第 16 节
作者:老是不进球      更新:2024-04-07 11:52      字数:9322
  〃Certainly a dowry! A fine man like you!〃
  〃How much do you think it would be?〃
  〃Of   course   it   is   not   a   large   warehouse;   but   then   you   could   get   your
  boots at trade price; and your wife's; perhaps; for the cost of the leather。〃
  〃When could I see her?〃
  〃I will arrange for you to call next Sabbath afternoon。〃
  〃You won't charge me more than a sovereign?〃
  〃Not   a   groschen   more!   Such   a   pious   maiden!   I'm   sure   you   will   be
  happy。 She has so much way…of…the…country 'breeding'。 And of course five
  per cent on the dowry?〃
  〃H'm!   Well;   I   don't   mind!〃   〃Perhaps   they   won't   give   a   dowry;〃   he
  thought with a consolatory sense of outwitting the Shadchan。
  On the Saturday Leibel went to see the damsel; and on the Sunday he
  went to see Sugarman the Shadchan。
  〃But your maiden squints!〃 he cried; resentfully。
  〃An excellent thing!〃 said Sugarman。 〃A wife who squints can never
  look   her   husband   straight   in   the   face   and   overwhelm   him。   Who   would
  quail before a woman with a squint?〃
  〃I could endure the squint;〃 went on Leibel; dubiously; 〃but she also
  stammers。〃
  〃Well; what is better; in the event of a quarrel? The difficulty she has
  in   talking   will   keep   her   far   more   silent   than   most   wives。   You   had   best
  secure her while you have the chance。〃
  〃But she halts on the left leg;〃 cried Leibel; exasperated。
  57
  … Page 58…
  STORIES
  〃/Gott   in   Himmel!/   Do     you   mean   to   say   you   do   not   see   what   an
  advantage      it  is  to  have  a  wife   unable    to  accompany   you      in  all  your
  goings?〃
  Leibel lost patience。
  〃Why; the girl is a hunchback!〃 he protested; furiously。
  〃My  dear   Leibel;〃   said   the   marriage   broker;   deprecatingly  shrugging
  his shoulders and spreading out his palms; 〃you can't expect perfection!〃
  Nevertheless Leibel persisted in his unreasonable attitude。 He accused
  Sugarman of wasting his time; of making a fool of him。
  〃A fool of you!〃 echoed the Shadchan; indignantly; 〃when I give you a
  chance of a boot and shoe manufacturer's daughter? You will make a fool
  of yourself if you refuse。 I dare say her dowry would be enough to set you
  up   as   a   master   tailor。 At   present   you   are   compelled   to   slave   away   as   a
  cutter for thirty shillings a week。 It is most unjust。 If you only had a few
  machines you would be able to employ your own cutters。 And they can be
  got so cheap nowadays。〃
  This   gave   Leibel   pause;   and   he   departed   without   having   definitely
  broken the negotiations。 His whole week was befogged by doubt; his work
  became uncertain; his chalk marks lacked their usual decision; and he did
  not always cut his coat according to his cloth。 His aberrations became so
  marked      that   pretty   Rose    Green;    the  sweater's    eldest   daughter;     who
  managed       a  machine     in  the  same    room;    divined;   with   all  a  woman's
  intuition; that he was in love。
  〃What   is   the   matter?〃   she   said;   in   rallying Yiddish;   when   they   were
  taking their lunch of bread and cheese and ginger…beer amid the clatter of
  machines; whose serfs had not yet knocked off work。
  〃They are proposing me a match;〃 he answered; sullenly。
  〃A match!〃 ejaculated Rose。 〃Thou!〃 She had worked by his side for
  years; and familiarity bred the second person singular。 Leibel nodded his
  head; and put a mouthful of Dutch cheese into it。
  〃With whom?〃 asked Rose。 Somehow he felt ashamed。 He gurgled the
  answer into the stone ginger…beer bottle; which he put to his thirsty lips。
  〃With Leah Volcovitch!〃
  〃Leah      Volcovitch!〃      gasped     Rose。    〃Leah;     the   boot    and    shoe
  58
  … Page 59…
  STORIES
  manufacturer's daughter?〃
  Leibel hung his headhe scarce knew why。 He did not dare meet her
  gaze。 His droop said 〃Yes。〃 There was a long pause。
  〃And   why   dost   thou   not   have   her?〃   said   Rose。   It   was   more   than   an
  inquiry; there was contempt in it; and perhaps even pique。
