the prophet of berkeley square-第15节

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astronomer；　waving　his　hands　frantically　over　the　last　remaining

crumpet；　〃instead　of　representing　a　syndicate　of　ruffianly　underground

criminals；　the　old　astronomer；　well　stricken　in　years　though　he　be；

would　hunt　him　out　of　his　hiding…place　and　slay　him　with　his　own　feeble

and　scientific　hands。〃



So　saying；　he　grasped　the　crumpet　as　if　it　had　been　an　assegai；　and

assailed　himself　with　it　so　violently　that　it　entirely　disappeared。



〃But　Malkiel　is　an〃　began　Mrs。　Merillia。



The　Prophet　stopped　her　with　a　glance；　whose　almost　terror…stricken

authority　surprised　her　into　silence。



〃But　I　thought　Malkiel　was　a　man；〃　cried　Lady　Enid；　looking　towards　the

Prophet。



〃Hefor　I　will　not　foul　my　lips　with　the　accursed　nameis　not　a　man；〃

roared　Sir　Tiglath。　〃He　is　a　syndicate。　He　is　a　company。　He　meets

together；　doubtless；　in　some　low　den　of　the　city。　He　reads　reports　to

himself　of　the　ill…gotten　gains　accruing　from　his　repeated　insults　to

the　heavens　round　some　abominable　table　covered　with　green　cloth。　He

quotes　the　prices　of　the　shares　in　him；　and　declares　dividends；　and

carries　balances　forward；　and　some　day　will　wind　himself　up　or　cast

himself　anew　upon　the　mercy　of　the　market。　Part　of　him　is　probably　Jew；

part　South　African　and　part　America。　The　whole　of　him　is　thrice

accursed。〃



He　began　to　expand　once　more；　but　Mrs。　Merillia　perceived　the　tendency

and　checked　it　in　time。



〃Pray；　Sir　Tiglath；〃　she　said　almost　severely；　〃don't。　With　my　sprained

ankle　I　am　really　not　equal　to　it。〃



Sir　Tiglath　had　enough　chivalry　to　stop；　and　Lady　Enid　once　again

chipped　in。



〃But；　really；　I'm　almost　sure　Malkiel　is　a〃



She　caught　the　Prophet's　eye；　as　Mrs。　Merillia　had；　and　paused。　He

turned　to　the　astronomer。



〃But　how　can　a　company　make　itself　into　a　prophet？〃　he　asked。



〃Young　man；　you　talk　idly！　What　are　companies　formed　for　if　not　to　make

profits？〃　retorted　Sir　Tiglath。　〃Every　one　is　a　company　nowadays。　Don't

you　know　that？　Murchison；　the　famous　writer　of　novels；　is　a　company。

Jeremy；　the　actor…manager；　is　a　company。　So　is　Bynion　the　quack　doctor；

and　the　Rev。　Mr。　Kinnimer　who　supplies　tracts　to　the　upper　classes；　and

Upton　the　artist；　whose　pictures　make　tours　like　Sarah　Bernhardt；　and

Watkins；　whose　philosophy　sells　more　than　Tupper's；　and　Caroline　Jingo；

who　writes　war　poems　and　patriotic　odes。　If　you　were　to　invite　these

supposed　seven　persons　to　dinner；　and　all　of　them　came；　you　would　have

to　lay　covers　for　at　least　fifty　scoundrels。　Oh…h…h…h！〃



〃Well；　but　how　are　you　sure　thatahemthe　/Almanac/　person　is　also

plural；　Sir　Tiglath？〃　inquired　Mrs。　Merillia。



〃Because　I　sought　him　with　the　firm　intention　of　assault　and　battery

for　five…and…forty　years；〃　returned　the　astronomer。　〃And　only　gave　up

my　Christian　quest　when　I　was　assured；　on　excellent　authority；　that　he

was　a　company；　and　had　originally　been　formed　in　the　United　States　for

the　making　of　money　and　the　defiance　of　the　heavenly　bodies。　May　bulls

and　bears　destroy　him！〃



〃Well；　it's　very　odd；〃　said　Lady　Enid。　〃Very　odd　indeed。〃



As　she　spoke　she　glanced　at　the　Prophet　and　met　his　eyes。　There　are

moments　when　the　mere　expression　in　another　person's　eyes　seems　to

shout　a　request　at　one。　The　expression　in　the　Prophet's　eyes　performed

this　feat　at　this　moment；　with　such　abrupt　vehemence；　that　Lady　Enid

felt　almost　deafened。　She　leaned　back　in　her　chair；　as　if　avoiding　a

missile；　and　exclaimed；



〃Of　course！　And　I　never　guessed　it！〃



〃Guessed　what；　my　dear？〃　inquired　Mrs。　Merillia。



〃Why；　thatheitwas　a　company；〃　replied　Lady　Enid。



The　Prophet　blessed　and　thanked　her　with　a　piercing　and　saved　look。



〃Nor　I；〃　he　assented；　descending　into　the　very　mine　of　subterfuge　for

his　recent　oath's　sake；　〃nor　I；　or　I　should　never　have　taken　the

useless　trouble　that　I　have　taken。



He　managed　to　say　this　with　such　conviction　that　his　grandmother；　who；

in　the　past；　had　always　found　him　to　be　transparently　honest　and

sincere；　was　carried　away　by　the　deception。　She　wrinkled　her　long　nose；

as　was　her　habit　when　sincerely　pleased；　and　cried　gaily；



〃Then；　Hennessey；　now　you've　heard　Sir　Tiglath's　opinion　of　the

practice　of　trying　to　turn　the　stars　into　money…makers；　and　the　planets

into　old　gipsy　women　who　tell　fortunes　to　silly　servant　girls；　I'm　sure

you'll　never　study　them　again。　Come；　promise　me！〃



The　Prophet　made　no　answer。



