the prophet of berkeley square-第2部分

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immemorial　towers　was　as　hazy　as　the　average　Cabinet　Minister's　outlook

over　the　events　of　the　day　and　the　desires　of　the　community。



But　if　the　moisture　of　the　Prophet　did　him　credit　at　that　painful

period　of　his　life；　it　must　be　allowed　that　his　behaviour　on　being

formally　introduced　into　London　Society　showed　no　puling　regret；　no

backward　longings　after　echoing　colleges；　lost　dons　and　the　scouts　that

are　no　more。　He　was　quite　at　his　ease；　and　displayed　none　of　the　high…

pitched　contempt　of　Piccadilly　that　is　often　so　amusingly

characteristic　of　the　young　gentlemen　accustomed　to　〃the　High。〃



Mrs。　Merillia；　who　had　been　a　widow　ever　since　she　could　remember；

possessed　the　lease　of　the　house　in　Berkeley　Square　in　which　the

Prophet　was　now　sitting。　It　was　an　excellent　mansion；　with　everything

comfortable　about　it；　a　duke　on　one　side；　a　Chancellor　of　the　Exchequer

on　the　other；　electric　light；　several　bathrooms　and　the　gramophone。

There　was　never　any　question　of　the　Prophet　setting　up　house　by

himself。　On　leaving　Oxford　he　joined　his　ample　fortune　to　Mrs。

Merillia's　as　a　matter　of　course；　and　they　settled　down　together　with

the　greatest　alacrity　and　hopefulness。　Nor　were　their　pleasant

relations　once　disturbed　during　the　fifteen　years　that　elapsed　before

the　Prophet　applied　his　eye　to　the　telescope　in　the　bow　window　and　gave

Mr。　Ferdinand　the　instructions　which　have　just　been　recorded。



These　fifteen　years　had　not　gone　by　without　leaving　their　mark　upon　our

hero。　He　had　done　several　things　during　their　passage。　For　instance；　he

had　written　a　play；　very　nearly　proposed　to　the　third　daughter　of　a

London　clergyman　and　twice　been　to　the　Derby。　Such　events　had；　not

unnaturally；　had　their　effect　upon　the　formation　of　his　character　and

even　upon　the　expression　of　his　intelligent　face。　The　writing　of　the

playand；　perhaps；　its　refusal　by　all　the　actor…managers　of　the　town

had　traced　a　tiny　line　at　each　corner　of　his　mobile　mouth。　The　third

daughter　of　the　London　clergymanhis　sentiment　for　herhad　taught　his

hand　the　slightly　episcopal　gesture　which　was　so　admired　at　the　Lambeth

Palace　Garden　Party　in　the　summer　of　1892。　And　the　great　race　meeting

was　responsible　for　the　rather　tight　trousers　and　the　gentleman…jockey

smile　which　he　was　wont　to　assume　when　he　set　out　for　a　canter　in　the

Row。　From　all　this　it　will　be　guessed　that　our　Prophet　was　exceedingly

amenable　to　the　influences　that　throng　at　the　heels　of　the　human

destiny。　Indeed；　he　was。　And　some　few　months　before　this　story　opens　it

came　about　that　he　encountered　a　gentleman　who　was；　in　fact；　the

primary　cause　of　this　story　being　true。　Who　was　this　gentleman？　you

will　say。　Sir　Tiglath　Butt；　the　great　astronomer；　Correspondent　of　the

Institute　of　France；　Member　of　the　Royal　College　of　Science；

Demonstrator　of　Astronomical　Physics；　author　of　the　pamphlet；　〃Star…

Gazers；〃　and　the　brochure；　〃An　investigation　into　the　psychical

condition　of　those　who　see　stars；〃　C。B。F。R。S。　and　popular　member　of　the

Colley　Cibber　Club　in　Long　Acre。



The　Prophet　was　introduced　to　Sir　Tiglath　at　the　Colley　Cibber　Club；

and　though　Sir　Tiglath；　who　was　of　a　freakish　disposition　and　much

addicted　to　his　joke　declined　to　speak　to　him；　on　the　ground　that　he

