lavengro-第79章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

forefingers　of　his　right　hand　in　our　faces；　'the　Goyims　and　

Epicouraiyim　are　clever　men；　they　know　how　to　make　money　better　

than　we　of　Israel。　　My　good　friend　there　is　a　clever　man；　I　bring　

him　money；　he　never　brought　me　any；　BUENO；　I　do　not　blame　him；　he　

knows　much；　very　much；　but　one　thing　there　is　my　friend　does　not　

know；　nor　any　of　the　Epicureans；　he　does　not　know　the　sacred　thing　

…　he　has　never　received　the　gift　of　interpretation　which　God　alone　

gives　to　the　seed　…　he　has　his　gift；　I　have　mine　…　he　is　satisfied；　

I　don't　blame　him；　BUENO。'



And；　with　this　last　word　in　his　mouth；　he　departed。



'Is　that　man　a　native　of　Spain？'　I　demanded。



'Not　a　native　of　Spain；'　said　the　Armenian；　'though　he　is　one　of　

those　who　call　themselves　Spanish　Jews；　and　who　are　to　be　found　

scattered　throughout　Europe；　speaking　the　Spanish　language　

transmitted　to　them　by　their　ancestors；　who　were　expelled　from　

Spain　in　the　time　of　Ferdinand　and　Isabella。'



'The　Jews　are　a　singular　people；'　said　I。



'A　race　of　cowards　and　dastards；'　said　the　Armenian；　'without　a　

home　or　country；　servants　to　servants；　persecuted　and　despised　by　

all。'



'And　what　are　the　Haiks？'　I　demanded。



'Very　different　from　the　Jews；'　replied　the　Armenian；　'the　Haiks　

have　a　home　…　a　country；　and　can　occasionally　use　a　good　sword；　

though　it　is　true　they　are　not　what　they　might　be。'



'Then　it　is　a　shame　that　they　do　not　become　so；'　said　I；　'but　they　

are　too　fond　of　money。　　There　is　yourself；　with　two　hundred　

thousand　pounds　in　your　pocket；　craving　for　more；　whilst　you　might　

be　turning　your　wealth　to　the　service　of　your　country。'



'In　what　manner？'　said　the　Armenian。



'I　have　heard　you　say　that　the　grand　oppressor　of　your　country　is　

the　Persian；　why　not　attempt　to　free　your　country　from　his　

oppression　…　you　have　two　hundred　thousand　pounds；　and　money　is　the　

sinew　of　war？'



'Would　you；　then；　have　me　attack　the　Persian？'



'I　scarcely　know　what　to　say；　fighting　is　a　rough　trade；　and　I　am　

by　no　means　certain　that　you　are　calculated　for　the　scratch。　　It　is　

not　every　one　who　has　been　brought　up　in　the　school　of　Mr。　

Petulengro　and　Tawno　Chikno。　　All　I　can　say　is；　that　if　I　were　an　

Armenian；　and　had　two　hundred　thousand　pounds　to　back　me；　I　would　

attack　the　Persian。'



'Hem！'　said　the　Armenian。







CHAPTER　LI







The　one　half…crown　…　Merit　in　patience　…　Cementer　of　friendship　…　

Dreadful　perplexity　…　The　usual　guttural　…　Armenian　letters　…　Much　

indebted　to　you　…　Pure　helplessness　…　Dumb　people。



ONE　morning　on　getting　up　I　discovered　that　my　whole　worldly　wealth　

was　reduced　to　one　half…crown　…　throughout　that　day　I　walked　about　

in　considerable　distress　of　mind；　it　was　now　requisite　that　I　

should　come　to　a　speedy　decision　with　respect　to　what　I　was　to　do；　

I　had　not　many　alternatives；　and；　before　I　had　retired　to　rest　on　

the　night　of　the　day　in　question；　I　had　determined　that　I　could　do　

no　better　than　accept　the　first　proposal　of　the　Armenian；　and　

translate　under　his　superintendence　the　Haik　Esop　into　English。



I　reflected；　for　I　made　a　virtue　of　necessity；　that；　after　all；　

such　an　employment　would　be　an　honest　and　honourable　one；　honest；　

inasmuch　as　by　engaging　in　it　I　should　do　harm　to　nobody；　

honourable；　inasmuch　as　it　was　a　literary　task；　which　not　every　one　

was　capable　of　executing。　it　was　not　every　one　of　the　booksellers'　

