I was wearing the kaftan that the Grand Vizier had given me, and the Jew no doubt mistook my rank and position, for he now bowed to me very eagerly and said in an altered tone, “You shall not leave me empty handed, most worthy gentlemen, for it would bring me bad luck. Let us talk the matter over. I know of the favor shown you by King Zapolya, but allow me to tell you that sheep shearing in Hungary is not the profitable business you seem to think. How can we tell who will shear them next spring? The Tartars, Moldavians, and Poles are even now taking advantage of the general confusion to steal sheep and other livestock, and no doubt this is happening on your estates also, my dear sir. Indeed it was a desperate gamble on your part to take possession of these domains, and I fear that without responsible backing you will as time goes on merely increase your debt.”
He spoke so honestly and benevolently that Andy believed him and even I began to wonder whether he was justified in advancing ten gold ducats on Andy’s problematical flocks. Andy said, “If things in Buda are as bad as you’d have us believe I had better return papers and seals to Janushka and tell him to look for a bigger simpleton than I am to take over these estates.”
The Jew rubbed his hands together and bowed till his corkscrew curls swept the floor, and having begged to see King Zapolya’s deed of conveyance he said, “Noble Sir Andreas von Wolfenland, I understand that in the Sultan’s dominions you have been used to living in a style superior to that customary in our poor land. Should the lambing fail or war ravage your domains, a promissory note might cause you embarrassment. Furthermore, I shall incur expense if I have to collect my money from Istanbul. Yet risks must be taken if any profit is to be made. Let us talk no more of promises and notes of hand. I will advance the sum you ask in return for the shearing rights of your flocks for the next two years. I may suffer great loss by this, but all is in the hand of God.”
Andy glanced at me in doubt and I whispered quickly that he should close with this offer, since ten ducats in the hand were worth a hundred sheep in some godforsaken corner of the Hungarian steppes. But Andy weakened on seeing the Jew wipe tears from his eyes, and he said, “No, no. I’m an honest man and you have a wife and children to feed. I cannot agree to your risking your modest fortune for my sake. Let us make out a binding promissory note, and for your trouble and expenses I am ready to pay ten or even fifteen per cent.”
The Jew dried his tears and his face darkened as he said, “You’re greedier than noblemen in general are wont to be; you grudge me a fair profit. Nevertheless, to confirm the good understanding between us, you shall have the money in return for only one year’s shearing rights. In that case I shall expect the trade monopoly in all your villages, including the salt traffic. My agents shall inquire into the breed of sheep in the region and all other matters concerning the estate. You can rely on me for the best terms, for I’m an honest man and would be a father to you.”
Andy thanked him politely, and replied, “Why should I resist when you’re so bent on risking your money? All I ask is that you won’t reproach me if things go wrong. You must feed my flocks and keep my sheepdogs and horses in good condition, however, or I shall make no further bargains with you next time I visit my estate.”
The Jew’s face lit up as he answered eagerly, “From the first moment of our meeting I was charmed by your honest character, for you did not treat me with contempt as most Hungarian noblemen do. I respect you because you know how to hold your own; therefore I agree to your proposal on condition I may pay you the sum in silver and change it into gold for you myself. In this way I can profit by the exchange rate, that is to say six aspers per gold ducat, which will enable me to feed my wife and children, even should I lose by the deal.”
This seemed to me a very moderate request, though it was easy to reckon out that he would gain one ducat on the ten. He now begged us to excuse him while he worked out his gains according to the day’s rate of exchange, and to fetch out the money, which in wartime he had to keep hidden. We were taken to an adjoining room which to my amazement was richly furnished with costly rugs, gilt chairs, velvet curtains, and Venetian mirrors. A servant brought us a gigantic silver dish heaped with grapes, pears, and other good Hungarian fruits. After inquiring whether we were strict Mussulmans the Jew also ordered wine to be served. It was clear that he wished to keep on good terms with Andy, though his lavish hospitality seemed out of all proportion to our business.
