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