ETERNAL FRIENDSHIP 143 



they should have interested themselves about anything I 

 did. They neither own saddle horses, nor ride them ; they 

 had not, as General Hahn truly said about his own people, 

 the capacity to put in practice what I showed them, even if 

 they had the inclination ; and all they have to do with the 

 horses in their charge, is to look on, talk, and smoke 

 cigarettes while their soldiers handle and ride the animals. 

 General Ermolin, instead of justifying the confidence which 

 the Grand Duke Nicholas had that he would utilise my visit 

 (p. 111), clearly showed that he treated such confidence with 

 contempt. 



General Ermolin is an effeminate-looking, old young 

 man. Rotmistr Heppener told me that the commanding 

 officer of Ostrogorchsk is more at home in a drawing-room 

 than in a stable or on a horse. 



Towards the end of my stay, General Ermolin became 

 more civil to me. He returned my visit and left his card 

 on me, as I was out when he called. 



Two or three days after my arrival at Ostrogorchsk, 

 Rotmistr Heppener took his departure for the purpose, so he 

 said, of buying forage for the remounts at Liski. I did not 

 greatly regret losing his gratuitous services as travelling 

 companion and shower-round ; because I did not see what 

 good they had been to me. One night at supper, he offered 

 me his eternal friendship, but unfortunately I had to decline 

 it, because its acceptance was coupled with the ancient and 

 disgusting ceremony of his cutting a piece off the meat on 

 his plate and transferring it to my plate for me to eat, and 

 of my doing the same thing for him. I am glad I was not 

 born in the loving cup days ; for I would have had few 

 friends, and many duels in the event of survival. Some of 

 the officers told me that buying forage for Russian army 

 horses is a lucrative occupation. Becky Sharpe has re- 

 marked that it is easy to be virtuous on 5000 a year. 



