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Capricornus had time to correct his sister's Latin。
〃It was Miss Minerva；〃 said the Prophet。 〃We happened to meet her。〃
〃Indeed； sir。 Run away； my pretties； and don't eat more than one each；
or mater familias will not approve。
Then； as the little ones disappeared into the shadows of the region
above； he added to the Prophet；
〃You've nearly been the death of Madame； sir。〃
〃I'm sure I'm very sorry；〃 said the Prophet。
〃Sorrow is no salve； sir； no salve at all。 Were it not for her books I
fear we might have lost her。〃
〃Good gracious！〃
〃Mercifully her books have comforted her。 She is resting among them
now。 Madame is possessed of a magnificent library； sir； encyclopaedic
in its scope and cosmopolitan in its point of view。 In it are
represented every age and every race since the dawn of letters；
thousands upon thousands of authors； sir； Rabelais and Dean Farrar；
Lamb and the Hindoos； Mettlelink and the pith of the great philosophers
such as John Oliver Hobbes； Locke； Hume and Earl Spencer； the biting
sarcasm of Hiny； the pathos of Peps； the oratorical master…strokes of
such men as Gladstone； Demosthenes and Keir Hardie； the romance of
Kipling； sir； of Bret Harte and Danty Rossini； the poetry of Kempis a
Browning and of Elizabeth Thomas Barrettall； all are there bound in
Persian calf。 Among these she seeks for solace。 To these she flies in
hours of anguish。〃
〃Does she indeed？〃 said the Prophet； feeling thoroughly overwhelmed。
〃She desires me to take you to her at once； sir； there to confer and〃
he lowered his voice and trembled visibly〃to arrange measures for the
protection of my life。〃
The Prophet found himself wishing that he had been less precipitate in
covertly alluding to Sir Tiglath's long desire of assault and battery；
but before he had time to wish anything for more than half a minute；
Mr。 Sagittarius had guided him ceremoniously across the hall and was
turning the handle of a door that was decorated with black and scarlet
paint。
〃Here； sir；〃 he whispered； 〃you will find Madame surrounded by the
authors whom she loves； by their portraits； their biographies and their
writings。 Here she communes with the great philosophers； sir； the
poets； the historians and the humourists of the entire world； from the
earliest days down to this very momentin Persian calf； sir。〃
He gazed awfully at the Prophet； and gently opened the door of this
temple of the intellect。
The Prophet expected to find himself ushered into a gigantic chamber；
lined from floor to ceiling with shelves that groaned beneath their
burden of the literature of genius。 Indeed he had； in fancy； beheld
even the chairs and couches covered with stacks of volumes； the very
floor littered with the choicest productions of the brains of the dead
and living。 His surprise was； therefore； very great when； on passing
through the door； he beheld Madame Sagittarius reposing at full length
upon a maroon sofa in a small apartment； whose bare walls； were
entirely innocent of book…shelves。 Indeed the only thing of the sort
which was visible was a dwarf revolving bookcase which stood beside the
sofa； and contained some twenty volumes bound； as Mr。 Sagittarius had
stated； in Persian calf； each of these volumes being numbered and
adorned with a label on which was printed in letters of gold； 〃The
Library of Famous Literature： Edited by Dr。 Carter。 Tasty Tit…bits from
all Times。〃
〃Madame； sir； in her library；〃 whispered Mr。 Sagittarius by the door。
〃She is absorbed； sir； and does not notice us。〃
In truth Madame Sagittarius did appear to be absorbed in thought； or
something else； for her eyes were closed； her mouth was open； and a
sound of regular breathing filled the little room。
〃She is thinking out some problem； sir；〃 continued Mr。 Sagittarius。
〃She is communing with the mighty dead。 Sophronia； my love； Sophronia；
Capricornus has brought the gentleman according to your orders。 Sophy！
Sophy！〃
His final utterances； which were somewhat strident caused Madame
Sagittarius to come away from her communion with the mighty dead with a
loud ejaculation of the nature of a snort combined with a hissing
whistle； to kick up her indoor kid boots into the air； turn upon her
right elbow； and present a countenance marked with patches of red and
white； and a pair of goggling； and yet hazy； eyes to the intruders upon
