第82章

Merillia's cook was wont to sit while directing her subordinates at the basting machine.Into this he sank palpitating, and for a moment remained undisturbed.Then, to his horror, he heard in the adjoining room the strident voice of his loved and honoured wife apparently carrying on a decidedly vivacious argument with some person unknown.He bounded up.Possibly she was accompanied by Sir Tiglath, who must now be aware of his identity.In any case, her wrath at his scarcely chivalrous desertion of her in the house of a stranger would, he knew, be terrible.He dared not face it.He dared not allow his project of flight at dawn to be interfered with, as it certainly would be if he came across Madame.He therefore proceeded to flee once more.Nor did he pause until he had gained Mr.Ferdinand's pantry, where stood the telescope.Now, in this pantry there was a large cupboard in which were kept the very numerous and magnificent pieces of plate, etc., possessed by Mrs.Merillia; tall silver candelabra, standard lamps of polished bronze, richly-chased cups, gigantic vases for containing flowers, oriental incense holders upon stands of ebony, Spanish charcoal dishes of burnished brass, and other treasures far too numerous to mention.

This cupboard was always carefully locked at night, but on this occasion Mr.Ferdinand, totally disorganised by the frightful scenes which had taken place at his dinner table during the evening, had retired to bed in a condition of collapse, leaving it open.Malkiel the Second, feeling frantically about in the dark, came upon the door of this cupboard, pulled it, found that it yielded to his hand, and, hearing the rapidly approaching voices of Madame and the Prophet, stumbled into the cupboard and sank down on a large gold loving-cup, with one foot in a silver soup tureen, and the other in a priceless sugar basin, just as the light of the candle borne by the Prophet glimmered in the darkness of the adjacent corridor.

"This way, Madame," said the Prophet."But I really think such a proceeding is calculated to cause a grave scandal in the square."Malkiel the Second drew the cupboard door to, and grasped a silver candelabrum in each hand to sustain himself upon the rather sharp rim of the loving-cup.

"What is the square to me or I to the square?" returned Madame with ungrammatical majesty."Madame Malkiel is not governed by any ordinary laws./Lexes non scripta/ is her motto.To these alone she clings."Her husband clung to the candelabra and burst into a violent perspiration.Through the keyhole of the cupboard a ray of light now shone, and he heard the frou-frou of his partner's skirt, the flump of the rabbit-skins as she cast them from her ample shoulders upon the floor.The Prophet's voice became audible again.

"What do you wish me to do?" he said, with a sort of embittered courtesy.

"Throw open the window, place yourself before the telescope, and proceed at once to your investigations," replied the lady.

"I am not in a condition to investigate," said the Prophet."I am not indeed.If you will only let me get you a cab, to-morrow night--"'It is useless to talk, Mr.Vivian," said Madame, very sharply."The cab has not yet been made that will convey me to the Mouse to-night.""But your husband--"

"My husband is a coward, unworthy of such a wife as he possesses.At the crisis of our fortunes--What's that?"At this painful moment Malkiel the Second was so overcome by emotion, that he trembled, and allowed his left foot to rattle slightly on the sugar basin.

"What was it?" repeated Madame.

"Rats, I have no doubt," answered the Prophet, who had heard nothing.

"I believe that the basements of these old houses are simply--well--simply permeated with rats."

For a moment Madame blanched, but she was a woman of spirit, and moreover she was almost intoxicated with ambition.Recognised at last as a lady of position and importance in one of the mansions of the idiotic great, she was more anxious than ever to remove forthwith into the central districts, there to exercise that sway which she had so long desired.Finding that there exists a world in which prophets--far from being considered as dirty and deceitful persons--are worshipped and adored, entertained with Pommery and treated almost as gods, she yearned to dwell in the midst of it.The peaceful seclusion of the Mouse was become hateful to her.The architects and their wives began to seem to her uplifted fancy little better than the circle that frequented Hagglin's Buildings, or appeared at the paltry entertainments given by the inhabitants of Drakeman's Villas.She was resolved to soar, and even rats should not turn her from her passionate purpose.Accordingly she replied,--"Rats or no rats, I intend to see this matter out./Dixisti!/ The night wanes.Kindly go at once to the telescope."The Prophet obeyed, first opening the window into the area.The rain had now cleared off, but the sky was still rather cloudy, and only a few stars peeped here and there.

"Really," said the Prophet, after applying his weary eye to the machine, "really I don't think it's any good, there are so very--""Have the goodness to place the old lady in the claws of the Crab, according to the directions of the coward who has deserted me."Malkiel shook with shame upon the loving-cup.

"But I really can't find the Crab," said the Prophet, who was so tired that he could scarcely stand."I can see the Great Bear.""That is no use.The Bear has nothing to do with the old lady.You must find the Crab.Look again."The Prophet did so.But his eye blinked with fatigue and the heavens swam before it.

"There is no Crab to-night," he said."I assure you on my honour there is none."Exactly as he finished making this statement a low whistle rang through the silence of the night.The Prophet started, Madame jumped, and Malkiel bounded on the loving-cup.

The whistle was repeated.

"It's the thing!" whispered the Prophet.

"What thing?" inquired Madame, who had become rather pale.