〃Hennessey；〃　cried　his　grandmother；　with　tender　pertinacity；　〃promise

me！　Sir　Tiglath；　join　your　voice　to　mine！〃



Sir　Tiglath　had　become　really　grave；　not　theatrically　serious。



〃Young　man；〃　he　said；　〃your　revered　granddam　asks　of　you　a　righteous

thing。　Who　are　you　to　trifle　with　those　shining　worlds　that　make　a

beauty　of　the　night　and　that　stir　eternity　in　the　soul　of　man？　Who　are

you　to　glue　your　pinpoint　of　a　human　eye　to　yonder　machine　and　play

with　the　stupendous　Jupiter　and　Saturn　as　a　child　plays　with　marbles　or

with　peg…tops？　Who　are　you　that　thinks　those　glittering　monsters　have

nothing　to　do　but　to　inform　your　pigmy　brain　of　snowfalls；　street

accidents；　and　love…affairs　prematurely；　so　that　you　may　flaunt　about

your　pocket…handkerchief　of　a　square　pluming　your　dwarfship　that　you

are　a　prophet？　Fie；　young　man；　and　again　fie！　Bow　the　knee；　as　I　do；　to

the　mysteries　of　the　great　universal　scheme；　instead　of　bothering　them

to　turn　informers　and　'give　away'　the　knowledge　which　is　deliberately

hidden　from　us。　Show　me　a　man　that　can　understand　the　present　and

you'll　have　shown　me　a　god。　And　yet　you　knock　at　the　gates　of　the

heavens　through　that　telescope　and　clamour　to　be　told　the　future！　Fie

upon　you；　young　man；　fie！　Oh…h…h…h！〃



Now　the　Prophet；　as　has　been　before　observed；　possessed　a　very

sensitive　nature。　He　was　also　very　devoted　to　his　grandmother；　and　had

an　extraordinary　reverence　for　the　world…famed　attainments　of　Sir

Tiglath　Butt。　Therefore；　when　he　heard　Mrs。　Merillia's　pleading；　and

the　astronomer's　weighty　denunciation；　he　was　deeply　moved。

Nevertheless；　so　strongly　had　recent　events　appealed　to　his　curiosity；

so　ardently　did　he　desire　to　search　into　the　reality　of　his　own

peculiar　powers；　that　it　is　very　doubtful　whether　he　might　not　have

withstood　both　the　behests　of　affection　and　of　admiration　had　it　not

been　that　they　took　to　themselves　an　ally；　whose　force　is　one　of　the

moving　spirits　of　the　world。　This　ally　was　fear。　Just　as　the　Prophet

was　beginning　to　feel　obstinate　and　to　steel　himself　to　resistance；　he

remembered　the　fierce　and　horrible　threats　of　Malkiel　the　Second。　If　he

should　cease　to　concern　himself　with　the　stars；　if　he　should　cease　to

prophesy；　not　alone　should　he　restore　peace　to　his　beloved　grandmother；

and　pay　the　tribute　of　respect　to　Sir　Tiglath；　but　he　should　do　more。

He　should　preserve　his　quick　from　being　searched　and　his　core　from

being　probed。　His　marrow；　too；　would　be　rescued　from　the　piercing　it

had　been　so　devoutly　promised。　The　dread；　by　which　he　was　now

companionedof　Malkiel；　of　that　portentous　and　unseen　lady　who　dwelt

beside　the　secret　waters　of　the　Mouse；　of　those　imagined　offshoots　of

the　prophetic　tree；　Corona　and　Capricornusthis　would　drop　away。　He

would　be　free　once　more；　light…hearted；　a　happy　and　mildly　intellectual

man　of　the　town；　emerged　from　the　thrall　of　bogies；　and　from　beneath

the　yoke　which　he　already　felt　laid　upon　his　shoulders　by　those　august

creatures　who　were　the　centre　of　the　architectural　circle。



All　these　things　suddenly　presented　themselves　to　the　Prophet's　mind

with　extraordinary　vividness　and　force。　His　resolve　was　taken　in　a

moment；　and；　turning　to　his　eager　grandmother　and　to　the　still　slightly

inflated　astronomer；　he　exclaimed　without　further　hesitation；



〃Very　well。　I'll　give　it　up。　I　promise　you。〃



Mrs。　Merillia　clapped　her　mittens　together　almost　like　a　girl。



〃Thank　you；　Sir　Tiglath；〃　she　cried。　〃I　knew　you　would　persuade　the

dear　boy。〃



The　astronomer　beamed　like　the　rising　sun。



〃Let　the　morning　starsfreed　from　insultsing　together！〃　he　roared。



The　Prophet　glanced　towards　Lady　Enid。　She　was　looking　almost　narrow

and　not　at　all　pleased。　She；　and　all　her　family；　had　a　habit　of

suddenly　appearing　thinner　than　usual　when　they　were　put　out。　This

habit　had　descended　to　them　from　a　remote　Highland　ancestor；　who　had

perished　of　starvation　and　been　very　vexed　about　it。　The　Prophet　felt

sure　that　she　did　not　applaud　his　resolution；　but　he　could　not　discuss

the　matter　with　her　in　public；　and　she　now　got　uplooking　almost　like

a　skeletonand　said　that　she　must　go。　Sir　Tiglath　immediately　rolled

up　out　of　his　chair　and　roared　that　he　would　accompany　her。



〃The　old　astronomer　will　protect　the　injudicious　young　female；〃　he

exclaimed；　〃lest　she　wander　forth　into　accursed　places。〃



〃I'm　only　going　to　Hill　Street；〃　said　Lady　Enid；　rather　snappishly。

〃Come　to　see　me　to…morrow　at　three；〃　she　whispered　to　the　Pro