is　apt　to　follow　on　heavy　thought；　indulged　in　to　excess　in　a　recumbent
  position　during　the　daytime。　〃There；　that's　settled。　So　now　let　us　get
  to　business。　Kindly　hand　me　your　prophecy　of　last　night；　Mr。　Vivian。〃
  The　Prophet　drew　from　a　breast　pocket　a　sheet　or　two　of　notepaper；　on
  which　he　had　dotted　down；　in　prophetic　form；　the　events　of　the　night
  before。　Madame　received　it　and　continued；
  〃Before　perusing　this　report；　Mr。　Vivian；　I　should　wish　to　be　made
  acquainted　with　those　particulars。〃
  〃Which　ones？〃　said　the　Prophet。
  〃Of　your　grandmother's　career。〃
  〃Oh；　I〃
  〃Let　us　take　them　in　order；　please；　and　proceed　/parri　passo/。　When　was
  the　old　lady　removed　from　the　bottle？〃
  〃Never；〃　replied　the　Prophet；　firmly。　〃Never。〃
  An　expression　of　incredulous　amazement　decorated　the　obstreperous
  features　of　Madame。
  〃Do　you　mean　to　tell　me；　Mr。　Vivian；　that　she　sucks　it　still？〃　she
  inquired。
  〃I　mean　what　I　say；　that　she　has　never　been　removed　from　it；〃　returned
  the　Prophet；　with　energy。
  〃Well；　sir；　she　must　be　very　partial　to　milk　and　Indian　rubber；　very
  partial　indeed！〃　said　Mr。　Sagittarius。　〃Go　on；　my　darling。〃
  〃Her　first　tooth；　Mr。　Vivianwhen　did　she　cut　it？〃
  〃She　has　no　idea。〃
  Madame　began　to　look　decidedly　grim。
  〃Date　of　short…coating？〃　she　rapped　out。
  〃There　was　no　date。　She　never　wore　a　short…coat。〃
  〃Do　you　desire　me　to　believe；　Mr。　Vivian；　that　the　old　lady　has　been
  going　about　in　long　clothes　ever　since　she　was　born？〃　inquired　Madame；
  with　incredulous　sarcasm。
  〃Most　certainly　I　do；〃　replied　the　Prophet。
  〃Then　how　does　she　get　along；　pray？　Come！　Come！〃
  〃She　has　always　worn　long　clothes；〃　cried　the　Prophet；　boldly　standing
  up　for　his　beloved　relative；　〃and　always　will。　You　can　take　that　from
  me；　Madame　Sagittarius。　I　know　my　grandmother；　and　I　am　ready　to　pledge
  my　honour　to　it。〃
  〃Oh；　very　well。　She　must　be　a　very　remarkable　lady。　That's　all　I　can
  say。　When　did　she　put　her　hair　up？〃
  〃Never。　She　has　never　put　it　up。〃
  〃She　has　never　put　her　hair　up！〃
  〃No；　never。〃
  〃You　mean　to　say　that　your　grandmother　goes　about　in　long　clothes　with
  her　hair　down　in　the　central　districts？〃　cried　Madame　in　blank
  amazement。
  〃She　has　never　put　her　hair　up；〃　answered　the　Prophet；　with　almost
  obstinate　determination。
  〃Oh；　wellif　she　prefers！　But　I　wonder　what　the　police　are　about！〃
  retorted　Madame。　〃And　now　the　rashes？〃
  〃There　are　none。〃
  But　at　this　Madame's　temperalready　somewhat　upset　by　her　prolonged
  communion　with　the　mighty　deadshowed　symptoms　of　giving　way
  altogether。
  〃Rubbish；　Mr。　Vivian！〃　she　said；　clicking　loudly　and　passing　with　an
  almost　upheaving　jerk　to　her　upper　register！　〃I'm　a　mother　and　was　once
  a　child。　Rubbish！　I　must　insist　upon　knowing　the　number　of　the　rashes。〃
  〃I　assure　you　there　are　none。〃
  〃D'you　wish　me　to　believe　that　the　old　lady　has　gone　about　all　her　life
