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The Prophet darted to the library door and opened it。
〃Pray； pray come in here；〃 he hissed。 〃My grandmother！ Softly！〃
〃But the old la〃
〃Hush； please！〃
〃I must remark； Mr。 Viv〃
〃Tsh！ Tsh！ Mr。 Ferdinand； wait in the hall。 I shall want to speak to
you in a moment。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
The Prophet closed the door and turned to this indignant visitors。
〃This is terrible；〃 he said。 〃Terrible！〃
〃Pray why？〃 cried Madame。
〃Why；〃 cried the Prophet； 〃why？〃
He sought frantically for some excuse。 Suddenly a bright idea occurred
to him。
〃Why；〃 he said； impressively。 〃Because Sir Tiglath Butt； the gentleman
who is coming to dinner； is the person who for five…and…forty years has
been seeking Mr。 Sagittarius with the firm intention of assaulting；
perhaps of killing； him。〃
Mr。 Sagittarius turned deathly pale； and made a movement as if to get
out of the nearest window。
〃This is a trap！〃 he stammered。 〃This is a rat…trap。 This was planned。〃
〃Really〃began the Prophet。
But Mr。 Sagittarius did not heed the exclamation。 Tremblig very
violently； he continued；
〃Sophy； my darling； you are in danger。 Let us fly！〃
And； clutching his wife by the arm； to the Prophet's unspeakable
delight he endeavoured to lead； or rather to drag her to the door。 But
Madame now showed the metal she was made of。
〃Jupiter；〃 she exclaimed； in her deepest note； 〃if you are a Prophet
you can surely at moments be also a man。 Where is your /toga
virilibus/？〃
〃I don't know； my love； I'm sure。 Don't let us lose a moment。 Come； my
angel！〃
〃I shall not come；〃 retorted Madame； whose leaping ambition had been
fired by the sound of titled names。 〃The gentleman believes you to be
an American syndicate。〃
〃I know； my blessing； I know。 But〃
〃Very well。 If you don't behave like one he will never suspect you。〃
The Prophet saw his chance slipping from him and hastened to interpose。
〃He might divine the truth；〃 he said。 〃One can never〃
But at this moment he was interrupted by Mr。 Ferdinand who abruptly
opened the door and observed；
〃If you please； sir； Mrs。 Merillia has sent down orders that the police
are to be fetched at once。〃
Mr。 Sagittarius； now thoroughly unnerved； turned from white to grey。
〃The police！〃 he vociferated。 〃Sophy； my angel； let us fly。 This is no
place for you！〃
〃The police！〃 cried the Prophet。 〃Why？〃
〃I believe it's Mrs。 Fancy's doing； sir。 If you would go to Mrs。
Merillia； sir； I think〃
The Prophet rushed from the room and hastened upstairs four steps at a
time。 He found his beloved grandmother in a state of grave agitation；
and Mrs。 Fancy； in floods of tears； reiterating her statement that
there were robbers in the house。
〃Oh； Hennessey！〃 cried Mrs。 Merillia； on his entrance； 〃thank God that
you are come。 There are burglars in the house。 Fancy has just
encountered them in the hall。 Go for the police； my dearest boy。 Don't
lose a moment。〃
〃My dear grannie； they're not burglars。〃
〃I can't speak different； Master Hennessey； nor〃
〃Then who are they； Hennessey？ Fancy declares〃
〃They are twotwowell； two old and valued friends of mine。〃
〃Old and valued friends of ours！〃
〃Of mine； grannie。 Fancy； pray don't make such a noise！〃
〃Fancy；〃 said Mrs。 Merillia； 〃you can go to your room and lie down。〃
〃Yes； ma'am。 I say again； as I said afore； the house has been broke
into and the robbers〃
At this point the Prophet shut the door on the faithful and persistent
creature； who forthwith carried her determination and sobs to an upper
storey。
〃Hennessey； what is all this？ Who is really here？〃
〃Grannie； dear； only two friends of mine；〃 replied the Prophet； trying
to look at ease； and feeling like a criminal。
〃Friends of yours？ But surely then I know them。 I thought I knew all
your friends。〃
〃So you do； grannie； all exceptexcept just these。〃
〃And they are old and valued； you say？〃
〃No； nothat is； I mean yes。〃
Mrs。 Merillia was too dignified to ask any further questions。 She lay
back on her sofa； and looked at her grandson with a shining of mild
reproach in her green eyes。
〃Well； my dear；〃 she said； 〃go back to your friends； but don't forget
that Lady Julia and Sir Tiglath are dining here at half…past seven。〃
〃Grannie；〃 cried the Prophet； with a desperate feeling that Madame
meant to stay； 〃you ought not to dine downstairs to…night。 Let me send
