In the course of the day he had a good many callers; some to make inquiries4, some to offer various articles for pledge. Of these latter the majority were children, with whom he declined to negotiate. "Who sent you?" "Mother." "Go home and tell her she must come herself." He would only do business with grown-up people. Setting before himself a straight and honest rule of life, he was not the man to wander from it for the sake of a little profit. Of the other description of callers a fair proportion entered the shop out of idle curiosity. He had pleasant words for all, and gave change for sixpences and shillings with as much courtesy as if each transaction was a gain to him; as, indeed, it was, for no man or woman who entered with an unfavourable opinion of him (influenced by certain rumours5 to his discredit6 which had been circulated by Mr. Whimpole) departed without having their minds disturbed by his urbanity and genial7 manners. "I don't see any harm in him," was the general verdict from personal evidence; "he's as nice a spoken man as I ever set eyes on." Many of his visitors went away laughing at the humorous remarks he had made, which they passed on from one to another. On the evening of this first day he expressed his satisfaction at the business he had done.
"Our venture will turn out well," he said to Rachel. "The flag of fortune is waving over us."
It was eight o'clock, and, although he scarcely expected further custom, he kept the gas burning in the shop window.
"Light is an attraction," he observed. "It is better than an advertisement in the papers."
The evening was fine. He and Rachel were sitting in the parlour, with the intermediate door open. Aaron was smoking a handsome silver-mounted pipe and making up his accounts, while his wife was busy with her needle. Satan could never have put anything in the shape of mischief8 in the way of these two pairs of industrious9 hands, for they were never idle, except during the Sabbath and the fasts and holydays, and then it was not idleness, but rest, Divinely ordained10. The silver-mounted pipe was one of Aaron's most precious possessions, it being his beloved wife's gift to him on his last birthday. He would not have sold it for ten times its weight in gold. Rachel often held a light to it after it was filled, and Aaron, with an affectionate smile, would kiss her white hand in acknowledgment of the service. There are trifling11 memorials which are almost human in their influence, and in the tender thoughts they inspire. At peace with the world and with themselves, Aaron and his wife conversed12 happily as they worked; but malignant13 influences were at work, of which they were soon to feel the shock.
Aaron had put his account books in the safe, and was turning the key, when the sound of loud voices outside his shop reached their ears. The voices were those of children, male and female, who were exercising their lungs in bass14, treble, and falsetto. Only one word did they utter.
"Jew! Jew! Jew!"
Rachel started up in alarm, her hand at her heart. Her face was white, her limbs were trembling.
"Jew! Jew! Jew!"
Aaron put the key of the safe in his pocket, and laid down his pipe. His countenance15 was not troubled, but his brows were puckered16.
"Jew! Jew! Jew!"
"It is wicked! it is wicked!" cried Rachel, wringing17 her hands. "Oh, how can they be so cruel!"
Aaron's countenance instantly cleared. He had to think, to act, for her as well as for himself. With fond endearments18 he endeavoured to soothe19 her; but her agitation20 was profound, and while these cries of implied opprobrium21 continued she could not school herself to calmness. Not for herself did she fear; it was against her dear, her honoured husband that this wicked demonstration22 was made, and she dreaded23 that he would be subjected to violence. Stories of past oppressions, accounts she had read in the newspapers of Jew-baiting in other countries, flashed into her mind. To her perturbed24 senses the voices seemed to proceed from men and women; to Aaron's clearer senses they were the voices of children, and he divined the source of the insult. Rachel sobbed25 upon his breast, and clasped him close to protect him.
"Rachel, my love, my life!" he said, in a tone of tender firmness. "Be calm, I entreat26 you. There is nothing to fear. Have you lost confidence in your husband? Would you increase my troubles, and make the task before me more difficult than it is? On my word as a man, on my faith as a Jew, I will make friends of these foolish children, in whose outcries there is no deep-seated venom--I declare it, none. They do not know what they are doing. From my heart I pity them, the young rascals27, and I will wage a peaceful war with them--yes, my life, a peaceful war--which will confound them and fill them with wonder. I will make them respect me; I will enrich them with a memory which, when they are men and women, will make them think of the past with shame. I will make all my enemies respect me. If you will help me by your silence and patience, I will turn their bitterness into thistledown, which I can blow away with a breath. Take heart, my beloved, dear life of my life! Trust to me, and in the course of a few days you shall see a wonder. There, let me kiss your tears away. That is my own Rachel, whose little finger is more precious to me than all the world beside. Good, good, my own dear wife! Do you think it is a tragedy that is being enacted28 by those youngsters? No, no; it is a comedy. You shall see, you shall see!"
She was comforted by his words; she drew strength from his strength; she looked at him in wonder, as he began to laugh even while he was caressing29 her, and her wonder increased when she saw that his eyes fairly shone with humour.
"Have no fear, my heart," he said; "have not the slightest fear. I am going to meet them--not with javelin30 and spear, but with something still more powerful, and with good temper for my shield."
"Aaron," she whispered, "are you sure there is no danger?"
"If I were not sure," he answered, merrily, "I would remain snug31 in this room. I am not a man of war; I am a man of peace, and with peaceful weapons will I scatter32 the enemy. For your dear sake I would not expose myself to peril33, for do I not know that if I were hurt your pain would be greater than mine? It is my joy to know it. You will remain quietly here?"
"I will, my dear husband. But you will not go into the street?"
"I shall go no farther than the street door. I shall not need to go farther."
He stopped to fill his pipe, and to light it; and then, with loving kisses and a smile on his lips, he left her.
