登陆注册
5212300000033

第33章

"Ah, an abridged edition, no doubt," said the Prophet."Still--""I am better now," interposed Madame Sagittarius, brushing some crumbs of toast from her pelisse with the orange handkerchief."Jupiter, if you are ready, we can explain the test to the gentleman."So saying she drew a vinaigrette, set with fine imitation carbuncles, from the plush reticule, and applied it majestically to her nose.The Prophet grew really perturbed.He remembered his promise to his grandmother and Sir Tiglath, and felt that he must assert himself more strongly.

"I assure you," he began, with some show of firmness, "no tests will be necessary.My telescope has already been removed from its position, and--""Then it must be reinstated, sir," said Mr.Sagittarius, "and this very night.Madame has hit upon a plan, sir, of searching you to the quick.

Trust a woman, sir, to do that."

"I should naturally trust Madame Sagittarius," said the Prophet, very politely."But I really cannot--""So you say, sir.Our business is to find out whether, living in the Berkeley Square as you do, you can bring off a prophecy of any importance or not.The future of myself, Madame and family depends upon the results of the experiments which we shall make upon you during the next few days."The Prophet began to feel as if he were shut up alone with a couple of determined practitioners of vivisection.

"Let's see, my dear," continued Mr.Sagittarius, addressing his wife, "what was it to be?""The honored grandmother one," replied the lady, tersely.

The Prophet started.

"I cannot possibly consent--" he began.

"Pray, Mr.Vivian, listen to me," interposed Madame Sagittarius.

"Pray, sir, attend to Madame!" said Mr.Sagittarius, sternly.

"But I must really--"

"January," said Madame, "is a month of grave importance to grandmothers this year, is it not, Jupiter?""Yes, my dear.In consequence of Scorpio being in the sign of Sagittarius.The crab will be very busy up till the third of February.""Just so."

"At which date the little dog, my love, assumes the roll of maleficence towards the aged.""I know./Cane cavem/.When was the old lady born, Mr.Vivian, if you please?""What old lady?" stammered the Prophet, beginning to perspire.

"The old lady who's got ankles, your honoured grandmother?""On the twentieth of this month.But--"

"At what time?"

"Six in the morning.But--"

"Under what star?"

"Saturn.But--"

"That's lucky, isn't it, Jupiter?" said Madame, in an increasingly business-like manner."That brings her into touch with the Camelopard--doesn't it?"

"Into very close touch indeed, my dear, and also with the bull.He goes right to her, as you may say.""I cannot conceivably permit--" began the Prophet in much agitation.

But Madame, without taking the smallest notice of him, proceeded.

"Will the scorpion be round her on her birthday?""Close round her, my love--with the serpent.They work together.""Together, do they? You know what effect they'll have on her, don't you, Jupiter?""I should rather think so, my darling," replied Mr.Sagittarius, with an air of profound and sinister information.

The Prophet's blood ran cold in his veins.Yet he felt for the moment unable to utter a syllable, or even to make a gesture of protest.So entirely detached from him did the worthy couple appear to be, so completely wrapped up in their own evidently well-considered and carefully-laid plans, that he had a sense of being in another sphere, not theirs, of hearing their remarks from some distance off.Madame Sagittarius now turned towards him in a formal manner, and continued.

"And now, Mr.Vivian, I shall have to lay down the procedure that you will follow.Have you a good memory--no, a pencil and notebook will be best./Litterae scriptus manetur/, as we all know full well.Have you a pencil and--?"The Prophet nodded mechanically.

"Will you kindly get them?"

The Prophet rose, walked to his writing table and felt for the implements.

"If you will sit down now I will direct you," continued Madame, authoritatively.

The Prophet sat down at the table, holding a lead pencil upside down in one hand and an account-book wrong side up in the other.

"Let's see--what's to-day?" inquired Madame, of her husband.

"The seventeenth, my dear," replied Mr.Sagittarius, looking at his wife with almost sickly adoration.

"To be sure.Capricornus's day for Homer's Idyl.Very well, Mr.Vivian, to-day being the seventeenth, and the old lady's birthday the twentieth, you have three days, or rather nights, of steady work before you.""Steady work?" murmured the Prophet.

"What should be his hours, Jupiter?" continued Madame."At what time of night is he to commence? Shall I say nine?"The Prophet remembered feebly that, during the next three nights, he had two important dinner-engagements, a party at the Russian Ambassador's, and a reception at the Lord Chancellor's just opposite.

However, he made no remark.Somehow he felt that words were useless when confronted with such an iron will as that of the lady in the pelisse.

"Nine would be too early, my dear," said Mr.Sagittarius."Eleven p.m.

would be more to the purpose."

"Eleven let it be then, punctually.Will you dot down, Mr.Vivian, that you have to be at the telescope to take observations at eleven p.m.

every night from now till the twentieth.""But I have had the telesc--"

"Kindly dot it down."

The Prophet dotted it down with the wrong end of the pencil on the wrong side of the account-book.

"And what are his hours to be exactly, Jupiter?" continued Madame.

"From eleven till dawn, I suppose?"

The Prophet shuddered.

