Nor did an
indecent word ever cross my lips. In the street, while attending to
my business, I heard uncouth language quite often. The other
push-cart men would utter the most revolting improprieties in the
hearing of the women peddlers, or even address such talk to them,
as a matter of course. Nor was it an uncommon incident for a
peddler to fire a volley of obscenities at a departing housewife
who had priced something on his cart without buying it. These
things scandalized me beyond words. I could never get accustomed
to them
"Look at Levinsky standing there quiet as a kitten," the other
peddlers would twit me. "One would think he is so innocent he
doesn't know how to count two. Shy young fellows are the worst
devils in the world."
They were partly mistaken, during the first few weeks of our
acquaintance, at least. For the last thread that bound me to
chastity was still unbroken.
It was rapidly wearing away, though.
CHAPTER III THE last thread snapped. It was the beginning of a
period of unrestrained misconduct.
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