（Sir　Tiglath）　had　lost　his　voice　and　was　unlikely　to　find　it　in

conversation；　the　Prophet　was　greatly　impressed　by　the　astronomer's

enormous　brick…red　face；　round　body；　turned　legs；　eyes　like　marbles；

and　capacity　for　drinking　port…wineso　much　so；　in　fact　that；　on

leaving　the　club；　he　hastened　to　buy　a　science　primer　on　astronomy；　and

devoted　himself　for　several　days　to　a　minute　investigation　of　the　Milky

Way。



As　there　is　a　fascination　of　the　earth；　so　is　there　a　fascination　of

the　heavens。　Along　the　dim；　empurpled　highways　that　lead　from　star　to

star；　from　meteorite　to　comet；　the　imagination　travels　wakefully　by

night；　and　the　heart　leaps　as　it　draws　near　to　the　silver　bosses　of　the

moon。　Mrs。　Merillia　was　soon　obliged　to　permit　the　intrusion　of　a

gigantic　telescope　into　her　pretty　drawing…room；　and　found　herself

expected　to　converse　at　the　dinner…table　on　the　eight　moons　of　Saturn；

the　belts　of　Jupiter；　the　asteroids　of　Mars　and　the　phases　of　Venus。

These　last　she　at　first　declined　to　discuss　with　a　man；　even　though　he

were　her　grandson。　But　she　was　won　over　by　the　Prophet's　innocent

persuasiveness；　and　drawn　on　until　she　spoke　almost　as　readily　of　the

movements　of　the　stars　as　formerly　she　had　spoken　of　the　movements　of

the　Court　from　Windsor　to　London；　and　from　London　to　Balmoral。　In

truth；　she　expected　that　Hennessey's　passion　for　the　comets　would　cease

as　had　ceased　his　passion　for　the　clergyman's　daughter；　that　his　ardour

for　astronomy　would　die　as　had　died　his　ardour　for　play…writing；　that

he　would　give　up　going　to　/Corona　Borealis/　and　to　the　Southern　Fish　as

he　had　given　up　going　to　the　Derby。　Time　proved　her　wrong。　As　the　days

flew　Hennessey　became　increasingly　impassioned。　He　was　more　often　at

the　telescope　than　at　the　Bachelors'；　and　seemed　on　the　way　to　become

almost　as　gibbous　as　the　planet　Mars。　Even　he　slightly　neglected　his

social　duties；　and　on　one　terrible　occasion　forgot　that　he　was　engaged

to　dine　at　Cambridge　House　because　he　was　assisting　at　a　transit　of

Mercury。



Now　all　this　began　to　weigh　upon　the　mind　of　Mrs。　Merillia；　despite　the

amazing　cheerfulness　of　disposition　which　she　had　inherited　from　two

long　lines　of　confirmed　optimistsher　ancestors　on　the　paternal　and

maternal　sides。　She　did　not　know　how　to　brood；　but；　if　she　had；　she

might　well　have　been　led　to　do　so。　And　even　as　it　was　she　had　been

reduced　to　so　unusual　a　condition　of　dejection　that；　a　week　before　the

evening　we　are　describing；　she　had　been　obliged　to　order　a　box　at　the

Gaiety　Theatre；　she；　who；　like　all　optimists；　habitually　frequented

those　playhouses　where　she　could　behold　gloomy　tragedies；　awful

melodramas；　or　those　ironic　pieces　called　farces；　in　which　the　ultimate

misery　of　which　human　nature　is　capable　is　drawn　to　its　farthest　point。



In　the　beginning　of　this　new　dejection　of　hers；　Mrs。　Merillia　was　now

seated　in　a　stage　box　at　the　〃Gaiety；〃　with　an　elderly　General　of　Life

Guards；　a　Mistress　of　the　Robes；　and　the　grandfather　of　the　Central

American　Ambassador　at　the　Court　of　St。　James；　and　all　four　of　them

were　smiling　at　a　neat　little　low　comedian；　who　was　singing；　without

any　voice　and　with　the　utmost　precision；　a　pathetic　romance　entitled；

〃De　Coon　Wot　Got　de　Chuck。〃



Meanwhile　the　Prophet　was　engaged　for　the　twentieth　time　in　considering

