tokens　of　my　wealth。　I　felt　guilty　in　their　eyes；　and　as　though；
  whether　I　accepted　or　rejected　their　acquittal　and　took　a　line　of
  my　own；　I　could　never　enter　into　equal　and　unaffected　relations
  with　them。　Yet　to　such　an　extent　did　the　stirring　poetry　of　the
  courage　which　I　could　detect　in　Zuchin　（in　particular）　overshadow
  the　coarse；　vicious　side　of　his　nature　that　the　latter　made　no
  unpleasant　impression　upon　me。
  For　a　couple　of　weeks　I　visited　Zuchin's　almost　every　night　for
  purposes　of　work。　Yet　I　did　very　little　there；　since；　as　I　have
  said；　I　had　lost　ground　at　the　start；　and；　not　having　sufficient
  grit　in　me　to　catch　up　my　companions　by　solitary　study；　was
  forced　merely　to　PRETEND　that　I　was　listening　to　and　taking　in
  all　they　were　reading。　I　have　an　idea；　too；　that　they　divined　my
  pretence；　since　I　often　noticed　that　they　passed　over　points
  which　they　themselves　knew　without　first　inquiring　of　me　whether
  I　did　the　same。　Yet；　day　by　day；　I　was　coming　to　regard　the
  vulgarity　of　this　circle　with　more　indulgence；　to　feel
  increasingly　drawn　towards　its　way　of　life；　and　to　find　in　it
  much　that　was　poetical。　Only　my　word　of　honour　to　Dimitri　that　I
  would　never　indulge　in　dissipation　with　these　new　comrades　kept
  me　from　deciding　also　to　share　their　diversions。
  Once；　I　thought　I　would　make　a　display　of　my　knowledge　of
  literature；　particularly　French　literature；　and　so　led　the
  conversation　to　that　theme。　Judge；　then；　of　my　surprise　when　I
  discovered　that　not　only　had　my　companions　been　reading　the
  foreign　passages　in　Russian；　but　that　they　had　studied　far　more
  foreign　works　than　I　had；　and　knew　and　could　appraise　English；
  and　even　Spanish；　writers　of　whom　I　had　never　so　much　as　heard！
  Likewise；　Pushkin　and　Zhukovski　represented　to　them　LITERATURE；
  and　not；　as　to　myself；　certain　books　in　yellow　covers　which　I　had
  once　read　and　studied　when　a　child。　For　Dumas　and　Sue　they　had　an
  almost　equal　contempt；　and；　in　general；　were　competent　to　form
  much　better　and　clearer　judgments　on　literary　matters　than　I　was；
  for　all　that　I　refused　to　recognise　the　fact。　In　knowledge　of
  music；　too；　I　could　not　beat　them；　and　was　astonished　to　find
  that　Operoff　played　the　violin；　and　another　student　the　cello
  and　piano；　while　both　of　them　were　members　of　the　University
  orchestra；　and　possessed　a　wide　knowledge　of　and　appreciation　of
  good　music。　In　short；　with　the　exception　of　the　French　and　German
  languages；　my　companions　were　better　posted　at　every　point　than　I
  was；　yet　not　the　least　proud　of　the　fact。　True；　I　might　have
  plumed　myself　on　my　position　as　a　man　of　the　world；　but　Woloda
  excelled　me　even　in　that。　Wherein；　then；　lay　the　height　from
  which　I　presumed　to　look　down　upon　these　comrades？　In　my
  acquaintanceship　with　Prince　Ivan　Ivanovitch？　In　my　ability　to
  speak　French？　In　my　drozhki？　In　my　linen　shirt？　In　my　finger…
  nails？　〃Surely　these　things　are　all　rubbish；〃　was　the　thought
  which　would　come　flitting　through　my　head　under　the　influence　of
  the　envy　which　the　good…fellowship　and　kindly；　youthful　gaiety
  displayed　around　me　excited　in　my　breast。　Every　one　addressed　his
  interlocutor　in　the　second　person　singular。　True；　the　familiarity
  of　this　address　almost　approximated　to　rudeness；　yet　even　the
  boorish　exterior　of　the　speaker　could　not　conceal　a　constant
  endeavour　never　to　hurt　another　one's　feelings。　The　terms　〃brute〃
  or　〃swine；〃　when　used　in　this　good…natured　fashion；　only
  convulsed　me；　and　gave　me　cause　for　inward　merriment。　In　no　way
  did　they　offend　the　person　addressed；　or　prevent　the　company　at
  large　from　remaining　on　the　most　sincere　and　friendly　footing。　In
  all　their　intercourse　these　youths　were　delicate　and　forbearing
  in　a　way　that　only　very　poor　and　very　young　men　can　be。　However
  much　I　might　detect　in　Zuchin's　character　and　amusements　an
  element　of　coarseness　and　profligacy；　I　could　also　detect　the
  fact　that　his　drinking…bouts　were　of　a　very　different　order　to
  the　puerility　with　burnt　rum　and　champagne　in　which　I　had
  participated　at　Baron　Z。's。
  XLIV
  ZUCHIN　AND　SEMENOFF
  Although　I　do　not　know　what　class　of　society　Zuchin　belonged　to；
  I　know　that；　without　the　help　either　of　means　or　social　position；
  he　had　matriculated　from　the　Seventh　Gymnasium。　At　that　time　he
  was　eighteenthough　he　looked　much　olderand　very　clever；
  especially　in　his　powers　of　assimilation。　To　him　it　was　easier　to
  survey　the　whole　of　some　complicated　subject；　to　foresee　its
