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the Prophet； repeating his formula morosely。
〃A gatheringwhat of？〃
〃Peoplepersons； that is。〃
〃Whata party？〃
〃Two parties；〃 replied the Prophet； instinctively giving Mr。
Sagittarius and Madame their undoubted due。 〃Two。〃
〃Two parties at the same timeand in the afternoon！ How very odd！〃
〃They will look very odd； veryin Berkeley Square；〃 responded the
Prophet； in a tone of considerable dejection。 〃I don't know； I'm sure；
what Mr。 Ferdinand and Gustavus will think。 Still I've given strict
orders that they are to be let in。 What else could I do？〃
He gazed at Lady Enid in a demanding manner。
〃What else could I possibly do under the circumstances？〃 he repeated。
〃Sit down； dear Mr。 Vivian；〃 she answered； with her peculiar Scotch
lassie seductiveness； 〃and tell me； your sincere friend； what the
circumstances are。〃
Unluckily her curiosity had led her to overdo persuasion。 That cooing
interpolation of 〃your sincere friend〃too strongly honeyedsuddenly
recalled the Prophet to the fact that Lady Enid was not； and could
never be； his confidante in the matter that obsessed him。 He therefore
sat down； but with an abrupt air of indefinite social liveliness； and
exclaimed； not unlike Mr。 Robert Green；
〃Well； and how are things going with you； dear Lady Enid？〃
She jumped under the transition as under a whip。
〃Me！ Butthese parties you were telling me about？〃
But the Prophet remembered his oath。 He was a strictly honourable
little man； and never swore carelessly。
〃Parties！〃 he said。 〃You and I are too old friends to waste our life in
chattering about such London nonsense。〃
〃Then we'll talk of yesterday；〃 said Lady Enid； very firmly。
The Prophet looked rather blank。
〃Yes；〃 she repeated。 〃Yesterday。 I've guessed your secret。〃
〃Which one？〃 he cried； much startled。
〃Which？〃 she said reproachfully。 〃Oh； Mr。 Vivianand I thought you
trusted in me。〃
The Prophet was silent。 The third daughter of the clergyman had often
made that remark to him when they were nearly engaged。 It recalled
bygone memories。
〃That's what I thought；〃 she added with pressure。
〃I'm sorry；〃 the Prophet murmured； rather obstinately。
〃I always think；〃 she continued； with deliberate expansiveness； 〃that
nearly all the miseries of the world come about from people not
trusting inin people。〃
〃Or from people trusting in the wrong people。 Which is it？〃 said the
Prophet； not without slyness。
She began to look thin； but checked herself。
〃Tell me；〃 she said； 〃why did you stop me yesterday when I was
beginning to say to Sir Tiglath that I was sure Malkiel was a man and
not a syndicate？〃
〃Did I stop you？〃 said the Prophet； artlessly。
〃Yes； with your eyes。〃
〃Becausebecause I was surethat is； certain you couldn't be sure。〃
〃How could you be certain？〃
〃How？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Well； how is one certain of anything？〃 said the Prophet； rather
feebly。
〃How are you certain that I'm Miss Minerva Partridge？〃
〃Because you told me so yourself； because I've seen you come into
Jellybrand's for your letters； because〃
〃Haven't I seen Malkiel come into Jellybrand's for his？〃
This unexpected retort threw the Prophet upon his beam ends。 But he
remembered his oath even in that very awkward position。
〃Does he go to Jellybrand's？〃 he exclaimed； with a wild attempt after
astonishment。 〃But he's a companySir Tiglath said so。〃
〃And what did your eyes say yesterday？〃
〃I had a cold in my eyes yesterday；〃 said the Prophet。 〃They were very
weak。 They werethey were aching。〃
Lady Enid was silent for a moment。 During that moment she was
conferring with her feminine instinct。 What it said to her must be
guessed by the manner in which she once more entered into conversation
with the Prophet。
〃Mr。 Vivian；〃 she said； with a complete change of demeanour to girlish
geniality and impulsiveness； 〃I'm going to confide in you。 I'm going to
thrown myself upon your mercy。〃
The Prophet blinked with amazement； like a martyr who suddenly finds
himself snatched from the rack and laid upon a plush divan with a satin
cushion under his head。
〃I'm going to trust you；〃 Lady Enid went on； emphasising the two
pronouns。
〃Many thanks；〃 said the Prophet； unoriginally。
She was sitting on a square piece of furniture which the Marquis of
