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DIAMONDS TO SIT ON

The waiter began to shufHe his feet impatiently. ‘ We don’t have vegetarian dishes here. Perhaps you’d like a ham omelet ? ’ ‘ Bring us some sausages,’ said Hippolyte, having just made up his mind. ‘ You’ll eat sausages, won’t you, Elizaveta Petrovna ? ’ ‘ Yes, thank you, I will.’ ‘ Well then, this dish—one rouble twenty-five—and a bottle of vodka ’ The waiter looked at Liza. ‘ Anything with the vodka ? Fresh caviare ? Smoked salmon ? Fish or meat patties ? ’ But Hippolyte interrupted him with a curt refusal. ‘ How much do you charge for pickled cucumbers ? Very well, bring us two.’ The waiter hurried away, and again there was silence. Liza was the first to begin talking. ' I’ve never been here before. Isn’t it nice ? ’ ‘ Ye-e-es,’ drawled Hippolyte, as he calculated how much the food would cost. ' Oh ! it doesn’t matter,’ he thought to himself. ‘ I’ll have some vodka and then perhaps I’ll cheer up. It’s rather dull as it is.’ But even after drinking the vodka and eating the cucumber he did not feel at all cheerful. Indeed he was more depressed than ever, for Liza would not drink anything. The tension between them did not diminish, and matters were made worse by the appearance of a man who came up to the table and began to cast amorous glances at Liza. He was selling flowers, and suggested to Hippolyte that he should buy a bunch for the lady. Hippolyte pretended that he had not heard, but the man would not niove away from their table. It was absolutely impossible to talk confidentially with Liza so long as the stranger was standing there. For a time the concert programme saved the situa­ tion. A man came on to the platform and announced