Daniel Deronda
乔治.艾略特 George Eliot
CHAPTER XXXIV.
"Er ist geheissenIsrael. Ihn hat verwandeltHexenspruch in elnen Hund.* * * * *Aber jeden Freitag Abend,In der Dämmrungstunde, plötzlichWeicht der Zauber, und der HundWird aufs Neu' ein menschlich Wesen."--HEINE: _Prinzessin Sabbaz_.
When Deronda arrived at five o'clock, the shop was closed and the door wasopened for him by the Christian servant. When she showed him into the roombehind the shop he was surprised at the prettiness of the scene. The housewas old, and rather extensive at the back: probably the large room he howentered was gloomy by daylight, but now it was agreeably lit by a fine oldbrass lamp with seven oil-lights hanging above the snow-white cloth spreadon the central table, The ceiling and walls were smoky, and all thesurroundings were dark enough to throw into relief the human figures,which had a Venetian glow of coloring. The grandmother was arrayed inyellowish brown with a large gold chain in lieu of the necklace, and bythis light her yellow face with its darkly-marked eyebrows and framingroll of gray hair looked as handsome as was necessary for picturesqueeffect. Young Mrs. Cohen was clad in red and black, with a string of largeartificial pearls wound round and round her neck: the baby lay asleep inthe cradle under a scarlet counterpane; Adelaide Rebekah was in braidedamber, and Jacob Alexander was in black velveteen with scarlet stockings.As the four pairs of black eyes all glistened a welcome at Deronda, he wasalmost ashamed of the supercilious dislike these happy-looking creatureshad raised in him by daylight. Nothing could be more cordial than thegreeting he received, and both mother and grandmother seemed to gathermore dignity from being seen on the private hearth, showing hospitality.He looked round with some wonder at the old furniture: the oaken bureauand high side-table must surely be mere matters of chance and economy, andnot due to the family taste. A large dish of blue and yellow ware was setup on the side-table, and flanking it were two old silver vessels; infront of them a large volume in darkened vellum with a deep-ribbed back.In the corner at the farther end was an open door into an inner room,where there was also a light.
Deronda took in these details by parenthetic glances while he met Jacob'spressing solicitude about the knife. He had taken the pains to buy onewith the requisites of the hook and white handle, and produced it ondemand, saying,--
"Is that the sort of thing you want, Jacob?"
It was subjected to a severe scrutiny, the hook and blades were opened,and the article of barter with the cork-screw was drawn forth forcomparison.
"Why do you like a hook better than a cork-screw?" said Deronda.
"'Caush I can get hold of things with a hook. A corkscrew won't go intoanything but corks. But it's better for you, you can draw corks."
"You agree to change, then?" said Deronda, observing that the grandmotherwas listening with delight.
"What else have you got in your pockets?" said Jacob, with deliberativeseriousness.
"Hush, hush, Jacob, love," said the grandmother. And Deronda, mindful ofdiscipline, answered--
"I think I must not tell you that. Our business was with the knives."
Jacob looked up into his face scanningly for a moment or two, andapparently arriving at his conclusions, said gravely--
"I'll shwop," handing the cork-screw knife to Deronda, who pocketed itwith corresponding gravity.
Immediately the small son of Shem ran off into the next room, whence hisvoice was heard in rapid chat; and then ran back again--when, seeing hisfather enter, he seized a little velveteen hat which lay on a chair andput it on to approach him. Cohen kept on his own hat, and took no noticeof the visitor, but stood still while the two children went up to him andclasped his knees: then he laid his hands on each in turn and uttered hisHebrew benediction; whereupon the wife, who had lately taken baby from thecradle, brought it up to her husband and held it under his outstretchedhands, to be blessed in its sleep. For the moment, Deronda thought thatthis pawnbroker, proud of his vocation, was not utterly prosaic.
"Well, sir, you found your welcome in my family, I think," said Cohen,putting down his hat and becoming his former self. "And you've beenpunctual. Nothing like a little stress here," he added, tapping his sidepocket as he sat down. "It's good for us all in our turn. I've felt itwhen I've had to make up payments. I began to fit every sort of box. It'sbracing to the mind. Now then! let us see, let us see."
"That is the ring I spoke of," said Deronda, taking it from his finger. "Ibelieve it cost a hundred pounds. It will be a sufficient pledge to youfor fifty, I think. I shall probably redeem it in a month or so."
Cohen's glistening eyes seemed to get a little nearer together as he metthe ingenuous look of this crude young gentleman, who apparently supposedthat redemption was a satisfaction to pawnbrokers. He took the ring,examined and returned it, saying with indifference, "Good, good. We'lltalk of it after our meal. Perhaps you'll join us, if you've no objection.Me and my wife'll feel honored, and so will mother; won't you, mother?"
