burlesques-第8部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



and　Horsathey　called　him　Miss　Codlingsby　at　school；　but　how　much

fairer　was　Miriam　the　Hebrew！



Her　hair　had　that　deep　glowing　tinge　in　it　which　has　been　the

delight　of　all　painters；　and　which；　therefore；　the　vulgar　sneer　at。

It　was　of　burning　auburn。　　Meandering　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　Lieutenant

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　exquisitely　moulded　arms　to　perfection；　and

was　fastened　by　a　girdle　of　emeralds　over　a　yellow　satin　frock。

Pink　gauze　trousers　spangled　with　silver；　and　slippers　of　the　same

color　as　the　band　which　clasped　her　ringlets　（but　so　covered　with

pearls　that　the　original　hue　of　the　charming　little　papoosh

disappeared　entirely）　completed　her　costume。　　She　had　three

necklaces　on；　each　of　which　would　have　dowered　a　Princessher

fingers　glistened　with　rings　to　their　rosy　tips；　and　priceless

bracelets；　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　aromatic　coffee　in　cups　of　opal；

and　alabaster　spittoons；　and　pipes　of　the　fragrant　Gibelly。



〃My　lord's　pipe　is　out；〃　said　Miriam　with　a　smile；　remarking　the

bewilderment　of　her　guestwho　in　truth　forgot　to　smokeand　taking

up　a　thousand　pound　note　from　a　bundle　on　the　piano；　she　lighted　it

at　the　taper　and　proceeded　to　re…illumine　the　extinguished　chibouk

of　Lord　Codlingsby。





IV。





When　Miriam；　returning　to　the　mother…of…pearl　music…stool；　at　a

signal　from　her　brother；　touched　the　silver　and　enamelled　keys　of

the　ivory　piano；　and　began　to　sing；　Lord　Codlingsby　felt　as　if　he

were　listening　at　the　gates　of　Paradise；　or　were　hearing　Jenny

Lind。



〃Lind　is　the　name　of　the　Hebrew　race；　so　is　Mendelssohn；　the　son　of

Almonds；　so　is　Rosenthal；　the　Valley　of　the　Roses：　so　is　Lowe　or

Lewis　or　Lyons　or　Lion。　　The　beautiful　and　the　brave　alike　give

cognizances　to　the　ancient　people：　you　Saxons　call　yourselves

Brown；　or　Smith；　or　Rodgers；〃　Rafael　observed　to　his　friend；　and；

drawing　the　instrument　from　his　pocket；　he　accompanied　his　sister；

in　the　most　ravishing　manner；　on　a　little　gold　and　jewelled　harp；

of　the　kind　peculiar　to　his　nation。



All　the　airs　which　the　Hebrew　maid　selected　were　written　by

composers　of　her　race；　it　was　either　a　hymn　by　Rossini；　a　polacca

by　Braham；　a　delicious　romance　by　Sloman；　or　a　melody　by　Weber；

that；　thrilling　on　the　strings　of　the　instrument；　wakened　a　harmony

on　the　fibres　of　the　heart；　but　she　sang　no　other　than　the　songs　of

her　nation。



〃Beautiful　one！　sing　ever；　sing　always；〃　Codlingsby　thought。　　〃I

could　sit　at　thy　feet　as　under　a　green　palm…tree；　and　fancy　that

Paradise…birds　were　singing　in　the　boughs。〃



Rafael　read　his　thoughts。　　〃We　have　Saxon　blood　too　in　our　veins；〃

he　said。　　〃You　smile！　but　it　is　even　so。　　An　ancestress　of　ours

made　a　mesalliance　in　the　reign　of　your　King　John。　　Her　name　was

Rebecca；　daughter　of　Isaac　of　York；　and　she　married　in　Spain；

whither　she　had　fled　to　the　Court　of　King　Boabdil；　Sir　Wilfred　of

Ivanhoe；　then　a　widower　by　the　demise　of　his　first　lady；　Rowena。

The　match　was　deemed　a　cruel　insult　amongst　our　people　but　Wilfred

