the prophet of berkeley square-第43节

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added；　this　time　addressing　the　Prophet's　old　and　valued　friends。　〃Ah！

Mr。　SagiSagiumI　have　heard　so　much　of　you　from　dear　Miss

Minerva。〃



The　wild；　high　notes　of　a　flute；　played　by　a　silly　gentleman　from

Tooting；　shrilled　through　the　tupping　of　the　guitars；　and　Mr。

Sagittarius；　trembling　in　every　limb；　hissed　in　Mrs。　Bridgeman's　ear；



〃Hush；　ma'am；　for　mercy's　sake！〃



Mrs。　Bridgeman　started　and　forgot　to　smile。



〃My　loved　and　honoured　wife；〃　continued　Mr。　Sagittarius；　in　a　loud　and

anxious　voice；　〃more　to　me　than　any　lunar　guide　or　starry　monitor！

Madame　Sagittarius；　a　lady　of　deep　education；　ma'am。〃



〃Delighted！〃　said　Mrs。　Bridgeman；　making　a　gracious　grimace　at　Madame；

who　inclined　herself　stonily　and　replied　in　a　sinister　voice；



〃It　is　indeed　time　that　this　renconter　took　place。　Henceforth；　ma'am；　I

shall　be　ever　at　my　husband's　side；　/per　fus　et　nefus//et　nefus/；

ma'am。〃



〃So　glad；〃　said　Mrs。　Bridgeman。　〃I　have　been　longing　for　this〃



〃Mr。　Bernard　Wilkins！〃　roared　the　tall　footman。



Mr。　Sagittarius　started　and　Mrs。　Bridgeman　did　the　same　and　smiled。



〃Bernard　Wilkins　the　Prophet！〃　Mr。　Sagittarius　exclaimed。　〃From　the

Rise！〃



〃Mrs。　Eliza　Doubleway！〃　shouted　the　footman。



〃Mrs。　Eliza！〃　cried　Mr。　Sagittarius；　in　great　excitement。　〃That's　the

soothsayer　from　the　Beck！〃



〃Madame　Charlotte　Humm！〃　yelled　the　footman。



〃Madame　Humm！〃　vociferated　Mr。　Sagittarius；　〃the　crystal…gazer　from　the

Hill！〃



〃Professor　Elijah　Chapman！〃　bawled　the　footman。



〃The　nose…reader！〃　piped　Mr。　Sagittarius。　〃The　nose…reader　from　the

Butts！〃



〃Verano！〃　screamed　the　footman；　triumphantly　submerging　the　flute　and

the　twenty　guitars。　〃Verano！〃



〃The　South　American　Irish　palmist　from　the　Downs！　My　love；〃　said　Mr。

Sagittarius；　in　a　cracking　voice；　〃we　are　in　it　to…night；　we　are

indeed；　we　are　fairly　and　squarely　in　it。〃



Madame　began　to　bridle　and　to　look　as　ostentatious　as　a　leviathan。



〃And　if　we　are；　Jupiter！〃　she　said　in　a　voice　that　rivalled　the

footman's〃if　we　are；　we　are　merely　in　our　element。　They　needn't　think

to　come　over　me！〃



〃Hush；　my　love！　Remember　that〃



〃Dr。　Birdie　Soames！〃　interposed　the　vibrant　bass　of　the　footman。



〃The　physiognomy　lady　from　the　Common！〃　said　Mr。　Sagittarius；　on　the

point　of　breaking　down　under　the　emotion　of　the　moment。　〃Scot！　Scot！

Great　Scot！〃



Mrs。　Bridgeman　was　now　completely　surrounded　by　a　heterogeneous　mass　of

very　remarkable…looking　people；　among　whom　were　peculiarly　prominent　an

enormously　broad…shouldered　man；　with　Roman　features　and　his　hair　cut

over　his　brow　in　a　royal　fringe；　a　small　woman　with　a　pointed　red　nose

in　bead　bracelets　and　prune…coloured　muslin；　and　an　elderly　female　with

short　grizzled　hair；　who　wore　a　college　gown　and　a　mortar…board　with　a

scarlet　tassel；　and　who　carried　in　one　hand　a　large　skull　marked　out　in

squares　with　red　ink。　These　were　Verano；　the　Irish　palmist　from　the

