suspicion of partiality, he lined them up according to height, and
addressing the tallest, in a tone of command: "Your name?"

She replied, raising her voice: "Pamela."

Then he announced: "Number one, by the name of Pamela, is adjudged
to the Commander."

Having then kissed Blondine, the second as a mark of his claim to
ownership, he offered the fat Amanda to Lieutenant Otto; Eva la
Tomate to Second-Lieutenant Fritz, and the smallest of all, Rachel,
a very young brunette, with black eyes like ink spots, a Jewess
whose pug nose confirmed the rule that ascribes hooked noses to
all her race, to the youngest officer, the frail Markgraf Wilhelm
von Eyrik.

As a matter of fact they were all pretty and plump, without
any distinctive character on their faces, shaped almost alike in
appearance and style and complexion by the daily practice of their
illicit trade and the life in common in disreputable houses.

The three young men wanted immediately to take their partners out
of the room under pretext of offering them brushes and soap for
washing and freshening up; but the Captain was wise enough not
to allow it, claiming that they were clean enough to sit down to
dinner, and for fear that those who went up might want to change
their girls when they came down, and thus disturb the other couples.
His experience prevailed. There were only plenty of kisses, kisses
of expectancy.