the prophet of berkeley square-第17节

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the　Prophet；　repeating　his　formula　morosely。



〃A　gatheringwhat　of？〃



〃Peoplepersons；　that　is。〃



〃Whata　party？〃



〃Two　parties；〃　replied　the　Prophet；　instinctively　giving　Mr。

Sagittarius　and　Madame　their　undoubted　due。　〃Two。〃



〃Two　parties　at　the　same　timeand　in　the　afternoon！　How　very　odd！〃



〃They　will　look　very　odd；　veryin　Berkeley　Square；〃　responded　the

Prophet；　in　a　tone　of　considerable　dejection。　〃I　don't　know；　I'm　sure；

what　Mr。　Ferdinand　and　Gustavus　will　think。　Still　I've　given　strict

orders　that　they　are　to　be　let　in。　What　else　could　I　do？〃



He　gazed　at　Lady　Enid　in　a　demanding　manner。



〃What　else　could　I　possibly　do　under　the　circumstances？〃　he　repeated。



〃Sit　down；　dear　Mr。　Vivian；〃　she　answered；　with　her　peculiar　Scotch

lassie　seductiveness；　〃and　tell　me；　your　sincere　friend；　what　the

circumstances　are。〃



Unluckily　her　curiosity　had　led　her　to　overdo　persuasion。　That　cooing

interpolation　of　〃your　sincere　friend〃too　strongly　honeyedsuddenly

recalled　the　Prophet　to　the　fact　that　Lady　Enid　was　not；　and　could

never　be；　his　confidante　in　the　matter　that　obsessed　him。　He　therefore

sat　down；　but　with　an　abrupt　air　of　indefinite　social　liveliness；　and

exclaimed；　not　unlike　Mr。　Robert　Green；



〃Well；　and　how　are　things　going　with　you；　dear　Lady　Enid？〃



She　jumped　under　the　transition　as　under　a　whip。



〃Me！　Butthese　parties　you　were　telling　me　about？〃



But　the　Prophet　remembered　his　oath。　He　was　a　strictly　honourable

little　man；　and　never　swore　carelessly。



〃Parties！〃　he　said。　〃You　and　I　are　too　old　friends　to　waste　our　life　in

chattering　about　such　London　nonsense。〃



〃Then　we'll　talk　of　yesterday；〃　said　Lady　Enid；　very　firmly。



The　Prophet　looked　rather　blank。



〃Yes；〃　she　repeated。　〃Yesterday。　I've　guessed　your　secret。〃



〃Which　one？〃　he　cried；　much　startled。



〃Which？〃　she　said　reproachfully。　〃Oh；　Mr。　Vivianand　I　thought　you

trusted　in　me。〃



The　Prophet　was　silent。　The　third　daughter　of　the　clergyman　had　often

made　that　remark　to　him　when　they　were　nearly　engaged。　It　recalled

bygone　memories。



〃That's　what　I　thought；〃　she　added　with　pressure。



〃I'm　sorry；〃　the　Prophet　murmured；　rather　obstinately。



〃I　always　think；〃　she　continued；　with　deliberate　expansiveness；　〃that

nearly　all　the　miseries　of　the　world　come　about　from　people　not

trusting　inin　people。〃



〃Or　from　people　trusting　in　the　wrong　people。　Which　is　it？〃　said　the

Prophet；　not　without　slyness。



She　began　to　look　thin；　but　checked　herself。



〃Tell　me；〃　she　said；　〃why　did　you　stop　me　yesterday　when　I　was

beginning　to　say　to　Sir　Tiglath　that　I　was　sure　Malkiel　was　a　man　and

not　a　syndicate？〃



〃Did　I　stop　you？〃　said　the　Prophet；　artlessly。



〃Yes；　with　your　eyes。〃



〃Becausebecause　I　was　surethat　is；　certain　you　couldn't　be　sure。〃



〃How　could　you　be　certain？〃



〃How？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Well；　how　is　one　certain　of　anything？〃　said　the　Prophet；　rather

