the prophet of berkeley square-第18节

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



〃People　continually　said　to　me；　'What　a　nice　sensible　girl　you　are'；

or'One　always　feels　your　Common　sense'；　or'There's　nothing　foolish

about　you；　Enid；　thank　Heaven！'　The　Chieftain　relied　upon　me

thoroughly。　So　did　the　tenants。　So　did　everybody。　You　can　understand

that　it　became　very　trying？〃



〃Of　course；　of　course。〃



〃It's　something　to　do　with　the　shape　of　my　eyebrows；　the　colour　of　my

hair；　the　way　I　smile　and　that　sort　of　thing。〃



〃No　doubt　it　is。〃



〃Mr。　Vivian；　I'll　tell　you　now；　that　I've　never　felt　sensible　in　all　my

life。〃



〃Really！〃　ejaculated　the　Prophet；　still　firmly　holding　all　his　features

together　in　an　unyielding　expression　of　fixed　curiosity。



〃Never　once；　however　great　the　provocation。　And　in　my　family；　with　the

Chieftain；　the　provocation　you　can　understand　is　exceptionally　great。〃



The　Marquis　of　Glome；　who　was　the　head　of　a　clan　called　〃The

MacArdells；〃　was　always　named　the　Chieftain　by　his　relations　and

friends。



〃I　felt　sure　it　must　be；〃　said　the　Prophet；　decisively。



〃Nevertheless　it　is　so　extremely　difficult；　if　not　impossible；　not　to

try　to　be　what　people　take　you　for　that　I　was　in　a　perpetual　condition

of　acting　sensibly；　against　my　true　nature。〃



〃How　very　trying！〃　murmured　the　Prophet；　mechanically。



〃It　was；　Mr。　Vivian。　It　often　made　me　fell　quite　ill。　Nobody　but　you

knows　how　I　have　suffered。〃



〃And　why　do　I　know？〃　inquired　the　Prophet。



〃Because　I　realised　yesterday　that　you　must　be　almost　as　silly　by

nature　as　I　am。〃



〃Yesterdaywhy？　When？〃



〃When　you　said　to　Sir　Tiglath　that　you　could　prophesy。〃



The　Prophet　stiffened。　She　laughed　almost　affectionately。



〃So　absurd！　But　I　was　vexed　when　you　said　you'd　give　it　up。　You　mustn't

do　that；　or　you'll　be　flying　in　the　face　of　your　own　folly。〃



She　drew　the　Aberdeen　lean…to；　which　ran　easily　on　Edinburgh　castors；　a

little　nearer　to　him；　and　continued。



〃At　least　I　felt　obliged　to　seek　an　outlet。　I　could　not　stifle　my　real

self　for　ever；　and　yet　I　could　not　be　comfortably　silly　with　those　who

were　absolutely　convinced　of　my　permanent　good　sense。　I　tried　to　be

several　times。



〃Didn't　you　succeed？〃



〃Not　once。〃



〃Tch！　Tch！〃



〃So　at　last　I　was　driven　to　the　double　life。〃



〃Then　your　coachman　knows？〃



〃MacSpillan！　No！　I　took　a　caba　four…wheelerat　the　corner　of　the

Square；　and　the　name　of　Minerva　Partridge。　It's　a　silly　name；　isn't

it？〃



She　asked　the　question　with　earnest　anxiety。



〃Quite　idiotic；〃　said　the　Prophet；　reassuringly。



〃I　felt　quite　sure　it　was；〃　she　cried；　obviously　comforted。　〃Because　it

came　to　me　so　inevitably。　I　was　so　perfectly　naturaland　alonewhen　I

invented　it。　No　one　helped　me。〃



〃I　assure　you；〃　reiterated　the　Prophet；　〃there　is　no　doubt　the　name　is

absolutely　and　entirely　idiotic。〃



〃Thank　you；　dear　Mr。　Vivian！　What　a　pleasure　it　is　to　talk　to　you！

Under　this　name　I　have；　for　a　year　and　a　half；　led　an　idiotic　life；

such　a　life　as　really　suits　me；　such　a　life　as　is　in　complete　accord

with　my　true　nature。　Oh；　the　joy　of　it！　The　sense　of　freedom！　If　only

all　other　silly　girls　who　look　sensible　like　me　had　the　courage　to　do

what　I　have　done！〃



〃It　is　a　pity！〃　said　the　Prophet；　in　assent；　beginning　to　be　genuinely

moved　by　the　obvious　sincerity　of　this　human　being's　bent　towards

folly。　〃But　what　have　you　done　during　this　year　and　a　half　of　truth　and

freedom？〃



〃More　foolish　things　than　many　crowd　into　a　lifetime；〃　she　cried

ecstatically。　〃It　would　take　me　days　to　tell　you　of　half　of　them！〃



〃Oh；　then　you　mustn't；〃　said　the　Prophet；　glancing　furtively　at　the

clock。　〃Had　you　come　out　to　be　silly　yesterday　afternoon？〃



〃Yes；　I　hadto　be　sillier　even　than　usual。　And　if　it　hadn't　been　for

Sir　Tiglath　catching　sight　of　me　in　the　avenue；　and　thenMr。

Sagittarius　and　you　being　in　the　parlour〃



She　stopped。



〃By　the　way；〃　she　said；　in　her　usual　tone　of　breezy　common　sense；　〃were

you　living　a　double　life　in　the　parlour？〃



〃I！〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃Oh；　no；　not　at　all。　I　never　do　anything　of　that

