english stories-london-第16章

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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？〃



Leibel　felt　guilty。　〃But　whom　have　you　got　in　your　eye？〃　he　inquired；

desperately。



〃Perhaps　you　may　have　some　one　in　yours！〃　naively　answered　Sugarman。



Leibel　gave　a　hypocritic　long…drawn　〃U…m…m…m！　I　wonder　if　Rose　Green

where　I　work〃　he　said；　and　stopped。



〃I　fear　not；〃　said　Sugarman。　〃She　is　on　my　list。　Her　father　gave　her

to　me　some　months　ago；　but　he　is　hard　to　please。　Even　the　maiden

herself　is　not　easy；　being　pretty。〃



〃Perhaps　she　has　waited　for　some　one；〃　suggested　Leibel。



Sugarman's　keen　ear　caught　the　note　of　complacent　triumph。



〃You　have　been　asking　her　yourself！〃　he　exclaimed；　in　horror…stricken

accents。



〃And　if　I　have？〃　said　Leibel；　defiantly。



〃You　have　cheated　me！　And　so　has　Eliphaz　GreenI　always　knew　he　was

tricky！　You　have　both　defrauded　me！〃



〃I　did　not　mean　to；〃　said　Leibel；　mildly。



〃You　/did/　mean　to。　You　had　no　business　to　take　the　matter　out　of　my

hands。　What　right　had　you　to　propose　to　Rose　Green？〃



〃I　did　not；〃　cried　Leibel；　excitedly。



〃Then　you　asked　her　father！〃



〃No；　I　have　not　asked　her　father　yet。〃



〃Then　how　do　you　know　she　will　have　you？〃



〃II　know；〃　stammered　Leibel；　feeling　himself　somehow　a　liar　as　well

as　a　thief。　His　brain　was　in　a　whirl；　he　could　not　remember　how　the

thing　had　come　about。　Certainly　he　had　not　proposed；　nor　could　he　say

that　she　had。



〃You　know　she　will　have　you；〃　repeated　Sugarman；　reflectively。　〃And

does　/she/　know？〃



〃Yes。　In　fact；〃　he　blurted　out；　〃we　arranged　it　together。〃



〃Ah；　you　both　know。　And　does　her　father　know？〃



〃Not　yet。〃



〃Ah；　then　I　must　get　his　consent；〃　said　Sugarman；　decisively。



〃II　thought　of　speaking　to　him　myself。〃



〃Yourself！〃　echoed　Sugarman；　in　horror。　〃Are　you　unsound　in　the　head？

Why；　that　would　be　worse　than　the　mistake　you　have　already　made！〃



〃What　mistake？〃　asked　Leibel；　firing　up。



〃The　mistake　of　asking　the　maiden　herself。　When　you　quarrel　with