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！
will follow。 Have you a good memoryno； a pencil and notebook will be
best。 /Litterae scriptus manetur/； as we all know full well。 Have you a
pencil and？〃
The Prophet nodded mechanically。
〃Will you kindly get them？〃
The Prophet rose； walked to his writing table and felt for the
implements。
〃If you will sit down now I will direct you；〃 continued Madame；
authoritatively。
The Prophet sat down at the table； holding a lead pencil upside down in
one hand and an account…book wrong side up in the other。
〃Let's seewhat's to…day？〃 inquired Madame； of her husband。
〃The seventeenth； my dear；〃 replied Mr。 Sagittarius； looking at his
wife with almost sickly adoration。
〃To be sure。 Capricornus's day for Homer's Idyl。 Very well； Mr。 Vivian；
to…day being the seventeenth； and the old lady's birthday the
twentieth； you have three days； or rather nights； of steady work before
you。〃
〃Steady work？〃 murmured the Prophet。
〃What should be his hours； Jupiter？〃 continued Madame。 〃At what time of
night is he to commence？ Shall I say nine？〃
The Prophet remembered feebly that； during the next three nights； he
had two important dinner…engagements； a party at the Russian
Ambassador's； and a reception at the Lord Chancellor's just opposite。
However； he made no remark。 Somehow he felt that words were useless
when confronted with such an iron will as that of the lady in the
pelisse。
〃Nine would be too early； my dear；〃 said Mr。 Sagittarius。 〃Eleven p。m。
would be more to the purpose。〃
〃Eleven let it be then； punctually。 Will you dot down； Mr。 Vivian； that
you have to be at the telescope to take observations at eleven p。m。
every night from now till the twentieth。〃
〃But I have had the telesc〃
〃Kindly dot it down。〃
The Prophet dotted it down with the wrong end of the pencil on the
wrong side of the account…book。
〃And what are his hours to be exactly； Jupiter？〃 continued Madame。
〃From eleven till dawn； I suppose？〃
The Prophet shuddered。
〃Eleven till three will be sufficient； my love。 The crab； you know； has
pretty well done his London work by that time。 And the old lady will
have to depend very much on the crab for these few nights。〃
At this point the Prophet's brain began to swim。 Sparks seemed to float
before his eyes； and amid these sparks； nebulous and fragmentary
visions appeared； visions of his beloved grandmother companioned by
scorpions and serpents； in close touch with camelopards and bovine
monsters； and； in the last stress of terror and dismay； left entirely
dependent upon crustaceans for that help and comfort which hitherto her
devoted grandson had ever been thankful to afford。
〃Oh； very well；〃 replied Madame。 〃You will be able to get to bed at
three； Mr。 Vivian。 Dot that down。〃
〃Thank you；〃 murmured the Prophet； making a minute pencil scratch in
the midst of a bill for butcher's meat。
〃During these hoursbut you can tell him the rest； Jupiter。〃
So saying； and with an air of one retiring from business upon a well…
earned competence； Madame Sagittarius lay back in her chair； settled
her bonnet…strings； flicked a crumb from the football of violets that
decorated her left side； and； extending her kid boots towards the
cheerful blaze that came from the fire； fell with a sigh into a
comfortable meditation。 Mr。 Sagittarius； on the other hand； assumed a
look of rather hectoring authority； and was about to utter what the
Prophet had very little doubt was a command when there came a gentle
tap to the door。
〃Come in；〃 said the Prophet。
He thought he had spoken in his ordinary voice。 In reality he had
merely uttered a very small whisper。 The tap was repeated。
〃Louder； sir； louder！〃 said Mr。 Sagittarius； encouragingly。
〃Come in！〃 shrieked the Prophet。
Mr。 Ferdinand appeared； looking more like the elderly spinster lady
when confronted with the corporal in the Life Guards than ever。
〃If you please； sir； I was to tell you that Lady Enid Thistle is with
Mrs。 Merillia taking tea。 Mrs。 Merillia thought you would wish to
know。〃
Madame Sagittarius took the kid boots from the blaze on hearing this
aristocratic name。 Mr。 Sagittarius assumed a look of reverence； and the
Prophet realised； more acutely than ever； that even well…born young
women can be inquisitive。
〃Very well；〃 he said。 〃Say I'llI'll〃he succeeded in making his
