the prophet of berkeley square-第10节

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〃Well；　sir；　as　soon　as　Madame　and　I　had　come　to　the　Mouse　we　resolved

that　we　could　do　no　better　than　that。　It　was　salubrious；　it　was

retired；　and　it　was　N。〃



〃You　said？〃



〃N。；　sir。〃



〃But　what　is　en？〃



〃Sir？〃



The　Prophet　had　grown　very　red；　but　he　was　seized　by　the　desperation

that　occasionally　attacks　ignorance；　and　renders　it；　for　a　moment；

determinedly　explicit。



〃I　ask　you　what　does　en　mean？　I　am；　I　fear；　a　very　ill…informed　person；

and　I　really　don't　know。〃



〃Think　of　an　envelope；　sir；〃　said　Malkiel；　with　gentle　commiseration。

〃Well；　are　you　thinking？〃



The　Prophet　grew　purple。



〃I　ambut　it　is　no　use。　Besides；　why　on　earth　should　I　think　of　an

envelope？　I　beg　you　to　explain。〃



〃North；　sir；　the　northern　postal　district　of　the　metropolis。　Fairly

simple　thatI　think；　sir。〃



〃N。！〃　cried　the　illuminated　Prophet。　〃I　see。　I　was　thinking　of　en　all

the　time。　I　beg　your　pardon。　Please　go　on。　N。of　course！〃



Malkiel　concealed　a　smile；　just　sufficiently　to　make　its　existence　for

an　instant　vitally　prominent；　and　continued；



〃By　the　Mouse　we　resolved　to　build　a　detached　residence　such　as　would

influence　suitably　the　minds　of　the　childrenshould　we　have　any。　For

we　had　resolved；　sir；　by　that　time　that　with　me　the　/Almanac/　should

cease。〃



Here　Malkiel　leaned　forward　upon　the　deal　table　and　lowered　his　voice

to　an　impressive　whisper。



〃Yes；　sir；　it　had　come　to　that。　We　all　have　our　ambitions　and　that　was

mine。〃



〃Good　Heavens！〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃Malkiel's　/Almanac/　cease！　But　why？

