the prophet of berkeley square-第43部分

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condition　of　the　gravest　excitement。　Madame；　more　especially；　had

reached　boiling　point。　Feeling　herself；　for　the　first　time；　an　Imperial

creature　in　exile；　who　had　only　to　declare　herself　to　receive　instant

homage　and　to　be　overwhelmed　with　the　most　flattering　attentions；　her

lust　of　glory　developed　with　alarming　rapidity；　and　she　urged　her

husband　to　cast　the　traditions　that　had　hitherto　guided　him　to　the

winds　and　to　declare　forthwith　his　identity　with　Malkiel　the　Second；

the　business…like　and　as　it　were　official　head　of　the　whole　prophetic

tribe。



Mr。　Sagittarius；　for　his　part；　was　also　fired　with　the　longing　for

instant　glory；　but　he　was　by　nature　an　extremely　timidor　shall　we　say

rather；　an　extremely　prudentman。　He　remembered　the　repeated

injunctions　of　his　great　forebear　who　had　lived　and　died　in　the　Susan

Road　beside　the　gasworks。　More；　he　remembered　Sir　Tiglath　Butt。　He　was

torn　between　ambition　and　terror。



〃Declare　yourself；　Jupiter！〃　cried　Madame。　〃Declare　yourself　this

moment！〃



〃My　love！〃　replied　Mr。　Sagittarius。　〃My　angel；　we　must　reflect。〃



〃I　have　reflected；〃　retorted　Madame。



〃There　are　difficulties；　my　dear；　many　difficulties　in　the　way。〃



〃And　what　if　there　are？　/Per　augustum　ad　augustibus/。　Every　fool　knows

that。〃



〃My　dear；　you　are　a　little　hard　upon　me。〃



〃And　what　have　you　been　upon　me；　I　should　like　to　know？　What　about

those　goings…on　with　the　woman　Bridgeman？　What　about　your

investigations　with　that　hussy　Minerva？　You've　been　her　owl；　that's

what　you've　been！〃



She　began　to　show　grave　symptoms　of　hysteria。　Mr。　Sagittarius　patted

her　hands　in　great　anxiety。



〃My　love；　I　have　told　you；　I　have　sworn〃



〃And　what　man　doesn't　swear　whenever　he　gets　the　chance？〃　cried　Madame。

〃Why　did　I　ever　marry？　/Heu　miserum　me/。〃



〃My　angel；　be　calm。　I　assure　you〃



〃Very　well　then；　declare　yourself；　Jupiter；　this　minute；　or　I'll

declare　yourself　for　you！〃



〃But；　my　love；　think　of　Sir　Tiglath！　I　dare　not　declare　myself。　He　will

be　here　at　any　moment；　and　he　has　sworn　to　kill　me；　if　I'm　not　an

American　syndicate！〃



〃Rubbish！〃



〃But；　my〃



〃Rubbish！　That's　only　what　Mr。　Vivian　says。〃



〃Well；　but〃



〃Besides；　you　can　put　on　your　/toga　virilibus/　and　knock　him　down。　It's

no　use　talking　to　me；　Jupiter。〃



〃I　know　it　isn't；　my　darling；　I　know。　But〃



〃If　you　don't　declare　yourself　I　shall　declare　yourself　for　you　this

very　moment。　I　will　not　endure　to　be　left　in　the　corner　while　all　these

nobodies　are　being　truckled　to。　Bernard　Wilkins；　indeed！　A　prophet　we

wouldn't　so　much　as　recognise　to　be　a　prophet；　and　that　there　Mrs。

Elizapeople　from　the　Wick　going　down　to　supper　in　front　of　us；　and　a

man　from　the　Butts　put　before　you！　It's　right　down　disgusting；　and　I

won't　have　it。〃



It　was　exactly　at　this　point　in　the　matrimonial　conference　that　Lady

Enid　and　Sir　Tiglath　Butt；　shaking　themselves　free　of　Mrs。　Eliza　and

Verano；　bore　down　upon　Mr。　and　Madame　Sagittarius；　who　were　so　busily

engaged　in　disputation　that　they　did　not　perceive　that　anyone　was　near

until　Lady　Enid　touched　Mr。　Sagittarius　upon　the　arm。



That　gentleman　started　violently　and；　on　perceiving　Sir　Tiglath　Butt；