We ate the fruit and drank the wine, and when the Jew returned nothing was left upon the dish but a few cores and the skeleton of the grape bunch. Yet he was not at all distressed at this, and smiled radiantly as he led us back to the mean counting house. And here we stared; for on the table a mass of gold coin lay neatly stacked beside a number of sealed leather bags. The Jew evidently misunderstood our astonishment, for rubbing his hands together in some embarrassment he said, “Ten was the sum mentioned, was it not? Ten thousand ducats in silver are equal by statute to six hundred thousand aspers. But at today’s exchange rate only five hundred and forty thousand when changing gold to silver, and five hundred and seventy thousand, silver to gold. I take as a rule one asper per ducat for costs and charges. So I give you five hundred and forty aspers in silver. By changing this to gold at the current rate you receive nine thousand, four hundred and seventy-three ducats, and thirty-nine aspers in silver. One asper per ducat for charges comes to one hundred and seventy-five ducats and twenty-three aspers. Your net total is therefore nine thousand, two hundred and ninety-eight ducats and sixteen aspers, and I have laid this sum on the table. Pray be so good as to count it yourselves, and note that each of the sealed bags contains five hundred ducats. As a matter of form, sir, I would ask you to sign this lease. I trust your word entirely, but I’m an old man and may die at any time, and your life too is one of hazard.”
Andy said sulkily, “You wouldn’t make a fool of me, good father?”
The Jew tore his beard and said in some heat, “Sir, such cheese paring is unworthy of you! I am entitled to reckon my charges at the rate of fifty-four aspers to the ducat, though you pay fifty-seven. The difference amounts to only five hundred and twenty-five aspers, and a distinguished gentleman like yourself should think shame to accuse me of dishonesty for such a trifle.”
Andy said, “No, no. But I have little head for figures, so you must round off the sum to nine thousand three hundred ducats, and I will gladly acknowledge the receipt of ten thousand ducats for a year’s lease of my sheep.”
With a sigh the Jew took sixteen aspers from the table and replaced them with two worn gold ducats which I perceived at once to be underweight. The coins on the table were all newly-minted and whole, however, and so I willingly forgave him this slight deception.
Andy asked me to read the contract aloud to him, and we found it to be fully in accordance with what had been agreed, and though nothing was mentioned as to the care of the livestock, the Jew pointed out that it would be to his own interest to take good care of the farms, for he hoped that next year the contract might be renewed on slightly better terms for another five or ten years. Our eyes were by this time fully open to the excellent stroke of business Andy had unwittingly done in dragging that poor little wench from the gutters of Vienna and making her his wife.
But our dealings with the Jew were not yet over, for though I guessed that King Zapolya and Master Gritti would prefer ready money, the Grand Vizier at least must be offered something more personal, and for this no one could have given us better advice than the sagacious Jew. Such things as precious stones, ornaments, saddles, and damascened gold harnesses the Grand Vizier already had in abundance, so something entirely special must be found. At last Andy bought from the Jew a most marvelous clock of Niirnberg make, which struck both hours and quarters. It showed also the day, the month, and the year, and would thus be of great advantage to an absent- minded person, though unfortunately it was based on the Christian measurement of time. However, we guessed that because of his wars and other dealings with European countries the Grand Vizier might be glad to keep count of the Christian reckoning.
This clock was so complicated and so ingeniously built that I could not understand how a human brain could have devised it. The case was of beautiful workmanship, and the Jew contrived to set it going long enough for us to see how at each hour a little secret door flew open and a smith, followed by a priest and a knight in full armor, stepped forth to strike the hour on a little silver bell, and then disappeared through another door on the opposite side of the clock.
Its only fault was that it did not go, and the watchmaker to whom it had been sent for repair had been sold into slavery by the Turks. Nevertheless the Jew hoped he might yet be found, and we could then give him to the Grand Vizier with the clock, to regulate it and keep it going. Because the mechanism was for the present out of order the Jew sold us this treasure for only twelve hundred ducats, which Andy gladly paid, and we then took a cordial leave of this wealthy man.
When after a great deal of difficulty we were able to trace the clock- maker, Andy paid no less than sixty ducats for him, without bargaining, though there was little left of him but skin and beard. In his free-handedness he even gave the old fellow new clothes, and after a bellyful of food the man wept copious tears, tried to kiss Andy’s hands, and blessed him as his benefactor. He at once set to work on the clock, declaring that he knew its caprices, and
