the prophet of berkeley square-第2节

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sunny　silk　that　might　have　curtained　Venus　or　have　shaken　about　Aurora

as　she　rose　in　the　first　morning　of　the　world。　From　her　he　had　acquired

the　alphabet　and　many　a　ginger…nut　and　decorative　bonbon。　And　from　her；

too；　he　had　set　forth；　with　tears；　in　his　new　Eton　jacket　and　broad

white　collar；　to　go　to　Mr。　Chapman's　preparatory　school　for　little　boys

at　Slough。　Here　he　remained　for　several　years；　acquiring　a　respect　for

the　poet　Gray　and　a　love　of　Slough　peppermint　that　could　only　cease

with　life。　Here　too　he　made　friends　with　Robert　Green；　son　of　Lord

Churchmore；　who　was　afterwards　to　be　a　certain　influence　in　his　life。

His　existence　at　Slough　was　happy。　Indeed；　so　great　was　his　affection

for　the　place　that　his　removal　to　Eton　cost　him　suffering　scarcely　less

acute　than　that　which　presently　attended　his　departure　from　Eton　to

Christchurch。　Over　his　sensations　on　leaving　Oxford　we　prefer　to　draw　a

veil；　only　saying　that　his　last　outlookas　an　undergraduateover　her


immemorial　towers　was　as　hazy　as　the　average　Cabinet　Minister's　outlook

over　the　events　of　the　day　and　the　desires　of　the　community。



But　if　the　moisture　of　the　Prophet　did　him　credit　at　that　painful

period　of　his　life；　it　must　be　allowed　that　his　behaviour　on　being

formally　introduced　into　London　Society　showed　no　puling　regret；　no

backward　longings　after　echoing　colleges；　lost　dons　and　the　scouts　that

are　no　more。　He　was　quite　at　his　ease；　and　displayed　none　of　the　high…

pitched　contempt　of　Piccadilly　that　is　often　so　amusingly

characteristic　of　the　young　gentlemen　accustomed　to　〃the　High。〃



Mrs。　Merillia；　who　had　been　a　widow　ever　since　she　could　remember；

possessed　the　lease　of　the　house　in　Berkeley　Square　in　which　the

Prophet　was　now　sitting。　It　was　an　excellent　mansion；　with　everything

comfortable　about　it；　a　duke　on　one　side；　a　Chancellor　of　the　Exchequer

on　the　other；　electric　light；　several　bathrooms　and　the　gramophone。

There　was　never　any　question　of　the　Prophet　setting　up　house　by

himself。　On　leaving　Oxford　he　joined　his　ample　fortune　to　Mrs。

Merillia's　as　a　matter　of　course；　and　they　settled　down　together　with

the　greatest　alacrity　and　hopefulness。　Nor　were　their　pleasant

relations　once　disturbed　during　the　fifteen　years　that　elapsed　before

the　Prophet　applied　his　eye　to　the　telescope　in　the　bow　window　and　gave

Mr。　Ferdinand　the　instructions　which　have　just　been　recorded。



These　fifteen　years　had　not　gone　by　without　leaving　their　mark　upon　our

hero。　He　had　done　several　things　during　their　passage。　For　instance；　he

had　written　a　play；　very　nearly　proposed　to　the　third　daughter　of　a

London　clergyman　and　twice　been　to　the　Derby。　Such　events　had；　not

unnaturally；　had　their　effect　upon　the　formation　of　his　character　and

even　upon　the　expression　of　his　intelligent　face。　The　writing　of　the

playand；　perhaps；　its　refusal　by　all　the　actor…managers　of　the　town

had　traced　a　tiny　line　at　each　corner　of　his　mobile　mouth。　The　third

daughter　of　the　London　clergymanhis　sentiment　for　herhad　taught　his

hand　the　slightly　episcopal　gesture　which　was　so　admired　at　the　Lambeth

Palace　Garden　Party　in　the　summer　of　1892。　And　the　great　race　meeting

was　responsible　for　the　rather　tight　trousers　and　the　gentleman…jockey

smile　which　he　was　wont　to　assume　when　he　set　out　for　a　canter　in　the

Row。　From　all　this　it　will　be　guessed　that　our　Prophet　was　exceedingly

amenable　to　the　influences　that　throng　at　the　heels　of　the　human

destiny。　Indeed；　he　was。　And　some　few　months　before　this　story　opens　it

came　about　that　he　encountered　a　gentleman　who　was；　in　fact；　the

primary　cause　of　this　story　being　true。　Who　was　this　gentleman？　you

will　say。　Sir　Tiglath　Butt；　the　great　astronomer；　Correspondent　of　the

Institute　of　France；　Member　of　the　Royal　College　of　Science；

Demonstrator　of　Astronomical　Physics；　author　of　the　pamphlet；　〃Star…

Gazers；〃　and　the　brochure；　〃An　investigation　into　the　psychical

condition　of　those　who　see　stars；〃　C。B。F。R。S。　and　popular　member　of　the

Colley　Cibber　Club　in　Long　Acre。



The　Prophet　was　introduced　to　Sir　Tiglath　at　the　Colley　Cibber　Club；

and　though　Sir　Tiglath；　who　was　of　a　freakish　disposition　and　much

addicted　to　his　joke　declined　to　speak　to　him；　on　the　ground　that　he

（Sir　Tiglath）　had　lost　his　voice　and　was　unlikely　to　find　it　in

conversation；　the　Prophet　was　greatly　impressed　by　the　astronomer's

enormous　brick…red　face；　round　body；　turned　legs；　eyes　like　marbles；

