B670 <=> B672 [BTG XXXVII France, p. 671]

“But all that they show there in the ‘Montmartre theaters,’ as if it proceeded among the beings similar to them breeding on other continents of their planet, has in no case anything in common with what I, who had existed everywhere and who had been greatly interested to see and study all specific manifestations of the beings of each given locality, had in fact seen there on the spot.

“In recent times in this Montmartre, very many what are called ‘special Russian restaurants’ had been opened, and both in these special Russian restaurants, as well as other restaurants, the so-called ‘artists’ and ‘actors’ are beings of just the great community Russia, mostly from the beings of the former ruling class there.

“It will be as well to notice and to draw your attention to the fact that the fathers and grandfathers of these ‘artists’ or ‘actors’ of the contemporary ‘Montmartre theater restaurants’ still only quite recently in these various establishments there in Montmartre – thanks of course to what is called the ‘sweat of peasants’ – laughed at and insulted the individual dignity of the beings of other communities, but now their children and grandchildren themselves are humbled and serve as objects of the satisfaction of the ‘Hasnamussian caprices’ of what are called the ‘much-monied beings’ of other communities.

“As regards such a condition of affairs, our wise Mullah Nassr Eddin has also a very wise saying; he, namely, says:

“’If a father likes to ride though it be but a child’s sled, his son must obligatorily be prepared to drag the great village sleigh up the mountainside.’

“While I sat in one of those restaurants with my said new friend, the Persian, he was called away by some other acquaintances, Persians, and I remained alone at the table with the champagne, the ordering of which in these restaurants at night in Montmartre is in general obligatory.”