When he made his appearance at the shop door there was a sudden hush34, and a sudden scuttling35 away of the twenty or thirty children who had congregated36 to revile37 him. He remained stationary38 at the door, smoking his pipe, and gazing benignantly at them.
Their fears of chastisement39 dispelled40 by his peaceful attitude, they stopped, looked over their shoulders, and slowly and warily41 came back, keeping, however, at a safe distance from him. They found their voices again; again the reviling42 cries went forth.
"Jew! Jew! Jew!"
"Good children! good children!" said Aaron, in a clear, mellifluous43 voice. Then he put his pipe to his mouth again, and continued to smoke, smiling and nodding his head as if in approval.
"Jew! Jew! Jew!"
"Good little boys and girls," said Aaron. "Bravo! bravo! You deserve a reward. Every labourer is worthy44 of his hire."
He drew from his pocket three or four pennies, which, with smiling nods of his head, he threw among them.
Instantly came into play other passions--greed, avarice45, the determination not to be defrauded46 of their due. Falling upon the money, they scrambled47 and fought for it. Aaron threw among them two or three more pennies, and their ardour increased. They scratched, they kicked, they tumbled over each other; blows were given and returned. Those who had secured pennies scampered48 away with them, and, with loud and vengeful cries, the penniless scampered after them. In a very little while they had all disappeared. To the victors the spoils, it is said; but in this instance it really appeared as if victory had ranged itself on Aaron's side.
Shaking with internal laughter, he remained on his steps awhile, puffing49 at his pipe; then he put up the shutters50, locked the street door, put out the shop lights, and rejoined his wife.
"My dear," he said, and his voice was so gay that her heart beat with joy, "that is the end of the first act. They will not come back to-night."
点击收听单词发音
1 pawnbroking | |
n.典当业 | |
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2 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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3 frailty | |
n.脆弱;意志薄弱 | |
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4 inquiries | |
n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 );疑问;探究;打听 | |
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5 rumours | |
n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 );风闻;谣言;谣传 | |
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6 discredit | |
vt.使不可置信;n.丧失信义;不信,怀疑 | |
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7 genial | |
adj.亲切的,和蔼的,愉快的,脾气好的 | |
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8 mischief | |
n.损害,伤害,危害;恶作剧,捣蛋,胡闹 | |
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9 industrious | |
adj.勤劳的,刻苦的,奋发的 | |
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10 ordained | |
v.任命(某人)为牧师( ordain的过去式和过去分词 );授予(某人)圣职;(上帝、法律等)命令;判定 | |
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11 trifling | |
adj.微不足道的;没什么价值的 | |
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12 conversed | |
v.交谈,谈话( converse的过去式 ) | |
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13 malignant | |
adj.恶性的,致命的;恶意的,恶毒的 | |
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14 bass | |
n.男低音(歌手);低音乐器;低音大提琴 | |
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15 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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16 puckered | |
v.(使某物)起褶子或皱纹( pucker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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17 wringing | |
淋湿的,湿透的 | |
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18 endearments | |
n.表示爱慕的话语,亲热的表示( endearment的名词复数 ) | |
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19 soothe | |
v.安慰;使平静;使减轻;缓和;奉承 | |
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20 agitation | |
n.搅动;搅拌;鼓动,煽动 | |
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21 opprobrium | |
n.耻辱,责难 | |
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22 demonstration | |
n.表明,示范,论证,示威 | |
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23 dreaded | |
adj.令人畏惧的;害怕的v.害怕,恐惧,担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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24 perturbed | |
adj.烦燥不安的v.使(某人)烦恼,不安( perturb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25 sobbed | |
哭泣,啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 ); 哭诉,呜咽地说 | |
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26 entreat | |
v.恳求,恳请 | |
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27 rascals | |
流氓( rascal的名词复数 ); 无赖; (开玩笑说法)淘气的人(尤指小孩); 恶作剧的人 | |
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28 enacted | |
制定(法律),通过(法案)( enact的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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29 caressing | |
爱抚的,表现爱情的,亲切的 | |
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30 javelin | |
n.标枪,投枪 | |
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31 snug | |
adj.温暖舒适的,合身的,安全的;v.使整洁干净,舒适地依靠,紧贴;n.(英)酒吧里的私房 | |
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32 scatter | |
vt.撒,驱散,散开;散布/播;vi.分散,消散 | |
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33 peril | |
n.(严重的)危险;危险的事物 | |
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34 hush | |
int.嘘,别出声;n.沉默,静寂;v.使安静 | |
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35 scuttling | |
n.船底穿孔,打开通海阀(沉船用)v.使船沉没( scuttle的现在分词 );快跑,急走 | |
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36 congregated | |
(使)集合,聚集( congregate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37 revile | |
v.辱骂,谩骂 | |
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38 stationary | |
adj.固定的,静止不动的 | |
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39 chastisement | |
n.惩罚 | |
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40 dispelled | |
v.驱散,赶跑( dispel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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41 warily | |
adv.留心地 | |
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42 reviling | |
v.辱骂,痛斥( revile的现在分词 ) | |
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43 mellifluous | |
adj.(音乐等)柔美流畅的 | |
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44 worthy | |
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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45 avarice | |
n.贪婪;贪心 | |
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46 defrauded | |
v.诈取,骗取( defraud的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47 scrambled | |
v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 );攀登;争夺;(军事飞机)紧急起飞 | |
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48 scampered | |
v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑,惊惶奔跑( scamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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49 puffing | |
v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 );喷着汽(或烟)移动;吹嘘;吹捧 | |
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50 shutters | |
百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 ); (照相机的)快门 | |
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