Part 36 (2/2)

”I do not know,” said Leonora, in a low voice, ”as much as you can give me for it.”

”Yes, yes,” grumbled the old man, ”I am to give a great deal of money for very poor goods; that is what they all ask me to do. I will tell you, I cannot give you more than twelve dollars for the whole lot.”

”Twelve dollars!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Leonora, with such an expression of dismay that the Jew started, raising his green spectacles to his forehead, and fixing his small, twinkling eyes on Leonora.

”Twelve dollars!” repeated Leonora, and, no longer able to restrain her tears, she wrung her hands, and muttered: ”It is all in vain, then! Twelve dollars arc not sufficient to buy a uniform and arms.”

Hirsch heard her words. ”What?” he asked, hastily. ”You want to sell the dresses in order to buy a uniform and arms?”

”Yes, sir,” replied Leonora, ”my mother and I wanted to sell our dresses, because we hoped we would get money enough to buy my brother a complete uniform--a rifle, sword, and shako; for my brother intends to enlist in Lutzow's corps of riflemen.”

”Your brother intends to enlist in Lutzow's corps of riflemen?”

asked Hirsch, quickly. ”Is that no pretext, eh? Do you not tell me so merely for the purpose of extorting money from me? Can you swear to me that that is why you wish to sell the dresses?”

”I can swear it by the great G.o.d in heaven, in whom we all believe,”

said Leonora, solemnly. ”But I can prove it to you, too--”

”How so? In what way?”

”By buying a uniform for my brother here at your store. He is of the same height as I am, and has precisely the same figure: we are twins.”

”And your brother intends to enlist in Lutzow's corps? Why did he not himself come to select a uniform?”

”He is at Potsdam, sir, and does not know that I am here. To-morrow is his birthday, and we want to surprise him by giving him his uniform to-morrow.”

”And he shall have it!” exclaimed the Jew; ”yes, he shall have it! I read in your eyes that you have told me the truth, my child, and that you do not want the money for frivolous purposes, but for the great cause of the German fatherland. I have also a heart for my country, and no one shall say that we Israelites do not feel and act like true Germans--that our hearts did not suffer under the disgrace which, for long years, has weighed down all Germany, and that we will not joyfully sacrifice our blood and our life; and, what is still more, our property, for the sake of the fatherland. Who was the first man at Berlin to make a voluntary contribution to this object? It was a Jew! The president of the Jewish congregation, M.

Gumpert, made the first patriotic contribution. He sent three hundred dollars to the military commission, with the request that this amount might be spent for buying equipments for poor volunteers. [Footnote: Historical.] Our Gumpert was the first man who made a sacrifice for the benefit of the fatherland, and I do not wish to be the last. I made a mistake in appraising your things; I will do it over again, and what I can give I will give.” He glanced again at the dresses; then shaking his head, and stroking the silk dress with his long, lean hand, he said, ”How could I make such a mistake, and believe this stuff to be only half silk? It is all silk, heavy silk--and two dresses of the now fas.h.i.+onable tight cut can easily be made out of this splendid one. For this alone I will give you twenty dollars, and as for the other things, well, I will give you twenty dollars more.”

”Oh,” exclaimed Leonora, radiant with joy, and giving both her hands to the old Jew--”oh, you are a n.o.ble, generous man, a true patriot!

I thank you, and may the delivered land some day reward you!”

”Ah, poor Hirsch cannot deserve great rewards at the hands of the fatherland,” said the old man, sighing. ”I am poor, I have not even a son whom I might give to the country, and intrust with the task of avenging me. I had a son, a good, dear boy; but, in 1807, when the French arrived here, he wished to defend our property against the soldiers who broke into our house; he grew very angry with the infamous ruffians, and called them and their emperor murderers and robbers. Thereupon they mortally stabbed him--they killed him before my own eyes! He was my only child, my only joy on earth! But, hus.h.!.+

this is no time for lamentations. I will rejoice--yes, rejoice, for the hour of vengeance has come, and we will pay the French for what wrongs they have inflicted on us. If I were not so old and feeble, I should myself willingly fight, but now I am only able to a.s.sist in equipping soldiers. Your brother shall become a soldier, my child; we will equip him for the Legion of Vengeance. He shall avenge my son, my innocent, beloved son, upon Napoleon the tyrant, and the French rabble, who have trampled us under foot so long and so disgracefully. Yes, yes, I will give you forty dollars for your things, but I will not give you the whole amount in cash. Look at this black uniform; it is quite new, the tailor delivered it only yesterday. Did not you tell me that your brother is of the same stature as you are?”

”Of the same stature and figure, for he is my twin-brother.”

”Well, let us see if this uniform fits you.”

Mr. Hirsch took out his tape-line, and measured Leonora's figure with the skill of au experienced tailor. He then applied the tape- line to the trousers and the coat of black cloth. ”It fits splendidly,” he exclaimed. ”And here is also a nice silk vest that belongs to it. Now, listen to me! I charge you twelve dollars for the whole suit; you will, therefore, receive twenty-eight dollars in money. Now you will, in the first place, buy your brother a fine rifle, such as Lutzow's riflemen need. You will pay ten dollars for it; besides a sword and a shako, which will cost together five dollars. You will have thirteen dollars left. For this amount you will put a pair of good s.h.i.+rts and a new pair of boots into your brother's knapsack, and the remainder you will give him for pocket- money. Is it to be so? Is the bargain struck?” ”Yes, the bargain is struck.”

”Very well. Here is your uniform, and here are the twenty-eight dollars.” He counted the s.h.i.+ning dollars on the counter, and then pushed the money and the clothing toward Leonora. ”Here is our Luztow's rifleman's uniform,” he exclaimed.

”And here are the dresses, sir,” said Leonora, handing the wearing apparel to the old man, but, while doing so, she quickly bent over it, and pressed a kiss on the silk dress.

Old Hirsch looked at her with amazement.

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