Such　a　very　useful　institution！〃



〃Useful！　More　than　that；　sir；　sublime！　There's　nothing　like　it。〃



〃Then　why　let　it　cease？〃



〃Because　the　social　status　of　the　prophet；　sir；　is　not　agreeable　to

myself　or　Madame。　I've　had　enough　of　it；　sir；　already；　and　I'm　barely

turned　of　fifty。　Besides；　my　father　would　have　wished　it；　I　feel　sure；

had　he　lived　in　these　days。　Had　he　seen　Sagittarius　Lodge；　the

children；　and　how　Madame　comports　herself；　he　would　have　recognised

that　the　family　was　destined　to　rise　into　a　higher　sphere　than　that

occupied　by　any　prophet；　however　efficient。　Besides；　I　will　not　deceive

you；　I　have　made　money。　In　another　ten　years'　time；　when　I　have　laid　by

sufficient；　I　tell　you　straight；　sir；　that　I　shall　go　out　of　prophecy；

right　out　of　it。〃



〃Then　your　Capricorthat　is　your　sonwill　not　carry　on　the〃



〃Capricornus　a　prophet；　sir！〃　cried　Malkiel。　〃Not　if　Madame　and　I　know

it。　No；　sir；　Capricornus　is　to　be　an　architect。〃



As　Malkiel　pronounced　the　last　words　he　flung　his　black　overcoat　wide

open　with　an　ample　gesture；　thrust　one　hand　into　his　breast；　and

assumed　the　fixed　and　far…seeing　gaze　of　a　man　in　a　cabinet　photograph。

He　seemed　lost　to　his　surroundings；　and　rapt　by　some　great　vision　of

enchanted　architects；　busy　in　drawing　plans　of　the　magic　buildings　of

the　future　ages。　The　Prophet　felt　that　it　would　be　impious　to　disturb

him。　Malkiel's　reverie　was　long；　and　indeed　the　two　prophets　might　well

have　been　sitting　in　Jellybrand's　parlour　now；　had　not　a　violent　sneeze

called　for　the　pink　assistance　of　the　flight　of　storks；　and　brought　the

sneezer　down　to　the　level　of　ordinary　humanity。



〃Yes；　sirI　give　you　my　word　Capricornus　is　to　be　an　architect；〃

repeated　Malkiel。　〃What　do　you　say　to　that？〃



〃Is　itis　it　really　a　better　profession　than　that　of　prophecy？〃　asked

the　Prophet；　rather　nervously。



Malkiel　smiled　mournfully。



〃Sir；　it　may　not　be　more　lucrative；　but　it　is　more　select。　Madame　will

not　mix　with　prophets；　but　she　has　a　'day；'　sir；　on　the　banks　of　the

Mouse；　and　she　has　gathered　around　her　a　very　pleasant　and　select

little　circle。〃



〃Indeed。〃



〃Yes；　sir。　Architects　and　their　wives。　You　understand？〃



〃Quite；〃　rejoined　the　Prophet；　〃quite。〃




Under　the　mesmeric　influence　of　Malkiel　he　began　to　feel　as　if

architects　were　some　strange　race　of　sacred　beings　set　apart；　denizens

of　some　holy　isle　or　blessed　nook　of　mediaeval　legend。　Would　he　ever

meet　them？　Would　he　ever　encounter　one　ranging　unfettered　where　flowed

the　waters　of　the　River　Mouse？



〃They　do　not　know　who　we　are；　sir；〃　continued　Malkiel；　furtively。　〃To

them　and　to　the　whole　worldexcepting　Jellybrand's　and　youwe　are　the

Sagittariuses　of　Sagittarius　Lodge；　people　at　ease；　sir；　living　upon

our　competence　beside　the　Mouse。　They　do　not　see　the　telescope；　sir；　in

the　locked　studio　at　the　top　of　the　lodge。　They　do　not　know　why

sometimes；　on　Madame's　'Wednesdays；'　I　am　palewith　sitting　up　on

behalf　of　the　/Almanac/。　For　Capricornus's　sake　and　for　Corona's　all

this　is　hid　from　the　world。　Madame　and　I　are　the　victims　of　a　double

life。　Yes；　sir；　for　the　children's　sake　we　have　never　dared　to　let　it

be　known　what　I　really　am。〃



Suddenly　he　began　to　grow　excited。



〃And　now；〃　he　cried；　〃after　all　these　years　of　secrecy；　after　all　these

years　of　avoiding　the　central　districtsin　which　Madame　longs　to　live

after　all　these　years　of　seclusion　beyond　the　beat　even　of　the　buses；

do　you　come　here　to　me；　and　search　yourself　and　say　upon　your　oath　that

a　prophet　can　live　and　be　a　prophet　in　the　Berkeley　Square；　that　he　can

read　the　stars　with　Gunter's　just　opposite；　ay；　and　bring　out　an

