the prophet of berkeley square-第16节

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

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

she　took　his　hand。　〃We　must　have　a　talk。　Don't　tell　anybody！〃



The　Prophet　nodded　surreptitiously。　He　felt　that　she　was　curious　to　her

finger…tips　as　he　gently　pressed　them。



When　he　and　his　grandmother　were　alone　together　he　rang　the　drawing…

room　bell。　Mr。　Ferdinand　appeared。



〃Mr。　Ferdinand；〃　said　the　Prophet；　〃kindly　call　Gustavus　to　your　aid

and　take　away　the　telescope。〃



〃Sir！〃　said　Mr。　Ferdinand　in　great　astonishment。



〃Take　away　the　telescope。〃



〃Certainly；　sir。　Where　shall　we　place　it；　sir？〃



〃Anywhere；〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃In　the　pantrythe　squarein　Piccadilly

if　you　likeit's　all　the　same　to　me。〃



And；　unable　to　trust　himself　to　say　more；　he　hurried　almost

tumultuously　from　the　room。



〃Here's　a　go；　Gustavus；〃　remarked　Mr。　Ferdinand　a　moment　later　as　he

entered　the　servants'　hall。



〃Where；　Mr。　Ferdinand？〃　replied　Gustavus；　glancing　up　from　a　dish　of

tea　and　a　couple　of　Worthing　shrimps　with　which　he　was　solacing　an　idle

moment。



〃Here；　in　this　mansion；　Gustavus。　Me　and　you've　got　to　take　the

telescope　out　of　the　drawing…room；　and　Master　Hennessey　says　if　we　wish

we　can　chuck　it　in　Piccadilly。〃



The　round　eyes　of　Gustavus　brightened。



〃That　is　my　wish；　Mr。　Ferdinand；〃　he　exclaimed。　〃Here's　a　lark！〃



He　sprang　up。　But　Mr。　Ferdinand　checked　his　very　agreeable　vivacity。



〃I　am　your　head；　Gustavus；〃　he　remarked；　with　severe　ambiguity；　〃and

master　having　also　said　that；　if　we　wish；　we　can　set　the　instrument　in

the　butler's　pantry；　I　have　decided　that　so　it　shall　moreover　be。　It

will　be　very　useful　to　us　there。〃



〃Useful；　Mr。　Ferdinand！　However？〃



〃Never　mind；　Gustavus；　never　mind；〃　replied　Mr。　Ferdinand　with　some

acrimony。



Being　of　a　dignified　nature　he　did　not　care　to　explain　to　a　subordinate

that　there　was　a　very　pleasant…looking　second…cook　just　arrived　at　the

house　of　the　Lord　Chancellor　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　square。







