lavengro-第69部分

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…　Degenerate　Armenians　…　Roots　of　Ararat　…　Regular　features。



THE　Armenian！　　I　frequently　saw　this　individual；　availing　myself　of　

the　permission　which　he　had　given　me　to　call　upon　him。　　A　truly　

singular　personage　was　he；　with　his　love　of　amassing　money；　and　his　

nationality　so　strong　as　to　be　akin　to　poetry。　　Many　an　Armenian　I　

have　subsequently　known　fond　of　money…getting；　and　not　destitute　of　

national　spirit；　but　never　another；　who；　in　the　midst　of　his　

schemes　of　lucre；　was　at　all　times　willing　to　enter　into　a　

conversation　on　the　structure　of　the　Haik　language；　or　who　ever　

offered　me　money　to　render　into　English　the　fables　of　Z…　in　the　

hope　of　astonishing　the　stock…jobbers　of　the　Exchange　with　the　

wisdom　of　the　Haik　Esop。



But　he　was　fond　of　money；　very　fond。　　Within　a　little　time　I　had　

won　his　confidence　to　such　a　degree　that　he　informed　me　that　the　

grand　wish　of　his　heart　was　to　be　possessed　of　two　hundred　thousand　

pounds。



'I　think　you　might　satisfy　yourself　with　the　half；'　said　I。　　'One　

hundred　thousand　pounds　is　a　large　sum。'



'You　are　mistaken；'　said　the　Armenian；　'a　hundred　thousand　pounds　

is　nothing。　　My　father　left　me　that　or　more　at　his　death。　　No；　I　

shall　never　be　satisfied　with　less　than　two。'



'And　what　will　you　do　with　your　riches；'　said　I；　'when　you　have　

obtained　them？　　Will　you　sit　down　and　muse　upon　them；　or　will　you　

deposit　them　in　a　cellar；　and　go　down　once　a　day　to　stare　at　them？　　

I　have　heard　say　that　the　fulfilment　of　one's　wishes　is　invariably　

the　precursor　of　extreme　misery；　and　forsooth　I　can　scarcely　

conceive　a　more　horrible　state　of　existence　than　to　be　without　a　

hope　or　wish。'



'It　is　bad　enough；　I　daresay；'　said　the　Armenian；　'it　will；　

however；　be　time　enough　to　think　of　disposing　of　the　money　when　I　

have　procured　it。　　I　still　fall　short　by　a　vast　sum　of　the　two　

hundred　thousand　pounds。'



I　had　occasionally　much　conversation　with　him　on　the　state　and　

prospects　of　his　nation；　especially　of　that　part　of　it　which　still　

continued　in　the　original　country　of　the　Haiks　…　Ararat　and　its　

confines；　which；　it　appeared；　he　had　frequently　visited。　　He　

informed　me　that　since　the　death　of　the　last　Haik　monarch；　which　

occurred　in　the　eleventh　century；　Armenia　had　been　governed　both　

temporally　and　spiritually　by　certain　personages　called　patriarchs；　

their　temporal　authority；　however；　was　much　circumscribed　by　the　

Persian　and　Turk；　especially　the　former；　of　whom　the　Armenian　spoke　

with　much　hatred；　whilst　their　spiritual　authority　had　at　various　

times　been　considerably　undermined　by　the　emissaries　of　the　Papa　of　

Rome；　as　the　Armenian　called　him。



'The　Papa　of　Rome　sent　his　emissaries　at　an　early　period　amongst　

us；'　said　the　Armenian；　'seducing　the　minds　of　weak…headed　people；　

persuading　them　that　the　hillocks　of　Rome　are　higher　than　the　

ridges　of　Ararat；　that　the　Roman　Papa　has　more　to　say　in　heaven　

than　the　Armenian　patriarch；　and　that　puny　Latin　is　a　better　

language　than　nervous　and　sonorous　Haik。'



'They　are　both　dialects；'　said　I；　'of　the　language　of　Mr。　

Petulengro；　one　of　whose　race　I　believe　to　have　been　the　original　

founder　of　Rome；　but；　with　respect　to　religion；　what　are　the　chief　

points　of　your　faith？　you　are　Christians；　I　believe。'



'Yes；'　said　the　Armenian；　'we　are　Christians　in　our　way；　we　believe　

in　God；　the　Holy　Spirit；　and　Saviour；　though　we　are　not　prepared　to　

admit　that　the　last　personage　is　not　only　himself；　but　the　other　

two。　　We　believe　。　。　。'　and　then　the　Armenian　told　me　of　several　

things　which　the　Haiks　believed　or　disbelieved。　　'But　what　we　find　

most　hard　of　all　to　believe；'　said　he；　'is　that　the　man　of　the　

mole…hills　is　entitled　to　our　allegiance；　he　not　being　a　Haik；　or　

understanding　the　Haik　language。'



'But；　by　your　own　confession；'　said　I；　'he　has　introduced　a　schism　

in　your　nation；　and　has　amongst　you　many　that　believe　in　him。'



