the prophet of berkeley square-第4节

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in　great　pain？〃



〃No；　Hennessey。　Are　you？〃



Mrs。　Merillia's　green　eyes　twinkled。



〃I！〃



〃Yes；　at　my　accident。　For　my　ankle　is　sprained；　I'm　almost　sure；　and　I

shall　have　to　lie　up　presently　in　wet　bandages。　Tell　me；　are　you　really

pained　that　I　have　had　the　accident　you　prophesied？〃



She　glanced　from　her　grandson　to　the　telescope　that　pointed　toward　the

stars　and　back　again。



〃I　am；　indeed；　sincerely　grieved；〃　the　Prophet　answered　with　genuine

emotion。



〃Yes。　But　if　I'd　jumped　out　all　right；　and　was　sittin'　here　now　in　a

perfect　condition　of　health；　you'd　have　been　sincerely　grieved；　too。〃



〃I　hope　not；　grannie；〃　said　the　Prophet。　But　he　looked　meditative。



Mr。　Ferdinand　brought　the　toast　and　water；　the　sandwich　and　the　fan。

When　he　had　trodden　across　the　carpet　out　of　the　room　Mrs。　Merillia

continued；



〃Hennessey；　you　see　where　this　prophetic　business　is　leadin'　you。　It

has　made　you　charmed　at　my　accident。　Yes；　it　has。〃



She　spoke　without　any　pathos；　humorously　indeed；　in　a　bright　tone　full

of　common　sense。　And　she　nodded　at　him　over　her　toast　and　water　with　a

chaffing；　demure　smile。　But　the　Prophet　winced　and　put　his　hand　to　his

thick　brown　hair。



〃No；　no；〃　he　cried　quickly。　〃That's　impossible。　It　can't　be。〃　But　the

statements　sounded　like　perturbed　questions。



〃Think！〃　said　his　grandmother；　looking　down　at　her　poor；　helpless　foot

as　it　lay　on　the　velvet　stool。　〃If　I　hadn't　had　an　accident　to…night；

you'd　have　been　obliged　to　think　ill　ofofwhich　of　them　was　it　that

had　the　impertinence　to　talk　my　affairs　over　with　you？〃



〃Mercury　and　Uranus；　Jupiter；　Saturn　and　Venus；〃　said　the　Prophet　with

almost　terrible　gravity。



〃Exactly。　I　always　have　thought　ill　of　the　last；　but　that's　nothin'　to

do　with　it。　Weigh　me　in　the　balance　against　five　planetsare　they　all

planets？and　how　do　the　scales　go？　You　see；　Hennessey！〃



The　Prophet　looked　much　distressed。　He　saw　his　beloved　grandmother　by

the　fire　and　the　bright　stars　twinkling　through　the　frosty　window…

panes。　He　thought　of　his　telescope；　of　Sir　Tiglath；　of　Mr。　Malkiel；　and

of　the　future；　and　the　velvety　blue　walls　of　the　drawing…room　seemed　to

spin　round　him。



〃Prophecy；〃　continued　Mrs。　Merillia；　fanning　herself　till　the　lace

lappets　of　her　priceless　cap　fluttered　above　her　orderly　and　clasping

wig；　〃is　dangerous；　for　often　it　can　cause　its　own　fulfilment。　If　you

hadn't　said　that　because　of　a　certain　conjunction　of　planetsor

whatever　it　wasin　my　horoscope；　I　should　have　an　accident　to…night；　I

shouldn't　have　jumped　out　of　the　brougham。　I　should　have　waited　for　Mr。

Ferdinand　to　assist　me；　as　befits　a　gentlewoman。〃



〃But；　grannie；　I　assure　you　I　was　most　anxious　to　save　you。　I　hoped　I

had　made　a　mistake　in　your　horoscope。　I　did；　really。　I　was　so　nervous

that　I　sent　to　Mr。　Malkiel　while　you　were　at　the　theatre　and　implored

him　to　look　into　the　matter　as　an　expert。〃