whether　Mrs。　Merillia；　on　her　return　from　this　festival；　would　have　to

be　carried　to　bed　by　hired　menials。



Why？



This　brings　us　to　the　great　turning　point　in　our　hero's　life；　to　the

point　when　first　he　began　to　respect　the　strange　powers　stirring　within

him。



Until　he　encountered　Sir　Tiglath　Butt　in　the　dining…room　of　the　Colley

Cibber　Club　Hennessey　had　been　but　a　dilettante　fellow。　He　had　written

a　play；　but　airily；　and　without　the　twenty　years　of　arduous　and

persistent　study　declared　by　the　dramatic　critics　to　be　absolutely

necessary　before　any　intelligent　man　can　learn　how　to　get　a　bishop　on；

or　a　chambermaid　off；　the　stage。　He　had　nearly　proposed　to　a

clergyman's　daughter；　but　thoughtlessly；　and　without　any　previous

examination　into　the　clericalism　of　rectory　females；　any　first…hand

knowledge　of　mothers'　meetings；　devoid　of　which　he　must　be　a　stout…

hearted　gentleman　who　would　rush　in　where　even　curates　often　fear　to

tread。　He　had　been　to　the　Derby；　but　without　wearing　a　bottle…green

veil　or　carrying　a　betting…book。　In　fact；　he　had　not　taken　life　very

seriously；　or　fully　appreciated　the　solemn　duties　it　brings　to　all　who

bear　its　yoke。　Only　when　the　plump　red　hand　of　Sir　Tiglathholding　a

bumper　of　thirty…four　portpointed　the　way　to　the　heavens；　did

Hennessey　beginthrough　his　telescopeto　see　the　great　possibilities

that　foot　it　about　the　existence　of　even　the　meanest　man　who　eats；

drinks　and　suffers。　For　through　his　telescope　he　saw　that　he　might　be　a

prophet。　Malkiel　read　the　future　in　the　stars。　Why　not　he？



He　endeavoured　to　do　so。　He　sought　an　intimacy　with　the　benefic

/Jupiter/；　and　found　itperhaps　by　a　secret　kow…towing　to

/Sagittarius/。　He　made　up　openly　to　/Canis　Major/　and　was　shortly　on

what　might　almost　be　considered　terms　of　affection　with　/Venus/。　And　he

was；　moreover；　presently　quite　fearless　in　the　presence　of　/Saturn/；

quite　unabashed　beneath　the　glittering　eye　of　/Mercury/。　Then；　as　the

neophyte　growing　bold　by　familiarity　with　the　circle　of　the　great　ones；

he　ventured　on　his　first　prophecy；　a　discreet　and　even　humble　forecast

of　the　weather。　He　predicted　a　heavy　fall　of　snow　for　a　certain

evening；　and　so　distrusted　his　own　prediction　that　when　the　evening

came；　mild　and　benign；　he　sallied　forth　to　the　Empire　Palace　of

Varieties；　and　stayed　till　near　midnight；　laughing　at　the　sallies　of

French　clowns；　and　applauding　the　frail　antics　of　cockatoos　on　motor

bicycles。　When；　on　the　stroke　of　twelve；　he　came　airily　forth　wrapped

in　the　lightest　of　dust　coats；　he　was　obliged　to　endure　the　greatest　of

man's　amazementsthe　knowledge　that　there　was　a　well　of　truth　within

him。　Leicester　Square　was　swathed　in　an　ivory　fleece；　and　he　was

obliged　to　gain　Berkeley　Square　on　foot；　treading　gingerly　in　pumps；

escorted　by　linkmen　with　flaring　golden　torches；　and　preceded　by　tipsy

but　assiduous　ruffians　armed　with　shovels；　who；　with　many　a　lusty　oath

and　horrid　imprecation；　cleared　a　thin　thread　of　path　between　the

towering　walls　of　snow　that　sparkled　faintly　in　the　gaslight。



This　experience　fired　him。　He　rose　up　early；　lay　down　late；　and；　quite

with　her　assent；　cast　the　horoscope　of　Mrs。　Merillia　in　the　sweat　of

his　brow。　He　cast；　we　say；　her　horoscope　and；　from　a　certain

conjunction　of　the　planets；　he　gathered；　to　his　horror；　that　upon　the

fifteenth　da