Le Juif errant. English

by Eugène Sue

  CHAPTER III. THE ARRIVAL.

  Already had Morok several times opened with impatience the windowshutters of the loft, to look out upon the inn-yard, watching for thearrival of the orphans and the soldier. Not seeing them, he began oncemore to walk slowly up and down, with his head bent forward, and hisarms folded on his bosom, meditating on the best means to carry outthe plan he had conceived. The ideas which possessed his mind, were,doubtless, of a painful character, for his countenance grew even moregloomy than usual.

  Notwithstanding his ferocious appearance, he was by no means deficientin intelligence. The courage displayed in his taming exercises (whichhe gravely attributed to his recent conversion), a solemn and mysticalstyle of speech, and a hypocritical affectation of austerity, had givenhim a species of influence over the people he visited in his travels.Long before his conversion, as may well be supposed, Morok had beenfamiliar with the habits of wild beasts. In fact born in the north ofSiberia, he had been, from his boyhood, one of the boldest hunters ofbears and reindeer; later, in 1810, he had abandoned this profession, toserve as guide to a Russian engineer, who was charged with an exploringexpedition to the Polar regions. He afterwards followed him to St.Petersburg, and there, after some vicissitudes of fortune, Morok becameone of the imperial couriers--these iron automata, that the leastcaprice of the despot hurls in a frail sledge through the immensity ofthe empire, from Persia to the Frozen Sea. For these men, who travelnight and day, with the rapidity of lightning there are neither seasonsnor obstacles, fatigues nor danger; living projectiles, they must eitherbe broken to pieces, or reach the intended mark. One may conceive theboldness, the vigor, and the resignation, of men accustomed to such alife.

  It is useless to relate here, by what series of singular circumstancesMorok was induced to exchange his rough pursuit for another profession,and at last to enter, as catechumen, a religious house at Friburg;after which, being duly and properly converted, he began his nomadicexcursions, with his menagerie of unknown origin.

  Morok continued to walk up and down the loft. Night had come. The threepersons whose arrival he so impatiently expected had not yet made theirappearance. His walk became more and more nervous and irregular.

  On a sudden he stopped abruptly; leaned his head towards the window; andlistened. His ear was quick as a savage's.

  "They are here!" he exclaimed and his fox like eye shone with diabolicjoy. He had caught the sound of footsteps--a man's and a horse's.Hastening to the window-shutter of the loft, he opened it cautiously,and saw the two young girls on horseback, and the old soldier who servedthem as a guide, enter the inn-yard together.

  The night had set in, dark and cloudy; a high wind made the lightsflicker in the lanterns which were used to receive the new guests. Butthe description given to Morok had been so exact, that it was impossibleto mistake them. Sure of his prey, he closed the window. Having remainedin meditation for another quarter of an hour--for the purpose, no doubt,of thoroughly digesting his projects--he leaned over the aperture, fromwhich projected the ladder, and called, "Goliath!"

  "Master!" replied a hoarse voice.

  "Come up to me."

  "Here I am--just come from the slaughter-house with the meat."

  The steps of the ladder creaked as an enormous head appeared on a levelwith the floor. The new-comer, who was more than six feet high, andgifted with herculean proportions, had been well-named Goliath. He washideous. His squinting eyes were deep set beneath a low and projectingforehead; his reddish hair and beard, thick and coarse as horse-hair,gave his features a stamp of bestial ferocity; between his broad jaws,armed with teeth which resembled fangs, he held by one corner a piece ofraw beef weighing ten or twelve pounds, finding it, no doubt, easier tocarry in that fashion, whilst he used his hands to ascend the ladder,which bent beneath his weight.

  At length the whole of this tall and huge body issued from the aperture.Judging by his bull-neck, the astonishing breadth of his chest andshoulders, and the vast bulk of his arms and legs, this giant need nothave feared to wrestle single-handed with a bear. He wore an old pairof blue trousers with red stripes, faced with tanned sheep's-skin, anda vest, or rather cuirass, of thick leather, which was here and thereslashed by the sharp claws of the animals.

  When he was fairly on the floor, Goliath unclasped his fangs, opened hismouth, and let fall the great piece of beef, licking his blood-stainedlips with greediness. Like many other mountebanks, this species ofmonster had began by eating raw meat at the fairs for the amusement ofthe public. Thence having gradually acquired a taste for this barbarousfood, and uniting pleasure with profit, he engaged himself to performthe prelude to the exercises of Morok, by devouring, in the presence ofthe crowd, several pounds of raw flesh.

  "My share and Death's are below stairs, and here are those of Cainand Judas," said Goliath, pointing to the chunk of beef. "Where isthe cleaver, that I may cut it in two?--No preference here--beast orman--every gullet must have it's own."

  Then, rolling up one of the sleeves of his vest, he exhibited a fore-armhairy as skin of a wolf, and knotted with veins as large as one's thumb.

  "I say, master, where's the cleaver?"--He again began, as he cast roundhis eyes in search of that instrument. But instead of replying to thisinquiry, the Prophet put many questions to his disciple.

  "Were you below when just now some new travellers arrived at the inn?"

  "Yes, master; I was coming from the slaughter-house."

  "Who are these travellers?"

  "Two young lasses mounted on a white horse, and an old fellow with abig moustache. But the cleaver?--my beasts are hungry and so am I--thecleaver!"

  "Do you know where they have lodged these travellers?"

