第80章

Grannie! Grannie! Don't ring! Grannie! Grannie!"But Mrs.Merillia was now completely out of herself, and her only response to her grandson's appeal was to place her trembling fingers upon the two bells, and to reply, through their uproar,--"It is useless for you to say that.I know who you are.I saw you.Ishall go on ringing as long as I can stand.I shall die ringing, but Ishall never let you in.Go away! Go away!""What does she mean?" cried the Prophet, turning to Gustavus.

"I don't know indeed, sir," replied the footman, thinking of Mr.

Carter's library."I couldn't say indeed, sir.""Oh, my poor missis!" wailed Mrs.Fancy, trembling in her night-socks.

"Oh, my poor dear missis! I can't speak different nor mean other.Oh, missis, missis!""Hush, Fancy!" said the Prophet, in the greatest distraction."Grannie!

Grannie!"

And seizing the handle of the door he shook it violently.Mrs.Merillia was now very naturally under the impression that the ratcatcher was determined to break in and murder her without more ado.Extreme danger often seems to exercise a strangely calming influence upon the human soul.So it was now.Upon hearing her bedroom door quivering under the assault of the Prophet, Mrs.Merillia was abruptly invaded by a sort of desperate courage.She left the bells, tottered to the grate in which a good fire was blazing, seized the poker and thrust it between the bars and into the heart of the flames, at the same time crying out in a quavering but determined voice,--"I am heating the poker! If you come in you will repent it.I am heating the poker!"On hearing this remark, the Prophet desisted from his assault upon the door, overcome by the absolute conviction that his beloved grandmother was suffering from a pronounced form of homicidal mania.His affection prompted him to keep such a catastrophe secret as long as possible, and he therefore turned to Mrs.Fancy and Gustavus, and said hurriedly,--"This is a matter for me alone.Mrs.Fancy, please go away at once.

Gustavus, you will accompany Mrs.Fancy."His manner was so firm, his face so iron in its determination, that Mrs.Fancy and Gustavus dared not proffer a word.They turned away and disappeared softly down the stairs, to wait the /denouement/ of this tragedy in the hall below.Meantime the poker was growing red hot in the coals, and Mrs.Merillia announced to the supposed ratcatcher,--"I can hear you--I hear you breathing--" (the Prophet endeavoured not to breathe)."I hear you rustling, but you can't touch me.The poker is red hot."And she drew it smoking from the grate and approached the door, holding it in her delicate hand like a weapon.

"Grannie!" said the Prophet, making his voice as much like it generally was as he possibly could."Dearest grannie!""I dare you to come in!" replied Mrs.Merillia, in an almost formidable manner."I dare you to do it.""I am not coming in, grannie," said the Prophet.

"Then go away!" said Mrs.Merillia."Go away--and let me hear you going."A sudden idea struck the Prophet.He did not say another word, but immediately walked downstairs, tramping heavily and shaking the wood balusters violently at every step he took.His ruse succeeded.Hearing the intruder depart, Mrs.Merillia's curious courage deserted her, she dropped the poker into the grate, and once more set both bells going with all her might and main.The Prophet let her ring for nearly five minutes, then he bounded once more upstairs and tapped very gently on the door.

"Grannie," he cried, "are you ringing? What is it?"This time Mrs.Merillia recognised his voice, tottered to the door, unlocked it, and fell, trembling, into his anxious arms.

"Oh, Hennessey!" she gasped."Oh--Hennessey!""Grannie, what is it? What on earth is the matter?""The ratcatcher! The ratcatcher!"

"The ratcatcher!" cried the Prophet.

"He has come back.He is here.He has been trying to break into my room.""What ratcatcher?"

"The one that dined to-night--the one you called your old and--and valued--friend.""Mr.Sagittarius?" exclaimed the Prophet.

"He is here."

"Here!"

"I have seen him.He has tried to murder me.""I will look into this at once," said the Prophet.

He ran to the head of the stairs and called out,--"Gustavus!"

"Sir!"

"Come up here at once,"

Gustavus came, followed closely by Mrs.Fancy, who was in a state of abject confusion and alarm.

"Has Mr.Sagittarius returned here--the gentleman who dined to-night?"asked the Prophet.

Gustavus hesitated, thought of Dr.Carter's library, and replied,--"No, sir,"

"Has anybody entered the house?"

"No, sir."

"You have been up the whole evening?"

"Yes, sir."

"And nobody has been?"

"Nobody, sir."

"Grannie, you hear what Gustavus says."

"But, Hennessey, he is here; I saw him."

"Where?"

"By the door.I heard someone, and I thought it was you.I came to the door after calling you, and there he stood, all dirty and wet, with a huge hat on his head" (the saturnine little clergyman was largely blessed with brain), "and a most awful murderous expression on his face."The Prophet began to suspect that his dear relative, upset by the tragic events of the dinner table, had gone to sleep and had the nightmare.

"Grannie, it must have been a dream."

"No, Hennessey, no."

"It must indeed.I left Mr.Sagittarius at Zoological House.I feel certain of that."The Prophet spoke the honest truth.He fully believed that Mr.

Sagittarius was at that very moment sharing in the triumph of his wife and receiving the worship of those who live the silly life.

"But I saw him, Hennessey," said Mrs.Merillia, adding rather unnecessarily, "with my own eyes.""Grannie, darling, you must have been dreaming.At any rate, I'm here now.Nothing can hurt you.Go to bed.Fancy will stay with you, and Iswear to you that no harm will happen to you so long as I am breathing."With these noble words the Prophet kissed his grandmother tenderly, assisted Mrs.Fancy into the room, and walked downstairs quite determined that, come what might, whether he broke a thousand oaths or not, he would put an end forthwith to the tyranny of the couple from the Mouse and abandon for ever the shocking pursuit of prophecy.