Page 246 of 1294

"There was no sort of noise or fighting in my house, Mr.

Captain," she pattered all at once, like peas dropping, speaking

Russian confidently, though with a strong German accent, "and no

sort of scandal, and his honour came drunk, and it's the whole

truth I am telling, Mr. Captain, and I am not to blame.... Mine

is an honourable house, Mr. Captain, and honourable behaviour,

Mr. Captain, and I always, always dislike any scandal myself. But

he came quite tipsy, and asked for three bottles again, and then

he lifted up one leg, and began playing the pianoforte with one

foot, and that is not at all right in an honourable house, and he

ganz broke the piano, and it was very bad manners indeed and I

said so. And he took up a bottle and began hitting everyone with

it. And then I called the porter, and Karl came, and he took Karl

and hit him in the eye; and he hit Henriette in the eye, too, and

gave me five slaps on the cheek. And it was so ungentlemanly in

an honourable house, Mr.