addressing himself more particularly to Woloda and myself, and
having the appearance of speaking hurriedly in order to prevent us from
interrupting him, "it is time for you to depart, while I myself am
going to stay here until the New Year, and then to follow you to Moscow
with"--again he hesitated a moment--"my wife and Lubotshka." It hurt me
to see my father standing as though abashed and at fault before us, so
I moved a little nearer him, but Woloda only went on walking about the
room with his head down, and smoking.

"So, my children, that is what your old father has planned to do,"
concluded Papa--reddening, coughing, and offering Woloda and myself his
hands. Tears were in his eyes as he said this, and I noticed, too, that
the hand which he was holding out to Woloda (who at that moment chanced
to be at the other end of the room) was shaking slightly. The sight of
that shaking hand gave me an unpleasant shock, for I remembered that
Papa had served in 1812, and had been, as every one knew, a brave
officer. Seizing the great veiny hand, I covered it with kisses, and
he squeezed mine hard in return. Then, with a sob amid his tears, he
suddenly threw his arms around Lubotshka's dark head, and kissed her
again and again on the eyes. Woloda pretended that he had dropped his
pipe, and, bending down, wiped his eyes furtively with the back of his
hand. Then, endeavouring to escape notice, he left the room.

XXXVI. THE UNIVERSITY

THE wedding was to take place in two weeks' time, but, as our lectures
had begun already, Woloda and myself were forced to return to Moscow at
the beginning of September. The Nechludoffs had also returned from the
country, and Dimitri (with whom, on parting, I had made an agreement
that we should correspond frequently with the result, of course, that we
had never once written to one another) came to see us immediately
after our arrival, and arranged to escort me to my first lecture on the
morrow.

It was a beautiful sunny day. No sooner had I entered the auditorium
than I felt my personality entirely disappear amid the swarm of
light-hearted youths who were seething tumultuously through every
doorway and corridor under the influence of the sunlight pouring through
the great windows. I found the sense of being a member of this huge
community very pleasing, yet there were few among the throng whom I
knew, and that only on terms of a nod and a "How do you do, Irtenieff?"

All around me men w