When we let off a girlie for a night we take ten
roubles, and for the twenty-four hours twenty-five roubles. That's
a tax, like. Don't you want a smoke, young man?" she stretched out
her case, and Lichonin, without himself knowing why, took a
cigarette.
"I wanted to talk with you about something else entirely."
"O! Don't trouble yourself to speak: I understand everything very
well. Probably the young man wants to take these girl, those
Liubka, altogether to himself to set her up, or in order to--how
do you Russians call it?--in order to safe her? Yes, yes, yes,
that happens. Twenty-two years I live in a brothel, and I know,
that this happens with very foolish young peoples. But only I
assure you, that from this will come nothing out."
"Whether it will come out or whether it won't come out--that is
already my affair," answered Lichonin dully, looking down at his
fingers, trembling on his knees.
"O, of course, it's your affair, my young student," and the flabby
cheeks and majestic chins of Emma Edwardovna began to jump from
inaudible laughter. "From my soul I wish for you love and
friendship; but only trouble yourself to tell this nasty creature,
this Liubka, that she shouldn't dare to show even her nose here,
when you throw her out into the street like a little doggie.
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