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had　wisps　of　flaxen　hair　carefully　brushed　over　his　collar　in　the

peasant　style。　His　appearance　had　already　caught　my　attention

when　we　were　sitting　among　the　desks；　and　had　given　me　an

impression　that　he　was　not　bad…looking。　Also　I　had　noticed　that

he　was　very　talkative。　Yet　what　struck　me　most　about　his

physiognomy　was　a　tuft；　of　queer　red　hairs　which　he　had　under　his

chin；　as　well　as；　still　more；　a　strange　habit　of　continually

unbuttoning　his　waistcoat　and　scratching　his　chest　under　his

shirt。



Behind　the　table　to　which　we　were　summoned　sat　three　Professors；

none　of　whom　acknowledged　our　salutations。　A　youngish　professor

was　shuffling　a　bundle　of　tickets　like　a　pack　of　cards；　another

one；　with　a　star　on　his　frockcoat；　was　gazing　hard　at　a　gymnasium

student；　who　was　repeating　something　at　great　speed　about　Charles

the　Great；　and　adding　to　each　of　his　sentences　the　word　nakonetz

＇=　the　English　colloquialism　〃you　know。〃＇　while　a　third　onean

old　man　in　spectaclesproceeded　to　bend　his　head　down　as　we

approached；　and；　peering　at　us　through　his　glasses；　pointed

silently　to　the　tickets。　I　felt　his　glance　go　over　both　myself

and　Ikonin；　and　also　felt　sure　that　something　about　us　had

displeased　him　（perhaps　it　was　Ikonin's　red　hairs）；　for；　after

taking　another　look　at　the　pair　of　us；　he　motioned　impatiently　to

us　to　be　quick　in　taking　our　tickets。　I　felt　vexed　and　offended

firstly；　because　none　of　the　professors　had　responded　to　our

bows；　and；　secondly；　because　they　evidently　coupled　me　with

Ikonin　under　the　one　denomination　of　〃candidates；〃　and　so　were

condemning　me　in　advance　on　account　of　Ikonin's　red　hairs。　I　took

my　ticket　boldly　and　made　ready　to　answer；　but　the　professor's

eye　passed　over　my　head　and　alighted　upon　Ikonin。　Accordingly；　I

occupied　myself　in　reading　my　ticket。　The　questions　printed　on　it

were　all　familiar　to　me；　so；　as　I　silently　awaited　my　turn；　I

gazed　at　what　was　passing　near　me；　Ikonin　seemed　in　no　way

diffidentrather　the　reverse；　for；　in　reaching　for　his　ticket；

he　threw　his　body　half…way　across　the　table。　Then　he　gave　his

long　hair　a　shake；　and　rapidly　conned　over　what　was　written　on

his　ticket。　I　think　he　had　just　opened　his　mouth　to　answer　when

the　professor　with　the　star　dismissed　the　gymnasium　student　with

a　word　of　commendation；　and　then　turned　and　looked　at　Ikonin。　At

once　the　latter　seemed　taken　back；　and　stopped　short。　For　about

two　minutes　there　was　a　dead　silence。



〃Well？〃　said　the　professor　in　the　spectacles。



Once　more　Ikonin　opened　his　mouth；　and　once　more　remained　silent。



〃　Come！　You　are　not　the　only　one　to　be　examined。　Do　you　mean　to

answer　or　do　you　not？〃　said　the　youngish　professor；　but　Ikonin

did　not　even　look　at　him。　He　was　gazing　fixedly　at　his　ticket　and

uttered　not　a　single　word。　The　professor　in　the　spectacles

scanned　him　through　his　glasses；　then　over　them；　then　without

them　（for；　indeed；　he　had　time　to　take　them　off；　to　wipe　their

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。