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Verano； bore down upon Mr。 and Madame Sagittarius； who were so busily
engaged in disputation that they did not perceive that anyone was near
until Lady Enid touched Mr。 Sagittarius upon the arm。
That gentleman started violently and； on perceiving Sir Tiglath Butt；
who was positively sputtering with wrath at the palmistic attentions
paid to him by Verano； shrank against his wife； who pushed him
vigorously from her； and； getting upon her feet； announced in a loud
voice；
〃Very well； Jupiter； since you won't declare yourself I shall go at
once to the woman Bridgeman and declare yourself for you！〃
And with this remark she scowled at Lady Enid and walked majestically
away； tossing her head vehemently at Mrs。 Eliza and Verano as she swept
into the adjoining drawing…room。
〃Dear me；〃 said Lady Enid； with great curiosity。 〃Dear me； Mr。
Sagittarius； is your wife going to make a declaration？ This is most
interesting！〃
And； moved by her besetting idiosyncrasy； she added to the astronomer；
〃Excuse me； Sir Tiglath； 〃I'll be back in one moment！〃 and glided
swiftly away in the wake of Madame； leaving Mr。 Sagittarius and his
deadliest foe /tete…a…tete/。
〃Is this a madhouse； sir？〃 cried Sir Tiglath； on being thus abandoned。
〃The old astronomer demands to know at once if one is； or is not； in a
vast madhouse？〃
〃I don't know； sir； indeed；〃 replied Mr。 Sagittarius。 〃I should not
like to express an opinion on the point。 If you will excu〃
〃Sir； the old astronomer will not excuse you；〃 roared Sir Tiglath；
forcibly preventing Mr。 Sagittarius； who was pale as ashes； from
escaping into the farther room。 〃He will not be run away from by
everybody in this manner。〃
〃I beg pardon； sir； I had no intention of running away；〃 said Mr。
Sagittarius； making one last despairing effort to assume his /toga
virilibus/。
〃Then why did you do it； sir？ Tell the old astronomer that！〃 cried Sir
Tiglath； seizing him by the arm。 〃And tell him； moreover； what you and
the old female Bridgeman have been about together？〃
〃Nothing； sir； I swear that Mrs。 Bridgeman and myself have never〃
〃Never made investigations into the possibility of there being oxygen
in many of the holy stars？ Do you affirm that； sir？〃
〃I do！〃 cried Mr。 Sagittarius。 〃I am an outside broker。〃
〃Do you affirm that you are no astronomer； sir？ Do you declare that you
are not a man of science？〃
〃I do！ I do！〃
〃Not an astronomer of remarkable attainments； but very modest and
retiring withal？ Oh…h…h！〃
〃Modest and retiring； sir？〃 cried Mr。 Sagittarius； suddenly illumined
by a ray of hope。 〃That's just it！ I am a modest and retiring outside
broker； sir。〃
And he violently endeavoured to prove the truth of the words by
escaping forthwith into obscurity。
〃There never was a modest and retiring outside broker！〃 bellowed Sir
Tiglath。 〃There never was； and there never will be。 The old〃
〃What's that？〃 interrupted Mr。 Sagittarius。 〃Whatever's that？〃
For at this moment an extraordinary hum of voices made itself audible
above the fifty guitars； and a noise of many feet trampling eagerly
upon Mrs。 Bridgeman's parquet grew louder and louder in the brilliant
rooms。 Attracted by the uproar； Sir Tiglath paused for a moment； still
keeping his hand upon the lapel of Mr。 Ferdinand's coat； however。 The
noise increased。 It was evident that a multitude of people was rapidly
approaching。 Words uttered by the moving guests； exclamations； and
ejaculations of excitement now detached themselves from the general
murmur。
〃The Prophet from the Mouse！〃
〃The great Malkiel here！〃
〃The founder of the almanac！〃
〃The greatest Prophet of the age！〃
〃Malkiel the Second from the Mouse！〃
〃Where is Malkiel？〃
〃We must find Malkiel！〃
〃We must see Malkiel！〃
〃Is it really Malkiel？〃
〃Oh； is it /the/ Malkiel？ Wherewhere is Malkiel？〃
Such cries as these broke upon the ears of the astronomer and Mr。
Sagittarius。
Sir Tiglath grew purple。
〃Malkiel who has insulted the holy stars here！〃 he roared； letting go
of Mr。 Sagittarius。 〃Wherewhere is he？〃
〃In there； sir； I verily believe！〃 cried Mr。 Sagittarius； pointing in
the direction of the crowd with a hand that shook like all the leaves
in Vallombrosa。
〃Let me find him！〃 shouted the astronomer。 〃Let me only discover him！
I'll break every bone in his accursed body。〃
And with this rather bald statement he rolled out of the room in one
