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