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an　old　schoolfellow。　　I　had　a　number　of　schoolfellows；　indeed；　in

Petersburg；　but　I　did　not　associate　with　them　and　had　even　given

up　nodding　to　them　in　the　street。　　I　believe　I　had　transferred

into　the　department　I　was　in　simply　to　avoid　their　company　and　to

cut　off　all　connection　with　my　hateful　childhood。　　Curses　on　that

school　and　all　those　terrible　years　of　penal　servitude！　　In

short；　I　parted　from　my　schoolfellows　as　soon　as　I　got　out　into

the　world。　　There　were　two　or　three　left　to　whom　I　nodded　in　the

street。　　One　of　them　was　Simonov；　who　had　in　no　way　been

distinguished　at　school；　was　of　a　quiet　and　equable　disposition；

but　I　discovered　in　him　a　certain　independence　of　character　and

even　honesty。　　I　don't　even　suppose　that　he　was　particularly

stupid。　　I　had　at　one　time　spent　some　rather　soulful　moments　with

him；　but　these　had　not　lasted　long　and　had　somehow　been　suddenly

clouded　over。　　He　was　evidently　uncomfortable　at　these

reminiscences；　and　was；　I　fancy；　always　afraid　that　I　might　take

up　the　same　tone　again。　　I　suspected　that　he　had　an　aversion　for

me；　but　still　I　went　on　going　to　see　him；　not　being　quite　certain

of　it。



And　so　on　one　occasion；　unable　to　endure　my　solitude　and　knowing

that　as　it　was　Thursday　Anton　Antonitch's　door　would　be　closed；　I

thought　of　Simonov。　　Climbing　up　to　his　fourth　storey　I　was

thinking　that　the　man　disliked　me　and　that　it　was　a　mistake　to　go

and　see　him。　　But　as　it　always　happened　that　such　reflections

impelled　me；　as　though　purposely；　to　put　myself　into　a　false

position；　I　went　in。　　It　was　almost　a　year　since　I　had　last　seen

Simonov。





III



I　found　two　of　my　old　schoolfellows　with　him。　　They　seemed　to　be

discussing　an　important　matter。　　All　of　them　took　scarcely　any

notice　of　my　entrance；　which　was　strange；　for　I　had　not　met　them

for　years。　　Evidently　they　looked　upon　me　as　something　on　the

level　of　a　common　fly。　　I　had　not　been　treated　like　that　even　at

school；　though　they　all　hated　me。　　I　knew；　of　course；　that　they

must　despise　me　now　for　my　lack　of　success　in　the　service；　and

for　my　having　let　myself　sink　so　low；　going　about　badly　dressed

and　so　onwhich　seemed　to　them　a　sign　of　my　incapacity　and

insignificance。　　But　I　had　not　expected　such　contempt。　　Simonov

was　positively　surprised　at　my　turning　up。　　Even　in　old　days　he

had　always　seemed　surprised　at　my　coming。　　All　this　disconcerted

me：　I　sat　down；　feeling　rather　miserable；　and　began　listening　to

what　they　were　saying。



They　were　engaged　in　warm　and　earnest　conversation　about　a

farewell　dinner　which　they　wanted　to　arrange　for　the　next　day　to

a　comrade　of　theirs　called　Zverkov；　an　officer　in　the　army；　who

was　going　away　to　a　distant　province。　　This　Zverkov　had　been　all

the　time　at　school　with　me　too。　　I　had　begun　to　hate　him

particularly　in　the　upper　forms。　　In　the　lower　forms　he　had

simply　been　a　pretty；　playful　boy　whom　everybody　liked。　　I　had

hated　him；　however；　even　in　the　lower　forms；　just　because　he　was

a　pretty　and　playful　boy。　　He　was　always　bad　at　his　lessons　and

got　worse　and　worse　as　he　went　on；　however；　he　left　with　a　good

certificate；　as　he　had　powerful　interests。　　During　his　last　year

at　school　he　came　in　for　an　estate　of　two　hundred　serfs；　and　as

almost　all　of　us　were　poor　he　took　up　a　swaggering　tone　among　us。　

He　was　vulgar　in　the　extreme；　but　at　the　same　time　he　was　a

good…natured　fellow；　even　in　his　swaggering。　　In　spite　of

superficial；　fantastic　and　sham　notions　of　honour　and　dignity；

all　but　very　few　of　us　positively　grovelled　before　Zverkov；　and

the　more　so　the　more　he　swaggered。　　And　it　was　not　from　any

interested　motive　that　they　grovelled；　but　simply　because　he　had

been　favoured　by　the　gifts　of　nature。　　Moreover；　it　was；　as　it

were；　an　accepted　idea　among　us　that　Zverkov　was　a　specialist　in

regard　to　tact　and　the　social　graces。　　This　last　fact

particularly　infuriated　me。　　I　hated　the　abrupt　self…confident

