youth-第8节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



lenses　carefully；　and　to　replace　them）。　Still　not　a　word　from

Ikonin。　All　at　once；　however；　a　smile　spread　itself　over　his

face；　and　he　gave　his　long　hair　another　shake。　Next　he　reached

across　the　table；　laid　down　his　ticket；　looked　at　each　of　the

professors　in　turn　and　then　at　myself；　and　finally；　wheeling

round　on　his　heels；　made　a　gesture　with　his　hand　and　returned　to

the　desks。　The　professors　stared　blankly　at　one　another。



〃Bless　the　fellow！〃　said　the　youngish　professor。　〃What　an

original！〃



It　was　now　my　turn　to　move　towards　the　table；　but　the　professors

went　on　talking　in　undertones　among　themselves；　as　though　they

were　unaware　of　my　presence。　At　the　moment；　I　felt　firmly

persuaded　that　the　three　of　them　were　engrossed　solely　with　the

question　of　whether　I　should　merely　PASS　the　examination　or

whether　I　should　pass　it　WELL；　and　that　it　was　only　swagger　which

made　them　pretend　that　they　did　not　care　either　way；　and　behave

as　though　they　had　not　seen　me。



When　at　length　the　professor　in　the　spectacles　turned　to　me　with

an　air　of　indifference；　and　invited　me　to　answer；　I　felt　hurt；　as

I　looked　at　him；　to　think　that　he　should　have　so　undeceived　me：

wherefore　I　answered　brokenly　at　first。　In　time；　however；　things

came　easier　to　my　tongue；　and；　inasmuch　as　all　the　questions　bore

upon　Russian　history　（which　I　knew　thoroughly）；　I　ended　with

eclat；　and　even　went　so　far；　in　my　desire　to　convince　the

professors　that　I　was　not　Ikonin　and　that　they　must　not　in　anyway

confound　me　with　him；　as　to　offer　to　draw　a　second　ticket。　The

professor　in　the　spectacles；　however；　merely　nodded　his　head；

said　〃That　will　do；〃　and　marked　something　in　his　register。　On

returning　to　the　desks；　I　at　once　learnt　from　the　gymnasium　men

（who　somehow　seemed　to　know　everything）　that　I　had　been　placed

fifth。



XI



MY　EXAMINATION　IN　MATHEMATICS



AT　the　subsequent　examinations；　I　made　several　new　acquaintances

in　addition　to　the　Graps　（whom　I　considered　unworthy　of　my

notice）　and　Iwin　（who　for　some　reason　or　other　avoided　me）。　With

some　of　these　new　friends　I　grew　quite　intimate；　and　even　Ikonin

plucked　up　sufficient　courage　to　inform　me；　when　we　next　met；

that　he　would　have　to　undergo　re…examination　in　historythe

reason　for　his　failure　this　time　being　that　the　professor　of　that

faculty　had　never　forgiven　him　for　last　year's　examination；　and

had；　indeed；　〃almost　killed〃　him　for　it。　Semenoff　（who　was

destined　for　the　same　faculty　as　myselfthe　faculty　of

mathematics）　avoided　every　one　up　to　the　very　close　of

the　examinations。　Always　leaning　forward　upon　his　elbows　and

running　his　fingers　through　his　grey　hair；　he　sat　silent　and

alone。　Nevertheless；　when　called　up　for　examination　in

mathematics　（he　had　no　companion　to　accompany　him）；　he　came　out

second。　The　first　place　was　taken　by　a　student　from　the　first

gymnasiuma　tall；　dark；　lanky；　pale…faced　fellow　who　wore　a

black　folded　cravat　and　had　his　cheeks　and　forehead　dotted　all

over　with　pimples。　His　hands　were　shapely　and　slender；　but　their

nails　were　so　bitten　to　the　quick　that　the　finger…ends　looked　as

though　they　had　been　tied　round　with　strips　of　thread。　All　this

seemed　to　me　splendid；　and　wholly　becoming　to　a　student　of　the

first　gymnasium。　He　spoke　to　every　one；　and　we　all　made　friends

with　him。　To　me　in　particular　his　walk；　his　every　movement；　his

lips；　his　dark　eyes；　all　seemed　to　have　in　them　something

extraordinary　and　magnetic。



On　the　day　of　the　mathematical　examination　I　arrived　earlier　than

usual　at　the　hall。　I　knew　the　syllabus　well；　yet　there　were　two

questions　in　the　algebra　which　my　tutor　had　managed　to　pass　over；

and　which　were　therefore　quite　unknown　to　me。　If　I　remember

rightly；　they　were　the　Theory　of　Combinations　and　Newton's

Binomial。　I　seated　myself　on　one　of　the　back　benches　and　pored

over　the　two　questions；　but；　inasmuch　as　I　was　not　accustomed　to

working　in　a　noisy　room；　and　had　even　less　time　for　preparation

than　I　had　anticipated；　I　soon　found　it　difficult　to　take　in　all

that　I　was　reading。



〃Here　he　is。　This　way；　Nechludoff；〃　said　Woloda's　familiar　voice

behind　me。



I　turned　and　saw　my　brother　and　Dimitritheir　gowns　unbuttoned；

and　their　hands　waving　a　greeting　to　methreading　their　way

through　the　desks。　A　moment's　glance　would　have　sufficed　to　show

any　one　that　they　were　second…course　studentspersons　to　whom

