lavengro-第78章

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'It　is　true；'　said　the　Armenian；　I　that　even　on　the　confines　of　

Ararat　there　are　a　great　number　who　consider　that　mountain　to　be　

lower　than　the　hillocks　of　Rome；　but　the　greater　number　of　

degenerate　Armenians　are　to　be　found　amongst　those　who　have　

wandered　to　the　west；　most　of　the　Haik　churches　of　the　west　

consider　Rome　to　be　higher　than　Ararat　…　most　of　the　Armenians　of　

this　place　hold　that　dogma；　I；　however；　have　always　stood　firm　in　

the　contrary　opinion。



'Ha！　ha！'　…　here　the　Armenian　laughed　in　his　peculiar　manner　…　

'talking　of　this　matter　puts　me　in　mind　of　an　adventure　which　

lately　befell　me；　with　one　of　the　emissaries　of　the　Papa　of　Rome；　

for　the　Papa　of　Rome　has　at　present　many　emissaries　in　this　

country；　in　order　to　seduce　the　people　from　their　own　quiet　

religion　to　the　savage　heresy　of　Rome；　this　fellow　came　to　me　

partly　in　the　hope　of　converting　me；　but　principally　to　extort　

money　for　the　purpose　of　furthering　the　designs　of　Rome　in　this　

country。　　I　humoured　the　fellow　at　first；　keeping　him　in　play　for　

nearly　a　month；　deceiving　and　laughing　at　him。　　At　last　he　

discovered　that　he　could　make　nothing　of　me；　and　departed　with　the　

scowl　of　Caiaphas；　whilst　I　cried　after　him；　'The　roots　of　Ararat　

are　DEEPER　than　those　of　Rome。'



The　Armenian　had　occasionally　reverted　to　the　subject　of　the　

translation　of　the　Haik　Esop；　which　he　had　still　a　lurking　desire　

that　I　should　execute；　but　I　had　invariably　declined　the　

undertaking；　without；　however；　stating　my　reasons。　　On　one　

occasion；　when　we　had　been　conversing　on　the　subject；　the　Armenian；　

who　had　been　observing　my　countenance　for　some　time　with　much　

attention；　remarked；　'Perhaps；　after　all；　you　are　right；　and　you　

might　employ　your　time　to　better　advantage。　　Literature　is　a　fine　

thing；　especially　Haik　literature；　but　neither　that　nor　any　other　

would　be　likely　to　serve　as　a　foundation　to　a　man's　fortune：　　and　

to　make　a　fortune　should　be　the　principal　aim　of　every　one's　life；　

therefore　listen　to　me。　　Accept　a　seat　at　the　desk　opposite　to　my　

Moldavian　clerk；　and　receive　the　rudiments　of　a　merchant's　

education。　　You　shall　be　instructed　in　the　Armenian　way　of　doing　

business　…　I　think　you　would　make　an　excellent　merchant。'



'Why　do　you　think　so？'



'Because　you　have　something　of　the　Armenian　look。'



'I　understand　you；'　said　I；　'you　mean　to　say　that　I　squint！'



'Not　exactly；'　said　the　Armenian；　'but　there　is　certainly　a　kind　of　

irregularity　in　your　features。　　One　eye　appears　to　me　larger　than　

the　other　…　never　mind；　but　rather　rejoice；　in　that　irregularity　

consists　your　strength。　　All　people　with　regular　features　are　

fools；　it　is　very　hard　for　them；　you'll　say；　but　there　is　no　help：　　

all　we　can　do；　who　are　not　in　such　a　predicament；　is　to　pity　those　

who　are。　　Well！　will　you　accept　my　offer？　　No！　you　are　a　singular　

individual；　but　I　must　not　forget　my　own　concerns。　　I　must　now　go　

forth；　having　an　appointment　by　which　I　hope　to　make　money。'







CHAPTER　L







Wish　fulfilled　…　Extraordinary　figure　…　Bueno　…　Noah　…　The　two　

faces　…　I　don't　blame　him　…　Too　fond　of　money　…　Were　I　an　Armenian。



THE　fulfilment　of　the　Armenian's　grand　wish　was　nearer　at　hand　than　

either　he　or　I　had　anticipated。　　Partly　owing　to　the　success　of　a　

bold　speculation；　in　which　he　had　some　time　previously　engaged；　and　

partly　owing　to　the　bequest　of　a　large　sum　of　money　by　one　of　his　

nation　who　died　at　this　period　in　Paris；　he　found　himself　in　the　

possession　of　a　fortune　somewhat　exceeding　two　hundred　thousand　

pounds；　this　fact　he　communicated　to　me　one　evening　about　an　hour　

after　the　close　of　'Change；　the　hour　at　which　I　generally　called；　

and　at　which　I　mostly　found　him　at　home。



'Well；'　said　I；　'and　what　do　you　intend　to　do　next？'



