第50章

"Remain here, feed and water my horse, whilst I go speak with him alone.I have business with him."This Jew was the well-known Yankel.He was there as revenue-farmer and tavern-keeper.He had gradually got nearly all the neighbouring noblemen and gentlemen into his hands, had slowly sucked away most of their money, and had strongly impressed his presence on that locality.

For a distance of three miles in all directions, not a single farm remained in a proper state.All were falling in ruins; all had been drunk away, and poverty and rags alone remained.The whole neighbourhood was depopulated, as if after a fire or an epidemic; and if Yankel had lived there ten years, he would probably have depopulated the Waiwode's whole domains.

Taras entered the room.The Jew was praying, enveloped in his dirty shroud, and was turning to spit for the last time, according to the forms of his creed, when his eye suddenly lighted on Taras standing behind him.The first thing that crossed Yankel's mind was the two thousand ducats offered for his visitor's head; but he was ashamed of his avarice, and tried to stifle within him the eternal thought of gold, which twines, like a snake, about the soul of a Jew.

"Listen, Yankel," said Taras to the Jew, who began to bow low before him, and as he spoke he shut the door so that they might not be seen, "I saved your life: the Zaporozhtzi would have torn you to pieces like a dog.Now it is your turn to do me a service."The Jew's face clouded over a little.

"What service? If it is a service I can render, why should I not render it?""Ask no questions.Take me to Warsaw."

"To Warsaw? Why to Warsaw?" said the Jew, and his brows and shoulders rose in amazement.

"Ask me nothing.Take me to Warsaw.I must see him once more at any cost, and say one word to him.""Say a word to whom?"

"To him--to Ostap--to my son."

"Has not my lord heard that already--"

"I know, I know all.They offer two thousand ducats for my head.They know its value, fools! I will give you five thousand.Here are two thousand on the spot," and Bulba poured out two thousand ducats from a leather purse, "and the rest when I return."The Jew instantly seized a towel and concealed the ducats under it.

"Ai, glorious money! ai, good money!" he said, twirling one gold piece in his hand and testing it with his teeth."I don't believe the man from whom my lord took these fine gold pieces remained in the world an hour longer; he went straight to the river and drowned himself, after the loss of such magnificent gold pieces.""I should not have asked you, I might possibly have found my own way to Warsaw; but some one might recognise me, and then the cursed Lyakhs would capture me, for I am not clever at inventions; whilst that is just what you Jews are created for.You would deceive the very devil.

You know every trick: that is why I have come to you; and, besides, Icould do nothing of myself in Warsaw.Harness the horse to your waggon at once and take me.""And my lord thinks that I can take the nag at once, and harness him, and say 'Get up, Dapple!' My lord thinks that I can take him just as he is, without concealing him?""Well, hide me, hide me as you like: in an empty cask?""Ai, ai! and my lord thinks he can be concealed in an empty cask? Does not my lord know that every man thinks that every cast he sees contains brandy?""Well, let them think it is brandy."

"Let them think it is brandy?" said the Jew, and grasped his ear-locks with both hands, and then raised them both on high.

"Well, why are you so frightened?"

"And does not my lord know that God has made brandy expressly for every one to sip? They are all gluttons and fond of dainties there: a nobleman will run five versts after a cask; he will make a hole in it, and as soon as he sees that nothing runs out, he will say, 'A Jew does not carry empty casks; there is certainly something wrong.Seize the Jew, bind the Jew, take away all the Jew's money, put the Jew in prison!' Then all the vile people will fall upon the Jew, for every one takes a Jew for a dog; and they think he is not a man, but only a Jew.""Then put me in the waggon with some fish over me.""I cannot, my lord, by heaven, I cannot: all over Poland the people are as hungry as dogs now.They will steal the fish, and feel my lord.""Then take me in the fiend's way, only take me.""Listen, listen, my lord!" said the Jew, turning up the ends of his sleeves, and approaching him with extended arms."This is what we will do.They are building fortresses and castles everywhere: French engineers have come from Germany, and so a great deal of brick and stone is being carried over the roads.Let my lord lie down in the bottom of the waggon, and over him I will pile bricks.My lord is strong and well, apparently, so he will not mind if it is a little heavy; and I will make a hole in the bottom of the waggon in order to feed my lord.""Do what you will, only take me!"

In an hour, a waggon-load of bricks left Ouman, drawn by two sorry nags.On one of them sat tall Yankel, his long, curling ear-locks flowing from beneath his Jewish cap, as he bounced about on the horse, like a verst-mark planted by the roadside.