kind。〃



〃Sure？〃



〃Quite　certain。〃



〃You're　not　going　to？〃



〃Certainly　not。　Nothing　would　induce　me。〃



She　looked　at　him；　as　if　unconvinced；　raising　her　dark；　sensible

eyebrows。



〃All　Jellybrand's　clients　do；〃　she　said。　〃And　I'm　certain　Mr。

Sagittarius〃



〃I　assure　you；〃　said　the　Prophet；　with　the　heavy　earnestness　of

absolute　insincerity；　〃Mr。　Sagittarius　is　the　most　single　lived　man　I

ever　met；　the　very　most。　But　why　did　Sir　Tiglath；　that　is；　why　did

you？〃



〃Try　to　avoid　him？　Well〃



For　the　first　time　she　hesitated；　and　began　to　look　slightly　confused。



〃Well；〃　she　repeated；　〃Sir　Tiglath　is　a　very　strange；　peculiar　old

man。〃



The　Prophet　thought　that　if　the　young　librarian　had　been　present　he

would　have　eliminated　the　second　adjective。



〃Peculiar！　Yes；　he　is。　His　appearance；　his　manner〃



〃Oh；　I　don't　mean　that。〃



〃No？〃



〃No。　Lots　of　elderly　men　have　purple　faces；　turned　legs　and　roaring

voices。　You　must　know　that。　Sir　Tiglath　is　peculiar　in　this　wayhe　is

quite　elderly　and　yet　he's　not　in　the　least　little　bit　silly。〃



〃Oh！〃



〃He's　a　thoroughly　sensible　old　man；　the　only　one　I　ever　met。〃



〃Your　father？〃



〃The　Chieftain　can　be　very　foolish　at　times。　That's　why　he's　always

relied　so　on　me。〃



She　gave　this　proof　triumphantly。　The　Prophet　felt　bound　to　accept　it。



〃Sir　Tiglath　is　really；　as　an　old　man；　what　everybody　thinks　I　am；　as　a

young　woman。　D'you　see？〃



〃You　mean？〃



〃The　opposite　of　me。　And　in　this　way　too。　While　I　hide　my　silliness

under　my　eyebrows；　and　hair；　and　smile；　and　manner；　he　hides　his

sensibleness　under　his。　When　people　meet　me　they　always　thinkwhat　a

common…sense　young　woman！　When　they　meet　him　they　always　thinkwhat　a

preposterous　old　man！〃



〃Well；　but　then；〃　cried　the　Prophet；　struck　by　a　sudden　idea；　〃if　that

is　so；　how　can　you　live　a　double　life　as　Miss　Minerva　Partridge？　You

can't　change　your　eyebrows　with　your　name！〃



〃Ah；　you　don't　know　women！〃　she　murmured。　〃No；　but　you　see　I　begin　at

once。〃



〃Begin？〃



〃Being　silly。　All　the　people　who　know　me　as　Miss　Partridge　know　I'm　an

absurd　person　in　spite　of　my　looks。　I've　proved　it　to　them　by　my

actions。　I've　begun　at　once　before　they　could　have　time　to　judge　by　my

appearance。　I've　told　them　instantly　that　I'm　a　Christian　Scientist；

and　a　believer　in　the　value　of　tight…lacing　and　in　ghosts；　an　anti…