CHAPTER　VII



THE　DOUBLE　LIFE　OF　MISS　MINERVA



On　the　following　day；　just　as　the　Prophet　was　drawing　on　a　new　pair　of

suede　gloves　preparatory　to　setting　out　to　Hill　Street；　Gustavus

entered　with　a　silver　salver。



〃A　telegram　for　you；　sir；〃　he　said。



The　Prophet　took　the　blushing　envelope；　ripped　it　gently　open；　and　read

as　follows：



　〃Madame　and　self　must　confer　with　you　this　afternoon　without　fail。

　　Shall　be　with　you　five　sharp；　most　important。



JUPITER　SAGITTARIUS。〃





Gustavus　nearly　dropped　at　sight　of　the　wrinkles　that　seamed　the

Prophet's　usually　smooth　face　as　he　grasped　the　full　meaning　of　this

portentous　missive。



〃Any　answer；　sir？〃



The　wrinkles　increased　and　multiplied。



〃Any　reply；　sir？〃



〃Whatno。〃



Gustavus　glided　in　a　well…trained　manner　towards　the　door。　When　he　got

there　the　Prophet　cried；　rather　sharply；



〃Stop　a　moment！〃



Gustavus　stopped。



〃Sir？〃



〃TheIerI　am　expecting　aacouple　this　afternoon；〃　began　the

Prophet；　speaking　with　considerable　hesitation；　and　still　gazing；　in　a

hypnotised　manner；　at　the　telegram。



〃A　couple；　sir？〃



〃Exactly。　A　pair。〃



〃A　pair；　sir？　Of　horses；　sir？〃



〃Horses！　Noof　people；　that　is；　persons。〃



〃A　pair　of　persons；　sir。　Yes；　sir。〃



〃They　should　arrive　towards　five　o'clock。〃



〃Yes；　sir。〃



〃If　I　should　not　be　home　by　that　time　you　will　show　them　very　quietly

into　my　librarynot　the　drawing…room。　Mrs。　Merillia　is　not　at　present

equal　to　receiving　ordinary　guests。〃



The　Prophet　meant　extraordinary；　but　he　preferred　to　put　it　the　other

way。



〃Yes；　sir。　What　name；　sir？〃



〃Mr。　and　Mrs。that　is；　Madame　Sagittarius。　That　will　do。〃



Gustavus　hastened　to　the　servants'　hall　to　discuss　the　situation；　while

the　Prophet　stood　re…reading　the　telegram　with　an　expression　of

shattered　dismay。　Not　for　at　least　five　minutes　did　he　recover　himself

sufficiently　to　remember　his　appointment　with　Lady　Enid；　and；　when　at

length　he　set　forth　to　Hill　Street；　he　was　so　painfully　preoccupied

that　he　walked　three　times　completely　round　the　square　before　he

discovered　the　outlet　into　that　fashionable　thoroughfare。



When　he　reached　the　dark　green　mansion　of　Lady　Enid's　worthy　father；

the　Marquis　of　Glome；　and　had　applied　the　bronze　demon　that　served　as　a

knocker　four　separate　times　to　the　door；　he　was　still　so　lost　in

thought　that　he　started　violently　on　the　appearance　of　the　Scotch

retainer　at　the　portal；　and　behaved　for　a　moment　as　if　he　were

considering　which　of　two　courses　he　should　pursue：　/i。e。/；　whether　he

should　clamber　frantically　into　the　seclusion　of　the　area；　or　take

boldly　to　the　open　street。　Before　he　could　do　either　M'Allister；　the

retainer；　had　magnetised　him　into　the　hall；　relieved　him　of　his　hat

almost　with　the　seductive　adroitness　of　a　Drury　Lane　thiefand　drawn

him　down　a　tartan　passage　into　a　very　sensible…looking　boudoir；　in

which　Lady　Enid　was　sitting　by　a　wood　fire　with　a　very　tall　and　lusty

young　man。



〃Mr。　Hennessey　Vivian！〃



〃What；　Bobyou　here！〃　said　the　Prophet　to　the　lusty　young　man；　after

shaking　hands　a　little　distractedly　with　Lady　Enid。



〃Yes；　old　chap。　But　I'm　just　off。　I　know　you　two　want　to　have　a

confab；〃　returned　Mr。　Robert　Green；　wringing　his　old　school　friend's

hand。　〃Niddy's　given　me　the　chuck。　And　anyhow　I'm　bound　to　look　in　at

the　Bath　Club　at　four　to　fence　with　Chicky　Bostock。〃



