Part 6 (1/2)
Old Varnhagen gave a sigh of relief.
”You'll nefer do that again, Rachel?”
”I hope I shall never need to.”
”You shouldn't upset your poor old father like that, Rachel.”
”You shouldn't drive me to use such means to make you do your duty.”
”My duty!”
”Yes, to give me that watch.”
”Ah, the watch. I forgot it.”
”I shall go now, and get it.”
”Yes, my child, get it.”
”I'll say you will pay at the end of the month.”
”Yes, I will pay--perhaps at the end of the month, perhaps it will go towards a contra account for watches I shall supply to Tresco. We shall see.”
”Good-bye, father.”
”Good-bye, Rachel; but won't you gif your old father a kiss pefore you go?”
The vision of muslin and ribbons laid her parasol upon an upturned barrel, and came towards the portly Jew. Her soft dress was crumpled by his fat hand, and her pretty head was nestled on his shoulder.
”Ah! my 'tear Rachel. Ah! my peautiful. You loaf your old father. My liddle taughter, I gif you everything; and you loaf me very moch, eh?”
”Of course, I do. And won't it look well with a brand-new gold chain to match?”
”Next time my child wants something, she won't climb on the wool-bales and nearly kill herself?”
”Of course not. I shall wear it this afternoon when I go out calling.”
”Now kiss me, and run away while I make some more money for my liddle Rachel.”
The saintly face raised itself, and looked with a smile into the face of the old Jew; and then the bright red lips fixed themselves upon his wrinkled cheek.
”You are a good girl; you are my own child; you shall have everything you ask; you shall have all I've got to give.”
”Good-bye, father. Thanks awfully much.”
”Good-bye, Rachel.”
The girl turned; the little heels tapped regularly on the floor; the pigeon-like walk was resumed; and Rachel Varnhagen, watched by the loving eyes of her father, pa.s.sed into the street.
The gold-buying clerk at the Kangaroo Bank was an immaculately dressed young man with a taste for jewelry. In his tie he wore a pearl, in a gold setting shaped like a diminutive human hand; his watch-chain was of gold, wrought in a wonderful and extravagant design. As he stepped through the swinging, glazed doors of the Bank, and stood on the broad step without, at the witching hour of twelve, he twirled his small black moustache so as to display to advantage the sparkling diamond ring which encircled the little finger of his left hand. His Semitic features wore an expression of great self-satisfaction, and his knowing air betokened intimate knowledge of the world and all that therein is. He nodded familiarly to a couple of young men who pa.s.sed by, and glanced with the appreciative eye of a connoisseur at the shop-girls who were walking briskly to their dinners.