The Princess And The Jewel Doctor / 1905

n a new pair of suede gloves preparatory to setting out

for you, s

g envelope, ripped it gently

this afternoon without fail. Shall b

R SAGIT

at seamed the Prophet's usually smooth face as he g

nswer,

increased a

reply

at-

ner towards the door. When he got the

a mo

vus s

ir

an the Prophet, speaking with considerable hesitation, a

uple,

ly. A

ir? Of hor

f people, tha

persons, si

rrive towards

s,

ery quietly into my library-not the drawing-room. Mrs. Mer

rdinary, but he preferre

. What na

is, Madame Sagittar

ot for at least five minutes did he recover himself sufficiently to remember his appointment with Lady Enid, and, when at length he set forth to Hill Stree

tainer at the portal, and behaved for a moment as if he were considering which of two courses he should pursue: i.e., whether he should clamber frantically into the seclusion of the area, or take boldly to the open street. Before he could do either M'Allister, the retainer,

nnessey

o the lusty young man, after shaking han

Robert Green, wringing his old school friend's hand. "Niddy's given me the chuck. An

with fair correctness, "Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay," to discuss the character of Becky Sharp, to dwell upon the remarkable promise as a vocalist shown by Madame Adelina Patti, and to wonder at the marvellous results said to be accomplished by the telephone. He had also never heard of Christian Science, and was totally unaware that there exists in the metropolis a modest and retiring buil

ophet's slightly distorted countenance with frank, and even eager,

f it," said Mr. Green, with unaffected reverence. "Well, I'm off. I say, Hen, pop in at the

ith almost terrible solemnity, "that

ing to th

hat is, no

ecture on Walter Scott, or Dickens, or one of t

all gathering at h

ll pop round on you

that. I'm very sorry, but

I s'pose. Look me up at the Tintack

e Prophet, with impressive uncertai

, then I'm not to e

s it-pr

By the way, if you want a real good tune for a Ch

g vigorously that n

Enid, looking her right size. "We'

five," replied the P

in to appear

! I didn't think y

ry, very

ined standing with the air of one in read

d Lady Enid, with her

ng at home at that hour," said the Pr

ering-w

persons,

-a pa

nstinctively giving Mr. Sagittarius a

me time-and in the aft

considerable dejection. "I don't know, I'm sure, what Mr. Ferdinand and Gustavus will

dy Enid in a d

ibly do under the circu

peculiar Scotch lassie seductiveness, "and tell me

-suddenly recalled the Prophet to the fact that Lady Enid was not, and could never be, his confidante in the matter that obsessed

things going with y

the transition

arties you were

. He was a strictly honourable litt

o old friends to waste our life in ch

yesterday," said Lad

t looked r

. "Yesterday. I've

he cried, m

ully. "Oh, Mr. Vivian-and I

lergyman had often made that remark to him when the

hought," she add

rophet murmured, r

ansiveness, "that nearly all the miseries of the wor

wrong people. Which is it?" said

ook thin, but

y when I was beginning to say to Sir Tiglath that

?" said the Pro

ith you

sure-that is, certain

d you be

ow

es

n of anything?" said the

in that I'm Miss M

ecause I've seen you come into Jell

lkiel come into Je

upon his beam ends. But he remembered his

d, with a wild attempt after astonishment

your eyes sa

" said the Prophet. "They were very

with her feminine instinct. What it said to her must be guessed by the

r to girlish geniality and impulsiveness, "I'm going to co

suddenly finds himself snatched from the rack and laid

" Lady Enid went on, emp

said the Prophe

d an "Aberdeen lean-to." She now spread herself out upon it in the easy attitud

n, that people always call me

d his grandmother's r

ssented, trying not to

mean by that

your

ey mean by a sens

I su

erstood,' 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 it-walks with the guns, sings 'Home, Sweet Home' in the evening after dinner to her

