Mr. Bouhe. That's correct.
Mr. Liebeler. Did you have a feeling, or did he tell you, did he have quarters similar to the ordinary Russian people who have similar jobs, or did he appear to have better quarters?
Mr. Bouhe. That I did not ask him. But I wanted to go through 90 rubles, if that was the figure, and see what you can get, and so he comes out, that I remember, and brings me a pair of shoes or boots which he bought, cracked-up leather uppers.
Mr. Liebeler. Pretty sad pair of boots?
Mr. Bouhe. Pretty sad pair of boots here, and the tops—which were famous for Russian boots for generations, which were originally all leather and protected you against the wintry blasts, rain and so on—were now of duck or canvas painted black. Well, from a distance, it looked like a pair of high leather boots, but they were awful, and even he, in a strange moment said, "They are no good."
Mr. Liebeler. Did he tell you how much they cost?
Mr. Bouhe. If I am not mistaken, 19 rubles, but I would not swear to that.
Mr. Liebeler. Did you continue those discussions and have him go through the entire 90 rubles as to what he spent it on?
Mr. Bouhe. That very same evening I noticed that he didn't like to talk about it, but since he was in a nice home maybe he was polite on one of his rare occasions.
Mr. Liebeler. This conversation all took place at the home of Peter Gregory?