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hauled　before　the　professor　for　so　doing）；　the　stealthy　closing

of　the　door　as　one　returned　to　the　auditorium；　and　the

participation　in　〃course　versus　course〃　scuffles　in　the

corridors。　All　this　was　very　enjoyable。



By　the　time；　however；　that　every　one　had　begun　to　put　in　a　better

attendance　at　lectures；　and　the　professor　of　physics　had

completed　his　course　and　taken　his　leave　of　us　until　the

examinations　came　on；　and　the　students　were　busy　collecting　their

notebooks　and　arranging　to　do　their　preparation　in　parties；　it

struck　me　that　I　also　had　better　prepare　for　the　ordeal。　Operoff；

with　whom　I　still　continued　on　bowing；　but　otherwise　most　frigid；

terms；　suddenly　offered　not　only　to　lend　me　his　notebooks；　but　to

let　me　do　my　preparation　with　himself　and　some　other　students。　I

thanked　him；　and　accepted　the　invitationhoping　by　that

conferment　of　honour　completely　to　dissipate　our　old

misunderstanding；　but　at　the　same　time　I　requested　that　the

gatherings　should　always　be　held　at　my　home；　since　my　quarters

were　so　splendid！　To　this　the　students　replied　that　they　meant　to

take　turn　and　turn　aboutsometimes　to　meet　at　one　fellow's

place；　sometimes　at　another's；　as　might　be　most　convenient。



The　first　of　our　reunions　was　held　at　Zuchin's；　who　had　a　small

partition…room　in　a　large　building　on　the　Trubni　Boulevard。　The

opening　night　I　arrived　late；　and　entered　when　the　reading　aloud

had　already　begun。　The　little　apartment　was　thick　with　tobacco…

smoke；　while　on　the　table　stood　a　bottle　of　vodka；　a　decanter；

some　bread；　some　salt；　and　a　shin…bone　of　mutton。　Without　rising；

Zuchin　asked　me　to　have　some　vodka　and　to　doff　my　tunic。



〃I　expect　you　are　not　accustomed　to　such　entertainment；〃　he

added。



Every　one　was　wearing　a　dirty　cotton　shirt　and　a　dickey。

Endeavouring　not　to　show　my　contempt　for　the　company；　I　took　off

my　tunic；　and　lay　down　in　a　sociable　manner　on　the　sofa。　Zuchin

went　on　reading　aloud　and　correcting　himself　with　the　help　of

notebooks；　while　the　others　occasionally　stopped　him　to　ask　a

question；　which　he　always　answered　with　ability；　correctness；　and

precision。　I　listened　for　a　time　with　the　rest；　but；　not

understanding　much　of　it；　since　I　had　not　been　present　at　what

had　been　read　before；　soon　interpolated　a　question。



〃Hullo；　old　fellow！　It　will　be　no　good　for　you　to　listen　if　you

do　not　know　the　subject；〃　said　Zuchin。　〃I　will　lend　you　my

notebooks；　and　then　you　can　read　it　up　by　to…morrow；　and　I　will

explain　it　to　you。〃



I　felt　rather　ashamed　of　my　ignorance。　Also；　I　felt　the　truth　of

what　he　said；　so　I　gave　up　listening；　and　amused　myself　by

observing　my　new　comrades。　According　to　my　classification　of

humanity；　into　persons　〃comme　il　faut〃　and　persons　not　〃comme　il

faut；〃　they　evidently　belonged　to　the　latter　category；　and　so

aroused　in　me　not　only　a　feeling　of　contempt；　but　also　a　certain

sensation　of　personal　hostility；　for　the　reason　that；　though　not

〃comme　il　faut；〃　they　accounted　me　their　equal；　and　actually

patronised　me　in　a　sort　of　good…humoured　fashion。　What　in

particular　excited　in　me　this　feeling　was　their　feet；　their　dirty

nails　and　fingers；　a　particularly　long　talon　on　Operoff's

obtrusive　little　finger；　their　red　shirts；　their　dickeys；　the

chaff　which　they　good…naturedly　threw　at　one　another；　the　dirty

room；　a　habit　which　Zuchin　had　of　continually　snuffling　and

pressing　a　finger　to　his　nose；　and；　above　all；　their　manner　of

speakingthat　is　to　say；　their　use　and　intonation　of　words。　For

instance；　they　said　〃flat〃　for　fool；　〃just　the　ticket〃　for

exactly；　〃grandly〃　for　splendidly；　and　so　onall　of　which　seemed

to　me　either　bookish　or　disagreeably　vulgar。　Still　more　was　my

〃comme　il　faut　〃　refinement　disturbed　by　the　accents　which　they

put　upon　certain　Russianand；　still　more；　upon　foreignwords。

Thus　they　said　dieYATelnost　for　DIEyatelnost；　NARochno　for

naROChno；　v'KAMinie　for　v'kaMINie；　SHAKespeare　for　ShakesPEARe；

and　so　forth。



Yet；　for　all　their　insuperably　repellent　exterior；　I　could　detect

something　good　in　these　fellows；　and　envied　them　the　cheerful

good…fellowship　which　united　them　in　one。　Consequently；　I　began　to

feel　attracted　towards　them；　and　made　up　my　mind　that；　come　what

might；　I　would　become　of　their　number。　The　kind　and　honourable

Operoff　I　knew　already；　and　now　the　brusque；　but　exceptionally

clever；　Zuchin　（who　evidently　took　the　lead　in　this　circle）　began

