Page:Diamonds To Sit On.pdf/185

 TWO VISITS

173

Bender frowned. He did not like the idea of the Press taking any interest in him. ‘ Which paper ? ’ he said. Hippolyte showed him the newspaper Stan ok. ‘ Here it is,’ he said, ‘ in the column “ News of the Day ” .’ Bender looked at it. KNOCKED DOWN BY A HORSE Yesterday, in Sverdlov Square, Comrade Ostap Bender was knocked down by a horse belonging to Cabman Number 8974. Com­ rade Bender was unhurt and escaped with a fright.

‘ It was the cabman who had a fright, not I,’ said Bender. ‘ They’re perfect idiots. They scribble away and don’t know what they’re scribbhng about. Did you say it was the Stanok ? That’s very helpful indeed. Do you know, Hippolyte, this very note was probably written by a journalist as he sat on our chair ? It’s really quite amusing ! ’ The great schemer grew thoughtful, for at last he had found a reason for calling at the newspaper office. After discovering that aU the rooms on the right and on the left of the corridor belonged to the newspaper, he decided that he would go into each room to find the chair. First he walked into the room where the young members of the automobile club were having a dis­ cussion, but he saw at a glance that the chair was not there, so he went into the next room. He passed from room to room making all sorts of different inquiries until he reached the editor’s room, where he found the editor sitting on Hippolyte’s chair and shouting some­ thing into the telephone. After examining the place very carefully. Bender turned to the editor. ‘ Your paper,’ he said, ‘ has slandered me.’