Apart from these communal21 matters he had much to do. In business hours business claimed him, and he answered zealously22 to the call. To such a man idleness would have been little less than a living death, and, taking up his residence in London, he embarked23 very soon in enterprises of magnitude. The knowledge he had gained during his partnership24 in France was of immense value to him, and in conjunction with other men of technical resource, he contracted for public works in various parts of the country. His fortune grew, and he gradually became wealthy. He moved from one house to another, and each move was a step up the ladder. A house in Prince's Gate came into the market, and Aaron purchased it, and furnished it with taste and elegance25. There he entertained liberally but not lavishly26, for his judgment27 led him always to the happy mean, and his house became the resort of men and women of intellect and culture. Mr. Moss28, who was wedded29 to Portsmouth, and continued to flourish there, paid periodical visits to London, and was always welcome in Aaron's home. He was as musically inclined as ever; and opportunities were afforded him of hearing the finest singers and players at Prince's Gate. On occasions, Aaron readily consented to give an introduction, through concerts held in his house, to young aspirants30 in whom Mr. Moss took an interest; and to other budding talent in the same direction Aaron's rooms were always open. In relation to their intimacy31 in Gosport a conversation took place between Mr. Moss and Aaron some three years after the latter was settled in London. Aaron had just completed a successful contract, and business had called Mr. Moss to the metropolis32.
"I heard to-day," said Mr. Moss, "that you had cleared six or seven thousand pounds by the contract."
"The balance on the right side," replied Aaron, "is a little over seven thousand."
"I congratulate you. The gentleman I spoke33 with said that if he had had the contract he would have made a profit of three times as much."
"It is likely."
"Then, why didn't you do it, Cohen?"
Aaron smiled and shook his head. "Let us speak of another subject."
"But I want to get at the bottom of this. I should like you to know what the gentleman said about it."
"Very well. What did he say?"
"That you are ruining the labour market."
"Ruin to some men may mean salvation34 to others. He doubtless gives an explanation. How am I ruining the labour market?"
"By high wages and short hours."
"That is a new view."
"You do pay high wages, Cohen, according to what everybody says."
"Oh, it's everybody now, as well as your gentleman friend. Yes, I pay good wages, and I don't consider them high."
"And the hours are not as long as they might be."
"Quite true. They might be twelve, fourteen, sixteen, out of the twenty-four. We read of such unfair strains upon human labour. My hours are reasonably long enough. If I am satisfied and my workmen are satisfied, I give offence to no man."
"You are wrong, Cohen; you give offence to the capitalist."
"I regret to hear it."
"He says you are ruining the capitalist."
"Oh, I am ruining the capitalist now. But if that is the case, he is no longer a capitalist."
"You know what I mean. I don't pretend to understand these things as you do, because I have not studied political economy."
"I have, and believe me it is a horse that has been ridden too hard. Mischief35 will come of it. Apply your common sense. In what way would your friend have made twenty-one thousand pounds out of the contract instead of seven thousand?"
"By getting his labour cheaper and by making his men work longer hours."
"Exactly. And the difference of fourteen thousand pounds would have gone into his pocket instead of the pockets of his workmen."
"Yes, of course."
"Ask yourself if that is fair. The wages I pay my men are sufficient to enable them to maintain a home decently, to bring up their families decently, and perhaps, if they are wise and thrifty--only, mind you, if they are wise and thrifty--to make a small provision for old age, when they are no longer able to work. Their hours are long enough to give them just a little leisure, which they can employ partly in reasonable amusement and partly in intellectual improvement. I have gone thoroughly36 into these matters, and I know what I am talking about. Men who do their work honestly--and I employ and will keep no others--have a right to fair wages and a little leisure, and I decline to grind my men down after the fashion of the extreme political economist37. The contract I have just completed was tendered for in an open market. My tender was the lowest, and was accepted. I make a considerable sum of money out of it, and each of my men contributes a mickle towards it. They believe I have treated them fairly, and I am certain they have treated me fairly. Upon those lines I intend to make my way. Your sweater is a political economist. I am not a sweater. It is the course I pursued in France, and by it I laid the foundation of what may prove to be a great fortune. I am tendering now for other contracts, and I shall obtain my share, and shall pursue precisely38 the same course. Mr. Moss, you and I are Jews. At a great disadvantage because of the nature of your business, which I myself once intended to follow, you have made yourself respected in the town in which you reside. Why? Because you are a fair-dealing39 man. I, on my part, wish to make myself respected in whatever part of the world I live. To this end the conditions are somewhat harder for us than for our Christian1 neighbours. They drive as hard bargains as we do, they are equally guilty of malpractices. When one is found out--a terrible crime, as we know--it is not said of him, 'What could you expect? He is a Christian.' It is not so with us. When one of us is proved to be guilty of sharp dealing, it is said, 'What could you expect? He is a Jew.' I will not go into the question whether we have justly earned the reproach; but it certainly lays upon us the obligation of being more careful than perhaps we might otherwise be, of even giving way a little, of being a trifle more liberal. It is a duty we owe to ourselves. Surely there is no race to which it is a greater honour, and should be the greatest pride to belong, than the Jewish race; and by my conduct through life I trust I shall do nothing to tarnish40 that honour or lower that pride. Moreover, what I can do to weaken a prejudice shall be done to the last hour of my life. It may or may not be for that reason that I decline to follow the political economist to the depths into which he has fallen."