  in　the　Berkeley　Square　in　long　clothes　and　her　hair　down；　with　her　lips
  to　the　bottle　and　never　had　a　rash？　Do　you　wish　me　to　believe　that；　Mr。
  Vivian？〃
  〃Yes；　sir；　do　you　wish　Madame；　a　lady　of　deep　education；　sir；　to
  believe　that？〃　cried　Mr。　Sagittarius。
  〃I　can　only　adhere　to　what　I　have　said；〃　answered　the　Prophet。　〃My
  grandmother　has　never　been　removed　from　the　bottle；　has　never　worn　a
  short　coat；　has　never　put　her　hair　up　and　has　never　had　an　epidemic　in
  Berkeley　Square。〃
  〃Then　all　I　can　say　is　that　she's　an　unnatural　old　lady；〃　cried　Madame；
  with　obvious　temper；　tossing　her　head　and　kicking　out　the　kid　boots；　as
  if　seized　with　the　sudden　desire　to　use　them　upon　a　human　football。
  〃And　there's　not　many　like　her。〃
  〃There　is　no　one　like　her；　no　one　at　all；〃　said　the　Prophet　with
  fervour。
  〃So　I　should　suppose；〃　cried　Madame；　forgetting　the　other　questions　as
  to　the　day　of　marriage；　etc。；　in　the　vexation　of　the　moment。　〃She　must
  certainly　be　the　bird　of　whom　Phoenix　wrote　that　rose　from　ashes　in　the
  days　of　the　classics。　/Rarum　avis/　indeed！　Eh；　Jupiter？〃
  〃Very　rarum；　my　dear；　very　indeed！〃　responded　her　husband；　with
  imitative　sarcasm。　〃An　avis　indeed；　not　a　doubt　of　it。〃
  〃De　Queechy　should　have　known　her；〃　continued　Madame。　〃He　always　loved
  everything　out　of　the　common。　Well；　and　now　for　the　prophecy。　What　is
  all　this；　Mr。　Vivian？〃
  〃The　result　of　last　night's　observation；〃　said　the　Prophet。
  〃Do　you　call　that　a　cycloidal　curve？〃　asked　Madame；　with　a　contralto
  laugh　that　shook　the　library。　〃Look；　Jupiter！〃
  Mr。　Sagittarius　glanced　over　his　wife's　heaving　shoulder。
  〃Very　poor；　my　dear；　very　irregular　indeed。〃
  〃It's　the　best　I　could　do；〃　said　the　Prophet；　still　politely。
  〃I　daresay；〃　replied　Mr。　Sagittarius。　〃I　daresay。　Where's　your　star…
  map？〃
  〃I'm　afraid　I　don't　know；〃　answered　the　Prophet。　〃I　left　it　in　the
  pomade。〃
  〃The　pomade！〃
  〃Yes；　the　butler's　own　special　pomade；　and　it　seems　to　have
  disappeared。〃
  〃Very　careless；　very　careless　indeed。　Let's　seeprophecy　first；　then
  how　arrived　at。　'Grandmother　apparently　threatened　with　some　danger　at
  night　in　immediate　future。　Great　turmoil　in　the　house　during　dark
  hours。'　H'm！　'Some　stranger；　or　strangers；　coming　into　her　life　and
  causing　great　trouble　and　confusion；　almost　resulting　in　despair；　and
  perhaps　actually　inducing　illness。'　H'm！　H'm！　We　didn't　arrive　at　any
  of　this　by　our　observations；　did　we；　Sophronia？〃
  〃Decidedly　not；〃　snapped　Madame；　haughtily。
  〃And　now　let's　see　how　arrived　at。　H'm！　H'm！　Grandmotheringress　of
  Crabconjunction　of　Scorpio　with　Serpensmoon　in　eleventh　house。　Yes；
  that's　so。　Jupiter　in　trine　with　SaturnWhat's　this？　'Crab　dressed
  implies　dangerundressed　Crab　much　saferattempted　intervention
  failureshe's　in　a　nice　state　nowit　tried　to　keep　her　from　it；　but
  she　was　drawn　right　to　it。'　Right　to　what？〃
  〃The　Crab？〃
