St. Peter's Umbrella

Angebote / Angebote:

Excerpt: ...etc., the bricklayers gave a day's work without wages, only one or two of the lazier ones did not join the rest on that day, but were sent to Coventry for it. "Good-for-nothing fellows, " said every one, "they have no respect for any one, neither for God, the priest, nor a Jew!" Their respect went so far as to make them (at the mayor's instigation) set apart two pieces of ground, one for a (future) synagogue, and one for a Jewish burial-ground (for the one Jewess they had in the town). But what did that matter? They had the future before them, and who could tell what it held for them? And it was so nice to be able to say to strangers: "Just a stone's throw from the Jewish burial-ground, " or "near to the foundation of the Synagogue, " etc. And the inhabitants of the villages round about would say when the good folks turned their backs: "Poor things! Their brains have been turned with the joy of having a Jew in their town!" Pg 144 CHAPTER III. THE TRACES LEAD TO GLOGOVA. One fine spring afternoon, a light sort of dog-cart stopped before Mrs. Müncz's shop, and a young man sprang out of it, Gyuri Wibra, of course. Rosália, who was just standing at her door, speaking to Mr. Mravucsán, the mayor, and Mr. Galba, one of the senators, immediately turned to the young man with the question: "What can I do for you, sir?" "Are you Mrs. Müncz?" "Yes, sir." "I want to buy an umbrella." The two gentlemen, surprised, looked up at the cloudless sky. "What the devil does he want to buy an umbrella for?" muttered Mravucsán. Then added aloud: "Where are you from, sir?" "From Besztercebánya." Mravucsán was even more surprised. Pg 145 Fancy any one coming all the way from Besztercebánya to Bábaszék to buy an umbrella! How proud he was it had happened under his mayorship! He nudged Galba: "Do you hear?" he said. "This is only a small village shop, sir, " answered Rosália. "We don't keep umbrellas."...