FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141  
142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   >>   >|  
re you alone?" said the hollow voice of Mr. Sagittarius. "Quite, quite alone," said the Prophet, reassuringly. "It's all right, pater familias!" cried Capricornus. "He's brought all the rashes and the first tooth and everything. I made him." "I don't think he wanted to," added the little Corona, suddenly developing malice. "I've taken this long journey, Mr. Sagittarius," said the Prophet, with a remnant of self-respect, "at your special request. Am I to be permitted to come in?" "If you're sure you're quite alone," returned the sage, showing a slightly enlarged segment of face. "I am quite sure--positive!" At this the door was opened just sufficiently to admit the passage of one thin person at a time, and, in single file, the Prophet, Corona and Capricornus passed into the lodge. CHAPTER XV THE PROPHET CREATES A DIVERSION AT HIS OWN EXPENSE On stepping into a small vestibule, paved with black and white lozenges, and fitted up with an iron umbrella stand, a Moorish lamp and a large yellow china pug dog, the Prophet found himself at once faced by Mr. Sagittarius, whose pallid countenance, nervous eye and suspicious demeanour plainly proclaimed him to be, as he had stated, very rightly and properly going about in fear of his life. "Go to the schoolroom, my darlings," he whispered to his children. "Why, what have you there?" "Choclets," said Capricornus. "From the pretty lady, mulius pulchrum," added the little Corona. "Who is a mulibus pulchrum, my love?" asked Mr. Sagittarius, before Capricornus had time to correct his sister's Latin. "It was Miss Minerva," said the Prophet. "We happened to meet her." "Indeed, sir. Run away, my pretties, and don't eat more than one each, or mater familias will not approve." Then, as the little ones disappeared into the shadows of the region above, he added to the Prophet,-- "You've nearly been the death of Madame, sir." "I'm sure I'm very sorry," said the Prophet. "Sorrow is no salve, sir, no salve at all. Were it not for her books I fear we might have lost her." "Good gracious!" "Mercifully her books have comforted her. She is resting among them now. Madame is possessed of a magnificent library, sir, encyclopaedic in its scope and cosmopolitan in its point of view. In it are represented every age and every race since the dawn of letters; thousands upon thousands of authors, sir, Rabelais and Dean Farrar, Lamb and the Hindoos, Mettlel
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141  
142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Prophet
 

Sagittarius

 

Capricornus

 

Corona

 

pulchrum

 
Madame
 
familias
 

thousands

 
schoolroom
 

darlings


Indeed

 

pretties

 
whispered
 

mulibus

 
Choclets
 

approve

 
mulius
 
correct
 

happened

 

pretty


Minerva

 

sister

 

children

 

represented

 

cosmopolitan

 

magnificent

 

library

 

encyclopaedic

 

Farrar

 

Hindoos


Mettlel

 
Rabelais
 

letters

 

authors

 

possessed

 
Sorrow
 

disappeared

 
shadows
 

region

 
resting

comforted
 

Mercifully

 
gracious
 
showing
 

slightly

 

enlarged

 
segment
 

returned

 
request
 

special