the prophet of berkeley square-第19节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



all！〃



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

but　he　likes　me　because　I'm　tall；　and　have　pleasant　coloured　eyes；　and

thick　hair；　and　walk　well；　and　know　that　he's　really　an　unusually

sensible　old　man。〃



〃Oh；　is　that　it？〃



〃Yes。　But　now；　if　he　could　be　made　to　think　that　I　really　am　what　I

look　likea　thoroughly　sensible　young　woman；　he　would　more　than　admire

me；　he　would　adore　me。〃



〃But　if　you　wish　him　to？〃　asked　the　Prophet　in　blank　amazement。



〃I　do。〃



〃Why？〃



〃The　Miss　Minerva　part　of　me　desires　it。〃



〃Indeed。〃



〃Yes。　He's　got　to　do　one　or　two　things　for　Miss　Minerva　without　knowing

that　I'm　Miss　Minerva。　That　is　why　I　bolted　into　the　parlour　yesterday。

Just　as　I　was　stepping　into　Jellybrand's　I　happened　to　see　Sir　Tiglath

and　he　happened　to　think　he　saw　me。〃



〃Only　to　think？〃



〃Yes。　He　is　not　certain。　I　saw　that　by　the　expression　of　his　face。　He

was　wondering　whether　I　was　meor　is　it　I？or　not。　I　didn't　give　him

time　to　be　certain。　I　rushed　into　the　parlour。〃



〃You　did。〃



〃So　it's　all　right。　Frederick　Smith　would　never　betray　a　client。〃



〃Really？〃



〃Never；　so　I'm　saved。　For　Sir　Tiglath　isn't　certain　even　now。　I　found

that　out　on　the　way　home　with　him　last　night。　And　an　old　man　who's

uncertain　of　the　truth　can　soon　be　made　certain　of　the　lie；　by　a　young

woman　he　admires；　however　sensible　he　is。　And　now　I'll　tell　you　part　of

what　I　want　Sir　Tiglath　to　do　for　Miss　Minerva〃



But　at　this　moment　the　clock　struck　five；　and　the　Prophet　bounded　up

with　hysterical　activity；　and　hastily　took　his　leave；　promising　to　call

again　and　hear　more　on　the　following　day。



〃And　tell　more；〃　thought　Lady　Enid　to　herself　as　the　door　of　the

sensible…looking　boudoir　shut　behind　him。







CHAPTER　VIII



THE　PROPHET　RECEIVES　HIS　DIRECTIONS　FROM　MADAME



When　the　Prophet　reached　his　door　he　rang　the　bell　with　a　rather

faltering　hand。　Mr。　Ferdinand　appeared。



〃Any　one　called；　Mr。　Ferdinand？〃　asked　the　Prophet　with　an　attempt　at

airy　gaiety。



〃Yes；　sir；〃　replied　Mr。　Ferdinand；　looking　rather　like　an　elderly

maiden　lady　when　she　unexpectedly　encounters　her　cook　taking　an　airing

with　a　corporal　in　the　Life　Guards；　〃the　pair　of　persons　you　expected；

sir；　has　come。〃



The　Prophet　blushed。



〃Oh！　Youyou　haven't　disturbed　Mrs。　Merillia　with　them；　I　hope；〃　he

rejoined。



〃No；　sir；　indeed。　Gustavus　said　your　orders　was　that　they　was　to　be

shown　quietly　to　the　library。〃



〃Exactly。〃



〃I　begged　them　to　walk　a…tiptoe；　sir。〃



〃What？〃　ejaculated　the　Prophet。



〃I　informed　them　there　was　illness　in　the　house；　sir。〃



〃And　did　theyer？〃



〃The　male　person　got　on　his　toes　at　once；　sir；　but　the　female　person

shrieks　out；　'Is　it　catching？　Ho！　Think　ofof　Capericornopus；'　sir；　or

something　to　that　effect。〃



〃Tch！　Tch！〃



〃I　took　the　liberty　to　say；　sir；　that　ankles　was　not　catching；　and　that