almanac　if　he　likes　within　a　shilling　fare　of　the　Circus？　If　this　is

so〃he　struck　the　deal　table　violently　with　his　clenched　fist〃of

what　use　are　the　sacrifices　of　myself　and　Madame？　Of　what　use　is　it　to

live　under　a　modest　name　such　as　Sagittarius；　when　I　might　be　Malkiel

the　Second　to　the　whole　world？　Of　what　use　to　flee　from　W。　and　dwell

perpetually　in　N。？　Why；　if　what　you　say　is　true；　we　might　leave　the

Mouse　to…morrow　and　Madame　could　pop　in　and　out　of　the　Stores　just　like

any　lady　of　pleasure。〃



At　the　thought　of　this　so　long　foregone　enchantment　Malkiel's　emotion

completely　overcame　him；　his　voice　died　away；　overborne　by　a　violent

fit　of　choking；　and　he　sat　back　in　his　cane　chair　trembling　in　every

limb。　The　Prophet　was　deeply　moved　by　his　emotion；　and　longed　most

sincerely　to　assuage　it。　But　his　deep　and　growing　conviction　of　his　own

power　rendered　him　useless　as　a　comforter。　He　could　not　lie。　He　could

not　deny　that　he　was　a　prophet。　He　could　only　say；　in　his　firmest

voice；



〃Malkiel　the　Second；　be　brave。　You　must　see　this　thing　through。〃



On　hearing　these　original　and　noble　words　Malkiel　lifted　up　his　marred

countenance。



〃I　know　it；　sir；　I　know　it；〃　he　answered。　〃One　moment。　The　thought　of

Madamethe　StoresIof　all　that　might　perhaps　have　been〃



He　choked　again。　The　Prophet　looked　away。　A　strong　man's　emotion　is

always　very　scared　and　very　terrible。　Three　minutes　swept　by；　then　the

Prophet　heard　a　calm　and　hollow　voice　say；



〃And　now；　sir；　to　business。〃



The　Prophet　looked　up；　and　perceived　that　Malkiel's　overcoat　was

tightly　buttoned　and　that　his　mouth　was　tightly　set　in　an　expression　of

indomitable；　though　tragic；　resolution。



〃What　business？〃　asked　the　Propet。



〃Mine；〃　replied　Malkiel。　〃Mine；　sir；　and　yours。　You　have　chosen　to

enter　my　life。　You　cannot　deny　that。　You　cannot　deny　that　I　sought　to

avoidI　might　even　say　to　dodge　you。〃



With　the　remembrance　of　the　recent　circus　performance　in　the　library

still　strong　upon　him　the　Prophet　could　not。　He　bowed　his　head。



〃Very　well；　sir。　You　have　chosen　to　enter　my　life。　That　act　has　given

me　the　right　to　enter　yours。　Am　I　correct？〃



〃I　supposeI　meanyes；　you　are；〃　answered　the　Prophet；　overwhelmed　by

the　pitiless　logic　of　his　companion；　and　wondering　what　was　coming

next。



〃I　have　been　forcedI　think　I　may　say　thatto　reveal　myself　to　you；

sir。　Nothing　can　ever　alter　that。　Nothing　can　ever　take　from　you　the

knowledgedenied　by　Madame　to　the　very　architectsof　who　I　really　am。

You　have　told　me；　sir；　that　I　must　see　this　thing　through。　I　tell　you

now；　at　this　table；　in　this　parlour；　that　I　intend　to　see　it　through

and　through。〃



As　Malkiel　said　the　last　words　he　gazed　at　the　Prophet　with　eyes　that

seemed　suddenly　to　have　taken　on　the　peculiar　properties　of　the　gimlet。

The　Prophet　began　to　feel　extremely　uneasy。　But　he　said　nothing。　He

felt　that　there　was　more　to　come。　And　he　was　right。



〃It　is　my　duty；〃　continued　Malkiel；　in　a　louder　voice；　〃my　sacred　duty

to　Madameto　say　nothing　of　Corona　and　Capricornusto　probe　you　to

the　core〃here　the　Prophet　could　not　resist　a　startled　movement　of

protest〃and　to　search　you　to　the　quick。〃



〃Oh；　really！〃　cried　the　Prophet。



〃This　duty　I　shall　carry　out　unflinchingly；〃　pursued　Malkiel；　〃at

whatever　cost　to　myself。　This　will　not　be　our　last　interview。　Do　not

think　it。〃



〃I　assure　you；〃　inserted　the　Prophet；　endeavouring　vainly　to　seem　at

ease；　〃I　do　not　wish　to　think　it。〃



〃It　matters　little　whether　you　wish　to　do　so　or　not；〃　continued

Malkiel；　with　an　increasingly　Juggernaut　air。　〃The　son　of　Malkiel　the

First　is　not　a　man　to　be　trifled　with　o