her intellectual exertions。
〃Mr。 Vivian has come； Sophronia； according to your directions。〃
Madame uttered a second snort； brought her feet to the floor； arranged
her face in a dignified expression with one fair hand； breathed
heavily； and finally bowed to the Prophet with majestic reserve and
remarked； with the professional click；
〃I was immersed in thought and did not perceive your entrance。 /Mens
invictus manetur/。 Be seated； I beg。〃
Here certain very elaborate contortions and swellings of her
interesting countenance suggested that she was repressing a good…sized
yawn； and she was obliged to rearrange her features with both hands
before she could continue。
〃Thought conquers matter； as PlautoI should say as Platus very
rightly obesrved。〃
〃Quite so；〃 assented the Prophet； trying to live up to the library； but
scarcely succeeding。
〃Even in the days of the great Juvenile；〃 proceeded Madame； 〃to whose
satires I owe much〃here she laid a loving hand upon Vol。 2 of the
〃Library of Famous Literature。〃〃Long ere the days when Lord Lytton
and his Caxtons introduced us to the blessings of the printing press
there were doubtless ladies who； like myself； could forget the
treachery and the lies of men in silent communion with the brains of
the departed。 Far better to be Milton's 'Il Penserosero' than Lord
Byron's 'L'Allegra！' 〃
To this pronounciamento； which was interrupted several times by more
alarming contortions of the brain…worker's face； the Prophet replied
with a vague affirmative； while Mr。 Sagittarius whispered；
〃Her whole knowledge； sir； comes straight from there〃pointing towards
the dwarf bookcase。 〃She brought it on the instalment system。 Dr。
Carter has made her what she is！ That man； sir； deserves to be
canonised。 Eight guineas and a half； sir； and such a result！〃
〃Such a result！〃 the Prophet whispered back。
By this time Madame Sagittarius had apparently ceased to commune with
the dead； for her striking face assumed a more normal expression of
feminine bitterness as she realised who was before her； and she
exclaimed sharply；
〃Oh； so you've come at last； Mr。 Vivian！ And pray what have you to say？
What about the rashes？ And what is this danger that threatens Mr。
Sagittarius？〃
〃We'd better take the danger first； my dear；〃 said Mr。 Sagittarius；
with grave anxiety。
〃Very well。 Not that it should be the most important to one who wears
the /toga virilibus/！〃
〃True； my love。 Still； to take it first will clear the ground； I think；
and set me more at ease。 Well； sir？〃
Thus adjured； the Prophet resolved to make a clean breast of Sir
Tiglath's declarations； and he therefore replied；
〃I thought it only right to wire to you as I did； having learnt that
there is in London a gentleman； an eminent man； who has for five…and…
forty years been seeking for Malkiel with the avowed intention of
of〃
〃Oh what； sir； of what？〃 said Mr。 Sagittarius with trembling lips。
〃Of doing him violence；〃 replied the Prophet； impressively。
〃What is the gent's name？〃 said Mr。 Sagittarius； in great agitation。
〃His name！ /Nomen volens/！〃 added Madame。
〃That；〃 said the Prophet； 〃I prefer not to say at present。〃
〃But why should he desire to？〃
〃Because you are a prophet。〃
〃There； Jupiter！〃 cried Madame； with flushed spitefulness。 〃What have I
always said！ All prophets are what they call outsiders/hors
d'oeuvres/； neither more nor less。〃
〃I know； my love； I know。 But how should this gent recognise me for a
prophet？ I'm sure my dress； my manner； are those of an outside broker；
as I have often told you； Sophy。 How〃
〃The gentleman has not yet recognised you；〃 said the Prophet。 〃At the
moment he believes you to be an American syndicate。〃
〃Thank mercy！〃 ejaculated Mr。 Sagittarius。
〃But one can never tell；〃 added the Prophet。 〃He might find out。〃
〃Nonsense！〃 cried Madame at this juncture。 〃We might quite well have
gone to the square yesterday as I always suspected。 But you are so
timid； Jupiter。 /Timeo DanDan/well； /Dan/ something or other； as
Virgil so truly says。〃
〃Cautious； Sophronia； only cautious； for your and the children's
sakes！〃
〃I call a man who's afraid even when he's passing everywhere as an
American syndicate a cowardly custard；〃 rejoined Madame； who appeared
to be suffering under that peculiar form of flushed irritability which
is apt to follow on heavy thought； indulged in to excess in a recumbent
position during