the prophet of berkeley square-第31节

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When　he　came　down　in　the　morning　pale；　dishevelled；　but　informed　by　a

curious　dignity；　he　was　met　at　once　by　Mr。　Ferdinand。



〃I　have　cleared　the　area；　sir；〃　said　the　functionary。



〃The　area；　Mr。　Ferdinand。　What　of？〃



〃Telegrams；　sir。　The　boys　must　have　thrown　'em　down　without　knocking。〃



〃Very　probably；〃　replied　the　Prophet。　〃Their　comrade　was　right。　They

did　not　wish　to　be　strangled。〃



〃No；　sir。　And　I　have　placed　them　in　a　basket　on　the　breakfast　table；

sir；　while　awaiting　your　orders。〃



〃Quite　right；　Mr。　Ferdinand。　By　the　way；　here　is　the　bradawl。　Leave　it

out　again　to…night　in　case　I　have　need　of　it。〃



So　saying；　the　Prophet　handed　the　bradawl；　which　he　had　craftily

conveyed　from　the　pantry　on　the　previous　night；　to　the　astonished

butler　and　walked　swiftly　into　the　breakfast…room。　The　basket　of

telegrams　was　set　outside　beside　a　fried　sole　and　the　〃equipage〃　which

Madame　had　so　much　admired；　and；　while　he　sipped　his　tea；　the　Prophet

opened　the　wires　one　by　one。　They　were　fraught　with　terror　and　dismay。

Evidently　his　mysterious　warning　had　thrown　the　worthies　who　dwelt

beside　the　Mouse　into　a　condition　of　the　very　gravest　amazement　and

alarm；　and　they　had；　despite　the　Prophet's　final　injunction；　spent　the

remaining　telegraphic　hours　of　the　day　in　despatching　wires　of　frantic

inquiry　to　the　square。　Madame；　in　particular；　was　evidently　much　upset；

and　expressed　her　angry　agitation　in　a　dead　language　that　seemed

positively　to　live　again　in　fear　and　novelty　of　grammatical

construction。　Sir　Tiglath　had　been　a　brilliant　card　to　play　in　the

prophetic　game；　although　he　had　not　achieved　the　Prophet's　purpose　of

stopping　the　telegraphic　flood。



While　the　Prophet　was　simultaneously　finishing　the　fried　sole　and　the

perusal　of　the　final　wire　Mr。　Ferdinand　entered；　in　a　condition　of

obvious　astonishment　that　might　well　have　cost　him　his　place。



〃If　you　please；　sir；〃　he　said；　in　an　up…and…down　voice；　〃if　you　please

there　are　twotwotwo〃



〃Two　what？　Be　more　explicit；　Mr。　Ferdinand。〃



〃Twowell；　sir；　kids　at　the　door　waiting　for　you　to　see　them；　sir。〃



〃Two　kids！　Whatfrom　the　goat　show　that's　going　on　at　the　Westminster

Aquarium！〃　cried　the　Prophet　in　great　surprise。



〃Maybe；　sir。　I　can't　say；　indeed；　sir。　Am　I　to　show　them　in；　sir？〃



〃Show　them　in！　Are　you　gone　mad；　Mr。　Ferdinand？　They　must　be　driven　out

at　once。　If　Mrs。　Merillia　were　to　see　them；　she　might　be　greatly

alarmed。　I'llI'llfollow　me；　Mr。　Ferdinand；　closely。〃



So　saying　the　Prophet　stepped　valiantly　into　the　hall。　There；　by　the

umbrella　stand；　stood　two　small　children；　boy　and　girl；　very　neatly

dressed　in　a　sailor　suit　and　a　grey　merino。　The　little　boy　held　in　his

hand　a　large　round　straw　hat；　on　the　blue　riband　of　which　was　inscribed

in　letters　of　gold；　〃H。M。S。　Hercules。〃　The　little　girl　wore　a　pleasant

pigtail　tied　with　a　riband　of　the　same　hue。



