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〃I tell you what； gentlemen： the DIPLOMAT ought to be
christened；〃 said Dubkoff suddenly； with a glance and a smile
which seemed to me derisive； and even treacherous。 〃Yet； 0 Lord；
what a poor specimen he is！〃
〃You yourself ought to be christened； and you yourself are a
sorry specimen！〃 I retorted with an evil smile； and actually
forgetting to address him as 〃thou。〃 ＇In Russian as in French；
the second person singular is the form of speech used between
intimate friends。＇
This reply evidently surprised Dubkoff； but he turned away good…
humouredly； and went on talking to Woloda and Dimitri。 I tried to
edge myself into the conversation； but； since I felt that I could
not keep it up； I soon returned to my corner； and remained there
until we left。
When the bill had been paid and wraps were being put on； Dubkoff
turned to Dimitri and said： 〃Whither are Orestes and Pedalion
going now？ Home； I suppose； to talk about love。 Well； let US go
and see my dear Auntie。 That will be far more entertaining than
your sour company。〃
〃How dare you speak like that； and laugh at us？〃 I burst out as I
approached him with clenched fists。 〃How dare you laugh at
feelings which you do not understand？ I will not have you do it！
Hold your tongue！〃 At this point I had to hold my own； for I did
not know what to say next； and was； moreover； out of breath with
excitement。 At first Dubkoff was taken aback； but presently he
tried to laugh it off； and to take it as a joke。 Finally I was
surprised to see him look crestfallen； and lower his eyes。
〃I NEVER laugh at you or your feelings。 It is merely my way of
speaking；〃 he said evasively。
〃Indeed？〃 I cried； yet the next moment I felt ashamed of myself
and sorry for him； since his flushed； downcast face had in it no
other expression than one of genuine pain。
〃What is the matter with you？〃 said Woloda and Dimitri
simultaneously。 〃No one was trying to insult you。〃
〃Yes； he DID try to insult me！〃 I replied。
〃What an extraordinary fellow your brother is！〃 said Dubkoff to
Woloda。 At that moment he was passing out of the door； and could
not have heard what I said。 Possibly I should have flung myself
after him and offered him further insult； had it not been that
just at that moment the waiter who had witnessed my encounter
with Kolpikoff handed me my greatcoat； and I at once quietened
downmerely making such a pretence of having had a difference
with Dimitri as was necessary to make my sudden appeasement
appear nothing extraordinary。 Next day； when I met Dubkoff at
Woloda's； the quarrel was not raked up； yet he and I still
addressed each other as 〃you；〃 and found it harder than ever to
look one another in the face。
The remembrance of my scene with Kolpikoffwho； by the way；
never sent me 〃de ses nouvelles；〃 either the following day or any
day afterwardsremained for years a keen and unpleasant memory。
Even so much as five years after it had happened I would begin
fidgeting and muttering to myself whenever I remembered the
unavenged insult； and was fain to comfort myself with the
satisfaction of recollecting the sort of young fellow I had shown
myself to be in my subsequent affair with Dubkoff。 In fact； it
was only later still that I began to regard the matter in another
light； and both to recall with comic appreciation my passage of
arms with Kolpikoff； and to regret the undeserved affront which I
had offered my good friend Dubkoff。
When； at a later hour on the evening of the dinner； I told
Dimitri of my affair with Kolpikoff； whose exterior I described
in detail； he was astounded。
〃That is the very man！〃 he cried。 〃Don't you know that this
precious Kolpikoff is a known scamp and sharper； as well as；
above all things； a coward； and that he was expelled from his
regiment by his brother officers because； having had his face
slapped； he would not fight？ But how came you to let him get
away？〃 he added； with a kindly smile and glance。 〃Surely he could
not have said more to you than he did when he called you a cad？〃
〃No；〃 I admitted with a blush。
〃Well； it was not right； but there is no great harm done；〃 said
Dimitri consolingly。
Long afterwards； when thinking the matter over at leisure； I
suddenly came to the conclusion that it was quite possible that
Kolpikoff took the opportunity of vicariously wiping off upon me
the slap in the face which he had once received； just as I myself
took the opportunity of vicariously wiping off upon the innocent
Dubkoff the epithet 〃cad〃 which Kolpikoff had just applied to me。
XVII
I GET READY TO PAY SOME CALLS
On awaking next morning my first thoughts were of the affair with
Kolpikoff。 Once again I muttered to myself and stamped about the
room； but there was no help for it。 To…day was the last day that
I was to spend in Moscow； and it was to be spent； by Papa's
orders； in my paying a round of calls which he had written out
for me on a piece of paperhis first solicitude on our account
being not so much for our morals or our education as for our due
observance of the convenances。 On the piece of paper was written
in his swift； broken hand…writing： 〃（1） Prince Ivan Ivanovitch
WITHOUT FAIL； （2） the Iwins WITHOUT FAIL； （3） Prince Michael； （4）
the Princess Nechludoff and Madame Valakhina if you wish。〃 Of
course I was also to call upon my guardian； upon the rector； and
upon the professors。
These last…mentioned calls； however； Dimitri advised me not to
pay： saying that it was not only unnecessary to do so； but not
the thing。 However； there were the other visits to be got
through。 It was the first two on the listthose marked as to be
paid 〃WITHOUT FAIL〃that most alarmed me。 Prince Ivan Ivanovitch
was a commander…in…chief； as well as old； wealthy； and a
bachelor。 Consequently； I foresaw that vis…a…vis conversation
between him and myselfmyself a sixteen…year…old student！was
not likely to be interesting。 As for the Iwins； they too were
richthe father being a departmental official of high rank who
had only on one occasion called at our house during my
grandmother's time。 Since her death； I had remarked that the
younger Iwin had fought shy of us； and seemed to give himself
airs。 The elder of the pair； I had heard； had now finished his
course in jurisprudence； and gone to hold a post in St。
Petersburg； while his brother Sergius （the former object of my
worship） was also in St。 Petersburg； as a great fat cadet in the
Corps of Pages。
When I was a young man； not only did I dislike intercourse with
people who thought themselves above me； but such intercourse was；
for me； an unbearable torture； owing partly to my constant dread
of being snubbed； and partly to my straining every faculty of my
intellect to prove to such people my independence。 Yet； even if I
failed to fulfil the latter part of my father's instructions； I
felt that I must carry out the former。 I paced my room and eyed
my clothes