  Leibel    did   not  reply。   The   embarrassing      silence    reigned   again;   and
  reigned long。 Rose broke it at last。
  〃Is it that thou likest me better?〃 she asked。
  Leibel seemed to see a ball of lightning in the air; it burst; and he felt
  the electric current strike right through his heart。 The shock threw his head
  up   with   a   jerk;   so   that   his   eyes   gazed   into   a   face   whose   beauty   and
  tenderness   were   revealed   to   him   for   the   first   time。   The   face   of   his   old
  acquaintance had vanished; this was a cajoling; coquettish; smiling face;
  suggesting undreamed…of things。
  〃/Nu/; yes;〃 he replied; without perceptible pause。
  〃/Nu/; good!〃 she rejoined as quickly。
  And   in   the   ecstasy   of   that   moment   of   mutual   understanding   Leibel
  forgot to wonder why he had never thought of Rose before。 Afterward he
  remembered that she had always been his social superior。
  The situation seemed too dream…like for explanation to the room just
  yet。 Leibel lovingly  passed   a  bottle  of  ginger…beer;  and   Rose took   a  sip;
  with a beautiful air of plighting troth; understood only of those two。 When
  Leibel quaffed the remnant it intoxicated him。 The relics of the bread and
  cheese     were    the  ambrosia     to  this  nectar。   They   did   not   dare   kiss;  the
  suddenness of it all left them bashful; and the smack of lips would have
  been like a cannon…peal announcing their engagement。 There was a subtler
  sweetness in this sense of a secret; apart from the fact that neither cared to
  break the news to the master tailor; a stern little old man。 Leibel's chalk
  marks   continued   indecisive   that   afternoon;   which   shows   how   correctly
  Rose had connected them with love。
  Before he left that night Rose said to him; 〃Art thou sure thou wouldst
  not rather have Leah Volcovitch?〃
  〃Not     for  all  the   boots    and   shoes    in  the   world;〃    replied   Leibel;
  vehemently。
  59
  … Page 60…
  STORIES
  〃And     I;〃  protested    Rose;   〃would     rather  go   without    my    own    than
  without thee。〃
  The landing outside the workshop was so badly lighted that their lips
  came together in the darkness。
  〃Nay; nay; thou must not yet;〃 said Rose。 〃Thou art still courting Leah
  Volcovitch。   For   aught   thou   knowest;   Sugarman   the   Shadchan   may   have
  entangled thee beyond redemption。〃
  〃Not so;〃 asserted Leibel。 〃I have only seen the maiden once。〃
  〃Yes。 But Sugarman has seen her father several times;〃 persisted Rose。
  〃For so misshapen a maiden his commission would be large。 Thou must
  go   to   Sugarman   to…night;   and   tell   him   that   thou   canst   not   find   it   in   thy
  heart to go on with the match。〃
  〃Kiss me; and I will go;〃 pleaded Leibel。
  〃Go; and I will kiss thee;〃 said Rose; resolutely。
  〃And when shall we tell thy father?〃 he asked; pressing her hand; as
  the next best thing to her lips。
  〃As soon as thou art free from Leah。〃
  〃But will he consent?〃
  〃He will not be glad;〃 said Rose; frankly。 〃But after mother's death
  peace be upon herthe rule passed from her hands into mine。〃
  〃Ah; that is well;〃 said Leibel。 He was a superficial thinker。
  Leibel found Sugarman at supper。 The great Shadchan offered him a
  chair; but nothing else。 Hospitality was associated in his mind with special
  occasions only; and involved lemonade and 〃stuffed monkeys。〃
  He   was   very   put   outalmost   to   the   point   of   indigestionto   hear   of
  Leibel's final determination; and plied him with reproachful inquiries。
  〃You don't mean to say that you give up a boot and shoe manufacturer
  merely      because     his  daughter     has    round    shoulders!〃     he    exclaimed;
  incredulously。
  〃It is more than round shouldersit is a hump!〃 cried Leibel。
  〃And   suppose?   See   how   much   better   off   you   will   be   when   you   get
  your   own   machines!   We   do   not   refuse   to   let   camels   carry   our   burdens
  because they have humps。〃
  〃Ah; but a wife is not a camel;〃 said Leibel; with a sage air。
  60
  … Page 61…
  STORIES
  〃And a cutter is not a master tail