同类推荐
  • 杨家府世代忠勇通俗演义

    杨家府世代忠勇通俗演义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 郊庙歌辞 梁太庙乐

    郊庙歌辞 梁太庙乐

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说大方广十轮经

    佛说大方广十轮经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 续指月录

    续指月录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 两垣奏议

    两垣奏议

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 地狱使者

    地狱使者

    这是一封来自地狱的信,凡事看到这信的人都坚信不疑,没有人愿意,也没有人敢去加以怀疑。惨白的信纸上,用鲜红的血醒目的写着:我,来自地狱的使者,罪孽深重的人,用你们的血肉为自己赎罪吧!这是死者的血,鲜红刺目的鲜血泛着阵阵令人作呕的血腥味,张牙舞爪的字,每个线条都仿佛是用锯子锯开般,尖锐的边毛让人毛骨悚然。没有人怀疑这是一个恶作剧,因为眼前的尸体清楚的向人们展示着,地狱使者就在他们身边。人,像是脆弱的玩偶,一个接着一个死去,地狱的使者还在拖拽着人的灵魂。一时间,所有的人都陷入了深深的恐惧中,各自忏悔自己的罪孽,生怕那可怕的地狱使者突然出现,将自己拽如地狱的深渊。
  • 一不小心总裁爱上我

    一不小心总裁爱上我

    她从来都没有想过世界百楼的总裁会爱上自己,然后他们会住在一起。她大大咧咧一点也不完美,无话不说,没有一点淑女的样子,她喜欢喝酒,是个酒鬼,可他却偏偏对她一见钟情。她是他捧在手心里放在心尖上的宝贝,只要是她想要的他都会给她。她遭到了背叛,被人陷害想治她于死地,她失踪在他的世界里整整一年。这一年里他疯了的寻找着她,一年后她站在他的面前,她却成了一个说不了话的哑巴,他的心彻底的碎了。
  • 重生之公子你好

    重生之公子你好

    青春年少,砰然心动。林沫初中开始喜欢乔嘉木,直到大学毕业几年后传来他订婚的消息。一场遗忘之旅却意外让她重生到十二岁,也彻底将她的人生重新颠覆。申公子看着眼前明显很是稚气的小女子,好看的眉头皱了起来,艰难的开口:“成年没?”他可没有不良癖好。林沫点头,又摇了摇头。申公子好看的眉头皱的更紧了~
  • 老婆你别走

    老婆你别走

    她爱他,可他不爱她,他们将开出怎样的火花呢。。。。。。。
  • 意象对话临床技术汇总

    意象对话临床技术汇总

    本书是意象对话心理疗法的阶段性成果,在意象对话的发展史上,与《意象对话临床操作指南》共同标志着这一中国本土心理疗法已经完成了快速发展期,而进入转型期,目前已实现从管理到学术两方面的转型,并正式完成了从“朱建军个人的意象对话”到“团队的意象对话”的过渡。本书旨在梳理意象对话心理疗法自创立以来的全部临床技术,总结已经获得意象对话心理学研究中心认证的各种创新子技术。
  • 跑偏的1618

    跑偏的1618

    文盲少年朱由校赤着胳膊,抹着鼻血冲顾子轩大喊道:“再来打啊!咱们老朱家只有血战的汉子,没有逃路的懦夫!”朱由检小脸紧绷绷道:“哥哥加油,揍死姓顾的!”顾子轩脑壳疼,恨铁不成钢道:“这个天下最大的道理只有一个,打得过就打,打不赢就跑,来日有机会便找回场子不是挺好吗,两个缺心眼儿的玩意儿!”顾子轩乐极生悲,来到了1618年的大明。在这个无可救药的时代里,他让辽东留下了“无发不留头”的传说,他成为了大明王朝绝无仅有的活太师兼活太保,他将千秋正气的刚明成功带跑偏……建了个书友群:701944419,欢迎浪群。
  • 婚姻治疗师(第2部)

    婚姻治疗师(第2部)

    婚姻治疗师“铁三角”将“中途岛婚姻治疗机构”口碑越做越盛,经过三人抽丝剥茧,冷艳珠宝商的悬难婚案逐渐清晰,最终一举破“案”。珠宝商介绍传媒大鳄孙总到中途岛,女老总及其养父母一家急寻放火烧屋的上门女婿,屠百药和戚晏容千里远赴相助,再创佳绩。与此同时,叶枫琴日渐不满于戚屠二人明里暗里对自己的疏远,在中途岛几位富豪客户的撺掇下,上演离职戏码以加重权柄。不久,地产老总的妻子正式宣告恢复和平,次日却不告而别。众位被中途岛救助过的富商老板纷纷入股,意欲全面扩大中途岛规模,升级为婚恋治疗帝国,屠戚二人进而收获更大成功。二人进行全国巡讲的风光时刻,一个神秘人带着滔天布局如风暴般席卷而至……
  • 行动、伦理与公共空间

    行动、伦理与公共空间

    本书以公共空间为核心剖析了汉娜·阿伦特政治行动、政治伦理思想与“公共空间”的关系,考察现代社会公共空间衰落的原因,探讨重建交往政治的可能性,较为全面地阐释了阿伦特政治哲学的基本面向,对于深化国内学界对阿伦特政治哲学的研究具有重要的意义。
  • 月破苍穹

    月破苍穹

    晚清年间,外忧内患,身为神州最后捕快,名铺追命的后人,钢男被迫接受皇帝任务,寻回宫中被盗瑰宝九龙宝剑。却被师父花满楼设计诬陷是杀花家小姐之凶手,阴谋层出不穷,陷害如影随形持剑为皇的诬陷让江湖各方势力将钢男视作眼中钉!
  • 原始社会新纪元

    原始社会新纪元

    title:原始社会新纪元----【2018最不一样的原始题材】穿越到了原始社会能干嘛?混吃混喝直到老死?还是稳步建设,发展科技,建立军队,从而壮大部落,成为一方霸主,从而成为一个庞大帝国的君主?叶风选择了后者,但是,如果要是有三个穿越者,那又会擦出怎样的火花?一切尽在本书中揭晓。欢迎加入原始社会新纪元书友群,群号码:628601843