english stories-london-第15部分
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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 her
after your marriage she will always throw it in your teeth that you
wished to marry her。 Moreover； if you tell a maiden you love her； her
father will think you ought to marry her as she stands。 Still； what is
done is done。〃 And he sighed regretfully。
〃And what more do I want？ I love her。〃
〃You piece of clay！〃 cried Sugarman； contemptuously。 〃Love will not
turn machines； much less buy them。 You must have a dowry。 Her father
has a big stocking； he can well afford it。〃
Leibel's eyes lit up。 There was really no reason why he should not
have bread and cheese with his kisses。
〃Now； if /you/ went to her father；〃 pursued the Shadchan； 〃the odds
are that he would not even give you his daughterto say nothing of
the dowry。 After all； it is a cheek of you to aspire so high。 As you
told me from the first； you haven't saved a penny。 Even my commission
you won't be able to pay till you get the dowry。 But if /I/ go I do
not despair of getting a substantial sumto say nothing of the
daughter。〃
〃Yes； I think you had better go；〃 said Leibel； eagerly。
〃But if I do this thing for you I shall want a pound more；〃 rejoined
Sugarman。
〃A pound more！〃 echoed Leibel； in dismay。 〃Why？〃
〃Because Rose Green's hump is of gold；〃 replied Sugarman； oracularly。
〃Also； she is fair to see； and many men desire her。〃
〃But you have always your five per cent； on the dowry。〃
〃It will be less than Volcovitch's；〃 explained Sugarman。 〃You see；
Green has other and less beautiful daughters。〃
〃Yes； but then it settles itself more easily。 Say five shillings。〃
〃Eliphaz Green is a hard man；〃 said the Shadchan instead。
〃Ten shillings is the most I will give！〃
〃Twelve and sixpence is the least I will take。 Eliphaz Green haggles
so terribly。〃
They split the difference； and so eleven and threepence represented
the predominance of Eliphaz Green's stinginess over Volcovitch's。
The very next day Sugarman invaded the Green workroom。 Rose bent over
her seams； her heart fluttering。 Leibel had duly apprised her of the
roundabout manner in which she would have to be won； and she had
acquiesced in the comedy。 At the least it would save her the trouble
of father…taming。
Sugarman's entry was brusque and breathless。 He was overwhelmed with
joyous emotion。 His blue bandana trailed agitatedly from his coat…
tail。
〃At last！〃 he cried； addressing the little white…haired master tailor；
〃I have the very man for you。〃
〃Yes？〃 grunted Eliphaz； unimpressed。 The monosyllable was packed with
emotion。 It said； 〃Have you really the face to come to me again with
an ideal man？〃
〃He has all the qualities that you desire；〃 began the Shadchan； in a
tone that repudiated the implications of the monosyllable。 〃He is
young； strong； God…fearing〃
〃Has he any money？〃 grumpily interrupted Eliphaz。
〃He /will/ have money；〃 replied Sugarman； unhesitatingly； 〃when he
marries。〃
〃Ah！〃 The father's voice relaxed； and his foot lay limp on the
treadle。 He worked one of his machines himself； and paid himself the
wages so as to enjoy the profit。 〃How much will he have？〃
〃I think he will have fifty pounds； and the least you can do is to let
him have fifty pounds；〃 replied Sugarman； with the same happy
ambiguity。
Eliphaz shook his head on principle。
〃Yes； you will；〃 said Sugarman； 〃when you learn how fine a man he is。〃
The flush of confusion and trepidation already on Leibel's countenance
became a rosy glow of modesty； for he could not help overhearing what
was being said； owing to the lull of the master tailor's machine。
〃Tell me； then；〃 rejoined Eliphaz。
〃Tell me； first； if you will give fifty to a young； healthy； hard…
working； God…fearing man； whose idea it is to start as a master tailor
on his own account？ And you know how profitable that is！〃
〃To a man like that；〃 said Eliphaz； in a burst of enthusiasm； 〃I would
give as much as twenty…seven pounds ten！〃
Sugarman groaned inwardly； but Leibel's heart leaped with joy。 To get
four months' wages at a stroke！ With twenty…seven pounds ten he could
certainly procure several machines； especially on the instalment
system。 Out of the corners of his eyes he shot a glance at Rose； who
was beyond earshot。
〃Unless you can promise thirty it is waste of time mentioning his
name；〃 said Sugarman。
〃Well； wellwho is he？〃
Sugarman bent down； lowering his voice into the father's ear。
〃What！ Leibel！〃 cried Eliphaz； outraged。
〃Sh！〃 said Sugarman； 〃or he will overhear your delight； and ask more。
He has his nose high enough； as it is。〃
〃Bbbut；〃 sputtered the bewildered parent； 〃I know Leibel myself。
I see him every day。 I don't want a Shadchan to find me a man I know
a mere hand in my own workshop！〃
〃Your talk has neither face nor figure；〃 answered Sugarman； sternly。
〃It is just the people one sees every day that one knows least。 I
warrant that if I had not put it into your head you would never have
dreamt of Leibel as a son…in…law。 Come now； confess。〃
Eliphaz grunted vaguely； and the Shadchan went on triumphantly： 〃I
thought as much。 And yet where could you find a better man to keep
your daughter？〃
〃He ought to be content with her alone；〃 grumbled her father。
Sugarman saw the signs of weakening； and dashed in； full strength：
〃It's a question whether he will have her at all。 I have not been to
him about her yet。 I awaited your approval of the idea。〃 Leibel
admired the verbal accuracy of these statements； which he had just
caught。
〃But I didn't know he would be having money；〃 murmured Eliphaz。
〃Of course you didn't know。 That's what the Shadchan is forto point
out the things that are under your nose。〃
〃But where will he be getting this money from？〃
〃From you；〃 said Sugarman； frankly。
〃From me？〃
〃From whom else？ Are you not his employer？ It has been put by for his
marriage day。〃
〃He has saved it？〃
〃He has not /spent/ it；〃 said Sugarman； impatiently。
〃But do you mean to say he has saved fifty pounds？〃
〃If he could manage to save fifty pounds out of your wages he would be
indeed a treasure；〃 said Sugarman。 〃Perhaps it might be thirty。〃
〃But you said fifty。〃
〃Well； /you/ came down to thirty；〃 retorted the Shadchan。 〃You cannot
expect him to have more than your daughter brings。〃
〃I never said thirty；〃 Eliphaz reminded him。 〃Twenty…seven ten was my
last bid。〃
〃Very well； that will do as a basis of negotiations；〃 said Sugarman；
resignedly。 〃I will call upon him this evening。 If I were to go over
and speak to him now； he would perceive you were anxious； and raise
his terms； and that will never do。 Of course you will not mind
allowing me a pound more for finding you so economical a son…in…law？〃
〃Not a penny more。〃
〃You need not fear；〃 said Sugarman； resentfully。 〃It is not likely I
