ing; because
you don't know--the man."

"Well, well! You see, Vladimir, that I should have some hundreds of
roubles, in spite of everything. And that will be enough to keep me for
six months, with economy. By that time I shall prove my
manhood.--Meantime, I intend that one week shall see me settled in my
new world."

Thus ended their conversation--and with it de Windt's last effort to
prevent his friend from, as he considered, deliberately ruining himself.
Yet, in the end, he did help Ivan, much to that young man's secret
chagrin. And the little affair was managed so adroitly, that it was
impossible to refuse the presentation of two hundred and fifty roubles
which had been obtained in a perfectly business-like way. The rent of
the young men's apartment, which was by no means low, had always been
divided evenly between them, and payed, quarterly, to their landlord.
Immediately upon the decision that Ivan was to leave this fashionable
quarter of the city, a young ensign of the Second Grenadiers, one to
whom both young men had taken a great fancy during the winter, offered
to take Ivan's share of the apartment off his hands. As he entered
before the 1st of June, he naturally insisted upon paying the two
months' rent, which, however, Vladimir did not send Ivan until
twenty-four hours after that quixotic youth had mailed his father a
check for every kopeck of money saved by him from his large allowance.
The rent-money, added to that accruing from the sale of his personal
effects, which were extravagantly rich, was certainly acceptable to him,
in his otherwise penniless situation; and, stiffly as he acknowledged
the receipt of young Frol's check, de Windt perceived that he was deeply
sensible of the kindliness and friendly feeling that had inspired the
act. This was at least a crumb of comfort to the unhappy Vladimir; who
had been overwhelmed by bitter regret at the series of misfortunes which
now ended forever his friendship with the one intimate companion of his
life. For de Windt, so speedily and so easily attracted to Gregoriev,
was the most difficult officer in the regiment to know. This
peculiarity, indeed, he carried with him through life: for from boyhood
to death, he was always unhappily swift to read the meaner faults of
men; and pettiness, hypocrisy, selfishness and vanity, were stamped, to
his piercing eyes, upon the faces of ninety out of every hundred with
whom he came in contact. By the time he had reached tw