The Doll - Bolesaw Prus [155]
‘Dear me,’ the Count muttered thoughtfully. He stayed a few minutes longer without speaking, then bade the Baron goodbye.
On his way home, Count Liciński’s thoughts reverted several times to Wokulski. He considered it quite natural that a tradesman should profit even on a race-horse: at the same time, he felt some distaste for such transactions and was displeased that Wokulski should hobnob with Maruszewicz, a dubious individual to say the least. ‘As usual, a newly rich parvenu,’ the Count muttered, ‘we took to him prematurely, though…he may manage the partnership…under strict control, of course, by us.’
A few days later, at about nine in the morning, Wokulski received two letters: one from Mrs Meliton, the other from the Prince’s lawyer. He opened the first impatiently: in it, Mrs Meliton wrote only these words: ‘In the Łazienki park today at the usual time.’ He read it several times, then reluctantly took up the lawyer’s, which also invited him at eleven in the morning to a conference about the Łęcki house purchase. Wokulski sighed deeply; he had the time.
At eleven prompt, he was in the lawyer’s office, where he found old Szlangbaum. He could not help noticing that the grey-haired Jew looked very grave against the background of the brown furniture and tapestry, and that it suited the lawyer, in his brown morocco slippers, very well.
‘You are lucky, Mr Wokulski,’ Szlangbaum exclaimed, ‘no sooner do you want to purchase a house than the price of houses goes up. Upon my word, in six months you will make your deposit on this house, and then some over! And me too…’
‘You think so?’ Wokulski replied carelessly.
‘I don’t think, I’m making money already,’ said the Jew, ‘yesterday Baroness Krzeszowska’s lawyer borrowed ten thousand roubles from me until New Year, and paid me eight hundred roubles interest in advance.’
‘What’s that? Is she short of money already?’ Wokulski asked the lawyer.
‘She has ninety thousand in the bank, but the Baron has frozen it. Fine marriage articles, I must say,’ the lawyer smiled, ‘the husband freezes money which is indubitably the property of his wife, against whom he is starting an action for separation. It’s true that I never write such marriage articles, ha ha…’ the lawyer laughed, puffing smoke from his great amber pipe.
‘Why did the Baroness borrow ten thousand from you, Mr Szlangbaum?’ Wokulski asked.
‘Don’t you know?’ the Jew replied, ‘houses are going up, and the lawyer told the Baroness she would not get the Łęcki house for less than seventy thousand. She’d like to buy it for ten thousand, of course, but what can she do?’
The lawyer sat down at his desk and said: ‘So, my dear Mr Wokulski, the Łęcki house is to be bought not (he nodded) in my name but that of (he bowed) Mr S. Szlangbaum.’
‘I’ll buy it, to be sure,’ the Jew murmured.
‘But for ninety thousand roubles,’ Wokulski interrupted, ‘not a penny less, and by auction,’ he added emphatically.
‘Why not? It ain’t my money! If you want to pay, there will be others to outbid you…If I had as many thousands as there are respectable Catholic people to be found for the purpose here in Warsaw, why then, I’d be richer than Rothschild.’
‘So your opponents at the sale will be respectable people,’ the lawyer repeated, ‘very well. Now I’ll give Mr Szlangbaum the money.’
‘No need,’ the Jew put in.
‘Then we will draw up a nice little document, authorising Mr S. Szlangbaum to draw ninety thousand on Mr S. Wokulski, and this will ensure him the newly acquired apartment house. If, however, Mr Szlangbaum has not repaid the money by 1 January, 1879…’
‘And I won’t!’
‘Then, Mr Łęcki’s apartment house, purchased by him, will become the property of Mr S. Wokulski.’
‘It could do so now…I won’t even look at it,’ the Jew replied with a gesture.
‘Excellent,’ the lawyer exclaimed, ‘we’ll have the document by tomorrow and the house within a week or ten days. I hope to goodness you don’t lose a few thousand on it, my dear Stanisław.’
‘I shall profit,’ Wokulski replied, and bade goodbye to the lawyer and Szlangbaum.