Mr. Moss's eyes gleamed. Aaron had touched a sympathetic cord; the men shook hands and smiled cordially at each other.
"When you were in Gosport," said Mr. Moss, "I ought to have asked you to go into partnership with me."
"If you had made the offer," responded Aaron, "I should have accepted it."
"Lucky for you that I missed my opportunity. It is a fortunate thing that you went to France when you did."
"Very fortunate. It opened up a new career for me; it restored my dear wife to health; my son was born there."
"About the poor child I brought to you in Gosport, Cohen. We have never spoken of it."
"That is true," said Aaron, outwardly calm; but his heart beat more quickly.
"Did the lawyers ever write to you again?"
"Never."
"And I have heard nothing. The iron box I gave you--you have it still, I suppose?"
"I have it still."
"I have often wondered what it contains, and whether the mother will ever call for it."
"If she does it shall be handed to her in the same condition as you handed it to me. But she does not know in whose possession it is."
"No, she does not know, and she can only obtain the information from Mr. Gordon's lawyers. My lips are sealed."
Aaron considered a moment. This opening up of the dreaded41 subject made him keenly sensible of the sword that was hanging over his head; but his sense of justice impelled42 him to say, "It may happen that the mother will wish to have the box restored to her, and that the lawyers may refuse to give her the information that it is in my possession. She may seek elsewhere for a clue, and may be directed to you."
"Who will direct her? Nothing is more unlikely."
"It is at least probable," said Aaron.
"Well," Mr. Moss rejoined, "if she does apply to me, I shall not enlighten her. It is none of my business."
"My desire is that you do enlighten her. The box is her property, and I have no right to retain it."
"Very well, Cohen, if you wish it; but it is my opinion that you will never see her again. She has forgotten all about it long ago."
"You are mistaken. A mother never forgets."
"And now, Cohen, I have a message for you from Mrs. Moss. She is burning to see you, and cannot come to London. We are about to have an addition to our family; that will be the sixteenth. Upon my word, I don't know when we are going to stop. Is it too much to ask you to pay us a visit?"
"Not at all; it will give me great pleasure. When?"
"It will give Mrs. Moss greater pleasure," said Mr. Moss, rubbing his hands joyously43 at this answer. "She will be delighted, and so will all our friends in Portsmouth. You have no idea how anxious she has been about it. She was afraid you would refuse because----"
He paused rather awkwardly.
"Finish the sentence," urged Aaron, in a kind tone.
"To tell you the truth," said Mr. Moss, with a frank laugh, "she thought you might be too grand now to visit us. I told her she was mistaken. 'Cohen is not the kind of man to forget the past,' I said to her."
"No," said Aaron; "I do not forget the past."
The sad tone in which these words were spoken escaped Mr. Moss. With a beaming face, he continued,--
"'Once a friend,' I said to Mrs. Moss, 'always a friend. It does not matter to him whether a man is up or down in the world, so long as he is honest and straightforward44.' Why, if business went wrong, and I was in trouble, I should come straight to you."
Aaron pressed the hand of this warm-hearted friend.
"You would do right. I hope you may never need my services in that way; but if unhappily you should, do not hesitate to come to me."
"I promise you, Cohen, I promise you. Not that there is any likelihood of it. To bring up such a family as ours is no light matter, keeps one's nose to the grindstone, as the saying is; but we're not at all badly off. I return to Portsmouth on Thursday. Will that time suit you for the visit?"
"Yes; I will accompany you."
And away went Mr. Moss, overjoyed, to write to his wife to make all needful preparations. Not being acquainted with the secret which had become the torture of Aaron Cohen's life, he could have had no idea that the ready acceptance of the invitation sprang from a father's burning desire to stand by the grave of his child.
