So I wrote to Pezenas. This is a southern city, rich in wools, wines,
and brandies. The price of brandies at Pezenas controls that of all
Europe. A trading man ought to know that, and I knew it, because I had
always liked to read the list of prices in the newspapers. I sent to
M. Quataya, at Pezenas, for a dozen pipes of spirits of wine. I
calculated that, after paying the freight, a pipe would cost me a
thousand francs, delivered in my cellar.
As I had sold no iron for a year, I disposed of my merchandise without
asking anything for it; the payment of the twelve thousand francs did
not trouble me. Only, Fritz, those twelve thousand francs were half my
fortune, and you may suppose that it required some courage to risk in
one venture the gains of fifteen years.
As soon as my letter was gone, I wished I could bring it back, but it
was too late. I kept a good face before my wife, and said, "It will
all do well! We shall gain double, triple, etc."
She, too, kept a good face, but we both had misgivings; and during the
six weeks necessary for the receipt of the acknowledgment and
acceptance of my order, and the arrival of the spirits of wine, every
night I lay awake, thinking, "Moses, you have lost everything! You are
ruined from top to toe!"
The cold sweat would cover my body. Still, if any one had come to me
and said, "Be easy, Moses, I will relieve you of this business," I
should have refused, because my hope of gain was as great as my fear of
loss. And by this you may know who are the true merchants, the true
generals, and all who accomplish anything. Others are but machines for
selling tobacco, or filling glasses, or firing guns.
It all comes to the same thing. One man's glory is as great as
another's. This is why, when we speak of Austerlitz, Jena or Wagram,
it is not a question of Jean Claude or Jean Nicholas, but of Napoleon
alone; he alone risked everything, the others risked only being killed.
I do not say this to compare myself with Napoleon, but the buying of
these twelve pipes of spirits of wine was my battle of Austerlitz.
And when I think that, on reaching Paris, Napoleon had demanded four
hundred and forty millions of money, and _six hundred thousand men_!
and that then everybody, understanding that we were threatened with an
invasion, undertook to sell and to make money at any cost, while I
bought, unhampered by the example of others--when I think of this, I am
proud of it still and congratulate myself.
It was in the midst of these disquietudes that the day for the
circumcision of little Esdras arrived. My daughter Zeffen had
recovered, and Baruch had written to us not to trouble ourselves, for
they would come to Phalsburg.
My wife then hastened to prepare the meats and cakes for the festival:
the _bie-kougel_, the _haman_, and the _schlachmoness_, which are great
delicacies.
On my part, I had tested my best wine on the old Rabbi Heymann, and I
had invited my friends, Leiser of Mittelbronn and his wife Boune,
Senterle Hirsch, and Professor Burguet. Burguet was not a Jew, but he
was worthy of being one on account of his genius and extraordinary
talents.
When a speech was wanted in the Emperor's progress, Burguet made it;
when songs were needed for a national festival, Burguet composed them
between two sips of beer; when a young candidate for law or medicine
was perplexed in writing his thesis, he went to Burguet, who wrote it
for him, whether in French or in Latin; when fathers and mothers were
to be moved to tears at the distribution of school prizes, Burguet was
the man to do it; he would take a blank sheet of paper, and read them a
discourse on the spot, such as nobody else could have written in ten
years; when a petition was to be made to the Emperor or prefect,
Burguet was the first man thought of; and when Burguet took the trouble
to defend a deserter before the court-martial at the mayoralty, the
deserter, instead of being shot on the bastion of the barracks, was
pardoned.
After all this, Burguet would return and take his part in piquet with
the little Jew, Solomon, at which he always lost; and people troubled
themselves no more about him.
I have often thought that Burguet must have greatly despised those to
whom he took off his hat. Yes, to see the fellows putting on important
airs because they were rural guard or secretary of the mayoralty, must
have made a man like him laugh in his sleeve. But he never told me so;
he knew the ways of the world too well.
He was an old constitutional priest, a tall man, with a noble figure
and very fine voice; the very tones of it would move you in spite of
yourself. Unfortunately, he did not take care of his own interests; he
was at the mercy of the first comer. How many times I have said to him:
"Burguet, in heaven's name, don't get mixed up with thieves! Burguet,
don't let yourself be robbed by simpletons! Trust me about your
college expenses. When anybody comes to impose upon you I will be on
the spot; I will pay the bills and hand you the account."
But he did not think of the future, and lived very carelessly.
I had thus invited all my old friends for the morning of the
twenty-fourth of November, and they all came to the festival.
The father and mother, with the little infant, and its godfather and
godmother, came early, in a large carriage. By eleven the ceremony had
taken place in our synagogue, and we all, in great joy and
satisfaction, for the child had not uttered a cry, returned together to
my house, which had been made ready beforehand--the large table on the
first floor, the meats in their pewter dishes, the fruits in their
baskets--and we had begun in great glee to celebrate the happy day.
The old Rabbi Heymann, Leiser, and Burguet sat at my right, my little
Safel, Hirsch, and Baruch at my left, and the women Sorle, Zeffen,
Jetele, and Boune, facing us on the other side, according to the
command of the Lord, that men and women should be separate at
festivities.
Burguet, with his white cravat, his handsome maroon coat and his
ruffled shirt, did me honor. He made a speech, raising his voice and
making fine gestures like a great orator--telling of the ancient
customs of our nation, of our religious ceremonies, of _Paecach_ (the
feast of Passover), of _Rosch-haschannah_ (the New Year), of _Kippour_
(the day of expiation), like a true _Ied_ (Jew), thinking our religion
very beautiful and glorifying the genius of Moses.
He knew the _Lochene Koidech_ (Chaldaic) as well as a _bal-kebole_
(cabalistic doctor).
The Saverne people turned to their neighbors and asked in a whisper:
"Pray, who is this man who speaks with authority, and says such fine
things? Is he a rabbi? Is he a _schamess_ (Jewish beadle)? or is he
the _parness_ (civil head) of your community?"
And when they learned he was not one of us, they were astonished. The
old Rabbi Heymann alone was able to answer him, and they agreed on all
points, like learned men talking on familiar subjects and conscious of
their own learning.
Behind us, on its grandmother's bed, inside of the curtains, slept our
little Esdras, with his sweet face and little clinched hands--slept so
soundly, that neither our shouts of laughter, nor the talking, nor the
sound of the glasses could wake him. Sometimes one, sometimes another,
went to look at him, and everybody said:
"What a beautiful child! He looks like his grandfather Moses!"
That pleased me, of course; and I would go and look at him, bending
over him for a long while, and finding a still stronger resemblance to
my father.
At three o'clock, the meats having been removed and the delicacies
spread upon the table, as we came to the dessert, I went down to find a
bottle of better wine, an old bottle of Rousillon which I dug out from
under the others, all covered with dust and cobwebs. I took it up
carefully and placed it among the flowers on the table, saying:
"You thought the other wine very good; what will you say to this?"
Then Burguet smiled, for old wine was his special delight; he stretched
up his hand and exclaimed:
"Oh! noble wine, the consoler, the restorer and benefactor of poor men
in this vale of misery! Oh, venerable bottle, thou bearest all the
signs of old nobility!"
He said this with his mouth full, and everybody laughed.