english stories-london-第16部分

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〃Not　a　penny　more。〃



〃You　need　not　fear；〃　said　Sugarman；　resentfully。　〃It　is　not　likely　I

shall　be　able　to　persuade　him　to　take　so　economical　a　father…in…law。

So　you　will　be　none　the　worse　for　promising。〃



〃Be　it　so；〃　said　Eliphaz；　with　a　gesture　of　weariness；　and　he　started

his　machine　again。



〃Twenty…seven　pounds　ten；　remember；〃　said　Sugarman；　above　the　whir。



Eliphaz　nodded　his　head；　whirring　his　wheel…work　louder。



〃And　paid　before　the　wedding；　mind。〃



The　machine　took　no　notice。



〃Before　the　wedding；　mind；〃　repeated　Sugarman。　〃Before　we　go　under　the

canopy。〃



〃Go　now；　go　now！〃　grunted　Eliphaz；　with　a　gesture　of　impatience。　〃It

shall　all　be　well。〃　And　the　white…haired　head　bowed　immovably　over　its

work。



In　the　evening　Rose　extracted　from　her　father　the　motive　of　Sugarman's

visit；　and　confessed　that　the　idea　was　to　her　liking。



〃But　dost　thou　think　he　will　have　me；　little　father？〃　she　asked；　with

cajoling　eyes。



〃Any　one　would　have　my　Rose。〃



〃Ah；　but　Leibel　is　different。　So　many　years　he　has　sat　at　my　side　and

said　nothing。〃



〃He　had　his　work　to　think　of。　He　is　a　good；　saving　youth。〃



〃At　this　very　moment　Sugarman　is　trying　to　persuade　himnot　so？　I

suppose　he　will　want　much　money。〃



〃Be　easy；　my　child。〃　And　he　passed　his　discoloured　hand　over　her　hair。



Sugarman　turned　up　the　next　day；　and　reported　that　Leibel　was

unobtainable　under　thirty　pounds；　and　Eliphaz；　weary　of　the　contest；

called　over　Leibel；　till　that　moment　carefully　absorbed　in　his

scientific　chalk　marks；　and　mentioned　the　thing　to　him　for　the　first

time。　〃I　am　not　a　man　to　bargain；〃　Eliphaz　said；　and　so　he　gave　the

young　man　his　tawny　hand；　and　a　bottle　of　rum　sprang　from　somewhere；

and　work　was　suspended　for　five　minutes；　and　the　〃hands〃　all　drank

amid　surprised　excitement。　Sugarman's　visits　had　prepared　them　to

congratulate　Rose；　but　Leibel　was　a　shock。



The　formal　engagement　was　marked　by　even　greater　junketing；　and　at

last　the　marriage　day　came。　Leibel　was　resplendent　in　a　diagonal

frockcoat；　cut　by　his　own　hand；　and　Rose　stepped　from　the　cab　a　medley

of　flowers；　fairness；　and　white　silk；　and　behind　her　came　two

bridesmaids；her　sisters；a　trio　that　glorified　the　spectator…strewn

pavement　outside　the　synagogue。　Eliphaz　looked　almost　tall　in　his

shiny　high　hat　and　frilled　shirt…front。　Sugarman　arrived　on　foot；

carrying　red…socked　little　Ebenezer　tucked　under　his　arm。



Leibel　and　Rose　were　not　the　only　couple　to　be　disposed　of；　for　it　was

the　thirty…third　day　of　the　Omera　day　fruitful　in　marriages。



But　at　last　their　turn　came。　They　did　not；　however；　come　in　their

turn；　and　their　special　friends　among　the　audience　wondered　why　they

had　lost　their　precedence。　After　several　later　marriages　had　taken

place　a　whisper　began　to　circulate。　The　rumour　of　a　hitch　gained

ground　steadily；　and　the　sensation　was　proportionate。　And；　indeed；　the

rose　was　not　to　be　picked　without　a　touch　of　the　thorn。



Gradually　the　facts　leaked　out；　and　a　buzz　of　talk　and　comment　ran

through　the　waiting　synagogue。　Eliphaz　had　not　paid　up！



At　first　he　declared　he　would　put　down　the　money　immediately　after　the

ceremony。　But　the　wary　Sugarman；　schooled　by　experience；　demanded　its

instant　delivery　on　behalf　of　his　other　client。　Hard　pressed；　Eliphaz

produced　ten　sovereigns　from　his　trousers…pocket；　and　tendered　them　on

account。　These　Sugarman　disdainfully　refused；　and　the　negotiations

were　suspended。　The　bridegroom's　party　was　encamped　in　one　room；　the

bride's　in　another；　and　after　a　painful　delay　Eliphaz　sent　an　emissary

to　say　that　half　the　amount　should　be　forthcoming；　the　extra　five

pounds　in　a　bright　new　Bank　of　England　note。　Leibel；　instructed　and

encouraged　by　Sugarman；　stood　firm。



And　then　arose　a　hubbub　of　voices；　a　chaos　of　suggestions；　friends

rushed　to　and　fro　between　the　camps；　some　emerging　from　their　seats　in

the　synagogue　to　add　to　the　confusion。　But　Eliphaz　had　taken　his　stand

upon　a　rockhe　had　no　more　ready　money。　To…morrow；　the　next　day；　he

would　have　some。　And　Leibel；　pale　and　dogged；　clutched　tighter　at

those　machines　that　were　slipping　away　momently　from　him。　He　had　not

yet　seen　his　bride　that　morning；　and　so　her　face　was　shadowy　compared

with　the　tangibility　of　those　machines。　Most　of　the　other　maidens　were

married　women　by　now；　and　the　situation　was　growing　desperate。　From