'It　is　true；'　said　the　Armenian；　I　that　even　on　the　confines　of　

Ararat　there　are　a　great　number　who　consider　that　mountain　to　be　

lower　than　the　hillocks　of　Rome；　but　the　greater　number　of　

degenerate　Armenians　are　to　be　found　amongst　those　who　have　

wandered　to　the　west；　most　of　the　Haik　churches　of　the　west　

consider　Rome　to　be　higher　than　Ararat　…　most　of　the　Armenians　of　

this　place　hold　that　dogma；　I；　however；　have　always　stood　firm　in　

the　contrary　opinion。



'Ha！　ha！'　…　here　the　Armenian　laughed　in　his　peculiar　manner　…　

'talking　of　this　matter　puts　me　in　mind　of　an　adventure　which　

lately　befell　me；　with　one　of　the　emissaries　of　the　Papa　of　Rome；　

for　the　Papa　of　Rome　has　at　present　many　emissaries　in　this　

country；　in　order　to　seduce　the　people　from　their　own　quiet　

religion　to　the　savage　heresy　of　Rome；　this　fellow　came　to　me　

partly　in　the　hope　of　converting　me；　but　principally　to　extort　

money　for　the　purpose　of　furthering　the　designs　of　Rome　in　this　

country。　　I　humoured　the　fellow　at　first；　keeping　him　in　play　for　

nearly　a　month；　deceiving　and　laughing　at　him。　　At　last　he　

discovered　that　he　could　make　nothing　of　me；　and　departed　with　the　

scowl　of　Caiaphas；　whilst　I　cried　after　him；　'The　roots　of　Ararat　

are　DEEPER　than　those　of　Rome。'



The　Armenian　had　occasionally　reverted　to　the　subject　of　the　

translation　of　the　Haik　Esop；　which　he　had　still　a　lurking　desire　

that　I　should　execute；　but　I　had　invariably　declined　the　

undertaking；　without；　however；　stating　my　reasons。　　On　one　

occasion；　when　we　had　been　conversing　on　the　subject；　the　Armenian；　

who　had　been　observing　my　countenance　for　some　time　with　much　

attention；　remarked；　'Perhaps；　after　all；　you　are　right；　and　you　

might　employ　your　time　to　better　advantage。　　Literature　is　a　fine　

thing；　especially　Haik　literature；　but　neither　that　nor　any　other　

would　be　likely　to　serve　as　a　foundation　to　a　man's　fortune：　　and　

to　make　a　fortune　should　be　the　principal　aim　of　every　one's　life；　

therefore　listen　to　me。　　Accept　a　seat　at　the　desk　opposite　to　my　

Moldavian　clerk；　and　receive　the　rudiments　of　a　merchant's　

education。　　You　shall　be　instructed　in　the　Armenian　way　of　doing　

business　…　I　think　you　would　make　an　excellent　merchant。'



'Why　do　you　think　so？'



'Because　you　have　something　of　the　Armenian　look。'



'I　understand　you；'　said　I；　'you　mean　to　say　that　I　squint！'



'Not　exactly；'　said　the　Armenian；　'but　there　is　certainly　a　kind　of　

irregularity　in　your　features。　　One　eye　appears　to　me　larger　than　

the　other　…　never　mind；　but　rather　rejoice；　in　that　irregularity　

consists　your　strength。　　All　people　with　regular　features　are　

fools；　it　is　very　hard　for　them；　you'll　say；　but　there　is　no　help：　　

all　we　can　do；　who　are　not　in　such　a　predicament；　is　to　pity　those　

who　are。　　Well！　will　you　accept　my　offer？　　No！　you　are　a　singular　

individual；　but　I　must　not　forget　my　own　concerns。　　I　must　now　go　

forth；　having　an　appointment　by　which　I　hope　to　make　money。'







CHAPTER　L







Wish　fulfilled　…　Extraordinary　figure　…　Bueno　…　Noah　…　The　two　

faces　…　I　don't　blame　him　…　Too　fond　of　money　…　Were　I　an　Armenian。



THE　fulfilment　of　the　Armenian's　grand　wish　was　nearer　at　hand　than　

either　he　or　I　had　anticipated。　　Partly　owing　to　the　success　of　a　

bold　speculation；　in　which　he　had　some　time　previously　engaged；　and　

partly　owing　to　the　bequest　of　a　large　sum　of　money　by　one　of　his　

nation　who　died　at　this　period　in　Paris；　he　found　himself　in　the　

possession　of　a　fortune　somewhat　exceeding　two　hundred　thousand　

pounds；　this　fact　he　communicated　to　me　one　evening　about　an　hour　

after　the　close　of　'Change；　the　hour　at　which　I　generally　called；　

and　at　which　I　mostly　found　him　at　home。



'Well；'　said　I；　'and　what　do　you　intend　to　do　next？'



'I　scarcely　know；'　said　the　Armenian。　　'I　was　thinking　of　that　when　

you　came　in。　　I　don't　see　anything　that　I　can　do；　save　going　on　in　

my　former　course。　　After　all；　I　was　perhaps　too　moderate　in　making　

the　possession　of　two　hundred　thousand　pounds　the　summit　of　my　

ambition；　there　are　many　individuals　in　this　town　who　possess　three　

times　that　sum；　and　are　not　yet　satisfied。　　No；　I　think　I　can　do　no　

better　than　pursue　the　old　career；　who　knows　but　I　may　make　the　two　

hundred　thousand　three　or　four？　…　there　is　already　a　surplus；　which　

is　an　encouragement；　however；　we　will　consider　the　matter　over　a　

goblet　of　wine；　I　have　observed　of　late　that　you　have　become　

partial　to　my　Cyprus。'



And　it　came　to　pass　that；　as　we　were　seated　over　the　Cyprus　wine；　

we　heard　a　knock　at　the　door。　　'Adelante！'　cried　the　Armenian；　

whereupon　the　door　opened；　and　in　walked　a　somewhat　extraordinary　

figure　…　a　man　in　a　long　loose　tunic　of　a　stuff　striped　with　black　

and　yellow；　breeches　of　plush　velvet；　silk　stockings；　and　shoes　

with　silver　buckles。　　On　his　head　he　wore　a　high…peaked　hat；　he　was　

tall；　had　a　hooked　nose；　and　in　age　was　about　fifty。