“Tell me, ain’t that swell, now?  Why, this is genuine Parisian and Viennese chic!”

The sub-lieutenant looked through the whole collection from the beginning to the end.  When he was giving back the little box, his hand was shaking, his temples and forehead were moist, his eyes had dimmed, and over his cheeks had mantled a blush, mottled like marble.

“But do you know what?” Horizon exclaimed gaily, all of a sudden.  “It’s all the same to me—­the Indian sign has been put upon me.  I, as they used to say in the olden times, have burned my ships ...  I have burned all that I used to adore before.  For a long time already I’ve been looking for an opportunity to pass these cards on to some one.  I ain’t especially chasing after a price.  You wish to acquire them, mister officer?”

“Well, now ...  I,—­that is ...  Why not? ...  Let’s ...”

“That’s fine!  On account of such a pleasant acquaintanceship, I’ll take fifty kopecks apiece.  What, is that expensive?  Well, what’s the difference, God be with you!  I see you’re a travelling man, I don’t want to rob you; let it go at thirty, then.  What?  That ain’t cheap either?  Well, shake hands on it!  Twenty-five kopecks apiece.  Oi!  What an intractable fellow you are!  At twenty!  You’ll thank me yourself later!  And then, do you know what else?  When I come to K —­, I always stop at the Hotel Hermitage.  You can very easily find me there either very early in the morning, or about eight o’clock in the evening.  I know an awful lot of the finest little ladies.  So I’ll introduce you.  And, you understand, not for money.  Oh, no.  It’s just simply nice and gay for them to pass the time with a young, healthy, handsome man of your sort.  There’s absolutely no money of any kind necessary.  And for that matter—­ they themselves will willingly pay for wine, for a bottle of champagne!  So remember then; The Hermitage, Horizon.  And if it isn’t that, remember it anyway!  Maybe I can be of use to you.  And the cards are such a thing, such a thing, that it will never lay on the shelf by you.  Those who like that sort of thing give three roubles for each specimen.  But these, of course, are rich people, little old men.  And then, you know”—­Horizon bent over to the officer’s very ear, winked one eye, and pronounced in a sly whisper—­“you know, many ladies adore these cards.  Why, you’re a young man, and handsome; how many romances you will have yet!”

Having received the money and counted it over painstakingly, Horizon had the brazenness to extend his hand in addition, and to shake the hand of the sub-lieutenant, who did not dare to lift up his eyes to him; and, having left him on the platform, went back into the passageway of the car, as though nothing had happened.

This was an unusually communicative man.  On the way to his Coupe he came to a stop before a beautiful little girl of three years, with whom he had for some time been flirting at a distance and making all sorts of funny grimaces at.  He squatted down on his heels before her, began to imitate a nanny goat for her, and questioned her in a lisping voice: