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 ALPHABET OF ‘THE MIRROR OF LIFE’ 71 and m be grateful to get even that. And that’s all I want in return for my services. And how can they find their furniture without me ? They can’t ! ’ Bender looked at the old man with admiration. ‘ A wonderful office,’ he said. ‘ Complete mechani­ zation. You really are a demon for work.’ The flattered archivist began to explain to his guest the details of his pet hobby. He opened the fat volumes of confiscation and distribution records and began to read one of them. ‘ Now here,’ he said, ‘ is the whole of Stargorod. All the furniture, when it was taken and from whom, and when and to whom it was given. This is the index book. I call it “ The Mirror of Life ”. Now about whose furniture would you hke to know ? The merchant Angelov ? Here you are ! Turn up the letter A. Letter A, Ak, Am, An, Angelov. Number ? Here it is : Number 82742. Now let us look at the confiscation records. Page 142. Where is Angelov ? Here he is. “ Taken from Angelov on the i8th December 1918 : one Becker piano. No. 07012 ; an upholstered piano-stool, two writing-desks, four ward­ robes (two of mahogany), one chest of drawers given to the barracks, three wardrobes sent to the children’s home called ‘ The Lark ’, and a fourth wardrobe for the personal use of the secretary of the Starprodkomgub.” And where did the piano go ? Ah ! yes, the piano went to the home for the aged, and it is there to this very day.’ ‘ I don’t seem to remember having seen a piano there,’ thought Bender. ‘ Or take the name of Murin,’ said the archivist. ‘ Letter M. Here you are. Everything is here. The whole town. The pianos, arm-chairs, divans, chandehers, even the dinner-services.’ ‘ Well,’ said Bender, ‘ I consider you ought to have a monument put up to you. But let’s get to work. What about the letter V ? ’