And　anyhow　I'm　bound　to　look　in　at

the　Bath　Club　at　four　to　fence　with　Chicky　Bostock。〃



Mr。　Green　spoke　in　a　powerful　baritone　voice；　rolling　his　r's；　and

showing　his　large　and　square　white　teeth　in　a　perpetual　cheery　and　even

boisterous　smile。　He　was　what　is　called　a　thorough　good　fellow；　springy

in　body　and　essentially　gay　in　soul。　That　he　was　of　a　slightly　belated

temperament　will　be　readily　understood　when　we　say　that　he　was　at　this

time　just　beginning　to　whistle；　with　fair　correctness；　〃Ta…ra…ra…boom…

de…ay；〃　to　discuss　the　character　of　Becky　Sharp；　to　dwell　upon　the

remarkable　promise　as　a　vocalist　shown　by　Madame　Adelina　Patti；　and　to

wonder　at　the　marvellous　results　said　to　be　accomplished　by　the

telephone。　He　had　also　never　heard　of　Christian　Science；　and　was

totally　unaware　that　there　exists　in　the　metropolis　a　modest　and

retiring　building　called　〃The　Imperial　Institute。〃　Nevertheless；　he　was

repeatedly　spoken　of　by　substantial　people　as　a　young　man　of　many

parts；　was　a　leading　spirit　in　Yeomanry　circles；　and　was　greatly

regarded　by　the　Prophet　as　a　trusty　friend　and　stalwart　upholder　of　the

British　Empire。　He　had　rather　the　appearance　of　a　bulwark；　and

something　of　the　demeanour　of　a　flourishing　young　oak　tree。



〃Yes；　Bob；　you've　got　to　go；〃　assented　Lady　Enid；　examining　the

Prophet's　slightly　distorted　countenance　with　frank；　and　even　eager；

curiosity。　〃Mr。　Vivian　and　I　are　going　to　talk　of　modern　things。〃



〃I　know；　Thackeray　and　Patti；　and　three…volume　novels；　and　skirt

dancing；　and　all　the　rest　of　it；〃　said　Mr。　Green；　with　unaffected

reverence。　〃Well；　I'm　off。　I　say；　Hen；　pop　in　at　the　Bath　on　your　way

home　and　have　a　whiskey　and　soda。　I　shall　just　be　out　of　the　hot　room

and〃



〃I'm　sorry；　Bob；〃　said　the　Prophet　with　almost　terrible　solemnity；　that

I　can't；　thatin　factI　am　unable。〃



〃What？　Going　to　the　dentist？〃



〃Exactlythat　is；　not　at　all。〃



〃Well；　what's　up？　Some　intellectual　business；　lecture　on　Walter　Scott；

or　Dickens；　or　one　of　the　other　Johnnies　that　are　so　popular　just　now？〃



〃No。　I　have　aa　small　gathering　at　home　this　afternoon。



〃All　right。　Then　I'll　pop　round　on　yousay　five　o'clock。〃



〃No；　Bob；　no；　I　can't　say　that。　I'm　very　sorry；　but　I　can't　possibly

say　that。〃



〃Right　you　are。　Too　clever　for　me；　I　s'pose。　Look　me　up　at　the　Tintack

to…night　thenany　time　after　ten。〃



〃If　I　can；　Bob；　I　will；〃　replied　the　Prophet；　with　impressive

uncertainty；　〃I　say　if　I　can　I　will　do　so。〃



〃Done！　If　you　can't；　then　I'm　not　to　expect　you。　That　it？〃



〃That　is　itprecisely。〃



〃Good…bye；　Niddy；　old　girl。　Keep　your　pecker　up。　By　the　way；　if　you

want　a　real　good　tune　for　a　Charity　sing…song；　a　real　rouser；　try

'Nancy　Lee。'　〃



He　was　gone；　humming　vigorously　that　new…fangled　favourite。



〃Sit　down；　Mr。　Vivian；〃　said　Lady　Enid；　looking　her　right　size。　〃We've

got　a　lot　to　say　to　one　another。〃



〃I　have　to　be　home　at　five；〃　replied　the　Prophet；　abstractedly。



Lady　Enid　begin　to　appear　a　trifle　thin。



〃Why？　How　tiresome！　I　didn't　think　you　really　meant　it。〃



〃It　is　very；　very　tiresome。〃



He　spoke　with　marked　uneasiness；　and　remained　standing　with　the　air　of

