A medical student was trying one of the doublets of orange-tawny and silver, slashed9 with dirty light blue. He was going to a masquerade that night. He thought Polly Pattens would admire him in the dress — Polly Pattens, the fairest of maids-of-all-work — the Borough10 Venus, adored by half the youth of Guy’s.
“You look like a prince in it, Mr. Lint11,” pretty Rachel said, coaxing12 him with her beady black eyes.
“It IS the cheese,” replied Mr. Lint; “it ain’t the dress that don’t suit, my rose of Sharon; it’s the FIGURE. Hullo, Rafael, is that you, my lad of sealing-wax? Come and intercede13 for me with this wild gazelle; she says I can’t have it under fifteen bob for the night. And it’s too much: cuss me if it’s not too much, unless you’ll take my little bill at two months, Rafael.”
“There’s a sweet pretty brigand’s dress you may have for half de monish,” Rafael replied; “there’s a splendid clown for eight bob; but for dat Spanish dress, selp ma Moshesh, Mistraer Lint, ve’d ask a guinea of any but you. Here’s a gentlemansh just come to look at it. Look ‘ear, Mr. Brownsh, did you ever shee a nisher ting dan dat?” So saying, Rafael turned to Lord Codlingsby with the utmost gravity, and displayed to him the garment about which the young medicus was haggling14.
“Cheap at the money,” Codlingsby replied; “if you won’t make up your mind, sir, I should like to engage it myself.” But the thought that another should appear before Polly Pattens in that costume was too much for Mr. Lint; he agreed to pay the fifteen shillings for the garment. And Rafael, pocketing the money with perfect simplicity15, said, “Dis vay, Mr. Brownsh: dere’s someting vill shoot you in the next shop.”
Lord Codlingsby followed him, wondering.
“You are surprised at our system,” said Rafael, marking the evident bewilderment of his friend. “Confess you would call it meanness — my huckstering with yonder young fool. I call it simplicity. Why throw away a shilling without need? Our race never did. A shilling is four men’s bread: shall I disdain16 to defile17 my fingers by holding them out relief in their necessity? It is you who are mean — you Normans — not we of the ancient race. You have your vulgar measurement for great things and small. You call a thousand pounds respectable, and a shekel despicable. Psha, my Codlingsby! One is as the other. I trade in pennies and in millions. I am above or below neither.”
They were passing through a second shop, smelling strongly of cedar18, and, in fact, piled up with bales of those pencils which the young Hebrews are in the habit of vending19 through the streets. “I have sold bundles and bundles of these,” said Rafael. “My little brother is now out with oranges in Piccadilly. I am bringing him up to be head of our house at Amsterdam. We all do it. I had myself to see Rothschild in Eaton Place this morning, about the Irish loan, of which I have taken three millions: and as I wanted to walk, I carried the bag.
“You should have seen the astonishment20 of Lauda Latymer, the Archbishop of Croydon’s daughter, as she was passing St. Bennet’s, Knightsbridge, and as she fancied she recognized in the man who was crying old clothes the gentleman with whom she had talked at the Count de St. Aulair’s the night before.” Something like a blush flushed over the pale features of Mendoza as he mentioned the Lady Lauda’s name. “Come on,” said he. They passed through various warehouses21 — the orange room, the sealing-wax room, the six-bladed knife department, and finally came to an old baize door. Rafael opened the baize door by some secret contrivance, and they were in a black passage, with a curtain at the end.
He clapped his hands; the curtain at the end of the passage drew back, and a flood of golden light streamed on the Hebrew and his visitor.
Chapter Xxiv.
They entered a moderate-sized apartment — indeed, Holywell Street is not above a hundred yards long, and this chamber22 was not more than half that length — it was fitted up with the simple taste of its owner.
The carpet was of white velvet24 —(laid over several webs of Aubusson, Ispahan, and Axminster, so that your foot gave no more sound as it trod upon the yielding plain than the shadow did which followed you)— of white velvet, painted with flowers, arabesques25, and classic figures, by Sir William Ross, J. M. W. Turner, R. A., Mrs. Mee, and Paul Delaroche. The edges were wrought26 with seed-pearls, and fringed with Valenciennes lace and bullion27. The walls were hung with cloth of silver, embroidered28 with gold figures, over which were worked pomegranates, polyanthuses, and passion-flowers, in ruby29, amethyst30, and smaragd. The drops of dew which the artificer had sprinkled on the flowers were diamonds. The hangings were overhung by pictures yet more costly31. Giorgione the gorgeous, Titian the golden, Rubens the ruddy and pulpy32 (the Pan of Painting), some of Murillo’s beatified shepherdesses, who smile on you out of darkness like a star, a few score first-class Leonardos, and fifty of the master-pieces of the patron of Julius and Leo, the Imperial genius of Urbino, covered the walls of the little chamber. Divans33 of carved amber23 covered with ermine went round the room, and in the midst was a fountain, pattering and babbling34 with jets of double-distilled otto of roses.
“Pipes, Goliath!” Rafael said gayly to a little negro with a silver collar (he spoke35 to him in his native tongue of Dongola); “and welcome to our snuggery, my Codlingsby. We are quieter here than in the front of the house, and I wanted to show you a picture. I’m proud of my pictures. That Leonardo came from Genoa, and was a gift to our father from my cousin, Marshal Manasseh: that Murillo was pawned36 to my uncle by Marie Antoinette before the flight to Varennes — the poor lady could not redeem37 the pledge, you know, and the picture remains38 with us. As for the Rafael, I suppose you are aware that he was one of our people. But what are you gazing at? Oh! my sister — I forgot. Miriam! this is the Lord Codlingsby.”