Downs；　Mrs。　Eliza　Doubleway；　the　soothsayer　from　Beck；　and　Dr。　Birdie

Soames；　the　physiognomy　lady　from　the　Common。　Immediately　around　these

celebrities　were　grouped　a　very　pale　gentleman　in　a　short　jacket；　who

looked　as　if　he　made　his　money　by　eating　nothing　and　drinking　a　great

deal；　a　plethoric　female　with　a　mundane　face；　in　which　was　set　a　large

and　delicately　distracted　grey　eye；　and　a　gentleman　with　a　jowl；　a　pug

nose；　and　a　large　quantity　of　brass…coloured　hair　about　as　curly　as

hay；　which　fell　down　over　a　low　collar；　round　which　was　negligently

knotted　a　huge　black　tie。　This　trio　comprised　Mr。　Bernard　Wilkins；　the

Prophet　from　the　Rise；　Madame　Charlotte　Humm；　the　crystal…gazer　from

the　Hill；　and　Professor　Elijah　Chapman；　the　nose…reader　from　the　Butts。

No　sooner　was　the　news　of　the　arrival　of　these　great　and　notorious

people　bruited　abroad　through　the　magnificent　saloons　of　Zoological

House　than　Mrs。　Bridgeman's　guests　began　to　flock　around　them　from　all

the　four　quarters　of　the　mansion；　deserting　even　the　neighbourhood　of

the　guitars　and　the　inviting　seclusion　of　the　various　refreshment…

rooms。　From　all　sides　rose　the　hum　of　comment　and　the　murmur　of

speculation。　Pince…nez　were　adjusted；　eyeglasses　screwed　into　eyes；

fingers　pointed；　feet　elevated　upon　uneasy　toes。　Pretty　girls　boldly

trod　upon　the　gowns　of　elderly　matrons　in　the　endeavour　to　draw　near　to

Mrs。　Bridgeman　and　her　group　of　celebrities；　youths　pushed　and　shoved；

chaperons　elbowed；　and　old　gentlemen　darted　from　one　place　to　another

in　wild　endeavours　to　find　an　inlet　through　the　press。　And　amid　this

frantic　scramble　of　the　curious；　the　famous　members　of　the　occult　world

stood；　calmly　conscious　of　their　value　and　in　no　wise　upset　or

discomposed。　Verano　stroked　his　Roman　features；　and　ran　his　large　white

hand　through　his　curly　fringe；　Dr。　Birdie　Soames　tapped　her　skull；　Mrs。

Eliza　Doubleway　played　with　her　bead　bracelets；　Mr。　Bernard　Wilkins　and

Madame　Charlotte　Humm　conversed　together　in　dreamy　murmurs；　while

Professor　Elijah　Chapman　shook　his　brass…coloured　hair　till　it　fell

forward　over　his　variegated　shirt…front；　and　glanced　inquiringly　at　the

multitudes　of　anxious　noses　which　offered　themselves　to　his　inspection

beneath　the　glare　of　the　electric　lights。



Mr。　and　Madame　Sagittarius；　completely　overlooked　in　the　throng；

elbowed；　trampled　upon；　jogged　from　behind　and　prodded　from　before；

gazed　with　a　passion　of　bitter　envy　at　their　worshipped　rivals；　who

were　set　in　the　full　blaze　of　success；　while　they　languished　in　the

outer　darkness　of　anonymous　obscurity。



〃/O　miseris　hominum　men/don't　set　your　feet　on　me；　sir；　if　you

please！〃　cried　Madame。　〃/O　pectorae　caec/ma'am；　I　beg　you　to　take

your　elbow　from　my　throat　this　minute！〃



But　even　her　powerful　and　indignant　organ　was　lost　in　the　hubbub　that

mingled　with　the　wild　music　of　the　guitars；　to　which　was　now　added　the