voice sound absolutely firm〃I'll come in a moment。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
Mr。 Ferdinand cast a glance of respectful； but unlimited； horror upon
the Prophet's guests and retired； while the Prophet； calling upon all
his manhood； turned to Mr。 Sagittarius。
〃I regret more than I can say that I shall be obliged now to obey my
grandmother's summons；〃 he said courteously。 〃Suppose we defer this
this pleasant little discussion to some future oc〃
〃Impossible； sir！〃 cried Mr。 Sagittarius。 〃Quite impossible。 You must
get to work to…night； and how can you do it without your directions？〃
〃Oh； I can manage all right；〃 said the Prophet； desperately。 〃I can
give a guess as to〃
〃/Non sunt ad astrae mollibus a terrus viae/！〃 cried Madame。 〃The road
from Berkeley square to the stars is not so easy； is it； Jupiter？〃
〃No indeed； my love。 Why〃
〃Then；〃 exclaimed the Prophet； much agitated； and feeling it incumbent
upon him to get rid of Mr。 Sagittarius at once lest the curiosity of
Lady Enid should increase beyond all measure； and lead to an encounter
between the two clients of Jellybrand's； 〃then kindly give me my
directions as briefly as possible； and〃
There was another tap upon the door。
〃What is it？〃 cried the Prophet； distractedly； 〃Come in！〃
Mr。 Ferdinand re…entered very delicately。
〃Her ladyship can only stay a minute； sir。 Mrs。 Merillia hopes you can
leave your businessI said as you was very busy； sirand come up to
the drawing…room。〃
〃Yes； yes。 I'll come。 Say I'll come； Mr。 Ferdinand。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
As the door closed the Prophet exclaimed excitedly；
〃I fear I really must〃
〃Take down your directions； sir；〃 broke in Mr。 Sagittarius； firmly。
〃Very well；〃 rejoined the Prophet； desperately； seizing his pencil and
the account…book。 〃What are they？〃
〃You swear to follow them； sir？〃
〃Yes； yes； anythinganything！〃
〃Have you a star map？〃
〃Yesno！〃
〃You must get one。〃
〃Very well。〃
〃You had better do so at the Stores。〃
Madame breathed an almost sensuous sigh which caused her husband to
glance tenderly towards her。
〃I know； my love； I know；〃 he said。 〃It may come some day。〃
〃/O festum dies！ Longa intervallam！/〃 she murmured； shaking her bonnet
with the manner of a martyr to duty。
Mr。 Sagittarius was greatly moved。
〃She's a saint；〃 he whispered aside to the Prophet； as if imparting
some necessary information。
〃Certainly。 Please go on！〃
Mr。 Sagittarius started； as if suddenly recalled to mundane matters。
〃Get it at the Stores；〃 he said。 〃In the astronomical department。〃
〃Very well。〃
〃Having done so； and keeping the old lady perpetually in your mind； you
will place her in the claws of the crab〃
〃What！〃
〃Mentally； sir； mentally； of course。〃
〃Oh。〃
〃And； allowing for the natural effect of the scorpion and serpent upon
one of her venerable age〃
〃Good Heavens！〃
〃When close round her； as they will bebut you will observe that for
yourself〃
The Prophet shut his eyes as one who refuses to behold sacrilege。
〃You will trace the cycloidal curve of the planetscan you do that？〃
The Prophet nodded。
〃As it affects her birthday； the twentieth。 Should the lynx be near
her〃
〃No； no！〃 cried the Prophet。 〃It shall not be！〃
〃Well； you'll have to find that out and keep an eye to it。 But should
it be； you will commit to paper what result its presence is likely to
produce to her； and work the whole thing out clearly for myself and
Madame on paperin prophetic form； of courseso that we receive it
bywhat post shall I say； my dear？〃
〃First post； Jupiter。〃
〃First post onwhat day is the twentieth？〃
〃I don't know；〃 replied the Prophet； helplessly。
〃A Thursday；〃 said Madame。 〃Capricornus's day for chronic sections。〃
〃She always knows；〃 said Mr。 Sagittarius to the Prophet。
〃Always。〃
〃Very well then； first post Thursday morning。 Now is that quite clear？〃
〃Oh； quite； quite。〃
〃You will of course send the old lady's horoscope to us at the same
time with full particulars。〃
〃Full particulars？〃 said the Prophet。 〃What of？〃
〃Of her removal from the bottle； cutting of her first tooth； short
coating； going into skirts； putting of the hair up； day of marriage and
widowhood； illnesses〃
〃Especially the rashes； Jupiter；〃 struck in Madame。
〃What a mind！〃 said Mr。 Sagittarius aside to the Prophet。
〃What！〃