Sagittarius and
partly on air, occasionally heard in the darkness at his back terrible
matrimonial whisperings, whose exact tenor he was unable to catch. Once
only he heard Madame say sibilantly and with a vicious click,--
"I might have known what to expect when I married a Prophet--when
I passed over the _pons asinoribus_ to give myself to a _monstram
horrendo_."
To this pathetic heart-cry Mr. Sagittarius made a very prolonged
answer. The Prophet knew it was prolonged because Mr. Sagittarius always
whispered in such a manner as to tickle the nape of his neck. But he
could not hear anything except a sound like steam escaping from a small
pipe. The steam went on escaping until the brougham passed through a
gate, rolled down a declivity, and drew up before an enormous mansion
whose windows blazed with light.
"Is this the Zoological Gardens?" inquired Madame in a stern voice. "Is
this the habitation of the woman Bridgeman?"
"I suppose this is Zoological House," replied the Prophet, sliding
decorously off Madame's left knee in preparation for descent.
"My darling! my love!" said Mr. Sagittarius. "I swear upon the infant
head of our Capricornus that Mrs.
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