They will see me under fire. [Footnote: On me verra au feu.] I
shall make myself liked; I shall be respected for my real self,--the
cross--non-commissioned officer; they will relieve me of my fine; and I
shall get up again, et vous savez avec ce prestige du malheur! But, quel
desenchantement! You can't imagine how I have been deceived! You know
what sort of men the officers of our regiment are."
He did not speak for some little time, waiting, as it appeared, for me
to tell him that I knew the society of our officers here was bad; but I
made him no reply. It went against my grain that he should expect me,
because I knew French, forsooth, to be obliged to take issue with the
society of the officers, which, during my long residence in the
Caucasus, I had had time enough to appreciate fully, and for which I had
far higher respect than for the society from which Mr. Guskof had
sprung. I wanted to tell him so, but his position constrained me.
"In the N. regiment the society of the officers is a thousand times
worse than it is here," he continued. "I hope that it is saying a good
deal; J'ESPERE QUE C'EST BEAUCOUP DIRE; that is, you cannot imagine what
it is. I am not speaking of the yunkers and the soldiers.
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