the prophet of berkeley square-第9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！



glance　that　was　almost　fierce　in　its　fervour　of　inquiry〃not　Kimmins's

butthe　Berkeley　Square？〃







CHAPTER　IV



THE　SECRET　WATERS　OF　THE　RIVER　MOUSE



To　this　question　the　Prophet　could　offer　no　answer　other　than　a　bodily

one。　He　silently　presented　himself　to　the　gaze　of　Malkiel；

instinctively　squaring　his　shoulders；　opening　out　his　chest；　and

expanding　his　nostrils　in　an　effort　to　fill　as　large　a　space　in　the

atmosphere　of　the　parlour　as　possible。　And　Malkiel　continued　to　regard

him　with　the　staring　eyes　of　one　whose　mind　is　seething　with　strange；

upheaving　thoughts　and　alarming　apprehensions。　Mutely　the　Prophet

swelled　and　mutely　Malkiel　observed　him　swell；　till　a　point　was　reached

from　which　further　progressat　least　on　the　Prophet's　partwas

impossible。　The　Prophet　was　now　as　big　as　the　structure　of　his　frame

permitted　him　to　be；　and　apparently　Malkiel　realised　the　fact；　for　he

suddenly　dropped　his　eyes　and　exclaimed；



〃This　matter　must　be　threshed　out　thoroughly；　Madame　herself　would　wish

it　so。〃



He　paused；　drew　his　chair　nearer　to　the　Prophet's；　took　off　a　glove　and

continued；



〃Sir；　you　may　be　a　prophet。　You　may　have　prophesied　correctly　in　the

Berkeley　Square。　But　if　you　are；　and　if　you　have；　remember　thisthat

you　have　proved　the　self…sacrifice；　the　privation；　the　denial；　the

subterfuge；　the　/mask/；　and　the　position　of　Sagittarius　Lodge　in　its

own　grounds　beside　the　River　Mouse　at　Crampton　St。　Peter；　N。N。；　I

said；　sirtotally　and　entirely　unnecessary。　I　will　go　further；　sir；

and　I　will　say　more。　You　have　not　only　done　that。　You　have　also　proved

the　sacred　instinct　of　a　woman；　a　respectable　married　womansuch　as　we

must　all　reverencefalse　and　deceived。　Remember　this；　sir；　remember

all　this；　then　search　yourself　thoroughly　and　say　whether　what　you　have

told　me　is　strictly　true。〃



〃I　assure　you〃　began　the　Prophet；　hastily。



But　Malkiel　sternly　interrupted　him。



〃Search　yourself；　sir；　I　beg！〃　he　cried。



〃But　upon　my　honour〃



〃Hush；　sir；　hush！　I　beg；　nay；　I　insist；　that　you　search　yourself

thoroughly　before　you　answer　this　momentous　question。〃



The　Prophet　felt　rather　disposed　to　ask　whether　Malkiel　expected　him　to

examine　his　pockets　and　turn　out　his　boots。　However；　he　sat　still　while

Malkiel　drew　out　a　large　gold　watch；　held　it　solemnly　in　his　hand　for　a

couple　of　minutes　and　then　returned　it　to　the　waistcoat。



〃Now；　sir；〃　he　said。



〃I　assure　you；〃　said　the　Prophet；　〃on　my　honour　that　all　I　have　said　is

strictly　true。〃



〃And　took　place　in　the　Berkeley　Square？〃



〃And　took　place　in　the　Berkeley　Square。〃



Malkiel　nodded　morosely。