〃Mr。　Malkiel！　Who　is　he？　Do　we　know　him？〃



〃No。　But　we　know　his　marvellous　/Almanac/。〃



〃The　/Almanac/　person！　Why；　Malkiel　is　surely　a　myth；　Hennessey；　a

number　of　people；　a　company；　a　syndicate；　or　something　of　that　kind。〃



〃So　I　thought；　grannie。　But　I　have　made　inquiriesthrough　a　detective

agencyand　I　have　discovered　that　he　is　one　person；　in　fact；　a　man；

just　like　you　and　me。〃



〃Rather　an　odd　man　then！　Is　he　in　the　Red　Book？〃



〃No。　He　is；　I　understand；　of　a　very　retiring　and　secretive　disposition。

In　fact；　I　have　had　great　difficulty　in　learning　anything　about　him。

But　at　length　I　have　discovered　that　he　receives　and　answers　letters　at

an　address　in　London。〃



〃Indeed。　Where　is　it？〃



〃Jellybrand's　Library；　Eleven　Hundred　Z；　Shaftesbury　Avenue。　I　sent　a

boy　messenger　there　to…day。〃



〃Did　you　receive　a　reply？〃



〃No。　I　think　the　boyalthough　Mr。　Ferdinand　tells　me　he　wore　four

medals；　I　presume　for　couragemust　have　become　nervous　on　perceiving

Mr。　Malkiel's　name　on　the　envelope；　have　thrown　the　note　down　a

grating；　and　bolted　before　he　reached　the　place；　though　he　saidon　his

Bible　oath；　I　understand　from　Mr。　Ferdinandhe　delivered　the　note。　In

any　case　I　got　no　answer。　How　are　you　feeling？〃



〃Twisted；　but　prophetic。　I　foretell　that　my　ankle　will　be　swelled

beyond　recognition　to…morrow。　Help　me　to　bed；　Hennessey。〃



The　Prophet　flew　to　his　dear　relative's　assistance；　and　Mrs。　Merillia

endeavoured　to　rise　and　to　lean　upon　his　anxious　arm。　After　a　struggle；

however；　in　which　the　Prophet　took　part　and　two　chairs　were　overset；

she　was　obliged　to　desist。



〃You　must　ring　the　bell；　Hennessey；〃　she　said。　〃Mr。　Ferdinand　and

Gustavus　must　carry　me　to　bed　in　the　chair。〃



The　Prophet　sprang　tragically　to　the　bell。　It　was　answered。　The

procession　was　re…formed；　and　Mrs。　Merillia　was　carried　to　bed；　still

smiling；　nodding　at　each　stair　and　bearing　herself　with　admirable

courage。



As　Mr。　Ferdinand　and　Gustavus　descended　to　the　basement　after　the

completion　of　their　unusual　task；　the　latter　said　solemnly；



〃However　should　master　have　come　to　know　as　the　missis　wouldn't　be　able

to　put　foot　to　floor　this　night；　Mr。　Ferdinand？　However？〃



〃I　cannot　answer　you；　Gustavus；〃　Mr。　Ferdinand　replied；　shaking　his

broad　and　globe…like　head；　round　whose　bald　cupola　the　jet…black　hair

was　brushed　in　two　half　moons　decorated　with　a　renowned　〃butler's　own

special　pomade。〃



〃Well；　Mr。　Ferdinand；〃　rejoined　Gustavus；　stretching　out　one　hand　for

pale　ale；　the　other　for　/French　Revolution/；　〃I　don't　like　it。〃



〃Why；　Gustavus？〃　inquired　Mr。　Ferdinand；　preparing　to　resume　his

discussion　with　the　accommodating　upper　housemaid。　〃Why？〃



〃Because　it　seems　strange　like；　Mr。　Ferdinand；〃　said　Gustavus；　lifting

the　glass　to　his　lips；　the　/French　Revolution/　to　his　eyes。



〃It　do　seem　strange；　Gustavus；〃　answered　Mr。　Ferdinand；　leaving　out　the

〃like〃　in　a　cultivated　manner。　〃It　do。〃



