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PART ONE - DAWNING

 CHAPTER ONE

BERLIN

The letter was datelined Bayswater, London, January the tenth, 1871. Josef Aronberg was holding it in his hand with dismay written on his face.  His normally severe expression began to assume such grimness that his wife, Ruth, usually respectfully silent whilst he read his breakfast mail, exclaimed, "Whatever is the matter, Josef? Has something terrible happened to Reuben?"
"Indeed, something has happened to Reuben," growled her husband, handing the letter to his son, Isaac, to pass down the table to his mother.
"Why, it's from Julius Roth," said Ruth, looking first at the signature, "surely he wouldn't send you bad news?"
"Read it, Ruth, read it!" said her husband irritably.
She read it carefully. Then she put it down and said, "It must be a false report he's been given! This is malicious talk! I don't believe it! It's impossible!"
"You know perfectly well that Julius wouldn't send me a false report. You know he'd check and recheck on such a thing. I'd already heard rumours. I tried to ignore them. I didn't want to distress you. That's why I asked Julius to investigate for me. This is certainly true."
The Aronberg international textile import and export business had both its headquarters and main residence of the family in a large mansion in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin. Josef had established the firm there in 1838 and had since seen it grow to its present importance. He, together with his family, had renounced Judaism some years ago and been baptised into the Lutheran church. This prudent act had effectively removed certain problems, which had been preventing business expansion. He had, however, insisted on retaining both the family name and continuing the practice of using Biblical first names for the children. "Never, never, are you to abandon my name of Aronberg!" he enjoined his son. "If any member of the family ever renounces my name they, too, must be renounced. Make me that promise!"
"I make that promise, Father, and shall see it is observed by my own children and by theirs."
The Charlottenburg offices Josef managed himself. Although, in 1871, still only fifty-four years old he already had the appearance of a greybearded patriarch. He was a tall, dignified man, always dressed in suits of fine dark cloth, wing collar and carefully tied cravat, gold pince-nez dangling at his waist from a silken cord. There were two other main offices. One in Munich, managed by his younger brother, Moses, and the other, more recently established in 1850, in London. This latter was, at the insistence of his wife, whose family had put a great deal of money into the business when they had married, managed by her younger brother, Reuben. In 1850 Reuben had been twenty-five and had shown much more enthusiasm for a literary career than a commercial one.
"All the more reason," Ruth had said to her reluctant husband, "to give him a proper job. Give him enough responsibility and he'll prove himself a capable business man!"  Unfortunately she had been wrong but nothing would make her admit to it. Reuben ran the London office with such little enthusiasm that Josef despaired. Reuben's aspirations were always elsewhere.
Breakfast was an important meal in the Charlottenburg household. It was mandatory that everybody be seated in his or her appointed place by seven o'clock. At the head of the massive oak table was Josef. At the opposite end, behind the great silver coffeepot, sat Ruth Stein, two years younger than her husband. She had been a noted beauty in her youth and this was still apparent. She invariably dressed in black. Her only concession to personal adornment was her wedding ring and a large cameo brooch at her neck. Her fine black hair, just showing traces of white, was firmly encased in a black lace cap. On Josef's right sat their only son, Isaac, then thirty- two. Ruth had intended he would be the first of many children but his birth had been attended by such grave complications that he had no siblings. He had grown to adulthood aware that he would one day succeed his father and was passionately devoted to the firm.  He was a tall, dark, sallow man, heavily bearded, soberly dressed and generally considered handsome.  At twenty-four he had married Miriam, three years his junior.  She was seated next to her husband, to the left of her mother-in-law. By some quirk of ancestry she had a much lighter complexion than her husband's family and grey-green eyes. She, too, dressed only in subdued colours and, apart from her wedding ring, never wore any jewellery other than the pearl necklace given to her by Isaac as a betrothal token. She, also, had brought into the business a very considerable dowry. Opposite their parents were seated the two children, Samuel, then aged six, and Eli, a year younger.
Isaac and Miriam had been listening to the exchange between Josef and Ruth with bewilderment. "Father," said Isaac, at last, "what is it that is so distressing you both? Can we be told?"
"Isaac," responded his father, gravely, "I have just received news which is going to change the lives of you and your family. Reuben has involved the business in very considerable financial loss and problems through his incompetence. I can no longer tolerate his remaining in charge of the London office. You must go to London and take over from him as soon as possible."
"But Josef," exclaimed Ruth, "at one stroke you condemn my brother unheard and exile my children! You should make further enquiry before acting so precipitately!"
"Indeed, my dear," responded Josef, " in this matter you must, I fear, defer to my business judgement notwithstanding your natural affection. This must be so!"
Isaac and Miriam sat silent, stunned by the suddenness with which all this had descended upon them. Neither had any desire to quit Berlin and live in a foreign country.
Ruth, for her part, suddenly rose from her chair and swept out of the room, her eyes brimming with tears.
"I think you and the children should go to her, Miriam," said Josef. "I must speak alone with Isaac."
Left on their own Isaac took up the letter and read it. Then he looked at his father questioningly.
"The business relies on mutual and absolute family trust, Isaac," said his father, "we can no longer put any reliance in Reuben's judgement. I shall give him a generous inducement to go that I know for certain he will not resist.  Please remain on friendly terms with him when you go to London. That is the least I can do to compensate your mother.  He must, however, be kept completely out of the business.  I am afraid you must go, Isaac!"
"What will Reuben find to do, Father?"
"He always had a consuming desire to own and run a bookshop. Indeed I truly believe he'd rather read than marry! I suppose that must be why he never has married! I shall, therefore, provide him with ample means to acquire such a shop whilst making it quite clear to him that he must never again interfere with the running of the London office. You will have no trouble with him.  You will find you are dealing with a much happier man!"
"That's more than I can say for myself! It is going to be very difficult.  How am I, who has always regarded himself as a loyal Prussian subject, going to adjust to being a British subject?"
"There are many types of loyalty! It is, I know, often hard to reconcile them all. Isn't it only realistic to recognise that blind obedience to any particular principle or person may, according to circumstance, be actually harmful? In the present case I could have placed consideration for my wife and her manifest natural affection for her brother before my loyalty to the business.  In the end that, surely, would have led to the decay of the London office and, quite possibly, the downfall of the entire business.  In such circumstances should not prudence overrule emotion?  I am well aware of your commendable patriotism. No doubt, one day, when I am gone, you will return here, to Berlin, to take charge.  In the meantime find comfort from the knowledge that you are still only thirty-four.  It must be to the Queen of England you must give your allegiance whilst you live there.  As for your other loyalties, to your family, and the business, these are and always shall be beyond question."
"Father, I shall always remember what you have said! I cannot, however, pretend that my devotion to both the city of Berlin and Germany will not always remain.  These feelings both Miriam and I shall certainly pass on to our children.  I leave with the certain knowledge that, one day, we shall return to live where we truly belong."

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