ough it stood in constant need of
trimming. Although, too, he seemed to think nothing of himself (a trail
which always pleased me in people), it was clear that he never let his
brain rest. He had one of those expressive faces which, a few hours
after you have seen them for the first time, change suddenly and
entirely to your view. Such a change took place, in my eyes, with regard
to Zuchin's face towards the end of that evening. Suddenly, I seemed
to see new wrinkles appear upon its surface, its eyes grow deeper, its
smile become a different one, and the whole face assume such an altered
aspect that I scarcely recognised it.

When the reading was ended, Zuchin, the other students, and myself
manifested our desire to be "comrades all" by drinking vodka until
little remained in the bottle. Thereupon Zuchin asked if any one had a
quarter-rouble to spare, so that he could send the old woman who looked
after him to buy some more; yet, on my offering to provide the money,
he made as though he had not heard me, and turned to Operoff, who pulled
out a purse sewn with bugles, and handed him the sum required.

"And mind you don't get drunk," added the giver, who himself had not
partaken of the vodka.

"By heavens!" answered Zuchin as he sucked the marrow out of a mutton
bone (I remember thinking that it must be because he ate marrow that he
was so clever). "By heavens!" he went on with a slight smile (and his
smile was of the kind that one involuntarily noticed, and somehow felt
grateful for), "even if I did get drunk, there would be no great harm
done. I wonder which of us two could look after himself the better--you
or I? Anyway I am willing to make the experiment," and he slapped his
forehead with mock boastfulness. "But what a pity it is that Semenoff
has disappeared! He has gone and completely hidden himself somewhere."

Sure enough, the grey-haired Semenoff who had comforted me so much at
my first examination by being worse dressed than myself, and who, after
passing the second examination, had attended his lectures regularly
during the first month, had disappeared thereafter from view, and never
been seen at the University throughout the latter part of the course.

"Where is he?" asked some one.

"I do not know" replied Zuchin. "He has escaped my eye altogether. Yet
what fun I used to have with him! What fire there was in the man! and
what an intellect! I should be indeed sorry if he has come to grief--and
come to gr