  "The host took them to the far end of the court-yard."

  "The building, which overlooks the fields?"

  "Yes, master--but the cleaver--"

  A burst of frightful roaring shook the loft, and interrupted Goliath.

  "Hark to them!" he exclaimed; "hunger has driven the beasts wild. If Icould roar, I should do as they do. I have never seen Judas and Cain asthey are to-night; they leap in their cages as if they'd knock all topieces. As for Death, her eyes shine more than usual like candles--poorDeath!"

  "So these girls are lodged in the building at the end of thecourt-yard," resumed Morok, without attending to the observations ofGoliath.

  "Yes, yes--but in the devil's name, where is the cleaver? Since Karlwent away I have to do all the work, and that makes our meals verylate."

  "Did the old man remain with the young girls?" asked Morok.

  Goliath, amazed that, notwithstanding his importunities, his mastershould still appear to neglect the animals' supper, regarded the Prophetwith an increase of stupid astonishment.

  "Answer, you brute!"

  "If I am a brute, I have a brute's strength," said Goliath, in a surlytone, "and brute against brute, I have not always come the worst off."

  "I ask if the old man remained with the girls," repeated Morok.

  "Well, then--no!" returned the giant. "The old man, after leading hishorse to the stable, asked for a tub and some water, took his standunder the porch--and there--by the light of a lantern--he is washingout clothes. A man with a gray moustache!--paddling in soap-suds likea washerwoman--it's as if I were to feed canaries!" added Goliath,shrugging his shoulders with disdain. "But now I've answered you,master, let me attend to the beasts' supper,"--and, looking round forsomething, he added, "where is the cleaver?"

  After a moment of thoughtful silence, the Prophet said to Goliath, "Youwill give no food to the beasts this evening."

  At first the giant could not understand these words, the idea was soincomprehensible to him.

  "What is your pleasure, master?" said he.

  "I forbid you to give any food to the beasts this evening."

  Goliath did not answer, but he opened wide his squinting eyes, foldedhis hands, and drew back a couple of steps.

  "Well, dost hear me?" said Morok, with impatience. "I
s it plain enough?"

  "Not feed? when our meat is there, and supper is already three hoursafter time!" cried Goliath, with ever-increasing amazement.

  "Obey, and hold your tongue."

  "You must wish something bad to happen this evening. Hunger makes thebeasts furious--and me also."

  "So much the better!"

  "It'll drive 'em mad."

  "So much the better!"

  "How, so much the better?--But--"

  "It is enough!"

  "But, devil take me, I am as hungry as the beasts!"

  "Eat then--who prevents it? Your supper is ready, as you devour it raw."

  "I never eat without my beasts, nor they without me."

  "I tell you again, that, if you dare give any food to the beasts--I willturn you away."

  Goliath uttered a low growl as hoarse as a bear's, and looked at theProphet with a mixture of anger and stupefaction.

  Morok, having given his orders, walked up and down the loft, appearingto reflect. Then, addressing himself to Goliath, who was still plungedin deep perplexity, he said to him.

  "Do you remember the burgomaster's, where I went to get my passportsigned?--To-day his wife bought some books and a chaplet."

  "Yes," answered the giant shortly.

  "Go and ask his servant if I may be sure to find the burgomaster earlyto-morrow morning."

  "What for?"

  "I may, perhaps, have something important to communicate; at all events,say that I beg him not to leave home without seeing me."

  "Good! but may I feed the beasts before I go to the burgomaster's?--onlythe panther, who is most hungry? Come, master; only poor Death? just alittle morsel to satisfy her; Cain and I and Judas can wait."

  "It is the panther, above all, that I forbid you to feed. Yes, her,above all the rest."

  "By the horns of the devil!" cried Goliath, "what is the matter with youto-day? I can make nothing of it. It is a pity that Karl's not here; he,being cunning, would help me to understand why you prevent the beastsfrom eating when they are hungry."

  "You have no need to understand it."

  "Will not Karl soon come back?"

  "He has already come back."

  "Where is he, then?"

  "Off again."

  "What can be going on here? There is something in the wind. Karl goes,and returns, and goes again, and--"

  "We are not talking of Karl, but of you; though hungry as a wolf youare cunning as a fox, and, when it suits you, as cunning as Karl." And,changing on the sudden his tone and manner, Morok slapped the giantcordially on the shoulder.

  "What! am I cunning?"

  "The proof is, that there are ten florins to earn to-night--and you willbe keen enough to earn them, I am sure."

  "Why, on those terms, yes--I am awake," said the giant, smiling with astupid, self-satisfied air. "What must I do for ten florins?"

  "You shall see."

  "Is it hard work?"

  "You shall see. Begin by going to the burgomaster's--but first light thefire in that stove." He pointed to it with his finger.

  "Yes, master," said Goliath, somewhat consoled for the delay of hissupper by the hope of gaining ten florins.

  "Put that iron bar in the stove," added the Prophet, "to make itred-hot."

  "Yes, master."

  "You will leave it there; go to the burgomaster's, and return here towait for me."

  "Yes, master.

  "You will keep the fire up in the stove."

  "Yes, master."

  Morok took a step away, but recollecting himself, he resumed: "You saythe old man is busy washing under the porch?"

  "Yes, master."

  "Forget nothing: the iron bar in the fire--the burgomaster--and returnhere to wait my orders." So saying, Morok descended by the trap-door anddisappeared.