The Doll - Bolesaw Prus [378]
Before long Szuman once again visited Wokulski.
‘My dear friend,’ he called from the threshold, smiling, ‘even if you were to throw me out, I would continue to persecute you with my visits …’
‘But of course, come as often as you like,’ replied Wokulski.
‘So you agree? … Splendid! … That is half the cure … Ah, what it means to have strength of mind! … After not quite seven weeks of severe misanthropy, already you begin to tolerate the human species, and in my person to boot … Ha, ha ha! … What would happen if one were to loose some chic woman into your cage …’
Wokulski paled.
‘Well, well … I know that is too soon … It is high time, though, that you began to show your face again. That would complete the cure. Take me as an example,’ Szuman declaimed. ‘While I sat within four walls I was as bored as a devil in a belltower; and today I have barely to show myself in the world and I have a thousand diversions. Szlangbaum wishes to hoodwink me and is taken continually by surprise, becoming convinced day after day that, although I have such a naïve expression, I had in advance foreseen all his moves. It has even gained me his respect …’
‘A modest enough sport,’ put in Wokulski.
‘Wait! Another pleasure is afforded me by my co-religionists in financial circles, for it seems to them that I have an exceptionally shrewd head for business, and yet despite this, that they will be able to steer me as it pleases them … I can imagine their painful disappointment when they realise that I am neither shrewd in business, nor stupid enough to become a pawn in their hands …’
‘And you tried so hard to persuade me to enter into partnership with them? …’
‘That was different. I encourage you to do so still. No one ever lost out in an agreement with intelligent Jews, at least not financially. But it’s one thing to be a partner, and another to be a pawn as they wanted to make of me … Ah, those Jew-boys! … Always rogues, whether dressed in gabardines or dress-coats …’
‘Which, nevertheless, does not prevent you from admiring them, or even from associating with Szlangbaum? …’
‘Well, that’s another thing again,’ replied Szuman. ‘Jews, in my opinion, are the most talented race in the world, and my race besides, so I admire them and love them as a community. And as to my agreement with Szlangbaum … for heaven’s sake, Staś! Would it be sensible on our part to wrangle between ourselves when it is a question of saving a business as capital as a company trading with the Empire? … You are abandoning it, so it will either collapse, or the Germans will get it; either way the country will lose. But the other way, the country wins and we …’
‘I understand you less and less,’ interposed Wokulski. ‘The Jews are great, and the Jews are rogues … Szlangbaum should be expelled from the trading company, and then he should be taken in again … First the Jews gain by it, then the country gains … It is complete chaos! …’
‘You, Staś, have lost your wits … This is no chaos, it is the clear and simple truth … In this country, only the Jews create some kind of impetus in industry and trade, and so every economic victory of theirs is a clear gain for the country … Am I not right? …’
‘I shall have to think about it,’ replied Wokulski. ‘Well, what other delight do you bring? …’
‘The greatest. Imagine, that at the first news of my future financial successes, they want to marry me off already! … Me, with my Jewish mug and bald patch! …’
‘Who? … To whom? …
‘Our friends, of course, and to whom? … Whomsoever I wish. Even to a Christian girl, and of a good family, if I just get christened …’
‘And you?’
‘Do you know, I am almost prepared to do it out of curiosity. Simply in order to discover in what manner a beautiful, young, well-brought-up, Christian girl, above all from a respectable family, will convince me of her love? … Here would be a wealth of entertainment. I would be entertained watching her vie for my hand and heart. I would be entertained