Page:Selected Czech tales - 1925.djvu/249

 busts, shown to the best advantage by enormous lace fichus; women with tiny hands, and small black boots which I could have kissed; this endless procession of fragrant femininity passed me, and vanished without deigning to give me a single glance. This would drive me almost mad at times. My senses became confused, and I fancied I could hear in the clatter of the horses’ hoofs the chink of the money for which I might have bought any one of these charming, elegant creatures.

How I ached for these women! But what do you, sir, know about that? You have had enough money to buy mistresses, and when you were tired of them you got married, and are now smoking your cigars in the family circle, surrounded by your children.

The irritability of my nerves grew worse when I became acquainted with others who were as unhappy and disappointed as I was. We met daily. Debates were our sole occupation. We debated in reeking top-floors in the room of one or the other of us; we debated on endless promenades along the embankment; in cafés that were open all night; we debated over empty cups of coffee finished hours ago.