and　capacity　for　drinking　port…wineso　much　so；　in　fact　that；　on

leaving　the　club；　he　hastened　to　buy　a　science　primer　on　astronomy；　and

devoted　himself　for　several　days　to　a　minute　investigation　of　the　Milky

Way。



As　there　is　a　fascination　of　the　earth；　so　is　there　a　fascination　of

the　heavens。　Along　the　dim；　empurpled　highways　that　lead　from　star　to

star；　from　meteorite　to　comet；　the　imagination　travels　wakefully　by

night；　and　the　heart　leaps　as　it　draws　near　to　the　silver　bosses　of　the

moon。　Mrs。　Merillia　was　soon　obliged　to　permit　the　intrusion　of　a

gigantic　telescope　into　her　pretty　drawing…room；　and　found　herself

expected　to　converse　at　the　dinner…table　on　the　eight　moons　of　Saturn；

the　belts　of　Jupiter；　the　asteroids　of　Mars　and　the　phases　of　Venus。

These　last　she　at　first　declined　to　discuss　with　a　man；　even　though　he

were　her　grandson。　But　she　was　won　over　by　the　Prophet's　innocent

persuasiveness；　and　drawn　on　until　she　spoke　almost　as　readily　of　the

movements　of　the　stars　as　formerly　she　had　spoken　of　the　movements　of

the　Court　from　Windsor　to　London；　and　from　London　to　Balmoral。　In

truth；　she　expected　that　Hennessey's　passion　for　the　comets　would　cease

as　had　ceased　his　passion　for　the　clergyman's　daughter；　that　his　ardour

for　astronomy　would　die　as　had　died　his　ardour　for　play…writing；　that

he　would　give　up　going　to　/Corona　Borealis/　and　to　the　Southern　Fish　as

he　had　given　up　going　to　the　Derby。　Time　proved　her　wrong。　As　the　days

flew　Hennessey　became　increasingly　impassioned。　He　was　more　often　at

the　telescope　than　at　the　Bachelors'；　and　seemed　on　the　way　to　become

almost　as　gibbous　as　the　planet　Mars。　Even　he　slightly　neglected　his

social　duties；　and　on　one　terrible　occasion　forgot　that　he　was　engaged

to　dine　at　Cambridge　House　because　he　was　assisting　at　a　transit　of

Mercury。



Now　all　this　began　to　weigh　upon　the　mind　of　Mrs。　Merillia；　despite　the

amazing　cheerfulness　of　disposition　which　she　had　inherited　from　two

long　lines　of　confirmed　optimistsher　ancestors　on　the　paternal　and

maternal　sides。　She　did　not　know　how　to　brood；　but；　if　she　had；　she

might　well　have　been　led　to　do　so。　And　even　as　it　was　she　had　been

reduced　to　so　unusual　a　condition　of　dejection　that；　a　week　before　the

evening　we　are　describing；　she　had　been　obliged　to　order　a　box　at　the

Gaiety　Theatre；　she；　who；　like　all　optimists；　habitually　frequented

those　playhouses　where　she　could　behold　gloomy　tragedies；　awful

melodramas；　or　those　ironic　pieces　called　farces；　in　which　the　ultimate

misery　of　which　human　nature　is　capable　is　drawn　to　its　farthest　point。



In　the　beginning　of　this　new　dejection　of　hers；　Mrs。　Merillia　was　now

seated　in　a　stage　box　at　the　〃Gaiety；〃　with　an　elderly　General　of　Life

Guards；　a　Mistress　of　the　Robes；　and　the　grandfather　of　the　Central

American　Ambassador　at　the　Court　of　St。　James；　and　all　four　of　them

were　smiling　at　a　neat　little　low　comedian；　who　was　singing；　without

any　voice　and　with　the　utmost　precision；　a　pathetic　romance　entitled；

〃De　Coon　Wot　Got　de　Chuck。〃



Meanwhile　the　Prophet　was　engaged　for　the　twentieth　time　in　considering

whether　Mrs。　Merillia；　on　her　return　from　this　festival；　would　have　to

be　carried　to　bed　by　hired　menials。



Why？



This　brings　us　to　the　great　turning　point　in　our　hero's　life；　to　the

point　when　first　he　began　to　respect　the　strange　powers　stirring　within

him。



Until　he　encountered　Sir　Tiglath　Butt　in　the　dining…room　of　the　Colley

Cibber　Club　Hennessey　had　been　but　a　dilettante　fellow。　He　had　written

a　play；　but　airily；　and　without　the　twenty　years　of　arduous　and

persistent　study　declared　by　the　dramatic　critics　to　be　absolutely

necessary　before　any　intelligent　man　can　learn　how　to　get　a　bishop　on；

or　a　chambermaid　off；　the　stage。　He　had　nearly　proposed　to　a

clergyman's　daughter；　but　thoughtlessly；　and　without　any　previous

examination　into　the　clericalism　of　rectory　females；　any　first…hand

knowledge　of　mothers'　meetings；　devoid　of　which　he　must　be　a　stout…

hearted　gentleman　who　would　rush　in　where　even　curates　often　fear　to

tread。　He　had　been　to　the　Derby；　but　without　wearing　a　bottle…green

veil　or　carrying　a　betting…book。　In　fact；　he　had　not　taken　life　very

seriously；　or　fully　appreciated　the　solemn　duties　it　brings　to　all　who

bear　its　yoke。　Only　when　the　plump　red　hand　of　Sir　Tiglathholding　a

bumper　of　thirty…four　portpointed　the　way　to　the　heavens；　did

Hennessey　beginthrough　his　telescopeto　see　the　great　possibilities

that　foot　it　about　the