who　was　positively　sputtering　with　wrath　at　the　palmistic　attentions

paid　to　him　by　Verano；　shrank　against　his　wife；　who　pushed　him

vigorously　from　her；　and；　getting　upon　her　feet；　announced　in　a　loud

voice；



〃Very　well；　Jupiter；　since　you　won't　declare　yourself　I　shall　go　at

once　to　the　woman　Bridgeman　and　declare　yourself　for　you！〃



And　with　this　remark　she　scowled　at　Lady　Enid　and　walked　majestically

away；　tossing　her　head　vehemently　at　Mrs。　Eliza　and　Verano　as　she　swept

into　the　adjoining　drawing…room。



〃Dear　me；〃　said　Lady　Enid；　with　great　curiosity。　〃Dear　me；　Mr。

Sagittarius；　is　your　wife　going　to　make　a　declaration？　This　is　most

interesting！〃



And；　moved　by　her　besetting　idiosyncrasy；　she　added　to　the　astronomer；

〃Excuse　me；　Sir　Tiglath；　〃I'll　be　back　in　one　moment！〃　and　glided

swiftly　away　in　the　wake　of　Madame；　leaving　Mr。　Sagittarius　and　his

deadliest　foe　/tete…a…tete/。



〃Is　this　a　madhouse；　sir？〃　cried　Sir　Tiglath；　on　being　thus　abandoned。

〃The　old　astronomer　demands　to　know　at　once　if　one　is；　or　is　not；　in　a

vast　madhouse？〃



〃I　don't　know；　sir；　indeed；〃　replied　Mr。　Sagittarius。　〃I　should　not

like　to　express　an　opinion　on　the　point。　If　you　will　excu〃



〃Sir；　the　old　astronomer　will　not　excuse　you；〃　roared　Sir　Tiglath；

forcibly　preventing　Mr。　Sagittarius；　who　was　pale　as　ashes；　from

escaping　into　the　farther　room。　〃He　will　not　be　run　away　from　by

everybody　in　this　manner。〃



〃I　beg　pardon；　sir；　I　had　no　intention　of　running　away；〃　said　Mr。

Sagittarius；　making　one　last　despairing　effort　to　assume　his　/toga

virilibus/。



〃Then　why　did　you　do　it；　sir？　Tell　the　old　astronomer　that！〃　cried　Sir

Tiglath；　seizing　him　by　the　arm。　〃And　tell　him；　moreover；　what　you　and

the　old　female　Bridgeman　have　been　about　together？〃



〃Nothing；　sir；　I　swear　that　Mrs。　Bridgeman　and　myself　have　never〃



〃Never　made　investigations　into　the　possibility　of　there　being　oxygen

in　many　of　the　holy　stars？　Do　you　affirm　that；　sir？〃



〃I　do！〃　cried　Mr。　Sagittarius。　〃I　am　an　outside　broker。〃



〃Do　you　affirm　that　you　are　no　astronomer；　sir？　Do　you　declare　that　you

are　not　a　man　of　science？〃



〃I　do！　I　do！〃



〃Not　an　astronomer　of　remarkable　attainments；　but　very　modest　and

retiring　withal？　Oh…h…h！〃



〃Modest　and　retiring；　sir？〃　cried　Mr。　Sagittarius；　suddenly　illumined

by　a　ray　of　hope。　〃That's　just　it！　I　am　a　modest　and　retiring　outside

broker；　sir。〃



And　he　violently　endeavoured　to　prove　the　truth　of　the　words　by

escaping　forthwith　into　obscurity。



〃There　never　was　a　modest　and　retiring　outside　broker！〃　bellowed　Sir

Tiglath。　〃There　never　was；　and　there　never　will　be。　The　old〃



〃What's　that？〃　interrupted　Mr。　Sagittarius。　〃Whatever's　that？〃



For　at　this　moment　an　extraordinary　hum　of　voices　made　itself　audible

above　the　fifty　guitars；　and　a　noise　of　many　feet　trampling　eagerly

upon　Mrs。　Bridgeman's　parquet　grew　louder　and　louder　in　the　brilliant

rooms。　Attracted　by　the　uproar；　Sir　Tiglath　paused　for　a　moment；　still

keeping　his　hand　upon　the　lapel　of　Mr。　Ferdinand's　coat；　however。　The

noise　increased。　It　was　evident　that　a　multitude　of　people　was　rapidly

approaching。　Words　uttered　by　the　moving　guests；　exclamations；　and

ejaculations　of　excitement　now　detached　themselves　from　the　general

murmur。



〃The　Prophet　from　the　Mouse！〃



