"Elise, I cannot bear to see myself in this ugly black dress any longer.
Write to Schanz and tell him to send me some new gowns. I want a dark
green tailor-made costume, and a pearl-gray voile."
"Yes, my lady. But, begging your ladyship's pardon, Schanz says that he
would like to be paid."
"Well, let us pay him then."
"Yes, my lady. But, begging your ladyship's pardon, his bill is
twenty-five thousand rubles."
"Well, let him have them."
"I am sorry, my lady, but we have not got twenty-five thousand rubles."
It was true. We had not got twenty-five thousand rubles.
"Elise, Tioka wants to be amused. He would like a toy railway."
"Yes, my lady."
"Mind," cried Tioka, "it must be like the one we saw yesterday, with all
those stations and canals, and a Brooklyn bridge."
"Yes, Master Tioka."
"Well, Elise, what are you waiting for?"
"Begging your ladyship's pardon, it costs eighty rubles."
"Well?"
"We have not got them."
True enough; we had not got eighty rubles.
"Elise, I have no more perfumes. Go and get me a bottle of Coty's
Origant."
"Yes, my lady. But--"
"But what?"
"It costs twelve rubles."
"Well?"
"We have not got them."
And indeed we had not got twelve rubles.
I thought it very sad not to have twenty-five thousand rubles, nor even
twelve rubles, when I required them.