The Jews Now
Complained, Of Weariness, And The Younger, Uncording A Small
Mattress, Spread It On The Deck And Sought Repose.
The sage
descended into the cabin, but he had scarcely time to lie down ere
the old mate, darting forward, dived in after him, and pulled him
out by the heels, for it was very shallow, and the descent was
effected by not more than two or three steps.
After accomplishing
this, he called him many opprobrious names, and threatened him with
his foot, as he lay sprawling on the deck. "Think you," said he,
"who are a dog and a Jew, and pay as a dog and a Jew; think you to
sleep in the cabin? Undeceive yourself, beast; that cabin shall be
slept in by none to-night but this Christian Cavallero." The sage
made no reply, but arose from the deck and stroked his beard,
whilst the old Genoese proceeded in his philippic. Had the Jew
been disposed, he could have strangled the insulter in a moment, or
crushed him to death in his brawny arms, as I never remember to
have seen a figure so powerful and muscular; but he was evidently
slow to anger, and long-suffering; not a resentful word escaped
him, and his features retained their usual expression of benignant
placidity.
I now assured the mate that I had not the slightest objection to
the Jew's sharing the cabin with me, but rather wished it, as there
was room for us both and for more. "Excuse me, Sir Cavalier,"
replied the Genoese, "but I swear to permit no such thing; you are
young and do not know this canaille as I do, who have been backward
and forward to this coast for twenty years; if the beast is cold,
let him sleep below the hatches as I and the rest shall, but that
cabin he shall not enter." Observing that he was obstinate I
retired, and in a few minutes was in a sound sleep which lasted
till daybreak. Twice or thrice, indeed, I thought that a struggle
was taking place near me, but I was so overpowered with weariness,
or "sleep drunken," as the Germans call it, that I was unable to
arouse myself sufficiently to discover what was going on; the truth
is, that three times during the night, the sage feeling himself
uncomfortable in the open air by the side of his companion,
penetrated into the cabin, and was as many times dragged out by his
relentless old enemy, who, suspecting his intentions, kept his eye
upon him throughout the night.
About five I arose; the sun was shining brightly and gloriously
upon town, bay, and mountain; the crew were already employed upon
deck repairing a sail which had been shivered in the wind of the
preceding day. The Jews sat disconsolate on the poop; they
complained much of the cold they had suffered in their exposed
situation. Over the left eye of the sage I observed a bloody cut,
which he informed me he had received from the old Genoese after he
had dragged him out of the cabin for the last time.
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