The Jew Part 29

What a siren! To avoid her snares, stuff your ears with cotton, shut your eyes, and save yourself."

"For me," said Jacob, "there are neither sirens nor witches."

"There have been, however, many more than those in the Odyssey."

Muse knew better than to show too much interest in the man she was seeking to ensnare. She had Mathilde ask him to tell them something of his travels. Thanks to this diplomatic stratagem, Jacob joined them, and engaged in a lively conversation.

She saw that he was absorbed in Mathilde, and felt that he did not listen to her. Finding further efforts useless she arose to take leave.

With a cold and polite tone she said to the young man only, that she would be happy to see him at her home, as if it was out of compliment to her friend.

"Man of ice," thought she, "in vain you seek to escape me. I shall subdue you. You will belong to me. Then we will square our account."

She left the room modestly, almost timidly, Madame Segel conducting her to the door. When she returned she said to Jacob:--

"Well, how did you like her?"

"She is wonderfully beautiful, but there is also something disagreeable about her."

Some of them protested.

"She is the least natural woman I have ever met," said Jacob. "My ideal is a true and sincere woman."

Mathilde fell into a revery. During this time Henri had escorted Muse to the street. It was easily seen by his sparkling eyes that this pearl pleased him. On her part Mademoiselle Muse found Segel to her taste also, but she could not compromise herself with a married man while she sought a husband. Otherwise these two souls were sympathetic, and seemed created for each other. Henri's last glance was so ardent, that it almost compensated Muse for Jacob's coldness.

Her mother impatiently awaited the result of this first attack.

"You have seen him?" asked she.

"Yes."

"Well?"

"Preludes, as you have often said yourself, dear mamma, are always tiresome. I played for him one of Schumann's fantasies as I never played it before; I felt inspired; I showed myself at the same time bewitching and indifferent. I threw him furtive glances, neither too ardent nor too cold. By slow and insidious steps, by proceeding with much caution I can put him off his guard and take him captive. I am sure of him, I think."

"Then you do not think it will be an easy matter?"

"No, probably not. He has something else on his mind."

"And can you not by your magic art draw from him that which is rooted in his heart?"

"I will try, but it is a difficult part to play."

"I am chagrined to see you doubtful of success so soon."

"Oh, if I absolutely will it, I can succeed! But I shall be obliged to compromise myself. Not in the way you suggested this morning, however.

It will suffice to expose myself in the eyes of the world. For the rest, that which Count Alfred said of the chase applies perfectly to my situation. It is not necessary to make any plans in advance to draw on the game. The plan will develop when the time comes. But I have some news for you. Henri is desperately in love with me."

"What Henri?"

"Our neighbour, Segel."

"What, has he dared?"

"If you could have seen him squeeze my hand; if you could have heard him sigh when he escorted me to the street! Oh, it was droll!"

"Unfortunately, he is married."

"Yes, but Mathilde has a bad cough. They say that her lungs are affected. She is not yet twenty-five years old; at that age phthisis is fatal. But may G.o.d preserve her!"

"You are truly a genius! Your foresight is admirable. If we could keep him in reserve it would not be bad; however, I prefer Jacob. Men of Henri's calibre never become seriously in love. Their sentiment is not love, it is pa.s.sion. Every year they change their mistress. It is the theatre that furnishes them."

"Bah! That is the custom now-a-days!"

"Believe me, you had better hold Jacob. There is something horrible about counting on a death."

"I will do all I can to satisfy you. I am very sorry for poor Mathilde, yet one can see death in her eyes."

"Do not think of her, then; think rather of Jacob."

"We will see. As for me, I like Henri better."

The mother frowned and said no more.

CHAPTER XI.

A POLITICAL MEETING.

The same evening Jacob set out to seek a friend of Ivas, who had been his comrade at the university, and had become a very important person in the present agitation. This man, a modest employe of the government, exercised a powerful influence on the young men and in circles where politics were the order of the day. He possessed superior intelligence, rare executive ability, great energy and activity, and his character was at the same time pliant and firm. Without being leader of any party, he went from one to another, and the timid as well as the bold bowed everywhere to his incontestable authority. Yet no one could have said that Kruder--that was his name--belonged to the fire-eaters, to the liberals, or to the conservatives, nor if he was red, blue, or white.

With the excited he was all fire and flame; with the cool reasoners he was calm and logical; with the prudent and timorous he was full of discretion and consideration.

All listened to his objections; all followed his counsels. He knew how to smooth all difficulties, conceal divergences, and to lead to the same end contradictory views.

Amid such diversity of opinions he alone could maintain order, and command sufficient confidence to subject all differences of opinion to discipline, in advance of the coming revolution; for to do this was his ambition, his only ambition.

He had friends in both camps; these precipitated the movement, those r.e.t.a.r.ded it. His intimate relations with both parties put him in the way of hearing the opinions and knowing the situation thoroughly.

Nothing could happen without his cognizance. In his work of centralization it was important to be well informed, so as to prevent errors, or to correct them as well as he could.

To attract less notice and to more easily escape suspicion, Kruder inhabited an unfrequented neighbourhood. He usually remained at home until ten in the morning, the hour at which he went to his office. When he had finished his government work, he commenced his active and errant life, and this was prolonged late into the night. If he had to meet any one, he made an appointment, sometimes at a _cafe_, sometimes in a friend's house. To meet him, Jacob went to the dwelling of a young Jew, Bartold by name, the proprietor of a manufactory and a hardware merchant. His place was full of visitors every day, a fact which could be easily explained by the importance of his business.

Well brought up and honest, he was not, however, a believer like Jacob.

In religious matters he was satisfied to select the morals and repudiate the dogmas, but yet he proclaimed himself a Jew with a certain boastfulness. It pleased him to say: "If the European aristocracy are proud of tracing their origin back to the Crusades, I ought to be very proud of mine, which goes back much farther. I am a descendant of the tribe of Levi. That takes the place of arms or crests. My ancestors guarded the Ark of the Covenant in Solomon's temple; it is, at least, as great an honour as to have fought with the Saracens."

Public agitation naturally increased the number of visitors at Bartold's, and he had put at their disposal two large rooms of his house. It was a neutral ground for political discussions. It was a place of reunion sheltered from the police. Bartold took a great interest in these meetings, for, in spite of his Israelitish genealogy, he was a Pole at heart. He was thirty years old, tall, muscular, and well formed. His eyes shone with more than ordinary intelligence. His manner disclosed the serenity of an honest man who followed the right path, and whose conscience was clear. He loved to laugh and to joke, but under all this he concealed a warm, humane, and charitable heart.

He received Jacob with cries of joy and open arms.