"But allow me to ask," asked the spare little general, coughing
politely, "allow me to ask, my dear sir, what occupation might you
pursue?"
"Ah, my God!" with a charming frankness retorted Simon
Yakovlevich. "Well, what can a poor Jew do in our time? It's a bit
of a travelling salesman and a commission broker by me. At the
present time I'm far from business. You--he! he! he!--understand
yourselves, gentlemen. A honeymoon--don't turn red, Sarochka--it
don't repeat itself three times in a year. But afterwards I'll
have to travel and work a great deal. Here we'll come with
Sarochka to town, will pay the visits to her relatives, and then
again on the road. On my first trip I'm thinking of taking my
wife. You know, sort of a wedding journey. I'm a representative
from Sidris and two English firms. Wouldn't you like to have a
look? Here are the samples with me ..."
He very rapidly took out of a small, elegant case of yellow
leather a few long cardboard folding books, and with the dexterity
of a tailor began to unfold them, holding one end, from which
their folds fell downward with a light crackling.
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