Mr。　Green　spoke　in　a　powerful　baritone　voice；　rolling　his　r's；　and

showing　his　large　and　square　white　teeth　in　a　perpetual　cheery　and　even

boisterous　smile。　He　was　what　is　called　a　thorough　good　fellow；　springy

in　body　and　essentially　gay　in　soul。　That　he　was　of　a　slightly　belated

temperament　will　be　readily　understood　when　we　say　that　he　was　at　this

time　just　beginning　to　whistle；　with　fair　correctness；　〃Ta…ra…ra…boom…

de…ay；〃　to　discuss　the　character　of　Becky　Sharp；　to　dwell　upon　the

remarkable　promise　as　a　vocalist　shown　by　Madame　Adelina　Patti；　and　to

wonder　at　the　marvellous　results　said　to　be　accomplished　by　the

telephone。　He　had　also　never　heard　of　Christian　Science；　and　was

totally　unaware　that　there　exists　in　the　metropolis　a　modest　and

retiring　building　called　〃The　Imperial　Institute。〃　Nevertheless；　he　was

repeatedly　spoken　of　by　substantial　people　as　a　young　man　of　many

parts；　was　a　leading　spirit　in　Yeomanry　circles；　and　was　greatly

regarded　by　the　Prophet　as　a　trusty　friend　and　stalwart　upholder　of　the

British　Empire。　He　had　rather　the　appearance　of　a　bulwark；　and

something　of　the　demeanour　of　a　flourishing　young　oak　tree。



〃Yes；　Bob；　you've　got　to　go；〃　assented　Lady　Enid；　examining　the

Prophet's　slightly　distorted　countenance　with　frank；　and　even　eager；

curiosity。　〃Mr。　Vivian　and　I　are　going　to　talk　of　modern　things。〃



〃I　know；　Thackeray　and　Patti；　and　three…volume　novels；　and　skirt

dancing；　and　all　the　rest　of　it；〃　said　Mr。　Green；　with　unaffected

reverence。　〃Well；　I'm　off。　I　say；　Hen；　pop　in　at　the　Bath　on　your　way

home　and　have　a　whiskey　and　soda。　I　shall　just　be　out　of　the　hot　room

and〃



〃I'm　sorry；　Bob；〃　said　the　Prophet　with　almost　terrible　solemnity；　that

I　can't；　thatin　factI　am　unable。〃



〃What？　Going　to　the　dentist？〃



〃Exactlythat　is；　not　at　all。〃



〃Well；　what's　up？　Some　intellectual　business；　lecture　on　Walter　Scott；

or　Dickens；　or　one　of　the　other　Johnnies　that　are　so　popular　just　now？〃



〃No。　I　have　aa　small　gathering　at　home　this　afternoon。



〃All　right。　Then　I'll　pop　round　on　yousay　five　o'clock。〃



〃No；　Bob；　no；　I　can't　say　that。　I'm　very　sorry；　but　I　can't　possibly

say　that。〃



〃Right　you　are。　Too　clever　for　me；　I　s'pose。　Look　me　up　at　the　Tintack

to…night　thenany　time　after　ten。〃



〃If　I　can；　Bob；　I　will；〃　replied　the　Prophet；　with　impressive

uncertainty；　〃I　say　if　I　can　I　will　do　so。〃



〃Done！　If　you　can't；　then　I'm　not　to　expect　you。　That　it？〃



〃That　is　itprecisely。〃



〃Good…bye；　Niddy；　old　girl。　Keep　your　pecker　up。　By　the　way；　if　you

want　a　real　good　tune　for　a　Charity　sing…song；　a　real　rouser；　try

'Nancy　Lee。'　〃



He　was　gone；　humming　vigorously　that　new…fangled　favourite。



〃Sit　down；　Mr。　Vivian；〃　said　Lady　Enid；　looking　her　right　size。　〃We've

got　a　lot　to　say　to　one　another。〃



〃I　have　to　be　home　at　five；〃　replied　the　Prophet；　abstractedly。



Lady　Enid　begin　to　appear　a　trifle　thin。



〃Why？　How　tiresome！　I　didn't　think　you　really　meant　it。〃



〃It　is　very；　very　tiresome。〃



He　spoke　with　marked　uneasiness；　and　remained　standing　with　the　air　of

one　in　readiness　for　the　punctual　call　of　the　hangman。



〃What　is　it？〃　continued　Lady　Enid；　with　her　usual　inquisitiveness。



〃I　have；　as　I　said；　aa　small　gathering　at　home　at　that　hour；〃　said

the　Prophet；　repeating　his　formula　morosely。



〃A　gatheringwhat　of？〃



〃Peoplepersons；　t