feebly。



〃How　are　you　certain　that　I'm　Miss　Minerva　Partridge？〃



〃Because　you　told　me　so　yourself；　because　I've　seen　you　come　into

Jellybrand's　for　your　letters；　because〃



〃Haven't　I　seen　Malkiel　come　into　Jellybrand's　for　his？〃



This　unexpected　retort　threw　the　Prophet　upon　his　beam　ends。　But　he

remembered　his　oath　even　in　that　very　awkward　position。



〃Does　he　go　to　Jellybrand's？〃　he　exclaimed；　with　a　wild　attempt　after

astonishment。　〃But　he's　a　companySir　Tiglath　said　so。〃



〃And　what　did　your　eyes　say　yesterday？〃



〃I　had　a　cold　in　my　eyes　yesterday；〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃They　were　very

weak。　They　werethey　were　aching。〃



Lady　Enid　was　silent　for　a　moment。　During　that　moment　she　was

conferring　with　her　feminine　instinct。　What　it　said　to　her　must　be

guessed　by　the　manner　in　which　she　once　more　entered　into　conversation

with　the　Prophet。



〃Mr。　Vivian；〃　she　said；　with　a　complete　change　of　demeanour　to　girlish

geniality　and　impulsiveness；　〃I'm　going　to　confide　in　you。　I'm　going　to

thrown　myself　upon　your　mercy。〃



The　Prophet　blinked　with　amazement；　like　a　martyr　who　suddenly　finds

himself　snatched　from　the　rack　and　laid　upon　a　plush　divan　with　a　satin

cushion　under　his　head。



〃I'm　going　to　trust　you；〃　Lady　Enid　went　on；　emphasising　the　two

pronouns。



〃Many　thanks；〃　said　the　Prophet；　unoriginally。



She　was　sitting　on　a　square　piece　of　furniture　which　the　Marquis　of

Glome　called　an　〃Aberdeen　lean…to。〃　She　now　spread　herself　out　upon　it

in　the　easy　attitude　of　one　who　is　about　to　converse　intimately　for

some　centuries；　and　proceeded。



〃I　daresay　you　know；　Mr。　Vivian；　that　people　always　call　me　a　very

sensible　sort　of　girl。〃



The　Prophet　remembered　his　grandmother's　remark　about　Lady　Enid。



〃I　know　they　do；〃　he　assented；　trying　not　to　think　of　five　o'clock。



〃What　do　they　mean　by　that；　Mr。　Vivian？〃



〃I　beg　your　pardon？〃



〃I　say　what　do　they　mean　by　a　sensible　sort　of　girl？〃



〃Why；　I　suppose〃



〃I'm　going　to　tell　you；〃　she　interrupted　him。　〃They　mean　a　sort　of　girl

who　likes　fresh　air；　washes　her　face　with　yellow　soap；　sports　dogskin

gloves；　drives　in　an　open　cart　in　preference　to　a　shut　brougham；　enjoys

a　cold　tub　and　Whyte　Melville's　novels；　laughs　at　ghosts　and　cries　over

'Misunderstood；'　considers　the　Bishop　of　London　a　deity　and　the　Albert

Memorial　a　gem　of　art；　would　wear　a　neat　Royal　fringe　in　her　grave；　and

a　straw　hat　and　shirt　on　the　Judgment　Day　if　she　were　in　the　country

for　itwalks　with　the　guns；　sings　'Home；　Sweet　Home'　in　the　evening

after　dinner　to　her　bald…headed　father；　thinks　the　/Daily　Mail/　an

intellectual　paper；　the　Royal　Academy　an　uplifting　institution；　the

British　officer　a　demi…god　with　a　heart　of　gold　in　a　body　of　steel；　and

the　road　from　Calais　to　Paris　the　way　to　heaven。　That's　what　they　mean

by　a　sensible　sort　of　girl；　isn't　it？〃



〃I　daresay　it　is；〃　said　the　Prophet；　endeavouring　not　to　feel　as　if　he