writers　of　London　who　was　competent　to　translate　the　Haik　Esop。　　I　

determined　to　accept　the　offer　of　the　Armenian。



Once　or　twice　the　thought　of　what　I　might　have　to　undergo　in　the　

translation　from　certain　peculiarities　of　the　Armenian's　temper　

almost　unsettled　me；　but　a　mechanical　diving　of　my　hand　into　my　

pocket；　and　the　feeling　of　the　solitary　half…crown；　confirmed　me；　

after　all；　this　was　a　life　of　trial　and　tribulation；　and　I　had　read　

somewhere　or　other　that　there　was　much　merit　in　patience；　so　I　

determined　to　hold　fast　in　my　resolution　of　accepting　the　offer　of　

the　Armenian。



But　all　of　a　sudden　I　remembered　that　the　Armenian　appeared　to　have　

altered　his　intentions　towards　me：　　he　appeared　no　longer　desirous　

that　I　should　render　the　Haik　Esop　into　English　for　the　benefit　of　

the　stock…jobbers　on　Exchange；　but　rather　that　I　should　acquire　the　

rudiments　of　doing　business　in　the　Armenian　fashion；　and　accumulate　

a　fortune；　which　would　enable　me　to　make　a　figure　upon　'Change　with　

the　best　of　the　stock…jobbers。　　'Well；'　thought　I；　withdrawing　my　

hand　from　my　pocket；　whither　it　had　again　mechanically　dived；　

'after　all；　what　would　the　world；　what　would　this　city；　be　without　

commerce？　　I　believe　the　world；　and　particularly　this　city；　would　

cut　a　very　poor　figure　without　commerce；　and　then　there　is　

something　poetical　in　the　idea　of　doing　business　after　the　Armenian　

fashion；　dealing　with　dark…faced　Lascars　and　Rabbins　of　the　

Sephardim。　　Yes；　should　the　Armenian　insist　upon　it；　I　will　accept　

a　seat　at　the　desk；　opposite　the　Moldavian　clerk。　　I　do　not　like　

the　idea　of　cuffs　similar　to　those　the　Armenian　bestowed　upon　the　

Moldavian　clerk；　whatever　merit　there　may　be　in　patience；　I　do　not　

think　that　my　estimation　of　the　merit　of　patience　would　be　

sufficient　to　induce　me　to　remain　quietly　sitting　under　the　

infliction　of　cuffs。　　I　think　I　should；　in　the　event　of　his　cuffing　

me；　knock　the　Armenian　down。　　Well；　I　think　I　have　heard　it　said　

somewhere；　that　a　knock…down　blow　is　a　great　cementer　of　

friendship；　I　think　I　have　heard　of　two　people　being　better　friends　

than　ever　after　the　one　had　received　from　the　other　a　knock…down　

blow。'



That　night　I　dreamed　I　had　acquired　a　colossal　fortune；　some　four　

hundred　thousand　pounds；　by　the　Armenian　way　of　doing　business；　but　

suddenly　awoke　in　dreadful　perplexity　as　to　how　I　should　dispose　of　

it。



About　nine　o'clock　next　morning　I　set　off　to　the　house　of　the　

Armenian；　I　had　never　called　upon　him　so　early　before；　and　

certainly　never　with　a　heart　beating　with　so　much　eagerness；　but　

the　situation　of　my　affairs　had　become　very　critical；　and　I　thought　

that　I　ought　to　lose　no　time　in　informing　the　Armenian　that　I　was　

at　length　perfectly　willing　either　to　translate　the　Haik　Esop　under　

his　superintendence；　or　to　accept　a　seat　at　the　desk　opposite　to　

the　Moldavian　clerk；　and　acquire　the　secrets　of　Armenian　commerce。　　

With　a　quick　step　I　entered　the　counting…room；　where；　

notwithstanding　the　earliness　of　the　hour；　I　found　the　clerk；　

busied　as　usual　at　his　desk。



He　had　always　appeared　to　me　a　singular　being；　this　same　Moldavian　

clerk。　　A　person　of　fewer　words　could　scarcely　be　conceived：　　

provided　his　master　were　at　home；　he　would；　on　my　inquiring；　nod　

his　head；　and；　provided　he　were　not；　he　would　invariably　reply　with　

the　monosyllable　No；　delivered　in　a　strange　guttural　tone。　　On　the　

present　occasion；　being　full　of　eagerness　and　impatience；　I　was　

about　to　pass　by　him　to　the　apartment　above；　without　my　usual　

inquiry；　when　he　lifted　his　head　from　the　ledger　in　which　he　was　

writing；　and；　laying　down　his　pen；　motioned　to　me　with　his　

forefinger；　as　if　to　arrest　my　progress；　whereupon　I　stopped；　and；　

with　a　palpitating　heart；　demanded　whether　the　master　of　the　house　

was　at　home。　　The　Moldavian　clerk　replied　with　his　usual　guttural；　

and；　opening　his　desk；　ensconced　his　head　therein。



'It　does　not　much　matter；'　said　I；　'I　suppose　I　shall　find　him　at　

home　after　'Change；　it　does　not　much　matter；　I　can　return。'



I　was　turning　away　with　the　intention　of　leaving　the　room；　at　this　

moment；　however；　the　head　of　the　Moldavian　clerk　became　visible；　

and　I　observed　a　letter　in　his　hand；　which　he　had　inserted　in　the　

desk　at　the　same　time　with　his　head；　this　he　extended　towards　me；　

making　at　the　same　time　a　sidelong　motion　with　his　head；　as　much　as　

to　say　that　it