The　meaning　of　Mr。　Ferdinand's　vulgar　and　misleading　slang　suddenly

dawned　on　the　Prophet。　He　cast　a　look　of　very　grave　rebuke　on　Mr。

Ferdinand；　then；　walking　up　to　the　little　boy　and　girl　he　said　in　his

most　ingratiating　manner；



〃Well；　my　little　ones；　what　can　I　do　for　you？〃



〃Not　so　little；　if　you　please；　Mr。　Vivian；〃　replied　the　boy　in　a

piping；　but　very　self…possessed　voice。　〃Can　we　see　you　in　private　for　a

moment？〃



〃If　you　please；　Mr。　Vivian；〃　added　the　little　girl。　〃Si　sit

prudentium。〃



〃Dentia；　Corona；〃　corrected　the　little　boy。



The　Prophet　turned　white　to　the　very　lips。



〃Certainly；　certainly；〃　he　said　in　a　violently　furtive　manner。　〃Come

this　way；　my　children。　Mr。　Ferdinand；　if　Mrs。　Merillia　should　inquire

for　me；　you　will　say　that　I'm　busy　writingno；　no；　just　busyvery

busy。〃



〃Yes；　sir。〃



〃I'm　not　to　be　disturbed。　This　way；　my　little　ones。〃



〃Not　so　little；　Mr。　Vivian；〃　piped　again　the　small　boy；　trotting

obediently；　with　his　sister；　into　the　Prophet's　library；　the　door　of

which　was　immediately　closed　behind　them。



〃Well；　I'm〃　said　Mr。　Ferdinand。　〃Kids　in　the　library！　I　am

Gustavus！〃



He　rushed　frenetically　towards　the　servants'　hall　to　confer　upon　the

situation　with　his　intellectual　subordinate。



Meanwhile　the　Prophet　was　closeted　with　the　two　kids。



〃Pray　sit　down；〃　he　said；　very　nervously；　and　smiling　forcibly。　〃Pray

sit　down；　my　dears。〃



The　kids　obeyed　with　aplomb；　keeping　their　large　and　strained　eyes

fixed　upon　the　Prophet。



〃Is　it　Coronus　and　Capricorna？〃　continued　the　Prophet；　with　an　effort

after　blithe　familiarity。　〃Is　it？〃



〃No；〃　piped　the　little　boy。　〃It　isn't　Coronus　and　Capricorna。〃



A　marvellous　sensation　of　relief　invaded　the　Prophet。



〃Thank　Heaven！〃　he　ejaculated　in　a　sigh。　〃I　thought　it　must　be。〃



〃It's　Corona　and　Capricornus；〃　continued　the　little　boy。　〃And　we've

brought　you　a　letter　from　pater　familias。〃



〃And　mater　familiaris；〃　added　the　little　girl。



〃Milias；　Corona；〃　corrected　the　little　boy。　〃Here　it　is；　Mr。　Vivian；〃

he　added；　drawing　a　large　missive　from　the　breast　of　his　blue…and…white

sailor's　blouse。　〃Pater　and　mater　familias　couldn't　bring　it

themselves；　because　he　said　it　wasn't　safe　for　him　to　come；　and　she's

lying　down　ill　at　what　you　sent　to　her。　It　wasn't　kind　of　you；　was　it？〃



So　saying；　he　handed　the　missive　to　the　Prophet；　who　took　it　anxiously。



〃Would　you　like　some　cake；　my　litI　mean；　my　dears；　while　I　read

this？〃



〃No；　thank　you。　Cake　is　bad　for　us　in　the　morning；〃　replied　the　little

boy。　〃You　shouldn't　eat　it　so　early。〃



The　Prophet　was　about　to　reply　that　he　never　did　when　it　struck　him

that　argument　would　probably　be　useless。　He；　therefore；　hastened　to

open　the　letter；　which　proved　to　be　from　Mr。　Sagittarius；　and　which　ran

as　follows：



　〃SIR；Your　terrible　and　mysterious　wire；　coming　after　your　equally

　　terrible　and　mysterious　silence；　has　caused　devastation　in　a

　　hitherto　peaceful　and　happy　family。　To　what　peril　do　you　allude？

