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 DIAMOND DREAMS

37

‘ No no ! ’ said Hippolyte, going red in the face, ' I can’t agree to that. Give me that waistcoat back. Bender’s sensitive nature was disgusted. ‘ That’s being petty ! ’ he shouted. ‘ Fancy be­ ginning a business of one hundred and fifty thousand roubles and then quarrelling about eight roubles. You should be more generous.’. Hippolyte grew redder in the face, pulled out a. small memorandum block, and entered, into it. ‘ 25.4.27. Given to Bender : eight roubles. Bender looked over his shoulder. ‘ Oho ! ’ said he, ‘ so you’re opening my personal account, are you ? Then you should keep it Prop­ erly. You should draw up a debit as well as a credit. Don’t forget to enter sixty thousand roubles on the debit side and the waistcoat can go to your credit. Total in my favour equals fifty-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-two roubles. That s something to be going on with.’ After this Bender went to bed and slept the sleep of the just. Hippolyte took off his boots and trousers, kept his darned Jaeger underwear on, and then cr^t under the blanket. He was very uncomfortable. He was cold, there was not enough blanket, and Bender took up too much room. All three had dreams. Hippolyte had black dreams. He saw microbes, the police, and Bezenchuk the undertaker. Bender dreamt of the volcano, Fujiyama, and of Taras Bulba selling picture post cards of the new elec­ tric power station on the Dnieper. And the porter dreamt that a horse had run out 01 its stable. He searched for it all night but without finding it, and next morning he woke up worn out and depressed. For a long time he looked with amaze­ ment at the two men sleeping in his bed, and, unable to make anything of it, he went out with his broom to clean up the road, pick up the rubbish and shout at the old women from the workhouse.