The Prophet of Berkeley Square
ng his shoulders, opening out his chest, and expanding his nostrils in an effort to fill as large a space in the atmosphere of the parlour as possible
rogress-at least on the Prophet's part-was impossible. The Prophet was now as big as the structure of his frame
hed out thoroughly, Madame
earer to the Prophet's, too
ition of Sagittarius Lodge in its own grounds beside the River Mouse at Crampton St. Peter, N.-N., I said, sir-totally and entirely unnecessary. I will go further, sir, and I will say more. You have not only done that. You have also prove
" began the Pr
sternly inte
elf, sir, I b
on my h
that you search yourself thoroughly be
s and turn out his boots. However, he sat still while Malkiel drew out a large gold watch,
sir,"
het, "on my honour that all I
ce in the Ber
ce in the Ber
nodded m
forecast and an honoured grandmother may have
ut to fall into a mournful reveri
nd. You owe it to me to explain you
sir," interrupted
r the self-sacrifice and-and the position of-of Sagittar
Malkiel in a muffled voice
he River Mous
amp
St. Pete
N
ha
Peter. N. That
. Peteren, totally and
of a family that hitherto has dwelt apart, has lain as I may say pe
the Prophet, hastily. "I would
ellybrand's has betrayed me to you. You know my name, my profe
ed into it at least a shilling's worth of "creaming foam," drained it to the dregs
founded the Almanac, l
the River Mouse?" the Proph
s that. But he lived and died in Susan Road
s," said the Pr
e forbearance of women. Madame was affected, painfully affected, by the gas, sir. It stank in
dee
weeps,
pardon!" sai
d-the
rd you
were not, in the whole roa
was entirely
ery stupid, but r
are that Susan Road lies in the most sought-after portion of
t blushed
. Of course-I unde
or lonelin
ural
nders. And so, to an extent, it was. My father had left a very tidy bit of money-a very tidy bit indeed, and we resolved
urnful superiorit
lying districts. They must not, indeed they cannot, be properly prophetic within the radius. A central atmosphere would reduce them to the level of
flowed at this almost rustic
e children-if we had any-should not grow up Eastern. It
d the Prophet, con
you see, sir, are not always in stric
realise that this question wa
n says in his The Inner Hist
clergyman would approve of," continued Malkiel. "Ye
inquired the Prophet
s the Easte
A
uld we bear to launch them in life, handicapped,
the nature of the questi
king only Arabic might well be a
we resolved to go to the north of London a
" almost crie
that eventually led our steps t
rea
now it
perso
epute, of
Prophet, who had in fact never bef
ss, sir, last Augu
red the Prophet, a
umn," continued Malkiel, with conscious
he re
fter she read about it in the paper. There were the grocer's tw
to state whether this was
Mouse we resolved that we could do no better than th
sai
, s
what
ir
the desperation that occasionally attacks ignorance
am, I fear, a very ill-informed
id Malkiel, with gentle commise
het grew
why on earth should I think of an
l district of the metropolis. F
e. I was thinking of en all the time. I be
iently to make its existence for an in
nfluence suitably the minds of the children-should we have any. For we
n the deal table and lowered hi
that. We all have our am
"Malkiel's Almanac cease! But wh
at, sir, sublime! The
y let it
he lived in these days. Had he seen Sagittarius Lodge, the children, and how Madame comports herself, he would have recognised that the family was destined to rise into a higher sphere than that occupied by any pr
that is your son-wil
kiel. "Not if Madame and I know it. No,
is surroundings, and rapt by some great vision of enchanted architects, busy in drawing plans of the magic buildings of the future ages. The Prophet felt that it would be impious to disturb him. Malkiel's reverie was long, and
rnus is to be an architect," repeate
ession than that of prophecy?" as
smiled m
t mix with prophets, but she has a 'day,' sir, on the banks of the Mouse,
dee
cts and their wive
ined the Prop
acred beings set apart, denizens of some holy isle or blessed nook of mediaeval legend. Would he ever
ompetence beside the Mouse. They do not see the telescope, sir, in the locked studio at the top of the lodge. They do not know why sometimes, on Madame's 'Wednesdays,' I am pale-with sitting up on behalf of the Alm
began to g
a prophet in the Berkeley Square, that he can read the stars with Gunter's just opposite, ay, and bring out an almanac if he likes within a shilling fare of the Circus? If this is so"-he struck the deal table violently with his clenched fist-"of what use are the sacrifices of myself and Madame? Of what use
at back in his cane chair trembling in every limb. The Prophet was deeply moved by his emotion, and longed most sincerely to assuage it. But his deep and growing c
be brave. You must se
nd noble words Malkiel lift
"One moment. The thought of Madame-the Sto
tion is always very scared and very terrible. Three minutes
sir, to
at was tightly buttoned and that his mouth was tightly set
ess?" asked
hosen to enter my life. You cannot deny that. You cannot d
rformance in the library still strong upon h
nter my life. That act has given me t
rophet, overwhelmed by the pitiless logic of hi
take from you the knowledge-denied by Madame to the very architects-of who I really am. You have told me, sir, that I m
o have taken on the peculiar properties of the gimlet. The Prophet began to feel extrem
o say nothing of Corona and Capricornus-to probe you to the core"-here the Prophet
y!" cried
sued Malkiel, "at whatever cost to myself. This
et, endeavouring vainly to seem at
The son of Malkiel the First is not a man to be trifled with or dodged. Moreover, much more than the future of
repid as he was, to avoid recoiling when he found himse
long with Madame and family, from the borders of the Mouse and reside henceforth in a central situation such as I should wish to reside in? Why should not Capricornus eventually succeed me in the Alma
to," stammere
r hitherto we have had reason to believe that all prophets-with the exception of myself-were dirty, deceitful and essentially suburba
mechanically to
f anything, sir?" s
arrived to throw off all further pretence of bravery and
ling about, sir? Why
altered th
for another glass
Prophet, desperately. "
uptly formed resolution, calle
rick S
ng librarian, appearing with suspiciou
-on hearing this ironic paradox the Prophet stood up, very much in the attitude formerly assumed by Malkiel when about to dodge
seemed about to be accurately reve
egmatically from the neck of the second bottle of c
leave us, Fre
f thoroughly exhausted by the effort of getting there, and then languidly left the parlour,
et watche
ick Smith," cried Malki
lty red, and the young li
pledge in this vintage," said Malkiel, placing on
Prophet, "I am no
that got to do with it?" retorte
ophet
s pledge-that, ti
at
lkiel, that you have ever met him, who he is, or who Madame and family are, unless I give the
ly the Pro
we
st like a British workin
the dogskin glove which, in the agitation
I shall confer at once with Madame. Till I have done this I cannot tell you what form the tests I
rds the door when it was hastily opened and