Part 20 (1/2)
”Driving a cab?” The general finished the sentence ”Because, my friend, I am human I must eat, for exaarettes, and clean shi+rts at least three times a week--for God's sake never let that be known I must also have warm clothes for the winter--in fact, I must live”
”But haven't you--money?” Malcoliveinto your affairs, but naturally I'eneral ”A bottle of kavass, lass for our co live the Revolution!” wheezed the waitresseneral
When the girl had gone he squared round to his co to let you pay for your own dinner because I cannot in these de for you No, I have no money My balance in the State bank has been confiscated to the sacred cause of the people My estate, a hundred versts or so from Moscow, confiscated to the sacred cause of the Revolution, rad is commandeered to the sacred service of the Soviet”
”But your coeneral did not slance behind hi their officers in March, 1917,” he said, lowering his voice ”They executed the divisional staff in May--the derowth They spared overnment and had been confined in the fortess of Vilna for my crime When the ariven to rooe of the high court and dispenses pretty good law, though he cannot sign his own na to come to Moscow Get back to Kieff and strike down into the Caucasus You can reach the American posts outside of Tiflis You'll never leave Russia The Bolsheviks have gone ner is suspect The Aet you a passport that will carry you to Odessa, and you can reach Batoum, and Baku from there”
Malcolhtfully at the other
”Is it so bad?”
”Bad! Moscow is a ?”
Above the hu of whips
”Rifle-firing,” said the general calress The advanced Anarchists are in revolt against the Bolsheviks There is a counter-revolution everyWe cab-drivers st ourselves which of the streets shall be avoided We are pretty well inforoursky, as a captain in the Preopojensky Guard, sells newspapers outside the Soviet headquarters, and the coive him tips One of these days the comrades will shoot him, but for the moment he is in favour, and makes as much as a hundred roubles a day”
The waitress came to the table, and the conversation one Malcolm put the question which he had asked so often in the past four years
”Can you give me any news of the Grand Duke Yaroslav?”
The other shook his head
”His Highness was in Petrograd when I heard of hihter? She has been with the Russian Red Cross on the Riga front, I know”
The bearded lance at his companion
”In what circumstances did you see her last?” he asked
Malcoler of that tragic scene which was enacted in his bedrooh the door he had not set eyes upon her In thesick and ill, he had been told that the Grand Duke and his daughter had left by the early northern express for the capital Of Boolba, that hideously blinded figure, he heard nothing When he inquired for Israel Kensky, ed and said that he had ”disappeared” His house was closed and the oldLater he was to learn that Kensky had reappeared in Moscow, apparently without hindrance from the authorities As for Boolba, he had kept his counsel
”You seem embarrassed,” smiled Malinkoff ”I will tell you why I ask
You know that her Grand Ducal Highness was banished from Court for disobedience to the royal will?”
Malcol Kieff and Odessa are full of refugees and rumours, but one is as much a suspect as the other”