  〃Of　course　she　was　drawn　to　it。　She　depends　on　the　Crab　these　nights。
  But　what　does　the　rest　mean？〃
  〃The　Crab　was　dressed。〃
  〃Dressedwhat　in？〃
  〃I　don't　know；〃　said　the　Prophet。　〃It　didn抰　tell　me。〃
  Mr。　Sagittarius　and　Madame　exchanged　glances。
  〃Explain　yourself；　Mr。　Vivian；　I　beg；〃　cried　Madame　in　a　somewhat
  excited　manner。　〃How　could　the　Crab　be　dressed？〃
  〃I　have　wondered；〃　said　the　Prophet；　gazing　at　the　couple　before　him
  with　shining　eyes。　〃But　it　was　dressed　last　night；　and　that　made　it
  exceptionally　dangerous　in　some　way。　Something　seemed　to　tell　me　so。
  Something　did　tell　me　so。〃
  〃What　told　you？〃　inquired　Madame；　with　more　excitement　and　a　certain
  respect　which　had　been　quite　absent　from　her　manner　before。
  〃Something　that　came　in　the　night。　I　don't　know　what　it　was。　Light
  flashed　from　it。〃
  〃It　sounds　like　a　sort　of　comet；　my　darling；〃　said　Mr。　Sagittarius；
  considerably　perturbed。　〃We　didn't　observe　that　the　Crab　was　specially
  dressed；　did　we？〃
  〃It　had　nothing　on　at　all　when　we　saw　it；〃　said　Madame　with　growing
  agitation。　〃But　whatever　was　this　comet　that　flashed　light？　That's　what
  I　want　to　get　at。〃
  〃It　was　a　dark　thing　that　told　me　the　Crab　was　dressed；　that　my
  grandmother　had　been　with　it　and　that　its　influence　was　inimical　to
  her。〃
  〃A　dark　thing！　That's　not　a　comet！〃　said　Mr。　Sagittarius。
  〃It　vanished　with　a　flash　of　light　into　the　square。〃
  〃At　what　time　did　you　observe　it；　sir？〃　asked　Mr。　Sagittarius；　while
  Madame　leaned　forward；　gazing　with　goggling　eyes　at　the　Prophet。
  〃At　exactly　half…past　one。〃
  〃Did　it　stay　long？〃
  〃A　few　minutes　onlybut　it　made　an　impression　upon　me　that　I　can　never
  forget。〃
  It　had　apparently　also　made　a　very　great　impression　upon　Mr。　and　Madame
  Sagittarius；　who　remained　for　some　seconds　staring　fixedly　at　the
  Prophet　without　uttering　a　word。　At　last　Mr。　Sagittarius　turned　to
  Madame　and　said　in　a　voice　that　shook　with　seriousness；
  〃Can　it　be；　Sophronia；　that　prophets　ought　to　live　in　the　central
  districts？　Can　it　really　be　that　the　nearer　they　are　to　the　Circus；　and
  even　to　the　Stores〃
  〃/O　beatus　illa/！〃　interjected　Madame　upon　the　pinions　of　a　sigh。
  〃Yes；　Sophronia；　the　Stores；　the　more　clearly　is　the　knowledge　of　the
  future　vouchsafed　to　them？　If　it　should　prove　to　be　so！〃
  Madame　stared　again　upon　the　Prophet　with　a　fixity　and　strained　inquiry
  which　made　him　shift　in　his　seat。
  〃If　it　should！〃　she　repeated；　upon　the　lowest　note　of　her　lower
  register；　which　sounded；　at　that　solemn　moment；　like　the　keynote　of　a
  dreamer。　Then；　with　a　sudden　change　of　manner；　she　cried　sharply；
  〃Jupiter；　you　must　accompany　this　gentleman　back　to　the　square　to…day。〃
  The　Prophet　started。　So　did　Mr。　Sagittarius。
  〃But〃　they　cried　simultaneously。
  〃And　you　must　share　his　night　watch。〃
  〃But；　my　darling〃
  〃Or　I　will；〃　cried　Madame。　〃Which　is　it　to　be？〃
  〃Mr。　Sagittarius！〃　exclaimed　the　Prophet。
  〃Very　well；〃