were　sitting　with　a　dozen　or　two　of　very　practised　stump　orators。



〃Yes；　and　that's　what　they　think　I　am。〃



〃And　aren't　you？〃　inquired　the　Prophet。



Lady　Enid　drew　herself　upon　the　Aberdeen　lean…to。



〃No；〃　she　said　decisively；　〃I'm　not。　I'm　a　Miss　Minerva　Partridge。〃



〃Well；　but　what　is　that？〃　asked　the　Prophet；　with　all　the　air　of　a　man

inquiring　about　some　savage　race。



〃That's　the　secret〃



〃Oh；　I　beg　your　pardon！〃



〃That　I'm　going　to　tell　you　now；　because　I　trust　you〃



Again　the　pronouns　were　emphasised；　and　the　Prophet　thought　how

difficult　it　would　be　to　keep　his　oath。



〃And　because　I　know　now　that　you're　silly　too。〃



The　Prophet　jumped；　though　not　for　joy。



〃I've　been　Miss　Minerva　Partridge　forwait　a　moment；　I　must　look。〃



She　got　up；　went　to　a　writing　table；　opened　a　drawer　in　it；　and　took

out　a　large　red　book　and　turned　its　leaves。



〃My　diary；〃　she　explained。　〃It's　foolish　to　keep　one；　isn't　it？〃



Her　intonation　so　obviously　called　for　an　affirmative　that　the　Prophet

felt　constrained　to　reply；



〃Very　foolish　indeed。〃



She　smiled　with　pleasure。



〃I'm　so　glad　you　think　so。　Ahexactly　a　year　and　a　half。〃



〃You've　been　Miss　Minerva　Partridge？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃So　long　as　that？〃



〃Yes；　indeed。　Mr。　Vivian；　during　that　time　I　have　been　leading　a　double

life。〃



The　Prophet　remembered　the　other　double　life　beside　the　borders　of　the

River　Mouse；　and　began　to　wonder　if　he　were　acquainted　with　any　human

being　who　led　a　single　one。



〃Many　people　do　that；〃　he　remarked　rather　aimlessly。



Lady　Enid　looked　vexed。



〃I　did　not　say　I　had　a　monopoly　of　the　commodity；〃　she　rejoined；

evidently　wishing　that　she　had。



〃Oh；　no；〃　said　the　Prophet；　making　things　worse；　〃one　meets　people　who

live　double　lives　every　day；　I　might　almost　say　every　hour。〃



The　clock　had　just　struck　four；　and　he　had　begun　to　think　of　five。　Lady

Enid's　pleasant　plumpness　began　rapidly　to　disappear。



〃I　can't　say　I　do；〃　she　said　sharply；　feeling　that　most　of　the　gilt　was

being　stripped　off　her　sin。



She　stopped　in　such　obvious　dissatisfaction　that　the　Prophet；　vaguely

aware　that　he　had　made　some　mistake；　said；



〃Please　go　on。　I　am　so　interested。　Why　have　you　led　a　double　life　for

the　last　week　and　a　half？〃



〃Year　and　a　half；　I　said。〃



〃I　mean　year　and　a　half。〃



He　forced　his　mobile　features　to　assume　a　fixed　expression　of　greedy；

though　rather　too　constant；　curiosity。　Lady　Enid　brightened　up。



〃Mr。　Vivian；〃　she　said；　〃many　girls　are　born　sensible…looking　without

wishing　it。〃



〃Are　they　really？　It　never　occurred　to　me。〃



〃Such　things　very　seldom　do　occur　to　men。　Now　that　places　these　girls

in　a　very　painful　position。　I　was　placed　in　this　position　as　soon　as　I

was　born；　or　at　least　as　soon　as　I　began　to　look　like　anything　at　all。

For　babies　really　don't。〃



〃That's　very　true；〃　assented　the　Prophet；　with　more　fervour。



〃People　conti