〃The　great　Malkiel　here！〃



〃The　founder　of　the　almanac！〃



〃The　greatest　Prophet　of　the　age！〃



〃Malkiel　the　Second　from　the　Mouse！〃



〃Where　is　Malkiel？〃



〃We　must　find　Malkiel！〃



〃We　must　see　Malkiel！〃



〃Is　it　really　Malkiel？〃



〃Oh；　is　it　/the/　Malkiel？　Wherewhere　is　Malkiel？〃



Such　cries　as　these　broke　upon　the　ears　of　the　astronomer　and　Mr。

Sagittarius。



Sir　Tiglath　grew　purple。



〃Malkiel　who　has　insulted　the　holy　stars　here！〃　he　roared；　letting　go

of　Mr。　Sagittarius。　〃Wherewhere　is　he？〃



〃In　there；　sir；　I　verily　believe！〃　cried　Mr。　Sagittarius；　pointing　in

the　direction　of　the　crowd　with　a　hand　that　shook　like　all　the　leaves

in　Vallombrosa。



〃Let　me　find　him！〃　shouted　the　astronomer。　〃Let　me　only　discover　him！

I'll　break　every　bone　in　his　accursed　body。〃



And　with　this　rather　bald　statement　he　rolled　out　of　the　room　in　one

direction；　while　Mr。　Sagittarius；　without　more　ado；　cast　aside　his

/toga　virilibus/　and　darted　out　of　it　into　another；　just　as　Madame

escorted　by　Mrs。　Bridgeman；　Lady　Enid；　the　great　Towle　and　the　whole　of

the　company　assembled　at　Zoological　House；　appeared　majesticallyand

proceeding　as　an　Empressin　the　aperture　of　the　main　doorway。







CHAPTER　XIX



MRS。　MERILLIA　HEATS　THE　POKER



When　Mr。　Sagittarius；　running　at　his　fullest　speed；　emerged　from

Zoological　House；　wearing　the　hat　and　coat　that　the　saturnine　little

clergyman　had　left　behind　him；　the　night　was　damp　and　gusty。　As　he

hastened　down　the　drive；　and　the　sound　of　twenty　guitars；　playing　〃Oh

would　I　were　a　Spaniard　among　you　lemon　groves！〃　died　away　in　the

lighted　mansion　behind　him；　he　heard　the　roaring　of　the　beasts　in　the

gardens　close　by。　In　the　wet　darkness　it　sounded　peculiarly　terrific。

He　shuddered；　and；　holding　up　Mr。　Ferdinand's　trousers　with　both　hands；

hurried　onward　through　the　mire；　whither　he　knew　not。　His　only　thought

was　that　all　was　now　discovered　and　that　his　life　was　in　danger。　A

woman's　vanity　had　wrecked　his　future。　He　must　hide　somewhere　for　the

night；　and　get　away　in　the　morning；　perhaps　on　board　some　tramp　steamer

bound　for　Buenos　Ayres；　or　on　a　junk　weighing　anchor　for　Hayti　or　Java；

or　some　other　distant　place。　Vague　memories　of　books　he　had　read　when　a

boy　came　back　to　him　as　he　ran　through　the　unkempt　wilds　of　the

Regent's　Park。　He　saw　himself　a　stowaway　hidden　in　a　hold；　alone　with

rats　and　ships'　biscuits。　He　saw　himself　working　his　way　out　before　the

mast；　sent　aloft　in　hurricanes　on　pitch…black　nights；　or　turning　the

wheel　the　wrong　way　round　and　bringing　the　ship　to　wreck　upon　iron…

bound　coasts　swarming　with　sharks　and　savages。　The　lions　roared　again；

and　the　black　panthers　snarled　behind　their　prison　bars。　He　thought　of

the　peaceful　waters　of　the　river　Mouse；　of　the　library　of　Madame；　of

the　happy　little　circle　of　architects　and　their　wives；　of　all　that　he

must　leave。



What　wonder　if　he　dropped　a　tear　into　the　muddy　road？　What　wonder　if　a

sob　rent　the　bosom　of　Mr。　Ferdinand's　now　disordered　shirt　front？　On

and　on　Mr。　Sagittariusor　Malkiel　the　Second；　as　he　may　from

henceforth　be　calledwent　blindly；　on　and　on　till　the　Park　was　left

behind；　till　crescents　gave　way　to　squares；　and　squares　to　streets。　He

passed　an　occasional　policeman　and　slunk　away　from　the　penetrating

bull's…eye。　He　hea