Glome called an 〃Aberdeen lean…to。〃 She now spread herself out upon it
in the easy attitude of one who is about to converse intimately for
some centuries； and proceeded。
〃I daresay you know； Mr。 Vivian； that people always call me a very
sensible sort of girl。〃
The Prophet remembered his grandmother's remark about Lady Enid。
〃I know they do；〃 he assented； trying not to think of five o'clock。
〃What do they mean by that； Mr。 Vivian？〃
〃I beg your pardon？〃
〃I say what do they mean by a sensible sort of girl？〃
〃Why； I suppose〃
〃I'm going to tell you；〃 she interrupted him。 〃They mean a sort of girl
who likes fresh air； washes her face with yellow soap； sports dogskin
gloves； drives in an open cart in preference to a shut brougham； enjoys
a cold tub and Whyte Melville's novels； laughs at ghosts and cries over
'Misunderstood；' considers the Bishop of London a deity and the Albert
Memorial a gem of art； would wear a neat Royal fringe in her grave； and
a straw hat and shirt on the Judgment Day if she were in the country
for itwalks with the guns； sings 'Home； Sweet Home' in the evening
after dinner to her bald…headed father； thinks the /Daily Mail/ an
intellectual paper； the Royal Academy an uplifting institution； the
British officer a demi…god with a heart of gold in a body of steel； and
the road from Calais to Paris the way to heaven。 That's what they mean
by a sensible sort of girl； isn't it？〃
〃I daresay it is；〃 said the Prophet； endeavouring not to feel as if he
were sitting with a dozen or two of very practised stump orators。
〃Yes； and that's what they think I am。〃
〃And aren't you？〃 inquired the Prophet。
Lady Enid drew herself upon the Aberdeen lean…to。
〃No；〃 she said decisively； 〃I'm not。 I'm a Miss Minerva Partridge。〃
〃Well； but what is that？〃 asked the Prophet； with all the air of a man
inquiring about some savage race。
〃That's the secret〃
〃Oh； I beg your pardon！〃
〃That I'm going to tell you now； because I trust you〃
Again the pronouns were emphasised； and the Prophet thought how
difficult it would be to keep his oath。
〃And because I know now that you're silly too。〃
The Prophet jumped； though not for joy。
〃I've been Miss Minerva Partridge forwait a moment； I must look。〃
She got up； went to a writing table； opened a drawer in it； and took
out a large red book and turned its leaves。
〃My diary；〃 she explained。 〃It's foolish to keep one； isn't it？〃
Her intonation so obviously called for an affirmative that the Prophet
felt constrained to reply；
〃Very foolish indeed。〃
She smiled with pleasure。
〃I'm so glad you think so。 Ahexactly a year and a half。〃
〃You've been Miss Minerva Partridge？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃So long as that？〃
〃Yes； indeed。 Mr。 Vivian； during that time I have been leading a double
life。〃
The Prophet remembered the other double life beside the borders of the
River Mouse； and began to wonder if he were acquainted with any human
being who led a single one。
〃Many people do that；〃 he remarked rather aimlessly。
Lady Enid looked vexed。
〃I did not say I had a monopoly of the commodity；〃 she rejoined；
evidently wishing that she had。
〃Oh； no；〃 said the Prophet； making things worse； 〃one meets people who
live double lives every day； I might almost say every hour。〃
The clock had just struck four； and he had begun to think of five。 Lady
Enid's pleasant plumpness began rapidly to disappear。
〃I can't say I do；〃 she said sharply； feeling that most of the gilt was
being stripped off her sin。
She stopped in such obvious dissatisfaction that the Prophet； vaguely
aware that he had made some mistake； said；
〃Please go on。 I am so interested。 Why have you led a double life for
the last week and a half？〃
〃Year and a half； I said。〃
〃I mean year and a half。〃
He forced his mobile features to assume a fixed expression of greedy；
though rather too constant； curiosity。 Lady Enid brightened up。
〃Mr。 Vivian；〃 she said； 〃many girls are born sensible…looking without
wishing it。〃
〃Are they really？ It never occurred to me。〃
〃Such things very seldom do occur to men。 Now that places these girls
in a very painful position。 I was placed in this position as soon as I
was born； or at least as soon as I began to look like anything at all。
For babies really don't。〃
〃That's very true；〃 assented the Prophet； with more fervour。
〃People conti