direction； while Mr。 Sagittarius； without more ado； cast aside his
/toga virilibus/ and darted out of it into another； just as Madame
escorted by Mrs。 Bridgeman； Lady Enid； the great Towle and the whole of
the company assembled at Zoological House； appeared majesticallyand
proceeding as an Empressin the aperture of the main doorway。
CHAPTER XIX
MRS。 MERILLIA HEATS THE POKER
When Mr。 Sagittarius； running at his fullest speed； emerged from
Zoological House； wearing the hat and coat that the saturnine little
clergyman had left behind him； the night was damp and gusty。 As he
hastened down the drive； and the sound of twenty guitars； playing 〃Oh
would I were a Spaniard among you lemon groves！〃 died away in the
lighted mansion behind him； he heard the roaring of the beasts in the
gardens close by。 In the wet darkness it sounded peculiarly terrific。
He shuddered； and； holding up Mr。 Ferdinand's trousers with both hands；
hurried onward through the mire； whither he knew not。 His only thought
was that all was now discovered and that his life was in danger。 A
woman's vanity had wrecked his future。 He must hide somewhere for the
night； and get away in the morning； perhaps on board some tramp steamer
bound for Buenos Ayres； or on a junk weighing anchor for Hayti or Java；
or some other distant place。 Vague memories of books he had read when a
boy came back to him as he ran through the unkempt wilds of the
Regent's Park。 He saw himself a stowaway hidden in a hold； alone with
rats and ships' biscuits。 He saw himself working his way out before the
mast； sent aloft in hurricanes on pitch…black nights； or turning the
wheel the wrong way round and bringing the ship to wreck upon iron…
bound coasts swarming with sharks and savages。 The lions roared again；
and the black panthers snarled behind their prison bars。 He thought of
the peaceful waters of the river Mouse； of the library of Madame； of
the happy little circle of architects and their wives； of all that he
must leave。
What wonder if he dropped a tear into the muddy road？ What wonder if a
sob rent the bosom of Mr。 Ferdinand's now disordered shirt front？ On
and on Mr。 Sagittariusor Malkiel the Second； as he may from
henceforth be calledwent blindly； on and on till the Park was left
behind； till crescents gave way to squares； and squares to streets。 He
passed an occasional policeman and slunk away from the penetrating
bull's…eye。 He heard now and then the far…off rattle of a cab； the
shrill cry of a whistle； the howl of a butler summoning a vehicle； the
coo of a cook bidding good…night to the young tradesman whom she loved
before the area gate。 And all these familiar London sounds struck
strangely on his ear。 When would he hear them again？ Perhaps never。 He
stumbled on blinded with emotion。
Dogs； we know are guided by a strange instinct to find their homes even
by unfamiliar paths。 Pigeons will fly across wide spaces and drop down
to the wicker cage that awaits them。 And it would appear that prophets
are not without a certain faculty that may be called topographical。 For
how else can the following fact be explained？ Malkiel the Second； after
apparently endless wandering； found himself totally unable to proceed
further。 His legs gave way beneath him。 His breath failed。 His brain
swam。 He reeled； stretched forth his hands and clutched at the nearest
support。 This chanced to be a railing； wet； slimy； cold。 He grasped it；
leaned against it； and for a few moments remained where he was in a
sort of trance。 Then； gradually； full consciousness returned。 He
glanced up and beheld the black garden of a square。 Somehow it looked
familiar。 He seemed to know those shadowy； leafless trees； the roadway
between him and them； even the pavement upon which his bootshis own
bootswere set。 His lack…lustre eyes travelled to the houses that
bordered the square； then to the house against whose area railings he
was leaning； and he started with amazement。 For he was in Berkeley
Square； leaning against the railing of number one thousand。 He gazed up
at the windows。 One or two faint lights twinkled。 Then perhaps the
household had not yet retired for the night。 An idea seized him。 He
must rest。 He must snatch a brief interval of repose； before starting
for the docks at dawn to find a ship in whose hold he could seek
seclusion； till the great seas roared round her； and he could declare
himself to t