lavengro- 第63部分

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　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'cl