Yama (The Pit) Part 20

Now he was one of the chief speculators in the body of woman in all the south of Russia. He had transactions with Constantinople and with Argentine; he transported, in whole parties, girls from the brothels of Odessa into Kiev; those from Kiev he brought over into Kharkov; and those from Kharkov into Odessa. He it was also who stuck away over second rate capital cities, and those districts which were somewhat richer, the goods which had been rejected or had grown too noticeable in the big cities. He had struck up an enormous clientele, and in the number of his consumers Horizon could have counted not a few people with a prominent social position: lieutenant governors, colonels of the gendarmerie, eminent advocates, well-known doctors, rich land-owners, carousing merchants. All the shady world--the proprietresses of brothels, cocottes solitaires, go-betweens, madams of houses of a.s.signation, souteneurs, touring actresses and chorus girls--was as familiar to him as the starry sky to an astronomer. His amazing memory, which permitted him prudently to avoid notebooks, held in mind thousands of names, family names, nicknames, addresses, characteristics. He knew to perfection the tastes of all his highly placed consumers: some of them liked unusually odd depravity, others paid mad sums for innocent girls, for others still it was necessary to seek out girls below age. He had to satisfy both the s.a.d.i.s.tic and the m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.tic inclinations of his clients, and at times to cater to altogether unnatural s.e.xual perversions, although it must be said that the last he undertook only in rare instances which promised a large, undoubted profit. Two or three times he had to sit in jail, but these sessions went to his benefit; he not only did not lose his rapacious high-handedness and springy energy in his transactions, but with every year became more daring, inventive, and enterprising. With the years to his brazen impetuousness was joined a tremendous worldly business wisdom.

Fifteen times, during this period, he had managed to marry and every time had contrived to take a decent dowry. Having possessed himself of his wife's money, he, one fine day, would suddenly vanish without a trace, and, if there was a possibility, he would sell his wife profitably into a secret house of depravity or into a chic public establishment. It would happen that the parents of the deluded victim would search for him through the police. But while inquiries would be carried on everywhere about him as Shperling, he would already be travelling from town to town under the name of Rosenblum. During the time of his activity, in despite of an enviable memory, he had changed so many names that he had not only forgotten what year he had been Nathanielson, and during what Bakalyar, but even his own name was beginning to seem to him one of his pseudonyms.

It was remarkable, that he did not find in his profession anything criminal or reprehensible. He regarded it just as though he were trading in herrings, lime, flour, beef or lumber. In his own fashion he was pious. If time permitted, he would with a.s.siduity visit the synagogue of Fridays. The Day of Atonement, Pa.s.sover, and the Feast of the Tabernacles were invariably and reverently observed by him everywhere wherever fate might have cast him. His mother, a little old woman, and a hunch-backed sister, were left to him in Odessa, and he undeviatingly sent them now large, now small sums of money, not regularly but pretty frequently, from all towns from Kursk to Odessa and from Warsaw to Samara. Considerable savings of money had already acc.u.mulated to him in the Credit Lyonnaise, and he gradually increased them, never touching the interest. But to greed or avarice he was almost a stranger. He was attracted to the business rather by its tang, risk and a professional self-conceit. To the women he was perfectly indifferent, although he understood and could value them, and in this respect resembled a good chef, who together with a fine understanding of the business, suffers from a chronic absence of appet.i.te. To induce, to entice a woman, to compel her to do all that he wanted, did not require any efforts on his part; they came of themselves to his call and became in his hands pa.s.sive, obedient and yielding. In his treatment of them a certain firm, unshakable, self-a.s.sured aplomb had been worked out, to which they submitted just as a refractory horse submits instinctively to the voice, glance, stroking of an experienced horseman.

He drank very moderately, and without company never drank. Toward eating he was altogether indifferent. But, of course, as with every man, he had a little weakness of his own: he was inordinately fond of dress and spent no little money on his toilet. Modish collars of all possible fashions, cravats, diamond cuff links, watch charms, the underwear of a dandy, and chic footwear const.i.tuted his main distractions.

From the depot he went straight to The Hermitage. The hotel porters, in blue blouses and uniform caps, carried his things into the vestibule.

Following them, he too entered, arm in arm with his wife; both smartly attired, imposing, but he just simply magnificent, in his wide, bell-shaped English overcoat, in a new broad-brimmed panama, holding negligently in his hand a small cane with a silver handle in the form of a naked woman.

"You ain't supposed to be here without a permit for your residence,"

said an enormous, stout doorkeeper, looking down upon him from above and preserving on his face a sleepy and immovably-frigid expression.

"Ach, Zachar! Again 'you ain't supposed to!'" merrily exclaimed Horizon, and patted the giant on his shoulder. "What does it mean, 'you ain't supposed to'? Every time you shove this same 'you ain't supposed to' at me. I must be here for three days in all. Soon as I conclude the rent agreement with Count Ipatiev, right away I go away. G.o.d be with you! Live even all by yourself in all your rooms. But you just give a look, Zachar, what a toy I brought you from Odessa! You'll be just tickled with it!"

