Burlesques William Makepeace Thackeray

17
respectable, and a shekel despicable. Psha, my Codlingsby! One is as the other. I trade in
pennies and in millions. I am above or below neither."
They were passing through a second shop, smelling strongly of cedar, and, in fact, piled up
with bales of those pencils which the young Hebrews are in the habit of vending through
the streets. "I have sold bundles and bundles of these," said Rafael. "My little brother is
now out with oranges in Piccadilly. I am bringing him up to be head of our house at
Amsterdam. We all do it. I had myself to see Rothschild in Eaton Place this morning, about
the Irish loan, of which I have taken three millions: and as I wanted to walk, I carried the
bag.
"You should have seen the astonishment of Lauda Latymer, the Archbishop of Croydon's
daughter, as she was passing St. Bennet's, Knightsbridge, and as she fancied she recognized
in the man who was crying old clothes the gentleman with whom she had talked at the
Count de St. Aulair's the night before." Something like a blush flushed over the pale
features of Mendoza as he mentioned the Lady Lauda's name. "Come on," said he. They
passed through various warehouses—the orange room, the sealing-wax room, the sixbladed
knife department, and finally came to an old baize door. Rafael opened the baize
door by some secret contrivance, and they were in a black passage, with a curtain at the
end.
He clapped his hands; the curtain at the end of the passage drew back, and a flood of golden
light streamed on the Hebrew and his visitor.
CHAPTER XXIV.
They entered a moderate-sized apartment—indeed, Holywell Street is not above a hundred
yards long, and this chamber was not more than half that length—it was fitted up with the
simple taste of its owner.
The carpet was of white velvet—(laid over several webs of Aubusson, Ispahan, and
Axminster, so that your foot gave no more sound as it trod upon the yielding plain than the
shadow did which followed you)—of white velvet, painted with flowers, arabesques, and
classic figures, by Sir William Ross, J. M. W. Turner, R. A., Mrs. Mee, and Paul
Delaroche. The edges were wrought with seed-pearls, and fringed with Valenciennes lace
and bullion. The walls were hung with cloth of silver, embroidered with gold figures, over