The Coffee Trader

Miguel spends his day of excommunication writing letters to his agents and to Geertruid, who agrees to meet him later that day at a tavern.

Hannah summons Miguel to the drawing room. She asks to drink more of his coffee, and Miguel sends Annetje to make some. As Miguel smiles as her, Hannah thinks that “this is what it would be like to have a husband who loved her” (246). They discuss the Jewish tradition of forbidding women to read and learn. Miguel says that he likes to challenge authority, and that although he always assumed women didn’t want to study, “now that you tell me otherwise I would look at the matter with new eyes” (246).

Miguel sees Alferonda at the tavern where he is to meet Geertruid. Miguel tells him that the coffee seems to be making Hannah more amorous. Alferonda says that coffee is known to increase lust and that Miguel shouldn’t give any more coffee to her. He then suggests that Miguel is in love.

Geertruid tells Miguel that she found an agent for Iberia, but unlike the other agents, he will follow only her instructions, not Miguel’s. At first Miguel is taken aback; he had assumed all the agents would follow his directions. However, he quickly decides that this is an insignificant detail in the grand scheme of things. Feeling very optimistic about their business venture, he tells Geertruid, “We are already wealthy, madam. We have already won” (254).

At the exchange, Miguel meets Nunes, who tells him that the price of coffee has risen but he was able to secure their price at the agreed-upon 33 guilders per barrel.

Miguel goes to a broker to buy coffee puts, which will guarantee his right to sell them in 10 weeks at the current price. Miguel is forced to use Daniel’s name to secure the loan. The broker says he needs to send a letter to Daniel to confirm the agreement, and Miguel asks him to mark the outside of the letter with a circle so he will be sure to see it.

Parido meets up with Miguel and warns him that the Ma’amad didn’t appreciate being compared to the Inquisitors. He says he knows about Miguel’s coffee scheme. Miguel realizes that Parido knows “nothing but what Miguel had intended the world to learn” (257), but he lets Parido believe he knows everything “rather than look for more” (258).

At home, Miguel finds a note from Joachim that says, “If you speak to my wife again, I will kill you” (258).

Miguel goes to see Hendrick and tells him about his problem with Joachim. Hendrick says he can get rid of Joachim for 50 guilders. Miguel says he will think about it.

At home, Hannah approaches Miguel and tells him she saw Geertruid speaking to two men at the Weigh House. Hannah admits that on the day she saw Geertruid, she had been coming from church. Miguel grows angry, saying, “Now leave me so I may think on what to do with his knowledge that I wish I had never heard” (267). Later, however, he regrets his cruel words and wishes he could apologize.

Early the next morning, Hannah goes outside and, seeing a pig’s head on the doorstep, she screams. Miguel steps outside, and Hannah falls into his arms. The doctor is called and says Hannah will be all right after a day in bed. Daniel does not outright accuse Miguel of being responsible, but Miguel “could no longer ignore the simple truth that things between himself and his brother would never be the same” (269).

In his “Factual and Revealing Memoirs,” Alferonda recounts how Parido came up to him after evening prayers, demanding to know more of his plans with Miguel. Alferonda accuses Parido of leaving the pig’s head on Daniel’s doorstep, which offends Parido. Alferonda presses him, saying, “You are wrong about me and wrong about Lienzo, and it is not too late for you to atone for your sins” (272).

Daniel asks Miguel what he knows about the pig’s head. Miguel says he suspects Parido. Daniel disagrees; he thinks it was the work of someone Miguel owes money to. Daniel shows Miguel a note that Hannah found in the pig’s ear. The writing is stained, but Miguel can make out the words “I want my money” and “my wife” (275).

Daniel says he must report the incident to the Ma’amad, and Miguel accuses him of valuing his friendship with Parido over his own brother. Daniel reveals that when Parido’s daughter Antonia saw Miguel with the maid years earlier, she fainted and struck her head. After the injury, she gave birth to “an idiot child, and the doctors say it is the result of this injury” (276).

Later, Annetje brings Miguel a letter addressed to Daniel with a circle on the envelope. It is from the broker, asking for confirmation of Daniel’s security. At the end of the letter, the broker writes, “owing to your recent reversals and the rumors of insolvency, I hesitated before considering your guarantee solid enough to back your brother’s trade” (278). Miguel now knows that Daniel is in debt.

Miguel checks on Hannah and apologizes for what happened. He takes her hand, and “she looked up at him as though this gesture of devotion were the most natural thing in the world” (279). Hannah shares more of what she saw at the Weigh House. Although she can’t be certain, she believes Geertruid was speaking to Dutchmen, although one of them might have been a Jew, and one might have been a servant. Miguel kisses her hand and leaves.

Annetje confronts Hannah and accuses her of telling Miguel about Geertruid. Annetje tells Hannah she is a fool and that Miguel will betray her.

At a tavern, Miguel meets up with Nunes, who says the shipment will be delayed by about two or three months. He also says the price of coffee has gone up and demands 1,000 guilders in payment by the next day. Miguel agrees.

Outside the tavern, Miguel is confronted by Joachim. Anger rises in Miguel, and he shoves Joachim to the ground. A crowd gathers, threatening to call the police because the “Jew attacked the poor beggar and without cause to” (288). However, Joachim tells them that is not necessary and walks off with Miguel. Joachim says he only wants his 500 guilders, and that “with so much hanging in the balance” (289), he is confident Miguel will find a way to get his money.