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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
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