one　in　readiness　for　the　punctual　call　of　the　hangman。



〃What　is　it？〃　continued　Lady　Enid；　with　her　usual　inquisitiveness。



〃I　have；　as　I　said；　aa　small　gathering　at　home　at　that　hour；〃　said

the　Prophet；　repeating　his　formula　morosely。



〃A　gatheringwhat　of？〃



〃Peoplepersons；　that　is。〃



〃Whata　party？〃



〃Two　parties；〃　replied　the　Prophet；　instinctively　giving　Mr。

Sagittarius　and　Madame　their　undoubted　due。　〃Two。〃



〃Two　parties　at　the　same　timeand　in　the　afternoon！　How　very　odd！〃



〃They　will　look　very　odd；　veryin　Berkeley　Square；〃　responded　the

Prophet；　in　a　tone　of　considerable　dejection。　〃I　don't　know；　I'm　sure；

what　Mr。　Ferdinand　and　Gustavus　will　think。　Still　I've　given　strict

orders　that　they　are　to　be　let　in。　What　else　could　I　do？〃



He　gazed　at　Lady　Enid　in　a　demanding　manner。



〃What　else　could　I　possibly　do　under　the　circumstances？〃　he　repeated。



〃Sit　down；　dear　Mr。　Vivian；〃　she　answered；　with　her　peculiar　Scotch

lassie　seductiveness；　〃and　tell　me；　your　sincere　friend；　what　the

circumstances　are。〃



Unluckily　her　curiosity　had　led　her　to　overdo　persuasion。　That　cooing

interpolation　of　〃your　sincere　friend〃too　strongly　honeyedsuddenly

recalled　the　Prophet　to　the　fact　that　Lady　Enid　was　not；　and　could

never　be；　his　confidante　in　the　matter　that　obsessed　him。　He　therefore

sat　down；　but　with　an　abrupt　air　of　indefinite　social　liveliness；　and

exclaimed；　not　unlike　Mr。　Robert　Green；



〃Well；　and　how　are　things　going　with　you；　dear　Lady　Enid？〃



She　jumped　under　the　transition　as　under　a　whip。



〃Me！　Butthese　parties　you　were　telling　me　about？〃



But　the　Prophet　remembered　his　oath。　He　was　a　strictly　honourable

little　man；　and　never　swore　carelessly。



〃Parties！〃　he　said。　〃You　and　I　are　too　old　friends　to　waste　our　life　in

chattering　about　such　London　nonsense。〃



〃Then　we'll　talk　of　yesterday；〃　said　Lady　Enid；　very　firmly。



The　Prophet　looked　rather　blank。



〃Yes；〃　she　repeated。　〃Yesterday。　I've　guessed　your　secret。〃



〃Which　one？〃　he　cried；　much　startled。



〃Which？〃　she　said　reproachfully。　〃Oh；　Mr。　Vivianand　I　thought　you

trusted　in　me。〃



The　Prophet　was　silent。　The　third　daughter　of　the　clergyman　had　often

made　that　remark　to　him　when　they　were　nearly　engaged。　It　recalled

bygone　memories。



〃That's　what　I　thought；〃　she　added　with　pressure。



〃I'm　sorry；〃　the　Prophet　murmured；　rather　obstinately。



〃I　always　think；〃　she　continued；　with　deliberate　expansiveness；　〃that

nearly　all　the　miseries　of　the　world　come　about　from　people　not

trusting　inin　people。〃



〃Or　from　people　trusting　in　the　wrong　people。　Which　is　it？〃　said　the

Prophet；　not　without　slyness。



She　began　to　look　thin；　but　checked　herself。



〃Tell　me；〃　she　said；　〃why　did　you　stop　me　yesterday　when　I　was

beginning　to　say　to　Sir　Tiglath　that　I　was　sure　Malkiel　was　a　man　and

not　a　syndicate？〃



〃Did　I　stop　you？〃　said　the　Prophet；　artlessly。



〃Yes；　with　your　eyes。〃



〃Becausebecause　I　was　surethat　is；　certain　you　couldn't　be　sure。〃



〃How　could　you　be　certain？〃



〃How？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Well；　how　is　one　certain　of　anything？〃　said　the　Prophet；　rather

