“Drop these formalities, old chap. I have enough of them during duty hours as it is. Sit down and tell me how you live here.”
“I try to get used to it all, your Excellency, and be no worse than the others,” Shevchenko replied.
“It must be difficult, mustn’t it? Don’t say no, old chap! I know it myself and regret not having done anything for you yet. It’s all because of my ill health, the devil take it. A military man has it hard, but for a civilian our corps de ballet might be out of his depth altogether. I am a soldier of the Suvorov school and abhor that damned foot drill. The army exists so as to fight and defend the country, not for parades and humiliating people,” the general thundered, getting ever more excited. “They teach you to march all right, but the officers themselves are n
