第59章

’He-he-he!’saidtheRabbi，risingfromhisseat；’hehadtwofaces，hadhe？Andwhatdidthosetwofacestypify？Youdonotknow；no，nordidtheRomanswhocarvedhimwithtwofacesknowwhytheydidso；fortheywereonlyhalfenlightened，likeyouandtherestoftheGoyim。Yettheywererightincarvinghimwithtwofaceslookingfromeachother-theywereright，thoughtheyknewnotwhy；therewasatraditionamongthemthattheJaninosohadtwofaces，buttheyknewnotthatonewasfortheworldwhichwasgoneandtheotherfortheworldbeforehim-forthedrownedworldandforthepresent，asMasterLeoAbarbenelsaysinhisDIALOGUESOF

DIVINELOVE。He-he-he!’continuedtheRabbi，whohadbythistimeadvancedtothedoor，and，turninground，wavedthetwoforefingersofhisrighthandinourfaces；’theGoyimsandEpicouraiyimareclevermen，theyknowhowtomakemoneybetterthanweofIsrael。Mygoodfriendthereisacleverman，Ibringhimmoney，heneverbroughtmeany；BUENO，Idonotblamehim，heknowsmuch，verymuch；butonethingthereismyfrienddoesnotknow，noranyoftheEpicureans，hedoesnotknowthesacredthing-hehasneverreceivedthegiftofinterpretationwhichGodalonegivestotheseed-hehashisgift，Ihavemine-heissatisfied，Idon’tblamehim，BUENO。’

And，withthislastwordinhismouth，hedeparted。

’IsthatmananativeofSpain？’Idemanded。

’NotanativeofSpain，’saidtheArmenian，’thoughheisoneofthosewhocallthemselvesSpanishJews，andwhoaretobefoundscatteredthroughoutEurope，speakingtheSpanishlanguagetransmittedtothembytheirancestors，whowereexpelledfromSpaininthetimeofFerdinandandIsabella。’

’TheJewsareasingularpeople，’saidI。

’Araceofcowardsanddastards，’saidtheArmenian，’withoutahomeorcountry；servantstoservants；persecutedanddespisedbyall。’

’AndwhataretheHaiks？’Idemanded。

’VerydifferentfromtheJews，’repliedtheArmenian；’theHaikshaveahome-acountry，andcanoccasionallyuseagoodsword；

thoughitistruetheyarenotwhattheymightbe。’

’Thenitisashamethattheydonotbecomeso，’saidI；’buttheyaretoofondofmoney。Thereisyourself，withtwohundredthousandpoundsinyourpocket，cravingformore，whilstyoumightbeturningyourwealthtotheserviceofyourcountry。’

’Inwhatmanner？’saidtheArmenian。

’IhaveheardyousaythatthegrandoppressorofyourcountryisthePersian；whynotattempttofreeyourcountryfromhisoppression-youhavetwohundredthousandpounds，andmoneyisthesinewofwar？’

’Wouldyou，then，havemeattackthePersian？’

’Iscarcelyknowwhattosay；fightingisaroughtrade，andIambynomeanscertainthatyouarecalculatedforthescratch。ItisnoteveryonewhohasbeenbroughtupintheschoolofMr。

PetulengroandTawnoChikno。AllIcansayis，thatifIwereanArmenian，andhadtwohundredthousandpoundstobackme，IwouldattackthePersian。’

’Hem!’saidtheArmenian。

CHAPTERLI

Theonehalf-crown-Meritinpatience-Cementeroffriendship-

Dreadfulperplexity-Theusualguttural-Armenianletters-Muchindebtedtoyou-Purehelplessness-Dumbpeople。

ONEmorningongettingupIdiscoveredthatmywholeworldlywealthwasreducedtoonehalf-crown-throughoutthatdayIwalkedaboutinconsiderabledistressofmind；itwasnowrequisitethatI

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