The Coffee Trader

Hannah chews on coffee berries as she and Annetje head to the market. They are approached by Geertruid, who tells Hannah that she saw her go into the church the other day. She cautions Hannah to be more careful, as she knows “what it would mean if the world were to know you were inside it” (145).

Geertruid then assures Hannah that she will not divulge Hannah’s secret. In return, she asks Hannah to promise not to tell anyone that she saw Geertruid in front of the Weigh House that same day. Hannah agrees, and Geertruid departs.

Hannah tells Annetje that she must promise not to tell anyone about this encounter. Annetje responds that Hannah must not keep any more secrets from her, saying, “Keep your affairs hidden from me again, and you’ll have cause to regret it” (147).

Walking home, Hannah worries about what Geertruid is scheming and hopes she is secretly planning a nice surprise for Miguel or some help with his business.

At a tavern with Nunes, Miguel asks if he knows Ricardo. Nunes answers that it could be another month before Miguel gets the money Ricardo owes him. Nunes suggests that perhaps Miguel should reconsider his intention to invest in coffee. Miguel observes that Daniel also tried to warn him off coffee, but he refuses to take these warnings seriously, saying, “Just do what I pay you to do” (150).

At home, Daniel shows Miguel some letters that arrived for him. Miguel recognizes one of the letters as Joachim’s. The letter is an apology for his earlier behavior. He writes that he is “glad that we may enter into a matter of business that will serve our mutual interests” (152).

Hannah enters his room, saying she smelled something strange. Miguel says it is “a new kind of tea” (154), and Hannah finally realizes that coffee is made for drinking, not for eating the beans. As she talks, her scarf loosens, revealing a lock of hair, which is forbidden among Jewish women. Miguel “found this lock of hair strangely exciting” (154).

In his “Factual and Revealing Memoirs,” Alferonda tells how he introduced Miguel to monkey coffee. When Miguel learns it is made from monkey droppings, he refuses to drink anymore. Miguel says it is impossible to know whether Parido gave him a bad tip about the brandy future on purpose, to which Alferonda answers, “I don’t believe in mere happenstance, Miguel. He’s shown his colors” (158).

Miguel asks if Parido is Ricardo’s client who is refusing to pay the whale oil money. Alferonda says not necessarily, but he may be exerting his influence on the client. Alferonda urges Miguel to “remain fast and cling to your purpose” (159) in the coffee trade. Miguel says he intends to do exactly that, which is “precisely what [Alferonda] wanted to hear” (159).

Hannah and Annetje are cooking in the kitchen. Annetje says she’s been thinking about Geertruid and advises Hannah not to say anything about the encounter to Miguel. She warns Hannah that if she tells Miguel, he will betray her, adding, “I tell you that you must not trust him. If you do speak to him, I will consider myself betrayed” (161).

Miguel receives letters from brokers around Europe willing to go in on his deal. He goes for a walk with Geertruid to discuss the business. His plan is going well. He estimates that two months from the time Geertruid deposits the money in his account, they will have the coffee. However, there are a number of problems. First, he has not been able to find an agent for Lisbon, Madrid, or Oporto, and the plan is impossible without securing these cities.

Geertruid takes Miguel to a brothel, saying, “I thought you a little lonely” (165). She introduces him to a woman named Agatha. Geertruid says they are done talking business for the night. Miguel insists that she tell him when she is going to deposit the money, and Geertruid says he will have it before the end of the week. Miguel realizes Geertruid lied earlier when she said she would get the money from selling off some holdings.

The next day Miguel gets a letter from an agent, demanding the money he owes. Miguel finds Ricardo, who again tells Miguel that he must be patient in waiting for his money. Miguel accuses Ricardo of working for Parido and tells him that if he doesn’t get the money by tomorrow, “You can be sure I will seek justice” (168). However, the money is not in his account the next day, so Miguel has no choice but to give 900 guilders of Geertruid’s money to the agents.

At the exchange, Miguel meets Parido, who tells him he heard rumors about Miguel’s coffee deal. Then Parido says that he knows Antonia’s maid lied about the pregnancy, and that Miguel put her up to it. He says the fact that he has not sought revenge should prove that his offer of friendship is sincere.

Miguel finds Nunes, who tells him to keep his distance from Parido. Miguel asks Nunes to find him a contact in Lisbon, but Nunes refuses, saying, “I won’t risk Parido’s anger, or even his notice” (173).

Four days later Miguel takes a barge to Rotterdam to meet with Fernando, who will be his contact in London. The next morning, on another barge back to Amsterdam, he realizes that there are two Ma’amad spies aboard.