Or when the commander of the Fifth Battery, Colonel Lentz, shot himself, the town was filled with speculation about why he did it. Everyone was quite certain he knew the cause, even how much money, to the kopeck, was missing from the battery's strong box. Or else they found somebody drowned in the Neviaszhe, and they'd have to perform an autopsy with a whole crowd, mainly us young people, standing on the opposite riverbank making sure everything was done properly. After a hot day the evening has cooled things off a little, and with the new moon in a clear sky, the whole city is outdoors. The bridge is packed with strollers, mostly young people.
Girls go with girls, and boys with boys.
They walk in pairs, in groups of three, four or more in a row, usually of the same age. The line of boys follows after a line of girls, making jokes at their expense, but the girls give as good as they get, laughing and throwing wisecracks of their own back in the boys' direction. Here and there by the bridge railings young people stand, tossing jokes at the lines of passers-by, and drawing laughter from the girls and boys. It is happy on the bridge. Now and again an earnest group of men goes by, absorbed in a profound discussion of politics or current affairs.