At the arched entrance of the vaults stood a heyduke, with a moustache trimmed in three layers: the upper layer was trained backwards, the second straight forward, and the third downwards, which made him greatly resemble a cat.
The Jew shrank into nothing and approached him almost sideways: "Your high excellency! High and illustrious lord!""Are you speaking to me, Jew?"
"To you, illustrious lord."
"Hm, but I am merely a heyduke," said the merry-eyed man with the triple-tiered moustache.
"And I thought it was the Waiwode himself, by heavens! Ai, ai, ai!"Thereupon the Jew twisted his head about and spread out his fingers.
"Ai, what a fine figure! Another finger's-breadth and he would be a colonel.The lord no doubt rides a horse as fleet as the wind and commands the troops!"The heyduke twirled the lower tier of his moustache, and his eyes beamed.
"What a warlike people!" continued the Jew."Ah, woe is me, what a fine race! Golden cords and trappings that shine like the sun; and the maidens, wherever they see warriors--Ai, ai!" Again the Jew wagged his head.
The heyduke twirled his upper moustache and uttered a sound somewhat resembling the neighing of a horse.
"I pray my lord to do us a service!" exclaimed the Jew: "this prince has come hither from a foreign land, and wants to get a look at the Cossacks.He never, in all his life, has seen what sort of people the Cossacks are."The advent of foreign counts and barons was common enough in Poland:
they were often drawn thither by curiosity to view this half-Asiatic corner of Europe.They regarded Moscow and the Ukraine as situated in Asia.So the heyduke bowed low, and thought fit to add a few words of his own.
"I do not know, your excellency," said he, "why you should desire to see them.They are dogs, not men; and their faith is such as no one respects.""You lie, you son of Satan!" exclaimed Bulba."You are a dog yourself!
How dare you say that our faith is not respected? It is your heretical faith which is not respected.""Oho!" said the heyduke."I can guess who you are, my friend; you are one of the breed of those under my charge.So just wait while I summon our men."Taras realised his indiscretion, but vexation and obstinacy hindered him from devising a means of remedying it.Fortunately Yankel managed to interpose at this moment:--"Most noble lord, how is it possible that the count can be a Cossack?
If he were a Cossack, where could have he obtained such a dress, and such a count-like mien?""Explain that yourself." And the heyduke opened his wide mouth to shout.
"Your royal highness, silence, silence, for heaven's sake!" cried Yankel."Silence! we will pay you for it in a way you never dreamed of: we will give you two golden ducats.""Oho! two ducats! I can't do anything with two ducats.I give my barber two ducats for only shaving the half of my beard.Give me a hundred ducats, Jew." Here the heyduke twirled his upper moustache.
"If you don't, I will shout at once."
"Why so much?" said the Jew, sadly, turning pale, and undoing his leather purse; but it was lucky that he had no more in it, and that the heyduke could not count over a hundred.
"My lord, my lord, let us depart quickly! Look at the evil-minded fellow!" said Yankel to Taras, perceiving that the heyduke was turning the money over in his hand as though regretting that he had not demanded more.
"What do you mean, you devil of a heyduke?" said Bulba."What do you mean by taking our money and not letting us see the Cossacks? No, you must let us see them.Since you have taken the money, you have no right to refuse.""Go, go to the devil! If you won't, I'll give the alarm this moment.
Take yourselves off quickly, I say!"
"My lord, my lord, let us go! in God's name let us go! Curse him! May he dream such things that he will have to spit," cried poor Yankel.
Bulba turned slowly, with drooping head, and retraced his steps, followed by the complaints of Yankel who was sorrowing at the thought of the wasted ducats.
"Why be angry? Let the dog curse.That race cannot help cursing.Oh, woe is me, what luck God sends to some people! A hundred ducats merely for driving us off! And our brother: they have torn off his ear-locks, and they made wounds on his face that you cannot bear to look at, and yet no one will give him a hundred gold pieces.O heavens! Merciful God!"But this failure made a much deeper impression on Bulba, expressed by a devouring flame in his eyes.
"Let us go," he said, suddenly, as if arousing himself; "let us go to the square.I want to see how they will torture him.""Oh, my lord! why go? That will do us no good now.""Let us go," said Bulba, obstinately; and the Jew followed him, sighing like a nurse.
