"
"It isn't Lichonin but I who introduced him to everybody,"' said
Ramses. "I know him for a fully respectable person and a good
companion."
"Eh! Nonsense! A good companion to drink at some one else's
expense. Why, don't you see for yourselves that this is the most
ordinary type of habitue attached to a brothel, and, most
probably, he is simply the pimp here, to whom a percentage is paid
for the entertainment into which he entices the visitors."
"Leave off, Borya. It's foolish," remarked Yarchenko
reproachfully.
But Borya could not leave off. He had an unfortunate peculiarity--
intoxication acted neither upon his legs nor his tongue, but put
him in a morose, touchy frame of mind and egged him on into
quarrels. And Platonov had already for a long time irritated him
with his negligently sincere, assured and serious bearing, so
little suitable to the private cabinet of a brothel. But the
seeming indifference with which the reporter let pass the
malicious remarks which he interposed into the conversation
angered Sobashnikov still more.
"And then, the tone in which he permits himself to speak in our
company!" Sobashnikov continued to seethe.
Pages:
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159