The End of Everything (New Yiddish Library Series) Read Online Free

passing her examinations in six grades had some connection with him and with the fact that Mirele had returned their betrothal contract and was now keeping regular company with the crippled student Lipkis; that all of this mortified and humiliated him, that he couldn’t permit it to continue and was obliged to put a stop to it.
    And then something happened to him that actually shouldn’t have happened.
    He began fraternizing with the village schoolmaster, a Gentile who came daily to tutor the priest’s too long unmarried daughters, * finally invited him over, and began secretly taking lessons from him.
    On one occasion he even remarked to this Gentile:
    —These fractions are a clever thing … really, a very clever thing to study.
    And the Gentile schoolmaster went off and mockingly made this remark known everywhere.
    As a result, the priest’s daughters almost choked with laughter every time they saw Velvl passing their front verandah. And in town one day Mirele stopped his sisters to ask sarcastically:
    —Apparently your Velvl is planning to enter university—is this true?
1.4
    He met Nokhem Tarabay once more.
    This was at the sugar refinery, where he was collecting what he was owed for the sugar beets that had been ordered from him.
    With the deference of a loyal and bashful pupil, he stood before Tarabay listening to him prattle on cheerfully about how he’d recently met Velvl’s former fiancée in town and had conducted a polite conversation with her.
    Before he left, he’d embraced her in the aristocratic manner there in her father’s house, had addressed her in Polish as jas´niewielmoz·na panna, “most distinguished young lady,” and had whispered a secret to her about Velvl:
    —He, Tarabay, had a match for her … an uncommonly fine match.
    And he screwed up one of his eyes, gave Velvl a knowing wink, and laid his hand on his shoulder:
    —Velvl wasn’t to worry about a thing but was simply to trust Tarabay.
    And Tarabay added an oath as well:
    —He wished he might have as many happy years for himself as Velvl would have with so fine a wife as Mirele.
    At the time he’d been immensely grateful to that shrewd, cheerful Tarabay, and smiling to himself had thought about him with great esteem as he traveled home.
    —That’s a clever man … That’s a true man of the world.
    For nearly two successive weeks afterward he was excited and happy, overeager to offer tea to the broker from town who called on him; he even made an unnecessary trip to the stables, where he cheerfully repeated to his driver:
    —We ought to get you a new cap, Aleksey … Please remind me about this when we’re next in the provincial capital …
    It was good to lie on his bed all evening thinking about a time when Mirele’s autumn jacket would at last be hanging in the entrance hall, and to imagine how, lying here on this same bed, he would answer Mirele’s question:
    —Why not? He didn’t stint her use of the buggy, did he? If she wanted to go into town, she had only to order the buggy harnessed up and go whenever she pleased.
    He was waiting for something, beside himself with impatience trying to guess how Tarabay would keep his promise.
    —Well, Tarabay would come to town shortly … He’d certainly have to come down soon in connection with his business affairs and then he’d call on the man who should’ve been Velvl’s father-in-law.
    But days passed, and there was no sign of Tarabay’s phaeton in town.
    Mirele was as solicitous for the crippled student as for a blood brother, even meddled in his affairs, and pleaded his case behind his back:
    —What was the point of it? Was there any viable future for him in staying tied to his mother’s apron strings, teaching Torah to the girls of the town?
    There was no news in town apart from nasty rumors that started spreading about the old Count of Kashperivke who was already living abroad with his son-in-law:
    —The Count was heading for bankruptcy, no question, and