to know the Prussians in the three months during
which they had had to do with them, and so they resigned themselves to
the men as they did the state of affairs. "It is a part of our business,
so it must be done," they said as they drove along; no doubt to allay
some slight, secret scruples of conscience.

They went into the dining-room immediately, which looked still more
dismal in its dilapidated state, when it was lighted up; while the
table, covered with choice dishes, the beautiful china and glass, and
the plate, which had been found in the hole in the wall where its owner
had hidden it, gave the look of a bandit's inn, where they were supping
after committing a robbery, to the place. The captain was radiant, and
took hold of the women as if he were familiar with them; appraising
them, kissing them, sniffing them, valuing them for what they were worth
as _ladies of pleasure_; and when the three young men wanted to
appropriate one each, he opposed them authoritatively, reserving to
himself the right to apportion them justly, according to their several
ranks, so as not to wound the hierarchy. Therefore, so as to avoid all
discussion, jarring, and suspicion of partiality, he placed them all in
a line according to height, and addressing the tallest, he said in a
voice of command:

"What is your name?" "Pamela," she replied, raising her voice. And then
he said: "Number one, called Pamela, is adjudged to the commandant."
Then, having kissed Blondina, the second, as a sign of proprietorship,
he proffered stout Amanda to Lieutenant Otto, Eva, _the Tomato_, to
Sub-Lieutenant Fritz, and Rachel, the shortest of them all, a very
young, dark girl, with eyes as black as ink, a Jewess, whose snub nose
confirmed the rule which allots hooked noses to all her race, to the
youngest officer, frail Count Wilhelm d'Eyrick.

They were all pretty and plump, without any distinctive features, and
all were very much alike in look and person, from their daily practice
of love, and their life in common in houses of public accommodation.

The three younger men wished to carry off their women immediately, under
the pretext of finding them brushes and soap; but the captain wisely
opposed this, for he said they were quite fit to sit down to dinner, and
that those who went up would wish for a change when they came down, and
so would disturb the other couples, and his experience in such matters
carried the day. There were only many kisses; expec