I　would　certainly　think　of　Capericornopus　if　she　would　but　walk　a…

tiptoe。〃



〃Well；　and〃



〃By　hook　and　cook　I　got　them　to　the　library；　sir。　But　the　male　person's

boots　creaked　awful。　The　getting　on　his　toes；　sir　seemed　to　induce　it；

as　you　might　say。〃



〃Yes；　yes。　So　they're　in　the　library？〃



〃They　are；　sir；　and　have　been　talking　incessant；　sir；　ever　since　they

was　put　there。　We　can　hear　their　voices　in　our　hall；　sir。〃



Mr。　Ferdinand　again　pursed　his　lips　and　looked　like　an　elderly　lady。

The　Prophet　could　no　longer　meet　his　eye。



〃Bring　some　tea；　Mr。　Ferdinand；　quietly　to　the　library。　Andand　if

Mrs。　Merillia　should　ask　for　me　say　I'msay　I'm　busyerwriting。〃



Mr。　Ferdinand　moved　a　step　backward。



〃Master　Hennessey！〃　he　cried　in　a　choked　voice。　I；　a　London　butler；　and

you　ask　me　to！〃



〃No；　no。　I　beg　your　pardon；　Mr。　Ferdinand。　Simply　say　I'm　busy。　That

will　be　quite　true。　I　shall　bevery　busy。〃



〃Yes；　sir；〃　said　Mr。　Ferdinand　with　a　stern　and　at　length　successful

effort　to　conquer　his　outraged　feelings。



He　wavered　heavily　away　to　fetch　the　tea；　while　the　Prophet；　like　a

guilty　thing；　stole　towards　the　library。　When　he　drew　near　to　the　door

he　heard　a　somewhat　resounding　hubbub　of　conversation　proceeding　within

the　chamber。　He　distinguished　two　voices。　One　was　the　hollow　and

sepulchral　organ　of　Malkiel　the　Second；　the　other　was　a　heavy　and

authoritative　contralto；　of　the　buzzing　variety；　which　occasionally

gave　an　almost　professional　clicksuggesting　mechanismas　the　speaker

passed　from　the　lower　to　the　upper　register　of　her　voice。　As　the

Prophet　reached　the　mat　outside　the　door　he　heard　the　contralto　voice

say；



〃How　are　we　to　know　it　really　is　only　ankles？〃



The　voice　of　Malkiel　the　Second　replied　plaintively；



〃But　the　gentleman　who　opened　the　door　and〃



The　contralto　voice　clicked；　and　passed　to　its　upper　register。



〃You　are　over　fifty　years　of　age；〃　it　said　with　devastating　compassion；

〃and　you　can　still　trust　a　gentleman　who　opens　doors！　/O　sanctum

simplicitatus！/〃



On　hearing　this　sudden　gush　of　classical　erudition　the　Prophet　must

have　been　seized　by　a　paralysing　awe；　for　he　remained　as　if　glued　to

the　mat；　and　made　no　effort　to　open　the　door　and　step　into　the　room。



〃If　I　am　sanctified；　Sophronia；〃　said　the　voice　of　Malkiel；　〃I　cannot

help　it；　indeed　I　can't。　We　are　as　we　are。〃



〃Did　Bottom　say　so　in　his　epics？〃　cried　the　contralto；　contemptuously。

〃Did　Shakespeare　imply　that　when　he　invented　his　immortal　Bacon；　or

Carlyle；　the　great　Cumberland　sage；　when　he　penned　his　world…famed

'Sartus'？〃



〃P'r'aps　not；　my　dear。　You　know　best。　Still；　ordinary　mennot　that　I；

of　course；　can　claim　to　be　onemust　remain；　to　a　certain　extent；　what

they　are。〃



〃Then　why　was　Samuel　Smiles　born？〃



〃What；　my　love？〃



〃Why；　I　say？　Where　is　the　use　of　effort？　Of　what　benefit　was　Plato's

existence　to　the　republic？　Of　what　assistance　has　the　great　Tracy