the　female　camp　came　terrible　rumours　of　bridesmaids　in　hysterics；　and

a　bride　that　tore　her　wreath　in　a　passion　of　shame　and　humiliation。

Eliphaz　sent　word　that　he　would　give　an　I　O　U　for　the　balance；　but

that　he　really　could　not　muster　any　more　current　coin。　Sugarman

instructed　the　ambassador　to　suggest　that　Eliphaz　should　raise　the

money　among　his　friends。



And　the　short　spring　day　slipped　away。　In　vain　the　minister；　apprised

of　the　block；　lengthened　out　the　formulae　for　the　other　pairs；　and

blessed　them　with　more　reposeful　unction。　It　was　impossible　to　stave

off　the　Leibel…Green　item　indefinitely；　and　at　last　Rose　remained　the

only　orange…wreathed　spinster　in　the　synagogue。　And　then　there　was　a

hush　of　solemn　suspense；　that　swelled　gradually　into　a　steady　rumble

of　babbling　tongues；　as　minute　succeeded　minute　and　the　final　bridal

party　still　failed　to　appear。　The　latest　bulletin　pictured　the　bride

in　a　dead　faint。　The　afternoon　was　waning　fast。　The　minister　left　his

post　near　the　canopy；　under　which　so　many　lives　had　been　united；　and

came　to　add　his　white　tie　to　the　forces　for　compromise。　But　he　fared

no　better　than　the　others。　Incensed　at　the　obstinacy　of　the

antagonists；　he　declared　he　would　close　the　synagogue。　He　gave　the

couple　ten　minutes　to　marry　in　or　quit。　Then　chaos　came；　and

pandemoniuma　frantic　babel　of　suggestion　and　exhortation　from　the

crowd。　When　five　minutes　had　passed　a　legate　from　Eliphaz　announced

that　his　side　had　scraped　together　twenty　pounds；　and　that　this　was

their　final　bid。



Leibel　wavered；　the　long　day's　combat　had　told　upon　him；　the　reports

of　the　bride's　distress　had　weakened　him。　Even　Sugarman　had　lost　his

cocksureness　of　victory。　A　few　minutes　more　and　both　commissions　might

slip　through　his　fingers。　Once　the　parties　left　the　synagogue；　it

would　not　be　easy　to　drive　them　there　another　day。　But　he　cheered　on

his　man　still：　one　could　always　surrender　at　the　tenth　minute。



At　the　eighth　the　buzz　of　tongues　faltered　suddenly；　to　be　transposed

into　a　new　key；　so　to　speak。　Through　the　gesticulating　assembly　swept

that　murmur　of　expectation　which　crowds　know　when　the　procession　is

coming　at　last。　By　some　mysterious　magnetism　all　were　aware　that　the

BRIDE　herselfthe　poor　hysteric　bridehad　left　the　paternal　camp；

was　coming　in　person　to　plead　with　her　mercenary　lover。



And　as　the　glory　of　her　and　the　flowers　and　the　white　draperies　loomed

upon　Leibel's　vision　his　heart　melted　in　worship；　and　he　knew　his

citadel　would　crumble　in　ruins　at　her　first　glance；　at　her　first

touch。　Was　it　fair　fighting？　As　his　troubled　vision　cleared；　and　as

she　came　nigh　unto　him；　he　saw　to　his　amazement　that　she　was　speckless

and　composedno　trace　of　tears　dimmed　the　fairness　of　her　face；　there

was　no　disarray　in　her　bridal　wreath。



The　clock　showed　the　ninth　minute。



She　put　her　hand　appeallingly　on　his　arm；　while　a　heavenly　light　came

into　her　facethe　expression　of　a　Joan　of　Arc　animating　her　country。



〃Do　not　give　in；　Leibel！〃　she　said。　〃Do　not　have　me！　Do　not　let　them

persuade　thee！　By　my　life；　thou　must　not！　Go　home！〃







So　at　the　eleventh　minute　the　vanquished　Eliphaz　produced　the　balance；

and　they　all　lived　happily　ever　afterward。







AN　IDYL　OF　LONDON



BY



BEATRICE　HARRADEN







It　was　one　o'clock；　and　many　of　the　students　in　the　National　Gallery

had　left　off　work　and　were　refreshing　themselves　with　lunch　and

conversation。　There　was　one　old　worker　who　had　not　stirred　from　his

place；　but　he　had　put　down　his　brush；　and　had　taken　from　his　pocket　a

small　book；　which　was　like　its　ownerthin　and　shabby　of　covering。　He

seemed　to　find　pleasure　in　reading　it；　for　he　turned　over　its　pages

with　all　the　tenderness　characteristic　of　one　who　loves　what　he　reads。

Now　and　again　he　glanced　at　his　unfinished　copy　of　the　beautiful

portrait　of　Andrea　del　Sarto；　and　once　his　eyes　rested　on　another　copy

next　to　his；　better　and　truer　than　his；　and　once　he　stopped　to　pick　up

a　girl's　prune…coloured　tie；　which　had　fallen　from　the　neighbouring

easel。　After　this　he　seemed　to　become　unconscious　of　his　surroundings；

as　unconscious；　indeed；　as　any　one　of　the　pictures　near　him。　Any　one

might　have　been　justified　in　mistaking　him　for　the　portrait　of　a　man；

but　that　his　lips　moved；　for　it　was　his　custom　to　read　softly　to

himself。



The　students　passed　back　to　their　places；　not　troubling　to　notice　him；

because　they　knew　from　experience　that　he　never　noticed　them；　and　that

all　greetings　were　wa