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DIAMONDS TO SIT ON

‘ Fancy eating carcasses! ’ he said. ' It’s simply cannibalism under a mask of culture. AU diseases can be attributed to meat.’ ‘ Of course,’ said Liza sarcasticaUy. ‘ Angina pec­ toris. for instance.’ ‘ Certainly! Any organ weakened by constant meat-eating cannot possibly withstand infection. Why, just think of it, a pork chop takes a whole week out of a man’s life.’ ‘ WeU, let it! ’ said Liza. ‘ Mock hare takes half a year out of mine ! Yesterday when I was eating that roast carrot I felt I should die, but I didn’t want to tell you.’ ' Why didn’t you teU me ? ’ ' I couldn’t. I was too ill.’ Liza began to weep. ‘ Leo Tolstoy didn’t eat meat,’ said Nicky in a trembhng voice. ' I dare say,’ said Liza, gulping her tears. ‘ The Count ate asparagus.’ ‘ Asparagus isn’t meat.’ ‘ No, but he ate meat when he was writing War and Peace. Yes, meat, meat, meat! Yes, and when he wrote Anna Karenina he simply guzzled meat, meat, meat 1 ’ ' Oh, shut up ! ’ ‘ I tell you he did ! He guzzled meat, meat! ’ ' And when he wrote The Kreutzer Sonata did he also eat meat ? ’ asked Nicky bitingly. ‘ The Kreutzer Sonata is only a short thing. He couldn’t have written War and Peace on vegetarian sausage.’ ‘ Well, what are you bringing in Tolstoy for ? ’ ‘ I bringing in Tolstoy ? ’ Liza went hastily across the cubicle and put on her beret. ‘ Where are you going to ? ’ ‘ On business. Leave me alone.’ And Liza hurried out of the room.