tinkle　of　bells　and　the　vehement　click　of　a　round　dozen　of　castanets；

marking　the　bull…fighting　rhythm　of　a　new　air　called　〃The　Espada's

Return　to　Madrid。〃



〃Jupiter！〃　she　gurgled。　〃I　shall　be　suff〃



〃Mr。　Amos　Towle！〃　roared　the　footman　savagely。



〃The　great　medium　from　the　Wick！〃



〃Towle　the　seer！〃



〃Amos　Towle；　the　famous　spiritualist！〃



〃Mr。　Towle　who　materialises！〃



〃The　celebrated　Towle！〃



〃The　great　and　only　Towle！〃



〃Oh；　is　it　/the/　Towle？〃



〃I　must　see　Towle！〃



〃Where　is　he？　Oh；　where　is　Towle？〃



〃Towle　who　communicates　with　the　other　world！〃



〃Towle　the　magician！〃



〃Towle　the　hypnotist！〃



〃Towle　the　soothsayer！〃



〃The　magnetic　Towle！〃



〃The　electric　Towle！〃



〃We　mustwe　must　see　Towle！〃



Such　were　a　very　few　of　the　exclamations　that　instantly　burst　forth

upon　the　conclusion　of　the　footman's　announcement。　The　elbowing　and

trampling　became　more　violent　than　ever；　and　Mrs。　Bridgeman　was

forcedfrom　lack　of　roomto　forego　her　society　start；　though　she　was

still　able　to　indulge　in　her　society　smile；　as　she　bowed；　with　almost

swooning　graciousness；　to　a　short；　perspiring；　bald　and　side…whiskered

man　in　greasy　broadcloth；　who　looked　as　if　he　would　have　been　quite　at

home　upon　the　box　of　a　four…wheeled　cab；　as　indeed　he　would；　seeing

that　he　had　driven　a　growler　for　five…and…twenty　years　before

discovering　that　he　was　the　great　and　only　Towle；　medium；　seer；　and

worker…of…miracles…in…chief　to　the　large　and　increasing　crowd　that

lives　the　silly　life。



〃Oh；　Mr。　Towlecharmed；　delighted！〃　cried　Mrs。　Bridgeman。　〃I　was　so

afraidHow　sweet　of　you　to　come　out　all　this　way　from　your　eyrie　at

the　Wick！　You'll　find　many　friendsdear　Madame　Charlottethe

ProfessorMrs。　Elizathey're　all　here。　And　Miss　Minerva；　too！　Your

greatest　admirer　and　disciple！〃



At　this　moment　the　crowd；　wild　in　its　endeavour　to　touch　the　inspired

broadcloth　of　the　great　Towle；　surged　forward；　and　the　Prophet　was

driven　like　a　ram　against　the　left　side　of　his　hostess。



〃I　begyourpard〃　he　gasped；　〃but　could　you　tellmewhere　Miss

Minervervais？　I　specially　want　toto〃



〃I　think　she's　with　Eureka　in　tea…room　number　1；〃　replied　Mrs。

Bridgeman。　〃Oh；　dear！　Near　the　band。　Oh；　dear！　Oh；　my　gown！　Oh！　So

sweet　of　you　to　come；　Mrs。　Lorrimer！　Just　a　few　interesting　people！　Oh；

gracious　mercy！　Oh；　for　goodness'　sake！〃



She　was　thrust　against　a　new　arrival；　and　the　Prophet；　bringing　his

shoulders　vigorously　into　play；　according　to　the　rules　of　Rugby

football；　presently　found　himself　out　in　the　open　and　free　to　wander　in

search　of　Miss　Minerva；　whom　he　was　most　anxious　to　encounter　before

the　arrival　of　Sir　Tiglath　Butt；　which　must　now　be　imminent；　despite

the　marked　disinclination　of　his　horse　to　proceed　at　the　rate　of　more

than　half　a　mile　an　hour。



The　Prophet　abandoned　Mr。　and　Madame　Sagittarius　to　their　fate；

thankful；　indeed；　to　be　rid　for　a　moment　of　their　prophetic

importunity。



Following　the　gasped　directions　of　Mrs。　Bridgeman；　he　made　towards　the