the prophet of berkeley square-第24部分

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ordinary　gentle　eyes　flamed　almost　furiously〃Mr。　Ferdinand　is　to　burn

them　unreadyes；　to　ashes。　I　will　tell　him。〃　And　he　escorted　Lady　Enid

tumultuously　downstairs；　missing　his　footing　at　every　second　step。



In　the　square　they　parted　from　Mr。　Green；　who　said；



〃Good…bye；　Niddy；　old　girl。　What　do　I　want　to　pick　up　at　Tattersall's？〃



〃A　polo　pony；　Bob；〃　she　answered　firmly。



〃Oh；　a　polo　pony。　Thanks；　Chin；　chin；　Hen。　Polo　pony　is　it？〃



He　strode　off；　whistling　〃She　wore　a　wreath　of　roses〃　in　a　puzzled

manner；　but　still　preserving　the　accepted　demeanour　of　a　bulwark。



As　soon　as　Mr。　Green　was　out　of　sight　Lady　Enid　said；



〃We　aren't　going　to　Hill　Street。〃



〃Aren't　we？〃　replied　the　Prophet；　feebly。



〃No。　I　must　see　Sir　Tiglath　Butt　to…day。　I　want　you　to　take　me　to　his

door。〃



〃Where　is　his　door？〃



〃In　Kensington　Square。　Do　you　mind　hailing　a　four…wheeler。　We　can　talk

privately　there。　No　one　will　hear　us。〃



The　Prophet　hailed　a　growler；　wondering　whether　they　would　be　able　to

hear　each　other。　As　they　got　in　Lady　Enid；　after　giving　the　direction；

said　to　the　cabman；　who　was　a　short　person；　with　curling　ebon　whiskers；

a　broken…up　expression　and　a　broken…down　manner：



〃Drive　slowly；　please　and　I'll　give　you　an　extra　six…pence。〃



〃Lydy？〃



〃Drive　slowly；　and　I'll　give　you　another　six…pence。〃



〃How　did　yer　think　I　was　gawing　to　drive；　lydy？〃



〃I　wonder　why　cabmen　are　always　so　interested　in　one's　inmost

thoughts；〃　said　Lady　Enid；　as　the　horse　fell　down　preparatory　to

starting。



〃I　wonder。〃



〃I　hope　he　will　go　slowly。〃



〃He　seems　to　be　doing　so。〃



At　this　point　the　horse；　after　knocking　on　the　front　of　the　cab　with

his　hind　feet　ten　or　a　dozen　times；　got　up；　hung　his　head；　and　drew　a

large　number　of　deep　and　dejected　breaths。



〃Am　I　gawing　slowly　enough；　lydy？〃　asked　the　cabman；　anxiously。



〃Yes；　but　you　can　let　him　trot　along　now。〃



〃Right；　lydy；　I　ain't　preventing　of　him。〃



As　eventually　they　scrambled　slowly　forward　in　the　Kensington

direction；　Lady　Enid　remarked；



〃Why　don't　you　have　them　sent　to　Jellybrand's？〃



〃Have　what？〃　asked　the　Prophet。



〃Your　telegrams。　The　messages　from　your　double　life。　I　do。〃



〃But　I　assure　you〃



〃Mr。　Vivian；　it's　useless　really。　I　find　you　hidden　away　in　the　inner

room　of　Jellybrand's　with　Mr。　Sagittarius；　closely　guarded　by　Frederick

Smith；　fourpenny　champagne〃



〃Four　bobshilling；　I　mean。〃



〃Oh；　was　it？Upon　the　table。　After　I've　been　poisoned；　and　we　are

leaving；　Mr。　Sagittarius　calls　after　you　such　expressions　as　'Banks　of

the　Mousehear　from　memarrowarchitects　and　the　last　day。'　You　are

obviously　agitated　by　these　expressions。　We　reach　your　house。　I　find

you　have　been　prophesying　through　a　telescope。　The　name　of　Malkiela

well…known　prophetis　mentioned。　You　turn　pale　and　glance　at　me

imploringly；　as　if　to　solicit　my　silence。　I　am　silent。　The　next　day　you

announce　that　you　are　going　to　have　two　afternoon　parties。〃



〃No；　no；　not　afternoon！　I　never　said　afternoon！〃　interposed　the

Prophet；　frantically；　as　the　horse　fell　down　again　in　order　to　earn　the

extra　sixpence。



〃Well；　two　parties　in　the　afternoon。　It's　the　same　thing。　You　say　they

are　odd。　You　yourself　acknowledge　it。　You　tell　me　you　have　secrets。〃



〃Did　I？〃



〃Yes。　When　I　said　I　had　guessed　your　secret　you　replied；　'Which　one？'　〃



〃Oh！〃　murmured　the　Prophet；　trying　not　to　say　〃come　in！〃　to　the　horse；

which　was　again　knocking　with　both　feet　upon　the　front　of　the　cab。



〃You　go　home。　I　call　during　the　afternoon；　and　find　that　you　are

entertaining　all　your　guests　in　your　own　little　room　and　that　your

grandmother　knows　nothing　of　it　and　believes　you　to　be　working。　As　I　am

leaving　I　see　the　backs　of　two　of　your　guests。　One　is　a　pelisse；　the

other　a　spotted　collar。　As　I　near　them　they　mount　into　a　purple　omnibus

on　which　is　printed　in　huge　letters；　/'To　the　〃Pork　Butcher's

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　Scie