conformed；　and　was　a　Rabbi　of　some　note　at　the　synagogue　of

Cordova。　　We　are　descended　from　him　lineally。　　It　is　the　only　blot

upon　the　escutcheon　of　the　Mendozas。〃



As　they　sat　talking　together；　the　music　finished；　and　Miriam　having

retired　（though　her　song　and　her　beauty　were　still　present　to　the

soul　of　the　stranger）　at　a　signal　from　Mendoza；　various　messengers

from　the　outer　apartments　came　in　to　transact　business　with　him。



First　it　was　Mr。　Aminadab；　who　kissed　his　foot；　and　brought　papers

to　sign。　　〃How　is　the　house　in　Grosvenor　Square；　Aminadab；　and　is

your　son　tired　of　his　yacht　yet？〃　Mendoza　asked。　　〃That　is　my

twenty…fourth　cashier；〃　said　Rafael　to　Codlingsby；　when　the

obsequious　clerk　went　away。　　〃He　is　fond　of　display；　and　all　my

people　may　have　what　money　they　like。〃



Entered　presently　the　Lord　Bareacres；　on　the　affair　of　his

mortgage。　　The　Lord　Bareacres；　strutting　into　the　apartment　with　a

haughty　air；　shrank　back；　nevertheless；　with　surprise　on　beholding

the　magnificence　around　him。　　〃Little　Mordecai；〃　said　Rafael　to　a

little　orange…boy；　who　came　in　at　the　heels　of　the　noble；　〃take

this　gentleman　out　and　let　him　have　ten　thousand　pounds。　　I　can't

do　more　for　you；　my　lord；　than　thisI'm　busy。　　Good…by！〃　　And

Rafael　waved　his　hand　to　the　peer；　and　fell　to　smoking　his

narghilly。



A　man　with　a　square　face；　cat…like　eyes；　and　a　yellow　moustache；

came　next。　　He　had　an　hour…glass　of　a　waist；　and　walked　uneasily

upon　his　high…heeled　boots。　　〃Tell　your　master　that　he　shall　have

two　millions　more；　but　not　another　shilling；〃　Rafael　said。　　That

story　about　the　five…and…twenty　millions　of　ready　money　at

Cronstadt　is　all　bosh。　　They　won't　believe　it　in　Europe。　　You

understand　me；　Count　Grogomoffski？〃



〃But　his　Imperial　Majesty　said　four　millions；　and　I　shall　get　the

knout　unless〃



〃Go　and　speak　to　Mr。　Shadrach；　in　room　Z　94；　the　fourth　court；〃

said　Mendoza　good…naturedly。　　〃Leave　me　at　peace；　Count：　don't　you

see　it　is　Friday；　and　almost　sunset？〃　　The　Calmuck　envoy　retired

cringing；　and　left　an　odor　of　musk　and　candle…grease　behind　him。



An　orange…man；　an　emissary　from　Lola　Montes；　a　dealer　in　piping

bullfinches；　and　a　Cardinal　in　disguise；　with　a　proposal　for　a　new

loan　for　the　Pope；　were　heard　by　turns；　and　each；　after　a　rapid

colloquy　in　his　own　language；　was　dismissed　by　Rafael。



〃The　queen　must　come　back　from　Aranjuez；　or　that　king　must　be

disposed　of；〃　Rafael　exclaimed；　as　a　yellow…faced　amabassador　from

Spain；　General　the　Duke　of　Olla　Podrida；　left　him。　　〃Which　shall　it

be；　my　Codlingsby？〃　　Codlingsby　was　about　laughingly　to　answerfor

indeed　he　was　amazed　to　find　all　the　affairs　of　the　world

represented　here；　and　Holywell　Street　the　centre　of　Europewhen

three　knocks　of　a　peculiar　nature　were　heard；　and　Mendoza　starting

up；　said；　〃Ha！　there　are　only　four　men　in　the　world　who　know　that

signal。〃　　At　once；　and　with　a　reverence　quite　distinct　from　his

former　nonchalant　manner；　he　advanced　towards　the　new…comer。



He　was　an　old　manan　old　man　evidently；　too；　of　the　Hebrew　race

the　light　of　his　eyes　was　unfathomableabout　his　mouth　there

played　an　inscrutable　smile。　　He　had　a　cotton　umbrella；　and　old