Meanwhile his funds had run completely out, and he saw with terror the wolf approaching the door. He had not the means to pay for the necessaries of the next twenty-four hours. Then it was that he resolved to make an urgent appeal to Mr. Moss13. He would tell him everything, he would reveal his hapless position in the plainest terms, and he would beg for an immediate14 temporary loan of money, which he would promise to faithfully repay when the cloud was lifted from his house.
It was a cold and bitter evening. The snow had been falling heavily; a fierce wind was raging. He thought of poor people he had seen in such inclement15 weather as this walking along with sad faces, homeless and hungry; he recalled the picture of a young good-looking woman whom he had seen years ago in a London park during a heavy snow-storm; she was thinly clad, want was in her face, she pressed a babe to her bosom16. Shivering with cold she walked slowly onward17, and looked around with despairing eyes for succour. He slipped a shilling into her hand, and as he hurried away, he heard, with a feeling of remonstrant shame, her gratitude18 expressed in the words "God Almighty19 bless you, sir!" as though he had performed an act of extraordinary generosity20. Between this wretched woman and his beloved Rachel there seemed to be an affinity21, and his heart was torn with woe22. He was the breadwinner; to him she looked for food, for warmth, for shelter; he was her shield. Could he not keep desolation and despair from her? could he not keep death from her? He did not know that the angel was already in his house.
The doctor had paid a visit early in the morning, and had spoken even more gravely of Rachel.
"Much depends," he said, "upon the next day or two. For some days past she has been silently suffering, and I have succeeded in piercing the veil of sorrow which hangs upon her soul. She fears that her child will not live, and if unhappily her fears are confirmed----" He did not finish the sentence; there was no need for further words to convey his meaning. "This harrowing thought," he continued, "keeps her from rest, prevents her sleeping. There are periods of sickness when sleep means life. I will send round a sleeping draught23, which you will give her at eight o'clock to-night; it will ensure her oblivion for a good twelve hours, and if when she wakes all is well with the child, all will be well with her."
"Can you tell me, doctor, why this fear has grown stronger within these last few days?"
"The babe lies quietly in her arms; she does not hear its voice, and only by its soft breathing can she convince herself that it lives. Tender accents from the child she has brought into the world would fall as a blessing24 upon her sorrowing heart. At any moment the child may find its voice; let us hope that it will very soon."
The sleeping draught was sent to Aaron, and it was now on the table. The hour was six--in a couple of hours he would give it to her; and while he waited he sat down to write his letter to Mr. Moss. It was a long letter, for he had much to say, and he was but half way through when a postman's knock summoned him to the street door. He hurried there quickly, so that the knock should not be repeated, and to his surprise received a telegram. It was from Mr. Moss, and it informed him that that gentleman was coming to see him upon a very important matter, and that he was to be sure not to leave home that night. Aaron wondered what this important matter could be, and there was a joyful25 feeling in his heart that the telegram might be the presage26 of good fortune. He knew enough of Mr. Moss's kindly27 nature to be convinced that he would not be the herald28 of bad news. "There is a rift29 in the clouds," he murmured, as he pondered over the message; "I see the light, I see the light!" Would Mr. Moss's errand open up a means of giving Rachel the benefit of soft air and sunshine in a more genial30 clime? He prayed that it might, and he had never prayed more fervently31. But the night was inclement, and Mr. Moss might not be able in consequence to pay the promised visit. Time pressed; the necessity was imminent32, and would brook33 no delay; therefore he determined34 to finish his letter and to post it this night, in the event of Mr. Moss not making his appearance.
It wanted a few minutes to eight when his task was completed. He read the letter over, and addressed an envelope, but did not stamp it; he had but one stamp, and every penny was of importance. He looked at the clock; eight o'clock. With gentle steps he went up to Rachel.
"It is time for the draught, my love," he said.
"I will take it, dear."
He poured it into a glass, and she drank it reclining in his arms.
"If our dear one lives, Aaron," said Rachel, "we will call her Ruth, after your mother."
"It shall be so, love," answered Aaron, laying her head upon the pillow. "God will vouchsafe36 the mercy to us. She will live, Rachel, she will live!" Desirous that she should not talk now that she had taken the sleeping draught, he kissed her tenderly and would have left her, but she held him by the hand.
"Has the doctor told you that I am in sorrow, Aaron?"