The invitation was doubly echoed, and Deronda gladly accepted it. All nowturned and stood round the table. No dish was at present seen except onecovered with a napkin; and Mrs. Cohen had placed a china bowl near herhusband that he might wash his hands in it. But after putting on his hatagain, he paused, and called in a loud voice, "Mordecai!"
Can this be part of the religious ceremony? thought Deronda, not knowingwhat might be expected of the ancient hero. But he heard a "Yes" from thenext room, which made him look toward the open door; and there, to hisastonishment, he saw the figure of the enigmatic Jew whom he had thismorning met with in the book-shop. Their eyes met, and Mordecai looked asmuch surprised as Deronda--neither in his surprise making any sign ofrecognition. But when Mordecai was seating himself at the end of thetable, he just bent his head to the guest in a cold and distant manner, asif the disappointment of the morning remained a disagreeable associationwith this new acquaintance.
Cohen now washed his hands, pronouncing Hebrew words the while: afterward,he took off the napkin covering the dish and disclosed the two long flatloaves besprinkled with seed--the memorial of the manna that fed thewandering forefathers--and breaking off small pieces gave one to each ofthe family, including Adelaide Rebekah, who stood on the chair with herwhole length exhibited in her amber-colored garment, her little Jewishnose lengthened by compression of the lip in the effort to make a suitableappearance. Cohen then uttered another Hebrew blessing, and after that,the male heads were uncovered, all seated themselves, and the meal went onwithout any peculiarity that interested Deronda. He was not very consciousof what dishes he ate from; being preoccupied with a desire to turn theconversation in a way that would enable him to ask some leading question;and also thinking of Mordecai, between whom and himself there was anexchange of fascinated, half furtive glances. Mordecai had no handsomeSabbath garment, but instead of the threadbare rusty black coat of themorning he wore one of light drab, which looked as if it had once been ahandsome loose paletot now shrunk with washing; and this change ofclothing gave a still stronger accentuation to his dark-haired, eager facewhich might have belonged to the prophet Ezekiel--also probably not modishin the eyes of contemporaries. It was noticeable that the thin tails ofthe fried fish were given to Mordecai; and in general the sort of shareassigned to a poor relation--no doubt a "survival" of prehistoricpractice, not yet generally admitted to be superstitious.
Mr. Cohen kept up the conversation with much liveliness, introducing assubjects always in taste (the Jew is proud of his loyalty) the Queen andthe Royal Family, the Emperor and Empress of the French--into which bothgrandmother and wife entered with zest. Mrs. Cohen the younger showed anaccurate memory of distinguished birthdays; and the elder assisted her sonin informing the guest of what occurred when the Emperor and Empress werein England and visited the city ten years before.
"I dare say you know all about it better than we do, sir," said Cohen,repeatedly, by way of preface to full information; and the interestingstatements were kept up in a trio.
"Our baby is named _Eu_genie Esther," said young Mrs. Cohen, vivaciously.
"It's wonderful how the Emperor's like a cousin of mine in the face," saidthe grandmother; "it struck me like lightning when I caught sight of him.I couldn't have thought it."
"Mother, and me went to see the Emperor and Empress at the CrystalPalace," said Mr. Cohen. "I had a fine piece of work to take care of,mother; she might have been squeezed flat--though she was pretty near aslusty then as she is now. I said if I had a hundred mothers I'd never takeone of 'em to see the Emperor and Empress at the Crystal Palace again; andyou may think a man can't afford it when he's got but one mother--not ifhe'd ever so big an insurance on her." He stroked his mother's shoulderaffectionately, and chuckled a little at his own humor.
"Your mother has been a widow a long while, perhaps," said Deronda,seizing his opportunity. "That has made your care for her the moreneedful."
"Ay, ay, it's a good many _yore-zeit_ since I had to manage for her andmyself," said Cohen quickly. "I went early to it. It's that makes you asharp knife."
"What does--what makes a sharp knife, father?" said Jacob, his cheek verymuch swollen with sweet-cake.
The father winked at his guest and said, "Having your nose put on thegrindstone."
Jacob slipped from his chair with the piece of sweet-cake in his hand, andgoing close up to Mordecai, who had been totally silent hitherto, said,"What does that mean--putting my nose to the grindstone?"