vaccinator；　a　Fabian；　a　member　of　'The　Masculine　Club；'　a　'spirit；'　a

friend　of　Mahatmas；　an　intimate　of　the　'Rational　Dress'　setyou　know；

who　wear　things　like　half　inflated　balloons　in　Piccadillya

vegetarian；　a　follower　of　Mrs。　Besant；　a　drinker　of　hop　bitters　and

Zozophine；　a　Jacobite；　a　hater　of　false　hair　and　of　all　collective

action　to　stamp　out　hydrophobia；　a　stamp…collector；　an　engager　of　lady…

helps　instead　of　servants；　an　amateur　reciter　and　skirt　dancer；　an

owner　of　a　lock　of　Paderewski's　hairtorn　fresh　from　the　head

personally　at　a　concertan　admirer　of　George　Bernard　Shaw　as　a　thinker

but　a　hater　of　him　as　a　humourist；　a　rationalist　and　reader　of　/Punch/；

an　atheist　and　table…turner；　a　friend　of　all　who　think　that　women　don't

desire　to　be　slaves；　a　homoeopathist　and　Sandowite；　an　enemy　of

babiesas　if　all　women　didn抰　worship　them！a　lover　of　catsas　if　

all　women　didn't　hate　one　another！a〃



〃Oneone　moment！〃　gasped　the　Prophet　at　this　juncture。　〃Many　of　these

views　are　surely　in　opposition；　in　direct　opposition　to　each　other。〃



〃I　daresay。　That　doesn't　matter　in　the　least　to　a　real　silly　woman　such

as　I　am。〃



〃And　then　you　said　that　you　proved　by　your　actions　instantly　that〃



〃So　I　did。　I　caught　up　a　happy　dog　in　the　street；　cried　over　its　agony；

unmuzzled　it　and　allowed　it　to　add　its　little　contribution　to　the　joy

of　life　by　mangling　a　passing　archdeacon。　I　sat　on　the　floor　and

handled　snakes。　I　wore　my　hair　parted　on　one　side　and　smoked　a

cigarette　in　a　chiffon　gown。　I　refused　food　in　a　public　restaurant

because　it　had　been　cooked　by　a　Frenchman。　I〃



〃Enough！　Enough！〃　cried　the　Prophet。　〃I　understand。　You　forced　Miss

Partridge's　acquaintances　to　believe　in　Miss　Partridge's　folly。　But　who

were　these　acquaintances？〃



〃It　would　take　me　hours　to　tell　you。　First　there　was〃



〃I　really　have　to　go　at　five。〃



〃Then　I'll　finish　about　Sir　Tiglath。　He's　an　utterly　sensible　old　man；

and　so　is　different　from　all　other　old　men；　for　you　know　human　folly

increases　enormously　with　age。　Isn't　that　lovely？　Now；　Mr。　Vivian；　Sir

Tiglath　admires　me。〃



〃Ah！〃



〃I　know。　You　think　that　proves　him　the　contrary　of　what　I've　said。〃



〃Not　at　all！〃　exclaimed　the　Prophet；　with　frenzied　courtesy；　〃not　at

all！〃



〃Yes；　you　do。　But　you're　wrong。　He　doesn't　exactly　admire　my