"You have the gift of divinity, love. Yes, he has told me, and he said that to-morrow, perhaps, please God, you will hear our darling's voice."
"Did he say so? Heaven bless him! She is sleeping?"
"Yes, beloved."
"I pray that the good doctor may be right. I shall dream of it. To-morrow--perhaps to-morrow! Ah, what happiness! It needs but that, dear husband, it needs but that! How tired you must be with all that you are doing for me! Kiss me again. God guard you!"
And so she fell asleep.
The small fire in the room required attention, and Aaron arranged each piece of coal and cinder37 with scrupulous38 care; never had there been so much need for thrift39 as now. In all his movements there was not the least sound; so softly did he step that his feet might have been shod with velvet40 pile. One of Rachel's arms was lying exposed on the counterpane; he gently shifted it beneath the warm coverings; then he quitted the apartment and closed the door upon his wife and child, and upon the Angel of Death, who was standing7 by the bedside to receive a departing soul.
Aaron did not return to his room below; he stood by the open street door, looking anxiously up and down for Mr. Moss, and thinking with sadness that if that gentleman delayed his visit he would be compelled in the morning to part with his silver-mounted pipe, which was the only article of any value that was left to him. Of all his personal belongings41 he cherished this pipe the most; so often had she filled it for him that he regarded it almost as part of herself. It was not between his lips at the present moment; he had no heart to smoke. For nearly an hour he stood upon the watch, interrupting it only for the purpose of creeping upstairs to see if Rachel were still sleeping. At nine o'clock Mr. Moss made his welcome appearance in the street; even as he turned the corner at a distance of many yards Aaron recognised him. He was enveloped42 in his great fur coat, which was pulled up close to his ears; he was puffing43 at one of his large cigars, and between the puffs44 was humming a celebrated45 air from the latest operatic success--
"Toreador attento,
Toreador, Toreador,
Non obliarche un occhio tutt' ardor46
Adammirarti è intento,
E che t' aspett' amor,
Toreador t' aspett' aspetta amor."
He scorned the English tongue in operas, and though by no means a well-educated man, never sang but in Italian. The last flourish brought him close to Aaron.
"Why, Cohen" he said, in a hearty47 tone, "what are you standing at the door for on such a cold night?"
"I have been expecting you," Aaron answered, "and I did not wish you to knock. Rachel has taken a sleeping draught, and must not be disturbed."
"Yes, yes, I understand," said Mr. Moss, accompanying his friend into the house. "How is she?"
"Not well, not at all well, I am grieved to say. Mr. Moss, my heart is almost broken." He turned aside with a sob48.
"No, no, no!" exclaimed Mr. Moss. "That will never do, Cohen. You mustn't give way--a strong, clever man like you. Look on the best side. Things will right themselves; they will, mark my words. I am here to set them right."
"To set them right!" exclaimed Aaron, all his pulses throbbing49.
"Yes, to set them right. What is this?--an envelope addressed to me?"
"I was writing you a letter when your telegram arrived."
"And then you did not stop to finish it?"
"I did finish it, Mr. Moss, in case you did not come."
"May I read it?"
"Yes; it will explain matters; you will learn from it what it would pain me to tell you in any other way."
"Smoke a cigar while I read."
Aaron took the cigar, and laid it aside, and then Mr. Moss, who had taken off his thick coat, sat down and perused50 the letter.
"I have come in the nick of time, Cohen," he said. "There is a silver lining35 to every cloud; I have brought it with me."
"I felt," said Aaron, his hopes rising, "that you could not be the bearer of bad news."
"Not likely, friend Cohen. I am the bearer of good news, of the best of news. Don't be led away; it isn't a legacy51--no, no, it isn't a legacy, but something almost as good, and I hope you will not throw away the chance."
"If it is anything that will relieve me from my terrible embarrassments52 it is not likely that I shall throw it away."
"It will do that for a certainty, and there is money attaching to it which I have in my pocket, and which I can pay over to you this very night."
"How can I thank you? how can I thank you?"
