"Oh, I must have coffee," said the Jew again.

"Certainly," the professor assented. "Coffee is nutritious;



it warms the blood. How much do you want?"

"A pound. A pound will last me for a long time."



"And who will weigh it for you?" asked Rosette, scarcely able

to conceal the eagerness that prompted the question.



"Why, they will weigh it with my steelyard, of course.

There is no other balance here." And as the Jew spoke,



the professor fancied he could detect the faintest of sighs.

"Good, Master Isaac; all the better for you! You will get your seven



pounds instead of one!"

"Yes; well, seven, or thereabouts--thereabouts," stammered the Jew



with considerable hesitation.

Rosette scanned his countenancenarrowly, and was about to



probe him with further questions, when Ben Zoof returned.

"And what does his Excellency say?" inquired Hakkabut.



"Why, Nehemiah, he says he shan't give you any."

"Merciful heavens!" began the Jew.



"He says he doesn't mind selling you a little."

"But, by the holy city, why does he make me pay for what anybody else



could have for nothing?"

"As I told you before, you are not anybody else; so, come along.



You can afford to buy what you want. We should like to see the color

of your money."



"Merciful heavens!" the old man whined once more.

"Now, none of that! Yes or no? If you are going to buy, say so at once;



if not, I shall shut up shop."

Hakkabut knew well enough that the orderly was not a man to be trifled with,



and said, in a tremulous voice, "Yes, I will buy."

The professor, who had been looking on with much interest,



betrayed manifest symptoms of satisfaction.

"How much do you want? What will you charge for it?"



asked Isaac, mournfully, putting his hand into his pocket

and chinking his money.



"Oh, we will deal gently with you. We will not make any profit.

You shall have it for the same price that we paid for it.



Ten francs a pound, you know."

The Jew hesitated.



"Come now, what is the use of your hesitating? Your gold will have no value

when you go back to the world."



"What do you mean?" asked Hakkabut, startled.

"You will find out some day," answered Ben Zoof, significantly.



Hakkabut drew out a small piece of gold from his pocket, took it close

under the lamp, rolled it over in his hand, and pressed it to his lips.



"Shall you weigh me the coffee with my steelyard?" he asked, in a quavering

voice that confirmed the professor's suspicions.



"There is nothing else to weigh it with; you know that well enough,

old Shechem," said Ben Zoof. The steelyard was then produced;



a tray was suspended to the hook, and upon this coffee was

thrown until the needle registered the weight of one pound.



Of course, it took seven pounds of coffee to do this.

"There you are! There's your coffee, man!" Ben Zoof said.



"Are you sure?" inquired Hakkabut, peering down close to the dial.

"Are you quite sure that the needle touches the point?"



"Yes; look and see."

"Give it a little push, please."



"Why?"

"Because--because--"



"Well, because of what?" cried the orderly, impatiently.

"Because I think, perhaps--I am not quite sure--perhaps the steelyard



is not quite correct."

The words were not uttered before the professor, fierce as a tiger,



had rushed at the Jew, had seized him by the throat, and was shaking

him till he was black in the face.



"Help! help!" screamed Hakkabut. "I shall be strangled."

"Rascal! consummate rascal! thief! villain!" the professor reiterated,



and continued to shake the Jew furiously.

Ben Zoof looked on and laughed, making no attempt to interfere;



he had no sympathy with either of the two.

The sound of the scuffling, however, drew the attention



of Servadac, who, followed by his companions, hastened to the scene.

The combatants were soon parted. "What is the meaning of all this?"

• lieutenant [lef´tenənt] n.陆军中尉；代理；副手 (初中英语单词)


• violence [´vaiələns] n.猛烈；暴力(行) (初中英语单词)


• visitor [´vizitə] n.访问者；来宾；参观者 (初中英语单词)


• considerable [kən´sidərəbəl] a.重要的；值得重视 (初中英语单词)


• orderly [´ɔ:dəli] a.整洁的 n.勤务兵 (初中英语单词)


• conviction [kən´vikʃən] n.定罪；确信，信服 (初中英语单词)


• miserable [´mizərəbəl] a.悲惨的；可怜的 (初中英语单词)


• account [ə´kaunt] vi.说明 vt.认为 n.帐目 (初中英语单词)


• explanation [,eksplə´neiʃən] n.解释；说明；辩解 (初中英语单词)


• furious [´fjuəriəs] a.狂怒的；猛烈的 (初中英语单词)


• universal [,ju:ni´və:səl] a.宇宙的；普遍的 (初中英语单词)


• confirm [kən´fə:m] vt.证实；认可；加强 (初中英语单词)


• suspicion [sə´spiʃən] n.怀(猜)疑；嫌疑 (初中英语单词)


• actually [´æktʃuəli] ad.事实上；实际上 (初中英语单词)


• polite [pə´lait] a.有礼貌的；温和的 (初中英语单词)


• invitation [,invi´teiʃən] n.邀请；请帖；吸引 (初中英语单词)


• anxiety [æŋ´zaiəti] n.挂念；渴望；焦虑的事 (初中英语单词)


• curiosity [,kjuəri´ɔsiti] n.好奇；奇事；珍品 (初中英语单词)


• remarkable [ri´mɑ:kəbl] a.值得注意的；显著的 (初中英语单词)


