Yama (The Pit)

ya Street Rovinskaya

ost luxurious place, then into a med

away at your order, ruin my career and position at a mere sign of yours ... But I dare not bring you to these houses. Russian manners are coarse, and often simp

itechapel in a choice company. I will say, that I was treated there very carefully and anticipatingly. I will also say, that there were with me at that time two English aristocrats; lords, bo

sky fla

for you. But if you command, then I'm ready to go where you will.

xurious establishment in the Yamkas-Treppel's. Ryazano

pection of the m

e, a golden design in the form of small laurel wreaths. And at once Rovinskaya recognized, with the keen memor

t. The girls sat immovable, like carvings of stone, in order to pretend with all their might that they were respectable ladies. Even the champagne, which Ryazanov called for, did

you born? Germany,

e Frau, I a

serve here, then? N

o be married now. I bring my savings to a bank, and he does the same. When we have saved the ten thousand roubles we need, we will open o

Rovinskaya was amazed. "You are youn

know Esthonian as well. I finished the munic

ind a place with everything found, and about thirty roubles. Well, in the capacity of a housekeeper, bo

, mad

it would not be at all hard for you to get up on your fee

eas here, with a prudent economy, I gain up to a hundred roubles and at once carry them away with a book into the savings bank. And besides that, just imagine, gnadige Frau, what a humiliating position to be the

r. "I've heard a great deal of your life here, in these ... what do you call them? .. these houses. They say it is something horrible

to the proprietress for board, quarters, fuel, light, linen ... There remains to me more than a hundred and fifty, it is not so? Fifty I spent on costumes and all sorts of trifles. A hundred I save. What e

don me, I do not

ls

beaten at times ... compelled to do that which y

t many should live so in their own families as we live here. True, on Yamskaya Street there happen various scandals and fights and misunderstandings. But that

tone. "All this is well. But, what of the chance diseas

re I make a detailed medical inspection of him ... I am

ya with heat and hit the table with her

erman correct

oice greatly over the fact that you are livi

er with sincere,

especially Russian, who have lovers for themselves, on whom they spend their

vinskaya loudly and with aversion, getting up

e street, Volodya took her arm

sn't one experimen

lgarity! Wha

aying, let's drop

with it to the finish. Show me som

ena Victorovna, offered the most likely thing-to drop into the

e cabinet. But it was the same as letting a goat into a truck-garden or mixing soda and acid. The main mistake, however, was that they let Jennka in there as well-wrathful, irritated, with impudent fires in her eyes. The modest, quiet Tamara was the last to walk in, with her shy and depraved smile of a Monna Lisa. In the e

ow is co

pposed to

ssov won't

devil take

furt

poor little,

c house i

's achi

ve of

ce, is

e pros

cold a

ha-

ame to

s well as

a pro

kpock

ha-

ning ha

lanning

e lies i

s like sh

ha-

rning, t

to th

the pr

ls awa

a-ha

pt from life, Heinrich Heine's "Ein Weib" is such a striking parallel that it may be re

WO

ach other be

trumpet, he

ought of his tr

self on the bed

pent with a r

e lay upon

took him, a w

t the window-

pleading "O

, need you

and in the

ead shook wi

morning they s

turf on his g

owever, she

nd sang wi

urther a co

ruined

d for

ear aft

ays g

al

ou cry,

belon

e served

marry

t, the stout Kitty, usually taciturn, burs

y thieves and badger queens in the drin

sing, making the most incongruous gestures, but, evidently, imitating

l go to

n at th

hrow my

t unde

athk my

l you dri

answer tha

aches fit

t a-ath

ur ache

m a-ath

ur drin

r, or for wine

ine, or nothing

Benedictine, which always acted upon the girl with the rapidity of dynamite, had brought her into the usual quarrelsome condition. She was no longer "Little Manka" and "Little White Manka," but she was "Manka the Scandaliste." Having run into the cabinet, sh

enches have jo

d thing. The baroness did a stil

girls, and therefore, as a part of my du

nka instantl

and brothers come to us, and we infect them with all sorts of diseases ... Purposely ... And they in their turn infect you. Your female superintendents live with the drivers, janitors and pol

calmly st

bly know even one married lady with a family who isn't in secret giving herself up either for the sake of passion to a young man, or for the sake of money to an old one? I know very well that fifty percent of you are kept by lovers, while the remaining fifty, of those who are older, keep young lads. I also know that many-ah,

Manka, without getting up from the floor; dishevelled, fair

nka as well, flashing

isn't that the truth? And those of you who've done this, did it not out of desperation or cruel poverty, but you simply were afraid of spoiling your figure and bea

onfused and uttered

que dans sa position cette d

s, the girl is rather educat

ge visage. Comme si je l'ai deja vu ... est-ce en rev

ge face. But where have I seen it ... was it in a dr

appelez-vous seulement Kharkoff, et la chambre d'hotel de Koniakine, l'entrepreneur Solovieitschik, et le tenor di grazzia ... A ce moment vous n'

. Just recall Kharkov, a room in Koniakine's hotel, the theatrical manager, Soloviei

u, comment vous trouvez vous ic

ame, how you have come to be

hat every day. I just up

imitable cynic

for the time which we

enly shouted out Little White Mank

d pieces out of her stocking,

cab. Go away right now, otherwise I'll bre

said with sincere, w

f benefit to us. Your time will be paid for-take care of it, Volodya. Stil

a few chords, and suddenly began to si

d then wi

ith sighs

hee reproach

apart

y if wi

t chance t

hee I might but

not nor

I bend m

ot, if y

tly wro

y if wi

t chance t

hee I might but

ng, in the chill of the morning, when the grass is gray from the dew, while the red sky paints the tips of the birches a rosy colour; of last embraces, so closely entwined, and of the

suddenly Jennka, the most untamable of all the girls, ran up to t

herself, put her arms

r, let me

red something

d Rovinskaya. "A few months of tr

ake all of them diseased. L

vinskaya, "I would not

began kissing the knees and han

d me so? ... Why have they w

he might

aya's dress; Little White Manka was sitting meekly on a chair, her face covered with a handkerchief; Tamara, with elbow propped on her knee and head bowed on

tly whispering into

ook, to-morrow life has changed abruptly. My dear, my sister, I am now a world celebrity. But if you only knew wh

haplinsky, who had been watching this scene with a painful tension, forget those warm and be

mily, but Ryazanov ling

respectfully and gently

ever have need of me, I am always at your service. Here is my visiting card. Don't s

hand once more, he was the