〃It　may　have　been　chance；〃　he　said。　〃A　weather　forecast　and　an　honoured

grandmother　may　have　been　mere　luck。　Still　it　looks　badvery　bad。〃



He　sighed　heavily；　and　seemed　about　to　fall　into　a　mournful　reverie

when　the　Prophet　cried　sharply；



〃Explain　yourself；　Malkiel　the　Second。　You　owe　it　to　me　to　explain

yourself。　Why　should　my　strange　gift〃



〃If　you　have　it；　sir；〃　interrupted　Malkiel；　quickly。



〃If　I　have　it；　very　wellaffect　you？　Why　should　it　render　the　self…

sacrifice　andand　the　position　ofof　Sagittarius　Lodge　on　the　river

the　riverwhat　river　did　you　say？〃



〃The　River　Mouse；〃　rejoined　Malkiel　in　a　muffled　voice；　and　shaking　his

head　sadly。



〃Exactlyon　the　River　Mouse　at　Crompton〃



〃Crampton。〃



〃Crampton　St。　Peter　total〃



〃N。！〃



〃What？〃



〃Crampton　St。　Peter。　N。　That　is　the　point。〃



〃Very　wellCrampton　St。　Peteren；　totally　and　entirely　unnecessary？〃



〃You　desire　my　revelation；　sir？　You　desire　to　enter　into　the　bosom　of　a

family　that　hitherto　has　dwelt　apart；　has　lain　as　I　may　say　/perdew/

beside　the　secret　waters　of　the　River　Mouse？　Is　it　indeed　so？〃



〃Oh；　I　beg　your　pardon；〃　cried　the　Prophet；　hastily。　〃I　would　not　for

the　world　intrude　upon〃



〃Those　hallowed　precincts！　Well；　perhaps　you　have　the　right。

Jellybrand's　has　betrayed　me　to　you。　You　know　my　name；　my　profession。

Why　should　you　not　know　more？　Perhaps　it　is　better　so。〃



With　the　sudden　energy　of　a　man　who　is　reckless　of　fate　he　seized　his

goblet；　poured　into　it　at　least　a　shilling's　worth　of　〃creaming　foam；〃

drained　it　to　the　dregs　and；　shaking　back　his　matted　hair　with　a

leonine　movement　of　the　head；　exclaimed；



〃Malkiel　the　First；　who　founded　the　/Almanac/；　lay　/perdew/　all　his

life。〃



〃Beside　the　secret　waters　of　the　River　Mouse？〃　the　Prophet　could　not

help　interposing。



〃No；　sir。　He　would　never　have　gone　so　far　as　that。　But　he　lived　and

died　in　Susan　Road　beside　the　gas…works。　He　was　a　great　man。〃




〃I'm　sure　he　was；〃　said　the　Prophet；　heartily。



〃He　wished　me　to　live　and　die　there　too；〃　said　Malkiel。　〃But　there　are

limits；　sir；　even　to　the　forbearance　of　women。　Madame　was　affected；

painfully　affected；　by　the　gas；　sir。　It　stank　in　her　nostrilsto　use　a

figure。　And　then　there　was　another　drawback　that　she　could　not　get

over。〃



〃Indeed！〃



〃The　sweeps；　sir。〃



〃I　beg　your　pardon！〃　said　the　Prophet。



〃I　saidthe　sweeps。〃



〃I　heard　youwell？〃



〃Being　the　only　people　that　were　not；　in　the　whole　road；　made　for

loneliness；　sir。〃



The　Prophet　was　entirely　/bouleverse/。



〃I'm　afraid　I'm　very　stupid；　but　really　I〃　he　began。



〃Is　it　possible　that　you　live　in　London；　sir；　and　are　not　aware　that

Susan　Road　lies　in　the　most　sought…after　portion　of　the　sweeps'