"It means that you are to bear being hurt without making a noise," saidMordecai, turning his eyes benignantly on the small face close to his.Jacob put the corner of the cake into Mordecai's mouth as an invitation tobite, saying meanwhile, "I shan't though," and keeping his eyes on thecake to observe how much of it went in this act of generosity. Mordecaitook a bite and smiled, evidently meaning to please the lad, and thelittle incident made them both look more lovable. Deronda, however, feltwith some vexation that he had taken little by his question.
"I fancy that is the right quarter for learning," said he, carrying on thesubject that he might have an excuse for addressing Mordecai, to whom heturned and said, "You have been a great student, I imagine?"
"I have studied," was the quiet answer. "And you?--You know German by thebook you were buying."
"Yes, I have studied in Germany. Are you generally engaged inbookselling?" said Deronda.
"No; I only go to Mr. Ram's shop every day to keep it while he goes tomeals," said Mordecai, who was now looking at Deronda with what seemed arevival of his original interest: it seemed as if the face had someattractive indication for him which now neutralized the formerdisappointment. After a slight pause, he said, "Perhaps you know Hebrew?"
pawnbroker, proud of his vocation, was not utterly prosaic.of thing you want.
"I am sorry to say, not at all."
Mordecai's countenance fell: he cast down his eyelids, looking at hishands, which lay crossed before him, and said no more. Deronda had nownoticed more decisively than in their former interview a difficulty inbreathing, which he thought must be a sign of consumption.
"I've had something else to do than to get book-learning." said Mr.Cohen,--"I've had to make myself knowing about useful things. I knowstones well,"--here he pointed to Deronda's ring. "I'm not afraid oftaking that ring of yours at my own valuation. But now," he added, with acertain drop in his voice to a lower, more familiar nasal, "what do youwant for it?"
"Fifty or sixty pounds," Deronda answered, rather too carelessly.
Cohen paused a little, thrust his hands into his pockets, fixed on Derondaa pair of glistening eyes that suggested a miraculous guinea-pig, andsaid, "Couldn't do you that. Happy to oblige, but couldn't go thatlengths. Forty pound--say forty--I'll let you have forty on it."
Deronda was aware that Mordecai had looked up again at the words implyinga monetary affair, and was now examining him again, while he said, "Verywell, I shall redeem it in a month or so."
"Good. I'll make you out the ticket by-and-by," said Cohen, indifferently.Then he held up his finger as a sign that conversation must be deferred.He, Mordecai and Jacob put on their hats, and Cohen opened a thanksgiving,which was carried on by responses, till Mordecai delivered himself aloneat some length, in a solemn chanting tone, with his chin slightly upliftedand his thin hands clasped easily before him. Not only in his accent andtone, but in his freedom from the self-consciousness which has referenceto others' approbation, there could hardly have been a stronger contrastto the Jew at the other end of the table. It was an unaccountableconjunction--the presence among these common, prosperous, shopkeepingtypes, of a man who, in an emaciated threadbare condition, imposed acertain awe on Deronda, and an embarrassment at not meeting hisexpectations.
No sooner had Mordecai finished his devotional strain, than rising, with aslight bend of his head to the stranger, he walked back into his room, andshut the door behind him.
"That seems to be rather a remarkable man," said Deronda, turning toCohen, who immediately set up his shoulders, put out his tongue slightly,and tapped his own brow. It was clearly to be understood that Mordecai didnot come up to the standard of sanity which was set by Mr. Cohen's view ofmen and things.
"Does he belong to your family?" said Deronda.
This idea appeared to be rather ludicrous to the ladies as well as toCohen, and the family interchanged looks of amusement.
"No, no," said Cohen. "Charity! charity! he worked for me, and when he gotweaker and weaker I took him in. He's an incumbrance; but he brings ablessing down, and he teaches the boy. Besides, he does the repairing atthe watches and jewelry."
Deronda hardly abstained from smiling at this mixture of kindliness andthe desire to justify it in the light of a calculation; but hiswillingness to speak further of Mordecai, whose character was made themore enigmatically striking by these new details, was baffled. Mr. Cohenimmediately dismissed the subject by reverting to the "accommodation,"which was also an act of charity, and proceeded to make out the ticket,get the forty pounds, and present them both in exchange for the diamondring. Deronda, feeling that it would be hardly delicate to protract hisvisit beyond the settlement of the business which was its pretext, had totake his leave, with no more decided result than the advance of fortypounds and the pawn-ticket in his breast-pocket, to make a reason forreturning when he came up to town after Christmas. He was resolved that hewould then endeavor to gain a little more insight into the character andhistory of Mordecai; from whom also he might gather something decisiveabout the Cohens--for example, the reason why it was forbidden to ask Mrs.Cohen the elder whether she had a daughter.