Aaron's visit lasted a week, and he spent one day and night in Gosport. Nothing was changed in the ancient town. The house he had occupied had been rebuilt; the streets were the same; the names over the shops were unaltered. His wish was to pass in and out of the town without being recognised; but the wish was not gratified. The Portsmouth newspapers circulated in Gosport, and Aaron Cohen's visit "to our esteemed45 neighbour, Mr. Moss," found its way into the local columns. It may be that Mr. Moss himself was the harbinger of this piece of news and that he was also responsible for certain creditable episodes in Aaron's career which were duly recorded in print; but if the reporters were indebted to him for the particulars he made no mention of the fact. He was certainly proud of the paragraphs, and sent copies of the papers to all his friends. The Gosport folk were therefore prepared for Aaron's visit; old friends came forward to greet him; and the kind physician who had attended to Rachel during her illness pressed him to be his guest, but Aaron excused himself. When he left the doctor his road lay past Mr. Whimpole's shop, at the door of which the proprietor46 was standing47. Their eyes meeting, Aaron courteously48 inclined his head. The corn-chandler, very red in the face, returned the salute49, and, after a momentary50 hesitation51, advanced towards Aaron with outstretched hand. Aaron stopped, and took the hand of his old enemy.
"Mr. Cohen," said Mr. Whimpole, "I hope you do not bear animosity."
"I do not, sir," replied Aaron. "Life is too full of anxieties for needless enmity."
"I am glad to hear you say so, Mr. Cohen. I have often reproached myself for misjudging you; but the best of men may be mistaken."
"They may, sir. I trust you have changed your opinion of those whose religious views differ from your own."
"We speak as we find," said Mr. Whimpole; "and you have proved yourself to be a gentleman."
"It is never too late to admit an error," said Aaron; and, bowing again, he passed on, leaving Mr. Whimpole with an uncomfortable impression that he had once more been worsted by the man he despised.
It was night when Aaron stood by the grave of his child. Light clouds floated before the moon, and the shifting shadows played upon the graves of those who lay in peace in that solemn sanctuary52. For a long time he stood in silence, musing53 upon the sin he had committed, the full measure of which had not yet come home to him. He held a high place among men; his name was honoured; he had been spoken of as Aaron Cohen the upright Jew; he had made himself a leader, and had but to speak to be obeyed; he had brought back strayed sheep to the fold. The Chief Rabbi had said to him, "The example of such a man as yourself is invaluable54. Inroads are being made in our ancient faith, and you stand like a valiant55 soldier in the breach56. You exercise an influence for incalculable good." And then he had blessed the man who was hugging an awful secret close, and veiling it from the eyes of men. How would it be if his sin were laid bare?
The spirit of his child seemed to rise from the grave.
"Why am I here?" it asked reproachfully. "Why am I cut off from my race?"
He beat his breast; the tears flowed down his beard.
"Forgive me, Lord of hosts," he sobbed57, "for laying my child to rest in a Christian churchyard! It was to save my beloved! Pardon my transgression58! Have mercy upon me!"
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1
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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Christians
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| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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renewal
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| adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来 | |
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prospered
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| 成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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abounds
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| v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的第三人称单数 ) | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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nettle
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| n.荨麻；v.烦忧，激恼 | |
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creed
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| n.信条；信念，纲领 | |
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precepts
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| n.规诫，戒律，箴言( precept的名词复数 ) | |
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14
obsolete
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| adj.已废弃的，过时的 | |
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disciple
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| n.信徒，门徒，追随者 | |
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redeeming
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| 补偿的，弥补的 | |
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incumbent
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| adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的 | |
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thronged
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| v.成群，挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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humbleness
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| n.谦卑，谦逊；恭顺 | |
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communal
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| adj.公有的，公共的，公社的，公社制的 | |
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zealously
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| adv.热心地；热情地；积极地；狂热地 | |
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embarked
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| 乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
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partnership
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| n.合作关系，伙伴关系 | |
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elegance
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| n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙 | |
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lavishly
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| adv.慷慨地，大方地 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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wedded
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| adj.正式结婚的；渴望…的，执著于…的v.嫁，娶，（与…）结婚( wed的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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aspirants
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| n.有志向或渴望获得…的人( aspirant的名词复数 )v.渴望的，有抱负的，追求名誉或地位的( aspirant的第三人称单数 )；有志向或渴望获得…的人 | |
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intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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metropolis
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| n.首府；大城市 | |
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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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salvation
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| n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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economist
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| n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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tarnish
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| n.晦暗，污点；vt.使失去光泽；玷污 | |
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dreaded
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| 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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impelled
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| v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43
joyously
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| ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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44
straightforward
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| adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的 | |
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esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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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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courteously
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| adv.有礼貌地，亲切地 | |
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49
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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50
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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51
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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52
sanctuary
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| n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区 | |
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53
musing
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| n. 沉思，冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式 | |
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54
invaluable
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| adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的 | |
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55
valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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56
breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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57
sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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transgression
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| n.违背；犯规；罪过 | |
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