quarter？〃　said　Malkiel；　with　pitying　amazement。



The　Prophet　blushed　with　shame。



〃I　beg　your　pardon。　Of　courseI　understand。　Pray　go　on。〃



〃It　made　for　loneliness；　sir。〃



〃Naturally。〃



〃Their　hours　were　not　our　hours。　And　then　the　professional　colour！

Madame　said　it　was　like　living　among　the　Sandwich　Islanders。　And　so；　to

an　extent；　it　was。　My　father　had　left　a　very　tidy　bit　of　moneya　very

tidy　bit　indeed；　and　we　resolved　to　move。　But　where？　That　was　the

problem。　For　I　was　not　as　other　men。　I　could　not　live　like　themin　the

Berkeley　Square。〃



He　smiled　with　mournful　superiority　and　continued；



〃At　least　I　thought　so　then；　and　have　done　till　to…day。　Prophetsso　my

father　believed；　and　so　Madamemust　be　connected　with　the　suburbs　or

with　outlying　districts。　They　must　not；　indeed　they　cannot；　be　properly

prophetic　within　the　radius。　A　central　atmosphere　would　reduce　them　to

the　level　of　the　conjuror　or　the　muscular　suggestionist。　Malkiel　the

First；　my　father；　was　born　himself　in　Peckham；　and　met　my　mother　when

coming　through　the　rye。〃



He　brushed　aside　a　tear　that　flowed　at　this　almost　rustic　recollection；

and　continued；



〃Yet　Madame　was　wishful；　and　I　was　wishful　too；　that　the　childrenif

we　had　anyshould　not　grow　up　Eastern。　It　was　a　natural　and　a

beautiful　desire；　sir；　was　it　not？〃



〃Oh；　very；〃　replied　the　Prophet；　considerably　confused。



〃The　habits　and　manners　of　the　East；　you　see；　sir；　are　not　always　in

strict　accordance　with　propriety。　Are　they？〃



Before　the　Prophet　had　time　to　realise　that　this　question　was　merely

rhetorical；　he　began；



〃From　what　Professor　Seligman　says　in　his　/The　Inner　History　of

Baghdad/；　I　feel　sure〃



〃Nor　are　the　customs　of　the　East　quite　what　many　a　clergyman　would

approve　of；〃　continued　Malkiel。　〃Yet　even　this　was　not　what　weighed

most　with　Madame。〃



〃What　was　it　then？〃　inquired　the　Prophet；　deeply　interested。



〃Sir；　it　was　the　Eastern　language。〃



〃Ah！〃



〃Could　we　let　our　children　learn　to　speak　it？　Could　we　bear　to　launch

them　in　life；　handicapped；　weighed　down　by　such　a　tongue？　Could　we　do

this？〃



Again　the　Prophet　mistook　the　nature　of　the　question；　and　was　led　to

reply；



〃Certainly　English　children　speaking　only　Arabic　might　well　be　at　some

loss　in　ordinary　conver〃



〃We　could　not；　sir。　It　was　impossible。　So　we　resolved　to　go　to　the

north　of　London　and　to　avoid　Whitechapel　at　whatever　cost。〃



〃Whitechapel！〃　almost　cried　the　Prophet。



〃This　determination　it　was；　sir；　that　eventually　led　our　steps　to　the

borders　of　the　River　Mouse。〃



〃Oh；　really！〃



〃You　know　it；　sir？〃



〃Not　personally。〃



〃But　by　repute；　of　course？〃



〃No　doubt；　no　doubt；〃　stammered　the　Prophet；　who　had　in　fact　never

before　heard　of　this　celebrated　flood。



〃That　poor　governess；　sir；　last　Augustyou　recollect？〃



〃Ah；　indeed！〃　murmured　the　Prophet；　a　trifle　incoherently。



〃And　then　the　mad　undertaker　in　the　autumn；〃　continued　Malkiel；　with

conscious　pride；　〃he　floated　past　our　very　door。〃



〃Did　he　really？〃



〃Singing　his　swan　song；　no　doubt；　poor　feller；　as　Madame　said　after　she

read　about　it　in　the　paper。　There　were　the　grocer's　twins　as　well；　just

lately。　But　they　will　be　fresh　in　your　memory。〃



Before　the　Prophet　had　time　to　state　whether　this　was　so　or　not　Malkiel

proceeded；



〃Well；　sir；　as　soon　as　Madame　and　I　had　come　to　the　Mouse　we　resolved

that　we　could　do　no　better　than　that