In　the　drawing…room　the　Prophet　stood；　with　clenched　hands；　gazing

through　the　telescope　at　Mercury　and　Uranus；　Jupiter；　Saturn　and　Venus；

while；　on　the　second　floor；　Mrs。　Fancy　Quinglet；　Mrs。　Merillia's

devoted；　but　occasionally　disconcerting；　maid；　swathed　her　mistress's

ankle　in　bandages　previously　steeped　in　cold　water　and　in　vinegar。







CHAPTER　II



MALKIEL　THE　SECOND　IS　BETRAYED　BY　THE　YOUNG　LIBRARIAN



Mrs。　Merillia's　accident　made　a　very　deep　impression　upon　the　Prophet's

mind。　He　thought　it　over　carefully；　and　desired　to　discuss　it　in　all

its　bearings　with　Mrs。　Fancy　Quinglet；　who　had　been　his　confidante　for

full　thirty　years。　Mrs。　Fancywho　had　not　been　marriedwas　no　longer

a　pretty　girl。　Indeed　it　was　possible　that　she　had　never；　even　in　her

heyday；　been　otherwise　than　moderately　plain。　Now；　at　the　age　of　fifty…

one　and　a　half；　she　was　a　faithful　creature　with　a　thin；　pendulous

nose；　a　pale；　hysteric　eye；　a　tendency　to　cold　in　the　head　and

chilblains　in　the　autumn　of　the　year；　and　a　somewhat　incoherent　and

occasionally　frenzied　turn　of　mind。　Argument　could　never　at　any　time

have　had　much　effect　upon　her　nature；　and　as　she　grew　towards　maturity

its　power　over　her　most　markedly　decreased。　This　fact　was　recognised　by

everybody；　last　of　all　by　Mrs。　Merillia；　who　was　at　length　fully

convinced　of　the　existence　of　certain　depths　in　her　maid's　peculiar

character　by　the　following　circumstance。



Mrs。　Merillia　had　a　bandy…legged　dachshund　called　Beau；　whose　name　was

for　many　years　often　affectionately；　and　quite　correctly；　pronounced　by

Fancy　Quinglet。　One　day；　however；　she　chanced　to　see　it　written　upon

paperB。E。A。U。



〃Whatever　does　that　mean；　ma'am？〃　she　asked　of　Mrs。　Merillia。



〃Why；　Beau；　of　course；　Beauthe　dog。　What　should　it　mean？〃



〃Bow？〃　cried　Fancy。　〃Is　he　writ　so？〃



〃Of　course；　silly　girl。　It　is　written　Beau；　and　you　can　pronounce　it　as

you　would　pronounce　a　bow　of　ribbon。〃



Fancy　said　no　more；　though　it　was　easy　to　see　that　she　was　much　shaken

by　this　circumstance。　But　she　could　never　afterwards　be　induced　to

utter　her　favourite's　name。　She　was　physically　unable　to　speak　the　word

so　strangely；　so　almost　impiously；　spelt。　This　she　declared　with　tears。

Persuasion　and　argument　were　unavailing。　Henceforth　Beau　was　always

called　by　her　〃the　dog；〃　and　it　was　obvious　that；　had　she　been　led　out

to　the　stake；　she　must　have　burned　rather　than　save　herself　by　a

pronouncing　of　the　combination　of　letters　by　which　she　had　been　so　long

deceived。



Such　an　inflexible　mind　had　Mrs。　Fancy；　to　whom　the　Prophet　now　applied

himself　with　gestures　almost　Sinaic。



She　was　dressed　in　mouse…coloured　grenadine；　and　was　seated　in　a　small

chamber　opening　out　of　Mrs。　Merillia's　bedroom；　engaged　in　what　she

called　〃plain　tatting。〃



〃Fancy；〃　said　the　Prophet；　entering　and　closing　the　door　carefully；

〃you　know　me　well。〃



〃From　the　bottle；　sir；〃　she　answered；　darting　the　bone　implements　in

and　out。



〃Have　you　ever　thoughthas　it　eve