The Prophet of Berkeley Square
or he knew that he was about to see the venerable victim of the young librarian's indignant chivalry, the "old gent" who had co
the huge telescope, under whose very shadow was seated no less a personage than Sir
o wonder Mrs. Merillia cried ou
, Hennessey! You'r
ers ring. Mrs. Merillia put her mittens to her ears, and
ophet, earnestly. "Sir Tiglath-t
astronomer, who, however, turned his back to the company and, diving one of his enor
het, who had not seen the m
a legitimate manner, turned the jar upside down, and poured the rose-leaves and the muffin in a heterogeneous libation upon the Chippendale table. After
of hundred or so lengths of blank verse. "Omar beneath his tree perchance, or Gurustu who to Baghdad came with steed a-foam and eyes a-flame. Wherefore do you trample upon hapl
ther like the wail of some deplorable watchman upon a city wall, shaking his eno
said Lady Enid, coming up t
glath
y eyes. "One has had an afternoon of tragedy, an afternoon of brawling an
d across his stomach, and his purple triple chin sunk in his elaborate, but very dusty, cravat. Wagging his head to and
at down by Mrs. Merillia, while the Prophet, in some confusion, offe
ie, I'm afraid," he said. "Bu
a glanced at
! Then you found wha
bered his oath an
astily, and looking like a crimi
young man?" said Sir Tiglath.
ercepted it, and began to form fresh ideas of that young person, whom she
" asked the Prophet, with a rather
er-jumpers with craniums as big as the great nebula of Orion. The avenue named after a crumbled philanthropist, who could walk, sheeted, through the atrocious nig
nid, who was airily sipping her tea with a slig
bing Shaftesbury Avenue," remarked
ophet, "I had no idea that it
d, gently folding a fragment of thin bread an
ted his hands and
ound in January, oh-h-h-h!" w
ly, and even Lady Enid look
ir Tiglath?" she sai
d to Mrs.
bly unless he is in his observatory, or lecturing to the
ones," interposed Sir Tiglath.
t be a member of the Vigilanc
said Lady Enid. "By the way-do you, too?" she added to the Proph
hanged a glance. An earnest expre
e presence of the great master of modern astronom
theatrical manner of an old barn-stormer, and speaking like any ordinary fogey, such as
, Sir Tiglath," answered the
th. "The thief inserteth his thumb into the tail pocket of the unobservant archbishop fo
n understanding between them. Lady Enid began to wonder what was its nature. The Prophe
Mrs. Merillia, "you know how
h virgins-for the sake of frivolity, idle curiosity, or dark doings which could not support the li
the Prophet fancied that they could detect an element of real gravity, even perhaps a h
h, because I had the honour to meet you and make
psed at once into
e with the young man?" he cried. "His memory faileth
," said the Prophet, firmly. "But we-we did no
of your notable granddam-that one had look
lso had a cold which, you gave me to understand-by signs-had affe
personal and starry beauty that led you, hot foo
wered the Prophet, with a certain proud reserve.
impounded an
e cried. "The old ast
a nervous undergraduate undergoing
acted by the-the heavenly bodies. They fas
h lips tightened al
else," proceeded the Pr
d Mrs. Merillia. "All other topi
onsciousness. "I could not tear myself from the telescope. I longed
nance was irradiated with a sm
n's epic," he roared, through the crumpet. "He approveth
seemed suddenly to jib. The reserv
, Sir Tigla
ch was not unobserved by Lady Enid. Then Sir Tiglath, with an
eat scheme, or do you peek and pry at them through the keyhole of a contemptible curiosity in order to discover what you think they can do for you, to set you on high, to puff you out into a personage and cause you to be noticed of the foolish ones of this world? Which are you, sir, a young ma
room to tremble. He gazed at his grandmother, and found her nodding approval of Sir Tiglath. He glanced
Tiglath?" he murmure
nkles, sir? Do you afflict the stars with inquiries a
had been frank with the astronomer. He cas
soon have been turning the house upside down, and at my age I'm really not equal to living at close quarters wi
which was broken by the agree
m a young woman and that all young women s
t looked at Sir Tiglath, who wagged his great h
-h-
eated Lady Enid, with co
retell certain future events," said the Prophet, glancing rather furtively a
stressed astronomer, shakin
ice, and with a manner that had suddenly become m
t it held Mrs. Merillia, Lady Enid and the Prophet in a condition of paralytic expectatio
intemperate, vivacity. Their eyes grew round, their features rigid, their hands tense, their attitudes expectant. Leaning forward, they stared upon Sir Tiglath with an unwinking fixity and preternatural determination that was almost entirely infantine. And while they did so he continued slowly to expand in size and to deepen in colour until mortality seemed to drop from him. He ceased
ied a young voice.