"Don't try to, and don't be surprised at what you hear. It is a strange piece of business, and I should have refused to undertake it if I had not said to myself, 'This will suit my friend Cohen; it will lift him out of his trouble.' But upon my word, now that I'm here I don't know how to commence. I never met with anything like it in all my life, and if you were well off you would be the last man in the world I should have dreamt of coming to. But you are not well off, Cohen; you have lost everything; Rachel is ill, and the doctor says she must be taken out of this cold and dismal53 climate to a place where she can see the sun, and where the air is mild and warm. I dare say you're thinking, 'Moss is speaking in a strange way,' and so I am; but it's nothing to what I've got to tell you. Cohen, what will happen if you can't afford to do as the doctor advises you?"
"Do not ask me," groaned54 Aaron. "I dare not think of it--I dare not, I dare not!"
"I don't say it unkindly, Cohen, but it seems to me to be a matter of life and death." Aaron clasped his forehead. "Very well, then; and don't forget that it is in your own hands. Before I commence I must say a word about myself. I can't do all you ask me in this letter; as I'm a living man I should be glad to assist you, but I have entered into a large speculation55 which has taken all my spare cash, and all I could afford would be eight or ten pounds. How long would that last you? In two or three weeks it would be gone, and you would be no better off than you were before; and as to taking Rachel to the South of France, that would be quite out of the question."
"But you held out hope to me," said the trembling Aaron, "you said you were the bearer of good news!"
"I said what is true, Cohen, but it is not my money that I have to deal with. I have brought fifty pounds with me; another man's money, entrusted56 to me for a special purpose, and which you can have at once if you will undertake a certain task and accept a certain responsibility. It is only out of my friendship for you, it is only because I know you to be so badly off that you hardly know which way to turn, it is only because Rachel is ill and requires what you can't afford to pay for, that it entered my mind to offer you the chance."
"Fifty pounds would be the saving of me, Mr. Moss," said Aaron, in an agony of suspense57. "It would restore my Rachel to health, it would bring happiness into my life. Surely Heaven has directed you to come to my assistance!"
"You shall judge for yourself. Listen patiently to what I am going to tell you; it will startle you, but don't decide hastily or rashly. And bear in mind that what passes between us is not to be disclosed to another person on earth."
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1
imperative
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| n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的 | |
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respiration
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| n.呼吸作用；一次呼吸；植物光合作用 | |
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smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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4
tenor
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| n.男高音（歌手），次中音（乐器），要旨，大意 | |
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5
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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accomplishment
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| n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能 | |
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7
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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8
mundane
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| adj.平凡的；尘世的；宇宙的 | |
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9
agitating
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| 搅动( agitate的现在分词 )； 激怒； 使焦虑不安； （尤指为法律、社会状况的改变而）激烈争论 | |
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10
steering
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| n.操舵装置 | |
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haven
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| n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所 | |
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12
agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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13
moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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14
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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15
inclement
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| adj.严酷的，严厉的，恶劣的 | |
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16
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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17
onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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18
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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19
almighty
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| adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的 | |
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20
generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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21
affinity
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| n.亲和力，密切关系 | |
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22
woe
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| n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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23
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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24
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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25
joyful
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| adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的 | |
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26
presage
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| n.预感，不祥感；v.预示 | |
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27
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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28
herald
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| vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎 | |
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29
rift
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| n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入 | |
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30
genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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31
fervently
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| adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地 | |
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32
imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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33
brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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34
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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35
lining
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| n.衬里，衬料 | |
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36
vouchsafe
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| v.惠予，准许 | |
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37
cinder
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| n.余烬，矿渣 | |
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38
scrupulous
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| adj.审慎的，小心翼翼的，完全的，纯粹的 | |
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39
thrift
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| adj.节约，节俭；n.节俭，节约 | |
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40
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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41
belongings
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| n.私人物品，私人财物 | |
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42
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43
puffing
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| 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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44
puffs
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| n.吸( puff的名词复数 )；（烟斗或香烟的）一吸；一缕（烟、蒸汽等）；（呼吸或风的）呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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45
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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46
ardor
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| n.热情，狂热 | |
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47
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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48
sob
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| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
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49
throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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50
perused
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| v.读（某篇文字）( peruse的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指）细阅；审阅；匆匆读或心不在焉地浏览（某篇文字） | |
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51
legacy
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| n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西 | |
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52
embarrassments
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| n.尴尬( embarrassment的名词复数 )；难堪；局促不安；令人难堪或耻辱的事 | |
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53
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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54
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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55
speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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56
entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57
suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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