She had been seated at an ivory pianoforte on a mother-of-pearl music-stool, trying a sonata39 of Herz. She rose when thus apostrophized. Miriam de Mendoza rose and greeted the stranger.
The Talmud relates that Adam had two wives — Zillah the dark beauty; Eva the fair one. The ringlets of Zillah were black; those of Eva were golden. The eyes of Zillah were night; those of Eva were morning. Codlingsby was fair — of the fair Saxon race of Hengist and Horsa — they called him Miss Codlingsby at school; but how much fairer was Miriam the Hebrew!
Her hair had that deep glowing tinge40 in it which has been the delight of all painters, and which, therefore, the vulgar sneer41 at. It was of burning auburn. Meandering42 over her fairest shoulders in twenty thousand minute ringlets, it hung to her waist and below it. A light blue velvet fillet clasped with a diamond aigrette (valued at two hundred thousand tomauns, and bought from Lieutenant43 Vicovich, who had received it from Dost Mahomed), with a simple bird of paradise, formed her head-gear. A sea-green cymar with short sleeves, displayed her exquisitely44 moulded arms to perfection, and was fastened by a girdle of emeralds over a yellow satin frock. Pink gauze trousers spangled with silver, and slippers45 of the same color as the band which clasped her ringlets (but so covered with pearls that the original hue46 of the charming little papoosh disappeared entirely) completed her costume. She had three necklaces on, each of which would have dowered a Princess — her fingers glistened47 with rings to their rosy48 tips, and priceless bracelets49, bangles, and armlets wound round an arm that was whiter than the ivory grand piano on which it leaned.
As Miriam de Mendoza greeted the stranger, turning upon him the solemn welcome of her eyes, Codlingsby swooned almost in the brightness of her beauty. It was well she spoke; the sweet kind voice restored him to consciousness. Muttering a few words of incoherent recognition, he sank upon a sandalwood settee, as Goliath, the little slave, brought aromatic50 coffee in cups of opal, and alabaster51 spittoons, and pipes of the fragrant52 Gibelly.
“My lord’s pipe is out,” said Miriam with a smile, remarking the bewilderment of her guest — who in truth forgot to smoke — and taking up a thousand pound note from a bundle on the piano, she lighted it at the taper53 and proceeded to re-illumine the extinguished chibouk of Lord Codlingsby.
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1
mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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2
warehouse
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| n.仓库；vt.存入仓库 | |
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3
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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4
strewed
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| v.撒在…上( strew的过去式和过去分词 )；散落于；点缀；撒满 | |
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5
hoots
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| 咄，啐 | |
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6
mantles
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| vt.&vi.覆盖（mantle的第三人称单数形式） | |
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7
vacancy
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| n.（旅馆的）空位，空房，（职务的）空缺 | |
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8
sockets
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| n.套接字，使应用程序能够读写与收发通讯协定(protocol)与资料的程序( Socket的名词复数 )；孔( socket的名词复数 )；（电器上的）插口；托座；凹穴 | |
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9
slashed
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| v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减 | |
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10
borough
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| n.享有自治权的市镇；(英)自治市镇 | |
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11
lint
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| n.线头；绷带用麻布，皮棉 | |
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12
coaxing
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的现在分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱；“锻炼”效应 | |
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13
intercede
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| vi.仲裁，说情 | |
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14
haggling
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| v.讨价还价( haggle的现在分词 ) | |
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15
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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16
disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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17
defile
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| v.弄污，弄脏；n.(山间)小道 | |
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18
cedar
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| n.雪松，香柏(木) | |
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19
vending
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| v.出售（尤指土地等财产）( vend的现在分词 )；（尤指在公共场所）贩卖；发表（意见，言论）；声明 | |
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20
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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21
warehouses
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| 仓库，货栈( warehouse的名词复数 ) | |
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22
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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23
amber
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| n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的 | |
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24
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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25
arabesques
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| n.阿拉伯式花饰( arabesque的名词复数 )；错综图饰；阿拉伯图案；阿拉贝斯克芭蕾舞姿（独脚站立，手前伸，另一脚一手向后伸） | |
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26
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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27
bullion
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| n.金条，银条 | |
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28
embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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29
ruby
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| n.红宝石，红宝石色 | |
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30
amethyst
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| n.紫水晶 | |
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31
costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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32
pulpy
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| 果肉状的，多汁的，柔软的； 烂糊； 稀烂 | |
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33
divans
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| n.（可作床用的）矮沙发( divan的名词复数 )；（波斯或其他东方诗人的）诗集 | |
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34
babbling
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| n.胡说，婴儿发出的咿哑声adj.胡说的v.喋喋不休( babble的现在分词 )；作潺潺声（如流水）；含糊不清地说话；泄漏秘密 | |
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35
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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36
pawned
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| v.典当，抵押( pawn的过去式和过去分词 )；以（某事物）担保 | |
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37
redeem
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| v.买回，赎回，挽回，恢复，履行（诺言等） | |
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38
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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39
sonata
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| n.奏鸣曲 | |
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40
tinge
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| vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息 | |
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41
sneer
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| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
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42
meandering
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| 蜿蜒的河流，漫步，聊天 | |
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43
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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44
exquisitely
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| adv.精致地；强烈地；剧烈地；异常地 | |
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45
slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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46
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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47
glistened
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| v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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48
rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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49
bracelets
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| n.手镯，臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 ) | |
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50
aromatic
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| adj.芳香的，有香味的 | |
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51
alabaster
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| adj.雪白的；n.雪花石膏；条纹大理石 | |
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52
fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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53
taper
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| n.小蜡烛，尖细，渐弱；adj.尖细的；v.逐渐变小 | |
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