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DIAMONDS TO SIT ON
ashamed, for he had long since sold all the instruments, and in any case the lungs of the old women could only squeak like puppies. It was ridiculous to have all those brass instruments about the place. There was nothing else to do but steal them ; but he was terribly ashamed now. A slogan was hanging on the wall stretched from window to window and printed on the same mouse-coloured material: ‘ A brass band is the first step towards collective creation.’ ‘ Excellent ! ’ said Bender. ‘ This room, used as it is for such admirable purposes, does not seem to present any dangers of fire.’ They walked rapidly through the front rooms of the house, but Bender did not see the walnut chair with bent legs upholstered in bright English chintz. Notices were fixed on all the walls. Bender read them, and from time to time he would ask briskly : ‘ Chim neys swept regularly ? Stoves in order ? ’ And after receiving exhaustive replies he would move on. The inspector of fire prevention looked in every comer of the house to see if there was any possible danger. Everything was perfectly satisfactory, but there was no sign of the treasure. Bender went into the dormitories, and as the old women caught sight of him they all bowed deeply. Their beds were covered with blankets as rough as hairy terriers and on one end of them was woven the word ‘ Feet ’. There was a small trunk under each bed, and by order of Alkin, who loved military precision, exactly one-third of each trunk protmded from beneath. Everything in the home was extremely modest. The furniture consisted of garden benches brought in from the boulevard, and the paraffin lamps and blankets with their terrifying inscription ‘ Feet ’ came from the market. But there was one thing in the place that was good, even luxurious—the door-springs. The superintendent had a passion for door-springs. He had taken great trouble to fit all the doors with