to　please　me　greatly。　He　was　a　dark；　thick…set　little　fellow；

with　a　perennially　glistening；　polished　face；　but　one　that　was

extremely　lively；　intellectual；　and　independent　in　its

expression。　That　expression　it　derived　from　a　low；　but

prominent；　forehead；　deep　black　eyes；　short；　bristly　hair；　and　a

thick；　dark　beard　which　looked　as　though　it　stood　in　constant

need　of　trimming。　Although；　too；　he　seemed　to　think　nothing　of

himself　（a　trail　which　always　pleased　me　in　people）；　it　was　clear

that　he　never　let　his　brain　rest。　He　had　one　of　those　expressive

faces　which；　a　few　hours　after　you　have　seen　them　for　the　first

time；　change　suddenly　and　entirely　to　your　view。　Such　a　change

took　place；　in　my　eyes；　with　regard　to　Zuchin's　face　towards　the

end　of　that　evening。　Suddenly；　I　seemed　to　see　new　wrinkles　appear

upon　its　surface；　its　eyes　grow　deeper；　its　smile　become　a

different　one；　and　the　whole　face　assume　such　an　altered　aspect

that　I　scarcely　recognised　it。



When　the　reading　was　ended；　Zuchin；　the　other　students；　and

myself　manifested　our　desire　to　be　〃comrades　all〃　by　drinking

vodka　until　little　remained　in　the　bottle。　Thereupon　Zuchin　asked

if　any　one　had　a　quarter…rouble　to　spare；　so　that　he　could　send

the　old　woman　who　looked　after　him　to　buy　some　more；　yet；　on　my

offering　to　provide　the　money；　he　made　as　though　he　had　not　heard

me；　and　turned　to　Operoff；　who　pulled　out　a　purse　sewn　with

bugles；　and　handed　him　the　sum　required。



〃And　mind　you　don't　get　drunk；〃　added　the　giver；　who　himself　had

not　partaken　of　the　vodka。



〃By　heavens！〃　answered　Zuchin　as　he　sucked　the　marrow　out　of　a

mutton　bone　（I　remember　thinking　that　it　must　be　because　he　ate

marrow　that　he　was　so　clever）。　〃By　heavens！〃　he　went　on　with　a

slight　smile　（and　his　smile　was　of　the　kind　that　one

involuntarily　noticed；　and　somehow　felt　grateful　for）；　〃even　if　I

did　get　drunk；　there　would　be　no　great　harm　done。　I　wonder　which

of　us　two　could　look　after　himself　the　betteryou　or　I？　Anyway　I

am　willing　to　make　the　experiment；〃　and　he　slapped　his　forehead

with　mock　boastfulness。　〃But　what　a　pity　it　is　that　Semenoff　has

disappeared！　He　has　gone　and　completely　hidden　himself

somewhere。〃



Sure　enough；　the　grey…haired　Semenoff　who　had　comforted　me　so

much　at　my　first　examination　by　being　worse　dressed　than　myself；

and　who；　after　passing　the　second　examination；　had　attended　his

lectures　regularly　during　the　first　month；　had　disappeared

thereafter　from　view；　and　never　been　seen　at　the　University

throughout　the　latter　part　of　the　course。



〃Where　is　he？〃　asked　some　one。



〃I　do　not　know〃　replied　Zuchin。　〃He　has　escaped　my　eye

altogether。　Yet　what　fun　I　used　to　have　with　him！　What　fire　there

was　in　the　man！　and　what　an　intellect！　I　should　be　indeed　sorry

if　he　has　come　to　griefand　come　to　grief　he　probably　has；　for

he　was　no　mere　boy　to　take　his　University　course　in　instalments。〃



After　a　little　further　conversation；　and　agreeing　to　meet　again

the　next　night　at　Zuchin's；　since　his　abode　was　the　most　central

point　for　us　all；　we　began　to　disperse。　As；　one　by　one；　we　left

the　room；　my　conscience　started　pricking　me　because　every　one

seemed　to　be　going　home　on　foot；　whereas　I　had　my　drozhki。

Accordingly；　with　some　hesitation　I　offered　Operoff　a　lift。

Zuchin　came　to　the　door　with　us；　and；　after　borrowing　a　rouble　of

Operoff；　went　off　to　make　a　night　of　it　with　some　friends。　As　we

drove　along；　Operoff　told　me　a　good　deal　about　Zuchin's　character

and　mode　of　life；　and　on　reaching　home　it　was　long　before　I　could

get　to　sleep　for　thinking　of　the　new　acquaintances　I　had　made。

For　many　an　hour；　as　I　lay　awake；　I　kept　wavering　between　the

respect　which　their　knowledge；　simplicity；　and　sense　of　honour；

as　well　as　the　poetry　of　their　youth　and　courage；　excited　in　my

regard；　and　the　distaste　which　I　felt　for　their　outward　man。　In

spite　of　my　desire　to　do　so；　it　was　at　that　time　literally

impossible　for　me　to　associate　with　them；　since　our　ideas　were

too　wholly　at　variance。　For　me；　life's　meaning　and　charm　contained

an　infinitude　of　shades　of　which　they　had　not　an　inkling；　and

vice　versa。　The　greatest　obstacles　of　all；　however；　to　our　better

acquaintance　I　felt　to　be　the　twenty　roubles'　worth　of　cloth　in

my　tunic；　my　drozhki；　and　my　white　linen　shirt；　and　they　appeared

to　me　most　important　obstacles；　since　they　made　me　feel　as　though

I　had　unwittingly　insulted　these　comrades　by　displaying　such

tokens　of　my　wealth。　I　felt　guilty　in　their　eyes；　and　a