the prophet of berkeley square-第31部分

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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　the　daytime。　〃There；　that's　settled。　So　now　let　us　get

to　business。　Kindly　hand　me　your　prophecy　of　last　night；　Mr。　Vivian。〃



The　Prophet　drew　from　a　breast　pocket　a　sheet　or　two　of　notepaper；　on

which　he　had　dotted　down；　in　prophetic　form；　the　events　of　the　night

before。　Madame　received　it　and　continued；



〃Before　perusing　this　report；　Mr。　Vivian；　I　should　wish　to　be　made

acquainted　with　those　particulars。〃



〃Which　ones？〃　said　the　Prophet。



〃Of　your　grandmother's　career。〃



〃Oh；　I〃



〃Let　us　take　them　in　order；　please；　and　proceed　/parri　passo/。　When　was

the　old　lady　removed　from　the　bottle？〃



〃Never；〃　replied　the　Prophet；　firmly。　〃Never。〃



An　expression　of　incredulous　amazement　decorated　the　obstreperous

features　of　Madame。



〃Do　you　mean　to　tell　me；　Mr。　Vivian；　that　she　sucks　it　still？〃　she

inquired。



〃I　mean　what　I　say；　that　she　has　never　been　removed　from　it；〃　returned

the　Prophet；　with　energy。



〃Well；　sir；　she　must　be　very　partial　to　milk　and　Indian　rubber；　very

partial　indeed！〃　said　Mr。　Sagittarius。　〃Go　on；　my　darling。〃



〃Her　first　tooth；　Mr。　Vivianwhen　did　she　cut　it？〃



〃She　has　no　idea。〃



Madame　began　to　look　decidedly　grim。



〃Date　of　short…coating？〃　she　rapped　out。



〃There　was　no　date。　She　never　wore　a　short…coat。〃



〃Do　you　desire　me　to　believe；　Mr。　Vivian；　that　the　old　lady　has　been

going　about　in　long　clothes　ever　since　she　was　born？〃　inquired　Madame；

with　incredulous　sarcasm。



〃Most　certainly　I　do；〃　replied　the　Prophet。



〃Then　how　does　she　get　along；　pray？　Come！　Come！〃



〃She　has　always　worn　long　clothes；〃　cried　the　Prophet；　boldly　standing

up　for　his　beloved　relative；　〃and　always　will。　You　can　take　that　from

me；　Madame　Sagittarius。　I　know　my　grandmother；　and　I　am　ready　to　pledge

my　honour　to　it。〃



〃Oh；　very　well。　She　must　be　a　very　remarkable　lady。　That's　all　I　can

say。　When　did　she　put　her　hair　up？〃



〃Never。　She　has　never　put　it　up。〃



〃She　has　never　put　her　hair　up！〃



〃No；　never。〃



〃You　mean　to　say　that　your　grandmother　goes　about　in　long　clothes　with

her　hair　down　in　the　central　districts？〃　cried　Madame　in　blank

amazement。



〃She　has　never　put　her　hair　up；〃　answered　the　Prophet；　with　almost

obstinate　determination。



〃Oh；　wellif　she　prefers！　But　I　wonder　what　the　police　are　about！〃

retorted　Madame。　〃And　now　the　rashes？〃



〃There　are　none。〃



But　at　this　Madame's　temperalready　somewhat　upset　by　her　prolonged

communion　with　the　mighty　deadshowed　symptoms　of　giving　way

altogether。



〃Rubbish；　Mr。　Vivian！〃　she　said；　clicking　loudly　and　passing　with　an

almost　upheaving　jerk　to　her　upper　register！　〃I'm　a　mother　and　was　once

a　child。　Rubbish！　I　must　insist　upon　knowing　the　number　of　the　rashes。〃



〃I　assure　you　there　are　none。〃



〃D'you　wish　me　to　believe　that　the　old　lady　has　gone　about　all　her　life

in　the　Berkeley　Square　in　long　clothes　and　her　hair　down；　with　her　lips

to　the　bottle　and　never　had　a　rash？　Do　you　wish　me　to　believe　that；　Mr。

Vivian？〃



〃Yes；　sir；　do　you　wish　Madame；　a　lady　of　deep　education；　sir；　to

believe　that？〃　cried　Mr。　Sagittarius。



〃I　can　only　adhere　to　what　I　have　said；〃　answered　the　Prophet。　〃My

grandmother　has　never　been　removed　from　the　bottle；　has　never　worn　a

short　coat；　has　never　put　her　hair　up　and　has　never　had　an　epidemic　in

Berkeley　Square。〃



〃Then　all　I　can　say　is　that　she's　an　unnatural　old　lady；〃　cried　Madame；

with　obvious　temper；　tossing　her　head　and　kicking　out　the　kid　boots；　as

if　seized　with　the　sudden　desire　to　use　them　upon　a　human　football。

〃And　there's　not　many　like　her。〃



〃There　is　no　one　like　her；　no　one　at　all；〃　said　the　Prophet　with

fervour。



〃So　I　should　suppose；〃　cried　Madame；　forgetting　the　other　questions　as

to　the　day　of　marriage；　etc。；　in　the　vexation　of　the　moment。　〃She　must

certainly　be　the　bird　of　whom　Phoenix　wrote　that　rose　from　ashes　in　the

days