• adequate [´ædikwit] a.足够的；适当的 (初中英语单词)


• evidently [´evidəntli] ad.明显地 (初中英语单词)


• consideration [kən,sidə´reiʃən] n.考虑；原因；体谅 (初中英语单词)


• accordingly [ə´kɔ:diŋli] ad.因此；从而；依照 (初中英语单词)


• meanwhile [´mi:n´wail] n.&ad.其间；同时 (初中英语单词)


• governor [´gʌvənə] n.总督；州长 (初中英语单词)


• conceal [kən´si:l] vt.藏；隐瞒 (初中英语单词)


• countenance [´kauntinəns] n.面部表情；脸色；面容 (初中英语单词)


• charge [tʃɑ:dʒ] v.收费；冲锋 n.费用 (初中英语单词)


• gently [´dʒentli] ad.温和地；静静地 (初中英语单词)


• needle [´ni:dl] n.针；指针 v.用针缝 (初中英语单词)


• fierce [fiəs] a.残忍的；强烈的 (初中英语单词)


• throat [θrəut] n.咽喉；嗓子；出入口 (初中英语单词)


• sympathy [´simpəθi] n.同情，怜悯 (初中英语单词)


• whilst [wailst] conj.当…时候；虽然 (高中英语单词)


• recreation [,rekri´eiʃən] n.消遣；休养 (高中英语单词)


• telescope [´teliskəup] n.望远镜 (高中英语单词)


• casual [´kæʒuəl] a.偶然的；临时的 (高中英语单词)


• continual [kən´tinjuəl] a.不断的，频繁的 (高中英语单词)


• temperament [´tempərəmənt] n.气质；性格 (高中英语单词)


• perpetual [pə´petʃuəl] a.永恒的；终身的 (高中英语单词)


• scanty [´skænti] a.贫乏的；节省的 (高中英语单词)


• celestial [si´lestiəl] a.天空的，天的 (高中英语单词)


• probability [,prɔbə´biliti] n.或有；可能性 (高中英语单词)


• hanging [´hæŋiŋ] n.绞刑 a.悬挂着的 (高中英语单词)


• cavern [´kævən] n.大山洞；大岩洞 (高中英语单词)


• ascertain [,æsə´tein] vt.探查；查明 (高中英语单词)


• ecstasy [´ekstəsi] n.狂喜；出神，入迷 (高中英语单词)


• repeated [ri´pi:tid] a.反复的；重复的 (高中英语单词)


• hurried [´hʌrid] a.仓促的，慌忙的 (高中英语单词)


• withdrew [wið´dru:] withdraw的过去式 (高中英语单词)


• behavior [bi´heiviə] n.举止，行为 (高中英语单词)


• hitherto [,hiðə´tu:] ad.至今，迄今 (高中英语单词)


• consequently [´kɔnsikwəntli] ad.因此，所以 (高中英语单词)


• eagerness [´i:gənis] n.渴望；热忱 (高中英语单词)


• detect [di´tekt] vt.发觉；侦察 (高中英语单词)


• manifest [´mænifest] a.明显的 v.表明 (高中英语单词)


• arduous [´ɑ:djuəs] a.费力的；陡峭的 (英语四级单词)


• conjecture [kən´dʒektʃə] n.&v.猜测(想)；设想 (英语四级单词)


• apprehend [,æpri´hend] vt.理解；忧虑；逮捕 (英语四级单词)


• haggard [´hægəd] a.憔悴的 (英语四级单词)


• newton [´nju:tn] n.牛顿 (英语四级单词)


• mechanism [´mekənizəm] n.机械装置；机制 (英语四级单词)


• frenzy [´frenzi] n.&vt.(使)狂乱 (英语四级单词)


• cautious [´kɔ:ʃəs] a.小心的；谨慎的 (英语四级单词)


• nobleman [´nəublmən] n.贵族 (英语四级单词)


• beverage [´bevəridʒ] n.饮料 (英语四级单词)


• ultimately [´ʌltimitli] ad.最后，最终 (英语四级单词)


• amiable [´eimiəbəl] a.亲切的，温和的 (英语四级单词)


• collision [kə´liʒən] n.碰幢；冲突；互撞事件 (英语六级单词)


• entail [in´teil] vt.限定(继承人)；需要 (英语六级单词)


• observatory [əb´zə:vətəri] n.天文台；气象台 (英语六级单词)


• dissatisfaction [di,sætis´fækʃən] n.不满 (英语六级单词)


• irritable [´iritəbəl] a.急躁的；过敏的 (英语六级单词)


• vexation [vek´seiʃən] n.烦恼(的原因) (英语六级单词)


• gravitation [,grævi´teiʃən] a.万有引力的 (英语六级单词)


• madman [´mædmən] n.疯子；狂人 (英语六级单词)


• vouchsafe [vautʃ´seif] v.赐予；俯允 (英语六级单词)


• excellency [´eksələnsi] n.阁下 (英语六级单词)


• narrowly [´nærəuli] ad.勉强地；严密地 (英语六级单词)


• tremulous [´tremjuləs] a.发抖的；震颤的 (英语六级单词)


• consummate [kɔn´sʌmit] a.完美的 vt.完成；圆房 (英语六级单词)