第62章

"Oh, Hennessey!" cried Mrs.Merillia, on his entrance, "thank God that you are come.There are burglars in the house.Fancy has just encountered them in the hall.Go for the police, my dearest boy.Don't lose a moment.""My dear grannie, they're not burglars."

"I can't speak different, Master Hennessey, nor--""Then who are they, Hennessey? Fancy declares--""They are two--two--well, two old and valued friends of mine.""Old and valued friends of ours!"

"Of mine, grannie.Fancy, pray don't make such a noise!""Fancy," said Mrs.Merillia, "you can go to your room and lie down.""Yes, ma'am.I say again, as I said afore, the house has been broke into and the robbers--"At this point the Prophet shut the door on the faithful and persistent creature, who forthwith carried her determination and sobs to an upper storey.

"Hennessey, what is all this? Who is really here?""Grannie, dear, only two friends of mine," replied the Prophet, trying to look at ease, and feeling like a criminal.

"Friends of yours? But surely then I know them.I thought I knew all your friends.""So you do, grannie, all except--except just these.""And they are old and valued, you say?"

"No, no--that is, I mean yes."

Mrs.Merillia was too dignified to ask any further questions.She lay back on her sofa, and looked at her grandson with a shining of mild reproach in her green eyes.

"Well, my dear," she said, "go back to your friends, but don't forget that Lady Julia and Sir Tiglath are dining here at half-past seven.""Grannie," cried the Prophet, with a desperate feeling that Madame meant to stay, "you ought not to dine downstairs to-night.Let me send and put them off.""No, Hennessey," she answered, with gentle decision."I feel better, and I want cheering up.My morning was not altogether pleasant."The Prophet understood that she was alluding to his questions, and felt cut to the heart.His home seemed crumbling about him, but he knew not what to do or what to say.Mrs.Merillia observed his agitation, but she did not choose to remark upon it, for she considered curiosity the most vulgar of all the vices.

"Go to your friends, dear," she said again."But be in time for dinner.""Yes, grannie."

The Prophet descended the stairs and met Mr.Ferdinand at the bottom.

"Am I to send for the police, sir?"

"No, no.I've explained matters."

"And about dinner, sir?"

"I'll tell you in a moment, Mr.Ferdinand," replied the Prophet, entering the library with the fixed intention of getting Madame and Mr.

Sagittarius out of the house without further delay.

The tableau that met his eyes, however, was not reassuring.He found Madame, having laid aside her bonnet, and thrown the rabbit-skin cloak carelessly upon a settee, arranging her hair before a mirror, and shaking up the coffee-coloured lace fichu in a manner that suggested a permanent occupation of the house, while her husband, sunk in a deep armchair in an attitude of complete nervous prostration, was gazing dejectedly into the fire.When the Prophet entered, the latter bounded with alarm, while Madame turned round, a couple of hairpins in her mouth and both hands to the back of her head.

"Ah," she remarked, through the pins, "/il a vous/! I am happy to say that I have induced Mr.Sagittarius to assume his /toga virilibus/, and that we have, therefore, great pleasure in yielding to your thoughtful pressure--""My what?" said the Prophet, blankly.

"You thoughtful pressure, and accepting your urgent invite to dine here before proceeding to the Zoological Gardens and thence to the butler's pantry."The Prophet tried not to groan while she emitted a pin and secured with it a wandering plait of raven hair.

"You're sure, sir," said Mr.Sagittarius, in a deplorable voice, "that the gentleman is convinced that I am really an American syndicate?"The Prophet rang the bell.He could not trust himself to speak, and, when he looked at Madame's large and determined eyes, he knew that to do so would be useless.

Mr.Ferdinand appeared.

"Mr.Ferdinand," said the Prophet, "this lady and gentleman will join us at dinner to-night.""Yes, sir," said Mr.Ferdinand, casting a glance of outraged prudery upon Mr.Sagittarius, who was attired in his usual morning costume, including spats.

"What's the matter, Mr.Ferdinand?" asked the Prophet, following that functionary's eyes."Ha! He's not dressed!""No, sir!"

"Mr.Sagittarius," cried the Prophet, "you're not dressed!""Sir," cried that gentleman, "do you dare to accuse me of impropriety in a frock coat?""No, no.But for dinner.You can't possibly dine like that!""I have dined like this, sir, for the last twenty years.The architects and their wives--""I daresay.But unluckily there will be no architects and their wives at dinner to-night.Please stand up.""Sir?"

"Kindly stand up.Mr.Ferdinand!"

"Yes, sir."

"Place your back against this gentleman's if you please--touching, touching! Don't wriggle away like that.Keep your heels to the ground while I fetch a sheet of notepaper.Don't move your heads either of you.I thought so.You're pretty much the same height.Mr.Ferdinand, you will lay out a white shirt and one of your black dress suits in my dressing-room at once.Madame, I regret that we must leave you for a few moments.Will you rest here? Allow me to place a cushion for your head.And here is Juvenal in the original."So saying, the Prophet hurried Mr.Sagittarius from the room, driving Mr.Ferdinand, in a condition of elephantine horror, before him, and abandoning Madame to an acquaintance with the classics that she had certainly never achieved in the society of the renowned Dr.Carter.