r which is loud and yet entirely without the saving gra
Tiglath
and rang up with it, older, but
ase don't,
he ring, seeming to comple
-for Heaven'
s, and might have given pause even to a descend
hawl for the comfort of her mistress. It chanced that as the phenomenon of the astronomer was based upon a large elbow chair exactly facing the door she was instantly and fully confronted by it. She did not drop the shawl, as any ordinary maid would most probably have done. Mrs. Fancy was not of that kidney. She did not even turn tail, or give a month's warning or a s
burst, ma'am. I can't spea
she, even then, rested satisfied with her acumen, maintained silence and awaited the immediate fulfilment of her prediction, what must have happened can hardly be in doubt. But she was seized by that excess of bravery which is called foolhardiness, and driven by it to that peculiar and though
sir. I know it, sir, a
ptly disintegrating into his respective atoms, Sir Tiglath suddenly became comparatively small and c
rd where liars go t
e way of woman's courage-forsook her, she broke into tears, and had to be immediately led fo
n as I said afore-the gentleman's about to bur
it's all right. We all agree wit
nor-mean different. I can't indeed, Mas
ot. There, sit down
the upper housemaid, and retraced his steps quickly to the
e of Malkiel is mentioned, and the old astronomer is diss
g swiftly to her grandson with all her cap riba
emaining crumpet, "instead of representing a syndicate of ruffianly underground criminals, the old astronomer, well stric
d been an assegai, and assailed himself with
is an-" began
ce, whose almost terror-stricken au
a man," cried Lady Enid,
self of the ill-gotten gains accruing from his repeated insults to the heavens round some abominable table covered with green cloth. He quotes the prices of the shares in him, and declares dividends, and carri
ut Mrs. Merillia perceived the
t severely, "don't. With my spraine
ivalry to stop, and Lady
I'm almost sur
as Mrs. Merillia had, and paus
ny make itself into
manager, is a company. So is Bynion the quack doctor, and the Rev. Mr. Kinnimer who supplies tracts to the upper classes, and Upton the artist, whose pictures make tours like Sarah Bernhardt, and Watkins, whose philosophy sells mor
m-the Almanac person is also plural,
only gave up my Christian quest when I was assured, on excellent authority, that he was a company, and had originally been f
d," said Lady Enid.
yes seems to shout a request at one. The expression in the Prophet's eyes performed this feat at this moment, with such ab
And I never
y dear?" inquire
was a company," r
d thanked her with a p
ubterfuge for his recent oath's sake, "nor I, or I shoul
always found him to be transparently honest and sincere, was carried away by the decepti
turn the stars into money-makers, and the planets into old gipsy women who tell fort
et made n
ith tender pertinacity, "promise me!
me really grave, not
ops? Who are you that thinks those glittering monsters have nothing to do but to inform your pigmy brain of snowfalls, street accidents, and love-affairs prematurely, so that you may flaunt about your pocket-handkerchief of a square pluming your dwarfship that you are a prophet? Fie, young man, and again fie! Bow the knee, as I do, to the mysteries of the
had it not been that they took to themselves an ally, whose force is one of the moving spirits of the world. This ally was fear. Just as the Prophet was beginning to feel obstinate and to steel himself to resistance, he remembered the fierce and horrible threats of Malkiel the Second. If he should cease to concern himself with the stars, if he should cease to prophesy, not alone should he restore peace to his beloved grandmother, and pay the tribute of respect to Sir Tiglath, but he should do more. He should preserve his quick from being searched and his core from being probed. His
vidness and force. His resolve was taken in a moment, and, turning to his eager grandmothe
ll give it up.
d her mittens togeth
she cried. "I knew you wou
beamed like t
-freed from insult-sin
bit had descended to them from a remote Highland ancestor, who had perished of starvation and been very vexed about it. The Prophet felt sure that she did not applaud his resolution, but he could not di
dicious young female," he exclaimed, "les
. "Come to see me to-morrow at three," she whispered to the Prophe
He felt that she was curious to her
lone together he rang the drawing-
t, "kindly call Gustavus to your
Ferdinand in gre
ay the t
. Where shall w
he pantry-the square-in Piccadilly
to say more, he hurried almos
d Mr. Ferdinand a moment later a
g up from a dish of tea and a couple of Worthing
take the telescope out of the drawing-room, and Master
es of Gustav
Ferdinand," he excla
Ferdinand checked his
ng also said that, if we wish, we can set the instrument in the butler's pantry,
. Ferdinand
ver mind," replied Mr. Fe
te that there was a very pleasant-looking second-cook just arrived at