the　University　was　as　a　second　home。　The　mere　look　of　their　open

gowns　expressed　at　once　disdain　for　the　〃mere　candidate〃　and　a

knowledge　that　the　〃mere　candidate's〃　soul　was　filled　with　envy

and　admiration　of　them。　I　was　charmed　to　think　that　every　one

near　me　could　now　see　that　I　knew　two　real　second…course

students：　wherefore　I　hastened　to　meet　them　half…way。



Woloda；　of　course；　could　not　help　vaunting　his　superiority　a

little。



〃Hullo；　you　smug！〃　he　said。　〃Haven't　you　been　examined　yet？〃



〃No。〃



〃Well；　what　are　you　reading？　Aren't　you　sufficiently　primed？〃



〃Yes；　except　in　two　questions。　I　don't　understand　them　at　all。〃



〃Eh；　what？〃and　Woloda　straightway　began　to　expound　to　me

Newton's　Binomial；　but　so　rapidly　and　unintelligibly　that；

suddenly　reading　in　my　eyes　certain　misgivings　as　to　the

soundness　of　his　knowledge；　he　glanced　also　at　Dimitri's　face。

Clearly；　he　saw　the　same　misgivings　there；　for　he　blushed　hotly；

though　still　continuing　his　involved　explanations。



〃No；　hold　on；　Woloda；　and　let　me　try　and　do　it；〃　put　in　Dimitri

at　length；　with　a　glance　at　the　professors'　corner　as　he　seated

himself　beside　me。



I　could　see　that　my　friend　was　in　the　best　of　humours。　This　was

always　the　case　with　him　when　he　was　satisfied　with　himself；　and

was　one　of　the　things　in　him　which　I　liked　best。　Inasmuch　as　he

knew　mathematics　well　and　could　speak　clearly；　he　hammered　the

question　so　thoroughly　into　my　head　that　I　can　remember　it　to

this　day。　Hardly　had　he　finished　when　St。　Jerome　said　to　me　in　a

loud　whisper；　〃A　vous；　Nicolas；〃　and　I　followed　Ikonin　out　from

among　the　desks　without　having　had　an　opportunity　of　going

through　the　OTHER　question　of　which　I　was　ignorant。　At　the　table

which　we　now　approached　were　seated　two　professors；　while　before

the　blackboard　stood　a　gymnasium　student；　who　was　working　some

formula　aloud；　and　knocking　bits　off　the　end　of　the　chalk　with

his　too　vigorous　strokes。　He　even　continued　writing　after　one　of

the　Professors　had　said　to　him　〃Enough！〃　and　bidden　us　draw　our

tickets。　〃Suppose　I　get　the　Theory　of　Combinations？〃　I　thought　to

myself　as　my　tremulous　fingers　took　a　ticket　from　among　a　bundle

wrapped　in　torn　paper。　Ikonin；　for　his　part；　reached　across　the

table　with　the　same　assurance；　and　the　same　sidelong　movement　of

his　whole　body；　as　he　had　done　at　the　previous　examination。

Taking　the　topmost　ticket　without　troubling　to　make　further

selection；　he　just　glanced　at　it；　and　then　frowned　angrily。



〃I　always　draw　this　kind　of　thing；〃　he　muttered。



I　looked　at　mine。　Horrors！　It　was　the　Theory　of　Combinations！



〃What　have　you　got？〃　whispered　Ikonin　at　this　point。



I　showed　him。



〃Oh；　I　know　that；〃　he　said。



〃Will　you　make　an　exchange；　then？〃



〃No。　Besides；　it　would　be　all　the　same　for　me　if　I　did；〃　he

contrived　to　whisper　just　as　the　professor　called　us　up　to　the

blackboard。　〃I　don't　feel　up　to　anything　to…day。〃



〃Then　everything　is　lost！〃　I　thought　to　myself。　Instead　of　the

brilliant　result　which　I　had　anticipated　I　should　be　for　ever

covered　with　shamemore　so　even　than　Ikonin！　Suddenly；　under　the

very　eyes　of　the　professor；　Ikonin　turned　to　me；　snatched　my

ticket　out　of　my　hands；　and　handed　me　his　own。　I　looked　at　his

ticket。　It　was　Newton's　Binomial！



The　professor　was　a　youngish　man；　with　a　pleasant；　clever

expression　of　facean　effect　chiefly　due　to　the　prominence　of

the　lower　part　of　his　forehead。



〃What？　Are　you　exchanging　tickets；　gentlemen？〃　he　said。



〃No。　He　only　gave　me　his　to　look　at；　professor；〃　answered　Ikonin

and；　sure　enough；　the　word　〃professor〃　was　the　last　word　that　he

uttered　there。　Once　again；　he　stepped　backwards　towards　me　from

the　table；　once　again　he　looked　at　each　of　the　professors　in　turn

and　then　at　myself；　once　again　he　smiled　faintly；　and　once　again

he　shrugged　his　shoulders　as　much　as　to　say；　〃It　is　no　use；　my

good　sirs。〃　Then　he　returned　to　the　desks。　Subsequently；　I　learnt

that　this　was　the　third　year　he　had　vainly　attempted　to

matriculate。



I　answered　my　question　well；　for　I　had　just　read　it　up；　and　the

professor；　kindly　informing　me　that　I　had　done　even　better　than

was　required；　placed　me　fifth。



XII



MY　EXAMINATION　IN　LATIN



All　went　well　until　my　examination　in　Latin。　So　far；　a　gymnasium

student　stood　first　on　the　list；　Semenoff　second；　and　myself

third。　On　the　strength　of　it　I　had　begun　to　swagger　a　little；　and

to　think　that；　for　all　my　youth；　I　was　not　to　be　despised。



From　the　fir