  various　parts　and　deductions；　than　to　use　that　knowledge；　when
  gained；　for　reasoning　out　the　exact　laws　to　which　those
  deductions　were　due。　He　knew　that　he　was　clever；　and　of　the　fact
  he　was　proud；　yet　from　that　very　pride　arose　the　circumstance　that
  he　treated　every　one　with　unvarying　simplicity　and　good…nature。
  Moreover；　his　experience　of　life　must　have　been　considerable；
  for　already　he　had　squandered　much　love；　friendship；　activity；
  and　money。　Though　poor　and　moving　only　in　the　lower　ranks　of
  society；　there　was　nothing　which　he　had　ever　attempted　for
  which　he　did　not　thenceforth　feel　the　contempt；　the　indifference；
  or　the　utter　disregard　which　were　bound　to　result　from　his
  attaining　his　goal　too　easily。　In　fact；　the　very　ardour　with
  which　he　applied　himself　to　a　new　pursuit　seemed　to　be　due
  to　his　contempt　for　what　he　had　already　attained；　since　his
  abilities　always　led　him　to　success；　and　therefore　to　a　certain
  right　to　despise　it。　With　the　sciences　it　was　the　same。　Though
  little　interested　in　them；　and　taking　no　notes；　he　knew
  mathematics　thoroughly；　and　was　uttering　no　vain　boast　when　he
  said　that　he　could　beat　the　professor　himself。　Much　of　what　he
  heard　said　in　lectures　he　thought　rubbish；　yet　with　his　peculiar
  habit　of　unconsciously　practical　roguishness　he　feigned　to
  subscribe　to　all　that　the　professors　thought　important；　and　every
  professor　adored　him。　True；　he　was　outspoken　to　the　authorities；
  but　they　none　the　less　respected　him。　Besides　disliking　and
  despising　the　sciences；　he　despised　all　who　laboured　to　attain
  what　he　himself　had　mastered　so　easily；　since　the　sciences；　as　he
  understood　them；　did　not　occupy　one…tenth　part　of　his　powers。　In
  fact；　life；　as　he　saw　it　from　the　student's　standpoint；　contained
  nothing　to　which　he　could　devote　himself　wholly；　and　his
  impetuous；　active　nature　（as　he　himself　often　said）　demanded　life
  complete：　wherefore　he　frequented　the　drinking…bout　in　so　far　as
  he　could　afford　it；　and　surrendered　himself　to　dissipation
  chiefly　out　of　a　desire　to　get　as　far　away　from　himself　as
  possible。　Consequently；　just　as　the　examinations　were
  approaching；　Operoff's　prophecy　to　me　came　true；　for　Zuchin
  wasted　two　whole　weeks　in　this　fashion；　and　we　had　to　do　the
  latter　part　of　our　preparation　at　another　student's。　Yet　at　the
  first　examination　he　reappeared　with　pale；　haggard　face　and
  tremulous　hands；　and　passed　brilliantly　into　the　second　course！
  The　company　of　roisterers　of　which　Zuchin　had　been　the　leader
  since　its　formation　at　the　beginning　of　the　term　consisted　of
  eight　students；　among　whom；　at　first；　had　been　numbered　Ikonin
  and　Semenoff；　but　the　former　had　left　under　the　strain　of　the
  continuous　revelry　in　which　the　band　had　indulged　in　the　early
  part　of　the　term；　and　the　latter　seceded　later　for　reasons　which
  were　never　wholly　explained。　In　its　early　days　this　band　had　been
  looked　upon　with　awe　by　all　the　fellows　of　our　course；　and　had
  had　its　exploits　much　discussed。　Of　these　exploits　the　leading
  heroes　had　been　Zuchin　and；　towards　the　end　of　the　term；
  Semenoff；　but　the　latter　had　come　to　be　generally　shunned；　and　to
  cause　disturbances　on　the　rare　occasions　when　he　attended　a
  lecture。　Just　before　the　examinations　began；　he　rounded　off　his
  drinking　exploits　in　a　most　energetic　and　original　fashion；　as　I
  myself　had　occasion　to　witness　（through　my　acquaintanceship　with
  Zuchin）。　This　is　how　it　was。　One　evening　we　had　just　assembled　at
  Zuchin's；　and　Operoff；　reinforcing　a　candlestick　with　a　candle
  stuck　in　a　bottle；　had　just　plunged　his　nose　into　his　notebooks
  and　begun　to　read　aloud　in　his　thin　voice　from　his　neatly…written
  notes　on　physics；　when　the　landlady　entered　the　room；　and
  informed　Zuchin　that　some　one　had　brought　a　note　for　him　。　。
  。＇The　remainder　of　this　chapter　is　omitted　in　the　original。＇
  XLV
  I　COME　TO　GRIEF
  At　length　the　first　examinationon　differentials　and　integrals
  drew　near；　but　I　continued　in　a　vague　state　which　precluded　me
  from　forming　any　clear　idea　of　what　was　awaiting　me。　Every
  evening；　after　consorting　with　Zuchin　and　the　rest；　the　thought
  would　occur　to　me　that　there　was　something　in　my　convictions
  which　I　must　change　…　something　wrong　and　mistaken；　yet　every
  morning　the　daylight　would　find　me　again　satisfied　to　be　〃comme
  il　faut；〃　and　desirous　of　no　change　whatsoever。
  Such　was　the　frame　of　mind　in　which　I　attended　for　the　first
  examination。　I　seated　myself　on　the　bench　where　the　princes；