english stories-london-第14节
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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。
〃/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
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。
〃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。
〃And a cutter is not a master tailor；〃 retorted Sugarman。
〃Enough； enough！〃 cried Leibel。 〃I tell you； I would not have her if
she were a machine warehouse。〃
〃There sticks something behind；〃 persisted Sugarman； unconvinced。
Leibel shook his head。 〃Only her hump〃 he said with a flash of humour。
〃Moses Mendelssohn had a hump；〃 expostulated Sugarman； reproachfully。
〃Yes； but he was a heretic；〃 rejoined Leibel； who was not without
reading。 〃And then he was a man！ A man with two humps could find a
wife for each。 But a woman with a hump cannot expect a husband in
addition。〃
〃Guard your tongue from evil；〃 quoth the Shadchan； angrily。 〃If
everybody were to talk like you Leah Volcovitch would never be married
at all。〃
Leibel shrugged his shoulders； and reminded him that hunchbacked girls
who stammered and squinted and halted on left legs were not usually
led under the canopy。
〃Nonsense！ Stuff！〃 cried Sugarman； angrily。 〃That is because they do
not come to me。〃
〃Leah Volcovitch /has/ come to you；〃 said Leibel； 〃but she shall not
come to me。〃 And he rose； anxious to escape。
Instantly Sugarman gave a sigh of resignation。 〃Be it so！ Then I shall
have to look out for another； that's all。〃
〃No； I don't want any；〃 replied Leibel； quickly。
Sugarman stopped eating。 〃You don't want any？〃 he cried。 〃But you came
to me for one？〃
〃IIknow；〃 stammered Leibel。 〃But I'veI've altered my mind。〃
〃One needs Hillel's patience to deal with you！〃 cried Sugarman。 〃But I
shall charge you； all the same； for my trouble。 You cannot cancel an
order like this in the middle！ No； no！ You can play fast and loose
with Leah Volcovitch； but you shall not make a fool of me。〃
〃But if I don't want one？〃 said Leibel； sullenly。
Sugarman gazed at him with a cunning look of suspicion。 〃Didn't I say
there was something sticking behind？〃
