that the heavens held more power, more meaning for him
because, for a while, he had intended to neglect them. He was ravaged by
their mystery, their majesty and revelation.

When he came down in the morning pale, dishevelled, but informed by a
curious dignity, he was met at once by Mr. Ferdinand.

"I have cleared the area, sir," said the functionary.

"The area, Mr. Ferdinand. What of?"

"Telegrams, sir. The boys must have thrown 'em down without knocking."

"Very probably," replied the Prophet. "Their comrade was right. They did
not wish to be strangled."

"No, sir. And I have placed them in a basket on the breakfast table,
sir, while awaiting your orders."

"Quite right, Mr. Ferdinand. By the way, here is the bradawl. Leave it
out again to-night in case I have need of it."

So saying, the Prophet handed the bradawl, which he had craftily
conveyed from the pantry on the previous night, to the astonished butler
and walked swiftly into the breakfast-room. The basket of telegrams was
set outside beside a fried sole and the "equipage" which Madame had so
much admired, and, while he sipped his tea, the Prophet opened the wires
one by one. They were fraught with terror and dismay. Evidently his
mysterious warning had thrown the worthies who dwelt beside the Mouse
into a condition of the very gravest amazement and alarm, and they had,
despite the Prophet's final injunction, spent the remaining telegraphic
hours of the day in despatching wires of frantic inquiry to the square.
Madame, in particular, was evidently much upset, and expressed her angry
agitation in a dead language that seemed positively to live again in
fear and novelty of grammatical construction. Sir Tiglath had been
a brilliant card to play in the prophetic game, although he had not
achieved the Prophet's purpose of stopping the telegraphic flood.

While the Prophet was simultaneously finishing the fried sole and the
perusal of the final wire Mr. Ferdinand entered, in a condition of
obvious astonishment that might well have cost him his place.

"If you please, sir," he said, in an up-and-down voice, "if you please
there are two--two--two--"

"Two what? Be more explicit, Mr. Ferdinand."

"Two--well, sir, kids at the door waiting for you to see them, sir."

"Two kids! What--from the goat show that's going on at the Westminster
Aquarium!" cried the Prophet in great surprise.

"Maybe, sir. I can't say, indeed, sir. Am I to show them in, sir?"

"Sho