“Oh, I’m already almost sure, my dearest Joseph Ivanovich!” exclaimed the rejoicing Horizon, and slightly, with the very tips of his fingers, patted Vengjenovski’s kneecap carefully. “You just rest assured; if Horizon has undertaken anything, then you’ll be thanking him like your own father, no more, no less.”
Half an hour later Simon Yakovlevich and the smooth-faced sub-lieutenant were standing on the platform of the car and smoking.
“Do you often visit K—— , mister sub-lieutenant?” asked Horizon.
“Only for the first time— just imagine!
Our regiment is stationed at Chernobob.
I was born in Moscow, myself.”
“Ai, ai, ai!
How’d you come to get into such a faraway place?”
“Well, it just fell out so.
There was no other vacancy when I was let out.”
“But then— Chernobob is a hole!
The worst little town in all Podolia.”
“That’s true, but it just fell out so.”
“That means, then, that the young officer gent is going to K—— to divert himself a little?”
“Yes.
I’m thinking of stopping there for two or three days.
I’m travelling to Moscow, really.
I have received a two months’ leave, but it would be interesting to look over the city on the way.
It’s very beautiful, they say.”
“Oh, what are you trying to tell me?
A remarkable city!
Well, absolutely a European city.
If you only knew, what streets, electricity, trolleys, theatres!
And if you only knew what cabarets!
You’ll lick your own fingers.
Positively, positively, I advise you, young man, to pay a visit to the chateau des fleurs, to the Tivoli, and also to ride out to the island.
That’s something special.
What women, wha-a-at women!”
The lieutenant turned red, took his eyes away, and asked in a voice that quavered:
“Yes, I’ve happened to hear that.
Is it possible that they’re really so handsome?”
“Oi!
Strike me God!
Believe me, there are no handsome women there at all.”
“But— how’s that?”
“Why, this way: there are only raving beauties there.
You understand— what a happy blending of bloods! Polish, Little Russian, and Hebrew.
How I envy you, young man, that you’re free and alone.
In my time I sure would have shown myself!
And what’s most remarkable of all, they’re unusually passionate women!
Well, just like fire!
And do you know something else?” he asked in a whisper of great significance.
“What?” asked the sub-lieutenant in a fright.
“It’s remarkable, that nowheres, neither in Paris, nor in London— believe me, this was told me by people who had seen the whole wide world— never, nowhere, will you meet with such exquisite ways of making love as in this town.
That’s something especial, as us little Jews say.
They think up such things that no imagination can picture to itself.
It’s enough to drive you crazy!”
“But is that possible?” quietly spoke the sub-lieutenant, whose breath had been cut off.
“Well, strike me God!
But permit me, young man, by the way!