It was true. Raphael had designs more tangibly philanthropic for the
five thousand pounds left him by his aunt. And he was business-like
enough to see that Mr. Goldsmith's money might as well be utilised for
the good of Judaism. He was not quite easy about the little fiction
that would be necessary for the transaction, but the combined
assurances of Mr. Goldsmith and his own common-sense that there was no
real deception or harm involved in it ultimately prevailed. Mr.
Goldsmith left, promising to call again in an hour, and Raphael, full
of new hopes, burst upon the committee. But his first experience of
bargaining was no happier than the rest of his worldly experiences.
When he professed his willingness to relieve them of the burden of
carrying on the paper, they first stared, then laughed, then shook
their fists. As if they would leave him to corrupt the faith! When
they understood he was willing to pay something, the value of the
_Flag of Judah_ went up from less than twopence to more than two
hundred pounds. Everybody was talking about it; its reputation was
made; they were going to print double next week.
'But it has not cost you forty pounds yet!' said the astonished
Raphael.
'What are you saying? Look at the posters alone!' said Sugarman.
'But you don't look at it fairly,' argued De Haan, whose Talmudical
studies had sharpened wits already super-subtle. 'Whatever it has cost
us, it would have cost us much more if we had had to pay our editor,
and it is very unfair of you to leave that out of account.'
Raphael was overwhelmed.
'It's taking away with the left hand what you gave us with the right,'
added De Haan, with infinite sadness. 'I had thought better of you,
Mr. Leon.'
'But you got a good many twopences back,' murmured Raphael.
'It's the future profits that we're losing,' explained Schlesinger.
In the end Raphael agreed to give a hundred pounds, which made the
members inwardly determine to pay up the residue on their shares at
once. De Haan also extorted a condition that the _Flag_ should
continue to be the organ of the Kosher Co-operative Society for at
least six months, doubtless perceiving that, should the paper live and
thrive over that period, it would not then pay the proprietor to
alter its principles; by which bargain the Society secured for itself
a sum of money, together with an organ, gratis, for six months and, to
all seeming, in perpetuity, for at bottom they knew well that
Raphael's heart was sound. They were all on the free list, too, and
they knew he would not trouble to remove them.
Mr. Henry Goldsmith, returning, was rather annoyed at the price, but
did not care to repudiate his agent.
'Be economical,' he said. 'I will get you a better office and find a
proper publisher and canvasser. But cut it as close as you can.'
Raphael's face beamed with joy.
'Oh, depend upon me,' he said.
'What is your own salary?' asked Goldsmith.
'Nothing,' said Raphael.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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