Part 49 (2/2)
Mrs. Binsw.a.n.ger rocked complacently, a smile crawled across her lips, and she nodded rhythmically to the tilting of her rocking-chair, her eyes closed in the pleasant phantasmagoria of a dream.
Mr. Binsw.a.n.ger slumped lower in his chair.
”A good head for business that Max Teitlebaum has on him. Like your mamma says, Izzy, you should have one just half so good.”
”There you go again, pa, pickin', pickin'! If you'd give a fellow a start and lend him a little capital--I'd have some ambition, too, and start for myself.”
Mr. Binsw.a.n.ger leaped forward full stretch, as a jetty of flame shoots through a stream of oil.
”For yourself! On what? From where would I get it? Cut it out from my heart? Two months already I begged you to come out by me in the store and see if you can't help start something to get back the trade--How we need young blood in the store to get--”
”Aw, I--”
”Five thousand dollars I give you for to lose in the ladies'
ready-to-wear. Another white elephant we need in the family yet. Not five thousand dollars outside my insurance I got to my name, and even if I did have it I wouldn't--”
”Julius!”
”I mean it, so help me! Even if I did have it, not a cent to a boy what don't listen to his old father.”
”For G.o.d's sakes, pa, quit your hollering; if you ain't got it to your name I'm sorry for Pearlie.”
”For me?”
”You think, pa, a boy like Max Teitlebaum, a boy that banker Finburg's daughter is crazy after, is getting married only because you got a nice daughter?”
”What do you mean, Izzy?”
”The woods are full of 'em just as nice. I didn't need no brick house to fall on me to-day at lunch. He didn't come right out and say nothing, but when he said he wanted to get in a business he could build up, right away I seen what he meant.”
”What?”
”Sure I seen it. I guess his father gives him six or seven thousand dollars to get his start, and just so much he wants from the girl's side. He can get it easy, too. If--if you'd fork over, pa, I--him and I could start maybe together and--”
”You--you--”
”Your papa, Izzy, can do for his girl just like the best can do for theirs Julius, can't you?”
”_Gott in Himmel!_ I--I--you--you pack of wolfs, you!”
”Such names you can't call your wife, Julius! Just let me tell you that!
Such names you can't call me!”
Anger trembled in Mrs. Binsw.a.n.ger's vocal cords like current running over a wire. But Mr. Binsw.a.n.ger sprang suddenly to his feet and crashed the white knuckles of his clenched fist down on the table with a force that broke the flesh. The red lights of anger lay mirrored in the pool of his eyes like danger lanterns on a dark bridge are reflected in black water.
”Wolfs--wolfs, all of you! You--you--to-night you got me where I am at an end! To-night you got to _know_--I--I can't keep it in no more--you got--to _know_ to-night--to-night!”
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