and put them off。〃
〃No； Hennessey；〃 she answered； with gentle decision。 〃I feel better；
and I want cheering up。 My morning was not altogether pleasant。〃
The Prophet understood that she was alluding to his questions； and felt
cut to the heart。 His home seemed crumbling about him； but he knew not
what to do or what to say。 Mrs。 Merillia observed his agitation； but
she did not choose to remark upon it； for she considered curiosity the
most vulgar of all the vices。
〃Go to your friends； dear；〃 she said again。 〃But be in time for
dinner。〃
〃Yes； grannie。〃
The Prophet descended the stairs and met Mr。 Ferdinand at the bottom。
〃Am I to send for the police； sir？〃
〃No； no。 I've explained matters。〃
〃And about dinner； sir？〃
〃I'll tell you in a moment； Mr。 Ferdinand；〃 replied the Prophet；
entering the library with the fixed intention of getting Madame and Mr。
Sagittarius out of the house without further delay。
The tableau that met his eyes； however； was not reassuring。 He found
Madame； having laid aside her bonnet； and thrown the rabbit…skin cloak
carelessly upon a settee； arranging her hair before a mirror； and
shaking up the coffee…coloured lace fichu in a manner that suggested a
permanent occupation of the house； while her husband； sunk in a deep
armchair in an attitude of complete nervous prostration； was gazing
dejectedly into the fire。 When the Prophet entered； the latter bounded
with alarm； while Madame turned round； a couple of hairpins in her
mouth and both hands to the back of her head。
〃Ah；〃 she remarked； through the pins； 〃/il a vous/！ I am happy to say
that I have induced Mr。 Sagittarius to assume his /toga virilibus/； and
that we have； therefore； great pleasure in yielding to your thoughtful
pressure〃
〃My what？〃 said the Prophet； blankly。
〃You thoughtful pressure； and accepting your urgent invite to dine here
before proceeding to the Zoological Gardens and thence to the butler's
pantry。〃
The Prophet tried not to groan while she emitted a pin and secured with
it a wandering plait of raven hair。
〃You're sure； sir；〃 said Mr。 Sagittarius； in a deplorable voice； 〃that
the gentleman is convinced that I am really an American syndicate？〃
The Prophet rang the bell。 He could not trust himself to speak； and；
when he looked at Madame's large and determined eyes； he knew that to
do so would be useless。
Mr。 Ferdinand appeared。
〃Mr。 Ferdinand；〃 said the Prophet； 〃this lady and gentleman will join
us at dinner to…night。〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 said Mr。 Ferdinand； casting a glance of outraged prudery
upon Mr。 Sagittarius； who was attired in his usual morning costume；
including spats。
〃What's the matter； Mr。 Ferdinand？〃 asked the Prophet； following that
functionary's eyes。 〃Ha！ He's not dressed！〃
〃No； sir！〃
〃Mr。 Sagittarius；〃 cried the Prophet； 〃you're not dressed！〃
〃Sir；〃 cried that gentleman； 〃do you dare to accuse me of impropriety
in a frock coat？〃
〃No； no。 But for dinner。 You can't possibly dine like that！〃
〃I have dined like this； sir； for the last twenty years。 The architects
and their wives〃
〃I daresay。 But unluckily there will be no architects and their wives
at dinner to…night。 Please stand up。〃
〃Sir？〃
〃Kindly stand up。 Mr。 Ferdinand！〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Place your back against this gentleman's if you pleasetouching；
touching！ Don't wriggle away like that。 Keep your heels to the ground
while I fetch a sheet of notepaper。 Don't move your heads either of
you。 I thought so。 You're pretty much the same height。 Mr。 Ferdinand；
you will lay out a white shirt and one of your black dress suits in my
dressing…room at once。 Madame； I regret that we must leave you for a
few moments。 Will you rest here？ Allow me to place a cushion for your
head。 And here is Juvenal in the original。〃
So saying； the Prophet hurried Mr。 Sagittarius from the room； driving
Mr。 Ferdinand； in a condition of elephantine horror； before him； and
abandoning Madame to an acquaintance with the classics that she had
certainly never achieved in the society of the renowned Dr。 Carter。
CHAPTER XVII
MALKIEL THE SECOND IS MISTAKEN FOR A RATCATCHER
〃If you tremble like that； of course it must look too big！〃 exclaimed
the Prophet to Mr。 Sagittarius； a quarter of an hour later。 〃Draw it in
at the back。〃
Mr。 Sagittarius