　　What　creature　can　there　be　so　base　as　to　wish　to　take　my　life

　　merely　on　account　of　my　sending　you　telegrams？　Madame　has　been

　　driven　to　despair　by　your　announcement；　and　I；　myself；　although　no

　　ordinary　man；　am；　very　rightly　and　properly；　going　about　in　fear

　　of　my　life　since　receipt　of　your　last　telegram。　Under　these　circs；

　　and　being　unable　to　wait　upon　you　ourselves　for　a　full

　　explanation；　we　are　sending　our　very　life…blood　to　youper　rail

　　and　'buswith　strict　orders　to　bring　you　at　once　to　the　banks　of

　　the　Mouse；　there　to　confer　with　Madame　and　self　and　arrange　such

　　measures　of　precaution　as　are　suited　to　the　requirements　of　the

　　situation　as　indicated　by　you。



〃JUPITER　SAGITTARIUS。





　〃P。S。You　are　to　bring　with　you；　according　to　solemn　oath；　all

　　prophecy　concerning　grandmother；　Crab；　etc。；　gathered　up　to　date；

　　together　with　full　details　of　same's　removal　from　the　bottle；

　　cutting　of　her　first　tooth；　short…coating；　going　into　skirts；

　　putting　of　hair　up；　day　of　marriage　and　widowhood；　illnesses

　　especially　rashesand　so　forth。　/Ab　origino/。



　〃MADAME　SAGITTARIUS。〃





On　reading　this　communication　the　Prophet　felt　that　all　further

struggle　was　useless。　Fatecruel　and　remorseless　Fatehad　him　in　her

grasp。　He　could　only　bow　his　head　and　submit　to　her　horrible　decrees。

He　could　only　go　upstairs　and　at　once　prepare　for　the　journey　to　the

Mouse。



He　laid　the　letter　down　and　got　up；　fixing　his　eyes　upon　the　kids；　who

sat　solemnly　awaiting　his　further　procedure。



〃YouI　suppose　you　know；　my　little　ones；　what　thiswhat　you　have　to

do？〃　he　said。



〃Not　so　little；　if　you　please；　Mr。　Vivian；〃　returned　the　boy。　〃Yes；

we've　got　to　take　you　with　us　to　see　pater　familias。〃



〃And　mater　familiarfamilias；〃　added　the　little　girl。



〃I　seeyou　know；〃　said　the　Prophet；　in　a　despairing　voice。　〃Very　well。

Wait　here　quietlyvery　quietly；　while　I　go　and　get　ready。〃



〃And　please　don't　forget　the　Crab　and　grandmother；　rashes；　et　ceterus；〃

said　the　little　girl。



〃Tera　Corona；〃　piped　her　brother。



〃I　won't；〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃I　will　not。〃



And　he　tottered　out　of　the　room；　carrying　the　Sagittarius　letter　in　his

hand。



In　the　hall　he　paused　for　a　moment；　holding　on　to　the　balusters　and　re…

reading　his　directions。　Then　he　crawled　slowly　up　the　stairs　and　sought

his　grandmother's　room。







CHAPTER　XIV



THE　PROPHET　JOURNEYS　TO　THE　MOUSE



Mrs。　Merillia　was　just　beginning　to　recover　from　the　prostration　of　the

preceding　day　when　the　Prophet　came　into　the　room　where　she　was　seated

with　Mrs。　Fancy　Quinglet。　She　looked　up　at　him　almost　brightly；　but

started　when　she　saw　how　agitated　he　seemed。



〃Grannie；〃　said　the　Prophet；　abruptly；　〃you　would　tell　me　anything；

wouldn't　you？〃



〃Why；　of　course；　my　dear　boy。　But　what　about？〃



〃Aboutabout　yourself？〃



Mrs。　Merillia　looked　very　much　astonished。



〃There　is　nothing　to　hide；　Hennessey；〃　sh