ring not to feel as if he were sitting with a

t's what they

ou?" inquired

erself upon the

ely, "I'm not. I'm a M

e Prophet, with all the air of a m

s the

eg your

tell you now, bec

, and the Prophet thought how diff

know now that y

umped, though

a Partridge for-wait a

opened a drawer in it, and took out a

ined. "It's foolish t

ed for an affirmative that the P

oolish

ed with

ink so. Ah-exactly

Miss Minerv

es

ng as

during that time I have be

borders of the River Mouse, and began to wonder if he we

hat," he remarked

id look

of the commodity," she rejoined,

orse; "one meets people who live double liv

d begun to think of five. Lady Enid's ple

ply, feeling that most of the gil

action that the Prophet, vaguely awar

d. Why have you led a double lif

d a half

year and

xed expression of greedy, though rather too

ny girls are born sensible-

ly? It never o

painful position. I was placed in this position as soon as I was born, or at l

assented the Prophet

mon sense'; or-'There's nothing foolish about you, Enid, thank Heaven!' The Chieftain relied upon

rse, of

f my eyebrows, the colour of my hair,

oubt

now, that I've never felt

rmly holding all his features together in

in my family, with the Chieftain, the provocat

clan called "The MacArdells," was always nam

st be," said the P

, not to try to be what people take you for that I was in a p

murmured the Prop

de me fell quite ill. Nobody but

know?" inquire

ay that you must be almost

day-why

Sir Tiglath that y

ed. She laughed alm

u'd give it up. You mustn't do that, or you'

ran easily on Edinburgh castors, a

f for ever, and yet I could not be comfortably silly with those who were a

you su

t o

h!

as driven to th

r coachma

t the corner of the Square, and the name of Mi

question with

said the Prophe

d. "Because it came to me so inevitably. I was so perfect

phet, "there is no doubt the name

idiotic life, such a life as really suits me, such a life as is in complete accord with my true nature. Oh, the joy of

oved by the obvious sincerity of this human being's bent towards folly.

lifetime," she cried ecstatically. "It wou

glancing furtively at the clock. "Had you

't been for Sir Tiglath catching sight of me in the avenu

stop

tone of breezy common sense, "were yo

, no, not at all. I never

ur

e cer

not go

t. Nothing wo

unconvinced, raising he

do," she said. "And I'm

ute insincerity, "Mr. Sagittarius is the most single lived man I ever

avoid hi

hesitated, and began to

ir Tiglath is a very str

librarian had been present he would

e is. His appeara

on't mea

N

g voices. You must know that. Sir Tiglath is peculiar in this way-

O

ensible old man, the

r fa

oolish at times. That's why

umphantly. The Prophet

d man, what everybody thinks I a

u m

nd smile, and manner, he hides his sensibleness under his. When people meet me they always think-w

"if that is so, how can you live a double life as Miss Miner

!" she murmured. "No, but

eg

of Mahatmas, an intimate of the 'Rational Dress' set-you know, who wear things like half inflated balloons in Piccadilly-a vegetarian, a follower of Mrs. Besant, a drinker of hop bitters and Zozophine, a Jacobite, a hater of false hair and of all collective action to stamp out hydrophobia, a stamp-collector, an engager of lady-helps instead of servants, an amateur reciter and skirt dancer, an owner of a lock of Pad

uncture. "Many of these views are surely in op

tter in the least to a real

t you proved by your a

ion to the joy of life by mangling a passing archdeacon. I sat on the floor and handled snakes. I wore my hair parted on one si

forced Miss Partridge's acquaintances to believe in Mi

hours to tell you.

have to go

is different from all other old men, for you know human folly increases enor

A

t proves him the contr

the Prophet, with frenzi

he likes me because I'm tall, and have pleasant coloured eyes, and thick h

is th

lly am what I look like-a thoroughly sensible young wo

to?" asked the Prophe

d

hy

erva part of

dee

ss Minerva. That is why I bolted into the parlour yesterday. Just as I was stepping

to t

ace. He was wondering whether I was me-or is it I?-or not. I d

u d

rederick Smith would

all

night. And an old man who's uncertain of the truth can soon be made certain of the lie, by a young woman he a

unded up with hysterical activity, and hastily took his leav

to herself as the door of the sensi