With a careful, deft, accustomed movement he thrust a gold piece into the doorkeeper's hand, who was already holding it behind his back, ready and folded in the form of a little boat.

The first thing that Horizon did upon installing himself in the large, s.p.a.cious room with an alcove, was to put out into the corridor at the door of the room six pairs of magnificent shoes, saying to the bell-hop who ran up in answer to the bell:

"Immediately all should be cleaned! So it should shine like a mirror!

They call you Timothy, I think? Then you should know me--if you work by me it will never go for nothing. So it should shine like a mirror!"

CHAPTER IV.

Horizon lived at the Hotel Hermitage for not more than three days and nights, and during this time he managed to see some three hundred people. His arrival seemed to enliven the big, gay port city. To him came the keepers of employment offices for servants, the proprietresses of cheap hotels, and old, experienced go-betweens, grown gray in the trade in women. Not so much out of an interest in booty as out of professional pride, Horizon tried, at all costs, to bargain for as much profit as possible, to buy a woman as cheaply as possible. Of course, to receive ten, fifteen roubles more was not the reason for him, but the mere thought that compet.i.tor Yampolsky would receive at the sale more than he brought him into a frenzy.

After his arrival, the next day, he set off to Mezer the photographer, taking with him the straw-like girl Bella, and had pictures taken in various poses together with her; at which for every negative he received three roubles, while he gave the woman a rouble. After that he rode off to Barsukova.

This was a woman, or, speaking more correctly, a retired wench, whose like can be found only in the south of Russia; neither a Pole nor a Little Russian; already sufficiently old and rich in order to allow herself the luxury of maintaining a husband (and together with him a cabaret), a handsome and kindly little Pole. Horizon and Barsukova met like old friends. They had, it seemed, no fear, no shame, no conscience when they conversed with each other.

"Madam Barsukova! I can offer you something special! Three women: one a large brunette, very modest; another a little one, a blonde, but who, you understand, is ready for everything; the third is a woman of mystery, who merely smiles and doesn't say anything, but promises much and is a beauty!"

Madam Barsukova was gazing at him with mistrust, shaking her head.

"Mister Horizon! What are you trying to fill my head with? Do you want to do the same with me that you did last time?"

"By G.o.d, I should live so, how I want to deceive you! But that's not the main thing. I'm also offering you a perfectly educated woman. Do with her what you like. In all probability you'll find a connoisseur."

Barsukova smiled artfully and asked:

"Again a wife?"

"No. But she's of the n.o.bility."

"Then that means unpleasantnesses with the police again?"

"Ach! My G.o.d! I don't take big money from you; all the three for a lousy thousand roubles."

"Well, let's talk frankly; five hundred. I don't want to buy a cat in a bag."

"It seems, Madam Barsukova, that it isn't the first time you and I have done business together, I won't deceive you and will bring her here right away. Only I beg you not to forget that you're my aunt, and please work in that direction. I won't be more than three days here in the city."

Madam Barsukova, with all her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, bellies and chins, began to sway merrily.

"We won't d.i.c.ker over trifles. All the more so since you don't deceive me, nor I you. There's a great demand for women now. What would you say, Mister Horizon, if I offered you some red wine?"

"Thank you, Madam Barsukova, with pleasure."

"Let's talk a while like old friends. Tell me, how much do you make a year?"

"Ach, madam, what shall I say? Twelve, twenty thousand, approximately.

But think what tremendous expenses there are in constantly travelling."

"Do you put away a little?"

"Well, that's trifles; some two or three thousand a year."

"I thought ten, twenty ..."

Horizon grew wary. He sensed that he was beginning to be drawn out and asked insidiously:

"But why does this interest you?"

Anna Michailovna pressed the b.u.t.ton of an electric bell and ordered the dressy maid to bring coffee with steamed cream and a bottle of Chambertaine. She knew the tastes of Horizon. Then she asked:

"Do you know Mr. Shepsherovich?"

Horizon simply pounced upon her.

"My G.o.d! Who don't know Shepsherovich! This is a G.o.d, this is a genius!"

And, having become animated, forgetting that he was being dragged into a trap, he began speaking exaltedly:

"Just imagine what Shepsherovich did last year! He carried to Argentine thirty women from Kovno, Vilno, Zhitomir. Each one of them he sold at a thousand roubles--a total, madam--count it--of thirty thousand! Do you think Shepsherovich calmed down with this? For this money, in order to repay his expenses on the steamer, he bought several negresses and stuck them about in Moscow, Petersburg, Kiev, Odessa, and Kharkov. But, you know, madam, this isn't a man, but an eagle. There's a man who can do business!"

Barsukova caressingly laid her hand on his knee. She had been waiting for this moment and said to him amicably:

"And so I propose to you, Mr.----however, I don't know how you are called now..."

"Horizon, let's say..."

"So I propose to you, Mr. Horizon--could you find some innocent girls among yours? There's an enormous demand for them now. I'm playing an open hand with you. We won't stop at money. Now it's in fashion.

Notice, Horizon, your lady clients will be returned to you in exactly the same state in which they were. This, you understand, is a little depravity, which I can in no way make out..."