Tupper　been　if　men　must　still；　despite　all　his　proverbs；　remain　what

they　are？　/O　curum　hominibus！　O　imitatori！　Servus　pecum！/〃



At　this　point　the　voice　of　Mr。　Ferdinand　remarked　in　the　small　of　the

Prophet's　back；



〃Shall　I　set　down　the　tea　on　the　mat；　sir；　or〃



The　Prophet　bounded　into　the　library；　tingling　in　every　vein。　His

panther…like　entrance　evidently　took　the　two　conversationalists　aback；

for　Malkiel　the　Second；　who　had　been　plaintively　promenading　about　the

room；　still　on　his　toes　according　to　the　behest　of　Mr。　Ferdinand；　sat

down　violently　on　a　small　table　as　if　he　had　been　shot；　while　the

contralto　voice；　which　had　been　sitting　on　a　saddle…back　chair　by　the

hearth；　simultaneously　bounced　up；　both　these　proceedings　being　carried

out　with　the　frantic　promptitude　characteristic　of　complete　and

unhesitating　terror。



〃I　beg　your　pardon！〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃I　hope　I　haven't　disturbed

you。〃



Malkiel　the　Second　leaned　back；　the　contralto　voice　leaned　forward；　and

both　breathed　convulsively。



〃I　really　must　apologise；〃　continued　the　Prophet。　〃I　fear　I　have

startled　you。〃



His　guests　swallowed　nothing　simultaneously　and　mechanically　drew　out

their　handkerchiefs。　Then　Malkiel　feebly　got　up　and　the　contralto　voice

feebly　sank　down　again。



〃II　thought　I　said　sharp；　sir；〃　remarked　Malkiel；　at　length；　with　a

great　effort　recovering　himself。



〃Wasn't　I　sharp？〃　returned　the　Prophet。　〃Will　you　present　me？〃



〃Are　you　equal　to　it；　my　love？〃　inquired　Malkiel；　tenderly；　to　the

contralto　voice。



The　contralto　voice　nodded　hysterically。



〃Madame　Sagittarius；　sir；〃　said　Malkiel；　turning　proudly　to　the

Prophet；　〃my　wife；　the　mother　of　Corona　and　Capricornus。〃



The　Prophet　bowed　and　the　lady　inclined　herself；　slightly　protruding

her　elbows　as　she　did　so；　as　if　just　to　draw　attention　to　the　fact　that

she　was　possessed　of　those　appendages　and　could　use　them　if　necessary。



Madame　Malkiel；　or　rather　Madame　Sagittarius；　as　she　must　for　the

present　be　called；　was　a　smallish　woman　of　some　forty　winters。　Her

hair；　which　was　drawn　away　intellectually　from　an　ample　and　decidedly

convex　brow；　was　as　black　as　a　patent　leather　boot；　and　had　a　gloss

upon　it　as　of　carefully…adjusted　varnish。　Her　eyes　were　very　large；

very　dark　and　very　prominent。　Her　features　were　obstreperous　and

rippling；　running　from　right　to　left；　and　her　teeth；　which　were　shaded

by　a　tiny　black　moustache；　gleamed　in　a　manner　that　could　scarcely　be

called　natural。　She　was　attired　in　a　black　velvet　gown　trimmed　with　a

very　large　quantity　of　beadwork；　a　bonnet　adorned　with　purple　cherries；

green　tulips　and　orange…coloured　ostrich　tips；　a　pelisse；　to　which

bugles　had　been　applied　with　no　uncertain　hand；　and　an　opal　necklace。

Her　gloves　were　of　white；　her　boots　of　black　kid；　the　latter　being

furnished　with　elastic　sides；　and　over　her　left　wrist　she　carried　a

plush　reticule；　whose　mouth　was　kept　shut　by　a　tightly…drawn　scarlet

rib