'I　scarcely　know；'　said　the　Armenian。　　'I　was　thinking　of　that　when　

you　came　in。　　I　don't　see　anything　that　I　can　do；　save　going　on　in　

my　former　course。　　After　all；　I　was　perhaps　too　moderate　in　making　

the　possession　of　two　hundred　thousand　pounds　the　summit　of　my　

ambition；　there　are　many　individuals　in　this　town　who　possess　three　

times　that　sum；　and　are　not　yet　satisfied。　　No；　I　think　I　can　do　no　

better　than　pursue　the　old　career；　who　knows　but　I　may　make　the　two　

hundred　thousand　three　or　four？　…　there　is　already　a　surplus；　which　

is　an　encouragement；　however；　we　will　consider　the　matter　over　a　

goblet　of　wine；　I　have　observed　of　late　that　you　have　become　

partial　to　my　Cyprus。'



And　it　came　to　pass　that；　as　we　were　seated　over　the　Cyprus　wine；　

we　heard　a　knock　at　the　door。　　'Adelante！'　cried　the　Armenian；　

whereupon　the　door　opened；　and　in　walked　a　somewhat　extraordinary　

figure　…　a　man　in　a　long　loose　tunic　of　a　stuff　striped　with　black　

and　yellow；　breeches　of　plush　velvet；　silk　stockings；　and　shoes　

with　silver　buckles。　　On　his　head　he　wore　a　high…peaked　hat；　he　was　

tall；　had　a　hooked　nose；　and　in　age　was　about　fifty。



'Welcome；　Rabbi　Manasseh；'　said　the　Armenian。　　'I　know　your　knock　…　

you　are　welcome；　sit　down。'



'I　am　welcome；'　said　Manasseh；　sitting　down；　'he　…　he　…　he！　you　

know　my　knock　…　I　bring　you　money　…　BUENO！'



There　was　something　very　peculiar　in　the　sound　of　that　bueno　…　I　

never　forgot　it。



Thereupon　a　conversation　ensued　between　Rabbi　Manasseh　and　the　

Armenian；　in　a　language　which　I　knew　to　be　Spanish；　though　a　

peculiar　dialect。　　It　related　to　a　mercantile　transaction。　　The　

Rabbi　sighed　heavily　as　he　delivered　to　the　other　a　considerable　

sum　of　money。



'It　is　right；'　said　the　Armenian；　handing　a　receipt。　　'It　is　right；　

and　I　am　quite　satisfied。'



'You　are　satisfied　…　you　have　taken　money。　　BUENO；　I　have　nothing　

to　say　against　your　being　satisfied。'



'Come；　Rabbi；'　said　the　Armenian；　'do　not　despond；　it　may　be　your　

turn　next　to　take　money；　in　the　meantime；　can't　you　be　persuaded　to　

taste　my　Cyprus？'



'He　…　he　…　he！　senor；　you　know　I　do　not　love　wine。　　I　love　Noah　

when　he　is　himself；　but；　as　Janus；　I　love　him　not。　　But　you　are　

merry；　BUENO；　you　have　a　right　to　be　so。'



'Excuse　me；'　said　I；　'but　does　Noah　ever　appear　as　Janus？'



'He　…　he　…　he！'　said　the　Rabbi；　'he　only　appeared　as　Janus　once　…　

una　vez　quando　estuvo　borracho；　which　means　…　'



'I　understand；'　said　I；　'when　he　was　。　。　。'　and　I　drew　the　side　of　

my　right　hand　sharply　across　my　left　wrist。



'Are　you　one　of　our　people？'　said　the　Rabbi。



'No；'　said　I；　'I　am　one　of　the　Goyim；　but　I　am　only　half　

enlightened。　　Why　should　Noah　be　Janus　when　he　was　in　that　state？'



'He　…　he　…　he！　you　must　know　that　in　Lasan　akhades　wine　is　janin。'



'In　Armenian；　kini；'　said　I；　'in　Welsh；　gwin；　Latin；　vinum；　but　do　

you　think　that　Janus　and　janin　are　one？'



'Do　I　think？　　Don't　the　commentators　say　so？　　Does　not　Master　Leo　

Abarbenel　say　so　in　his　DIALOGUES　OF　DIVINE　LOVE'？



'But；'　said　I；　'I　always　thought　that　Janus　was　a　god　of　the　

ancient　Romans；　who　stood　in　a　temple　open　in　time　of　war；　and　shut　

in　time　of　peace；　he　was　represented　with　two　faces；　which　…　which　

…　'



'He　…　he　…　he！'　said　the　Rabbi；　rising　from　his　seat；　'he　had　two　

faces；　had　he？　　And　what　did　those　two　faces　typify？　　You　do　not　

know；　no；　nor　did　the　Romans　who　carved　him　with　two　faces　know　why　

they　did　so；　for　they　were　only　half　enlightened；　like　you　and　the　

rest　of　the　Goyim。　　Yet　they　were　right　in　carving　him　with　two　

faces　looking　from　each　other　…　they　were　right；　though　they　knew　

not　why；　there　was　a　tradition　among　them　that　the　Janinoso　had　two　

faces；　but　they　knew　not　that　one　was　for　the　world　which　was　gone　

and　the　other　for　the　world　before　him　…　for　the　drowned　world　and　

for　the　present；　as　Master　Leo　Abarbenel　says　in　his　DIALOGUES　OF　

DIVINE　LOVE。　　He　…　he　…　he！'　continued　the　Rabbi；　who　had　by　this　

time　advanced　to　the　door；　and；　turning　round；　waved　the　two　

forefingers　of　his　right　hand