tone　of　his　voice；　his　admiration　of　his　own　witticisms；　which

were　often　frightfully　stupid；　though　he　was　bold　in　his

language；　I　hated　his　handsome；　but　stupid　face　（for　which　I

would；　however；　have　gladly　exchanged　my　intelligent　one）；　and

the　free…and…easy　military　manners　in　fashion　in　the　〃'forties。〃

I　hated　the　way　in　which　he　used　to　talk　of　his　future　conquests

of　women　（he　did　not　venture　to　begin　his　attack　upon　women　until

he　had　the　epaulettes　of　an　officer；　and　was　looking　forward　to

them　with　impatience）；　and　boasted　of　the　duels　he　would

constantly　be　fighting。　　I　remember　how　I；　invariably　so

taciturn；　suddenly　fastened　upon　Zverkov；　when　one　day　talking　at

a　leisure　moment　with　his　schoolfellows　of　his　future　relations

with　the　fair　sex；　and　growing　as　sportive　as　a　puppy　in　the　sun；

he　all　at　once　declared　that　he　would　not　leave　a　single　village

girl　on　his　estate　unnoticed；　that　that　was　his　droit　de

seigneur；　and　that　if　the　peasants　dared　to　protest　he　would　have

them　all　flogged　and　double　the　tax　on　them；　the　bearded　rascals。　

Our　servile　rabble　applauded；　but　I　attacked　him；　not　from

compassion　for　the　girls　and　their　fathers；　but　simply　because

they　were　applauding　such　an　insect。　　I　got　the　better　of　him　on

that　occasion；　but　though　Zverkov　was　stupid　he　was　lively　and

impudent；　and　so　laughed　it　off；　and　in　such　a　way　that　my

victory　was　not　really　complete；　the　laugh　was　on　his　side。　　He

got　the　better　of　me　on　several　occasions　afterwards；　but　without

malice；　jestingly；　casually。　　I　remained　angrily　and

contemptuously　silent　and　would　not　answer　him。　　When　we　left

school　he　made　advances　to　me；　I　did　not　rebuff　them；　for　I　was

flattered；　but　we　soon　parted　and　quite　naturally。　　Afterwards　I

heard　of　his　barrack…room　success　as　a　lieutenant；　and　of　the

fast　life　he　was　leading。　　Then　there　came　other　rumoursof　his

successes　in　the　service。　　By　then　he　had　taken　to　cutting　me　in

the　street；　and　I　suspected　that　he　was　afraid　of　compromising

himself　by　greeting　a　personage　as　insignificant　as　me。　　I　saw

him　once　in　the　theatre；　in　the　third　tier　of　boxes。　　By　then　he

was　wearing　shoulder…straps。　　He　was　twisting　and　twirling　about；

ingratiating　himself　with　the　daughters　of　an　ancient　General。　

In　three　years　he　had　gone　off　considerably；　though　he　was　still

rather　handsome　and　adroit。　　One　could　see　that　by　the　time　he

was　thirty　he　would　be　corpulent。　　So　it　was　to　this　Zverkov　that

my　schoolfellows　were　going　to　give　a　dinner　on　his　departure。　

They　had　kept　up　with　him　for　those　three　years；　though　privately

they　did　not　consider　themselves　on　an　equal　footing　with　him；　I

am　convinced　of　that。



Of　Simonov's　two　visitors；　one　was　Ferfitchkin；　a　Russianised

German　a　little　fellow　with　the　face　of　a　monkey；　a　blockhead

who　was　always　deriding　everyone；　a　very　bitter　enemy　of　mine

from　our　days　in　the　lower　formsa　vulgar；　impudent；　swaggering

fellow；　who　affected　a　most　sensitive　feeling　of　personal　honour；

though；　of　course；　he　was　a　wretched　little　coward　at　heart。　　He

was　one　of　those　worshippers　of　Zverkov　who　made　up　to　the　latter

from　interested　motives；　and　often　borrowed　money　from　him。　

Simonov's　other　visitor；　Trudolyubov；　was　a　person　in　no　way

remarkablea　tall　young　fellow；　in　the　army；　with　a　cold　face；

fairly　honest；　though　he　worshipped　success　of　every　sort；　and

was　only　capable　of　thinking　of　promotion。　　He　was　some　sort　of

distant　relation　of　Zverkov's；　and　this；　foolish　as　it　seems；

gave　him　a　certain　importance　among　us。　　He　always　thought　me　of

no　consequence　whatever；　his　behaviour　to　me；　though　not　quite

courteous；　was　tolerable。



〃Well；　with　seven　roubles　each；〃　said　Trudolyubov；　〃twenty…one

roubles　between　the　three　of　us；　we　ought　to　be　able　to　get　a

good　dinner。　　Zverkov；　of　course；　won't　pay。〃



〃Of　course　not；　since　we　are　inviting　him；〃　Simonov　decided。



〃Can　you　imagine；〃　Ferfitchkin　interrupted　hotly　and　conceitedly；

like　some　insolent　flunkey