feebly。



〃How　are　you　certain　that　I'm　Miss　Minerva　Partridge？〃



〃Because　you　told　me　so　yourself；　because　I've　seen　you　come　into

Jellybrand's　for　your　letters；　because〃



〃Haven't　I　seen　Malkiel　come　into　Jellybrand's　for　his？〃



This　unexpected　retort　threw　the　Prophet　upon　his　beam　ends。　But　he

remembered　his　oath　even　in　that　very　awkward　position。



〃Does　he　go　to　Jellybrand's？〃　he　exclaimed；　with　a　wild　attempt　after

astonishment。　〃But　he's　a　companySir　Tiglath　said　so。〃



〃And　what　did　your　eyes　say　yesterday？〃



〃I　had　a　cold　in　my　eyes　yesterday；〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃They　were　very

weak。　They　werethey　were　aching。〃



Lady　Enid　was　silent　for　a　moment。　During　that　moment　she　was

conferring　with　her　feminine　instinct。　What　it　said　to　her　must　be

guessed　by　the　manner　in　which　she　once　more　entered　into　conversation

with　the　Prophet。



〃Mr。　Vivian；〃　she　said；　with　a　complete　change　of　demeanour　to　girlish

geniality　and　impulsiveness；　〃I'm　going　to　confide　in　you。　I'm　going　to

thrown　myself　upon　your　mercy。〃



The　Prophet　blinked　with　amazement；　like　a　martyr　who　suddenly　finds

himself　snatched　from　the　rack　and　laid　upon　a　plush　divan　with　a　satin

cushion　under　his　head。



〃I'm　going　to　trust　you；〃　Lady　Enid　went　on；　emphasising　the　two

pronouns。



〃Many　thanks；〃　said　the　Prophet；　unoriginally。



She　was　sitting　on　a　square　piece　of　furniture　which　the　Marquis　of

Glome　called　an　〃Aberdeen　lean…to。〃　She　now　spread　herself　out　upon　it

in　the　easy　attitude　of　one　who　is　about　to　converse　intimately　for

some　centuries；　and　proceeded。



〃I　daresay　you　know；　Mr。　Vivian；　that　people　always　call　me　a　very

sensible　sort　of　girl。〃



The　Prophet　remembered　his　grandmother's　remark　about　Lady　Enid。



〃I　know　they　do；〃　he　assented；　trying　not　to　think　of　five　o'clock。



〃What　do　they　mean　by　that；　Mr。　Vivian？〃



〃I　beg　your　pardon？〃



〃I　say　what　do　they　mean　by　a　sensible　sort　of　girl？〃



〃Why；　I　suppose〃



〃I'm　going　to　tell　you；〃　she　interrupted　him。　〃They　mean　a　sort　of　girl

who　likes　fresh　air；　washes　her　face　with　yellow　soap；　sports　dogskin

gloves；　drives　in　an　open　cart　in　preference　to　a　shut　brougham；　enjoys

a　cold　tub　and　Whyte　Melville's　novels；　laughs　at　ghosts　and　cries　over

'Misunderstood；'　considers　the　Bishop　of　London　a　deity　and　the　Albert

Memorial　a　gem　of　art；　would　wear　a　neat　Royal　fringe　in　her　grave；　and

a　straw　hat　and　shirt　on　the　Judgment　Day　if　she　were　in　the　country

for　itwalks　with　the　guns；　sings　'Home；　Sweet　Home'　in　the　evening

after　dinner　to　her　bald…headed　father；　thinks　the　/Daily　Mail/　an

intellectual　paper；　the　Royal　Academy　an　uplifting　institution；　the

British　officer　a　demi…god　with　a　heart　of　gold　in　a　body　of　steel；　and

the　road　from　Calais　to　Paris　the　way　to　heaven。　That's　what　they　mean

by　a　sensible　sort　of　girl；　isn't　it？〃



〃I　daresay　it　is；〃　said　the　Prophet；　endeavouring　not　to　feel　as　if　he

were　sitting　with　a　dozen　or　tw