had wisps of flaxen hair carefully brushed
over his collar in the peasant style. His appearance had already caught
my attention when we were sitting among the desks, and had given me an
impression that he was not bad-looking. Also I had noticed that he was
very talkative. Yet what struck me most about his physiognomy was a
tuft, of queer red hairs which he had under his chin, as well as, still
more, a strange habit of continually unbuttoning his waistcoat and
scratching his chest under his shirt.

Behind the table to which we were summoned sat three Professors, none of
whom acknowledged our salutations. A youngish professor was shuffling a
bundle of tickets like a pack of cards; another one, with a star on his
frockcoat, was gazing hard at a gymnasium student, who was repeating
something at great speed about Charles the Great, and adding to each
of his sentences the word nakonetz [= the English colloquialism "you
know."] while a third one--an old man in spectacles--proceeded to bend
his head down as we approached, and, peering at us through his glasses,
pointed silently to the tickets. I felt his glance go over both myself
and Ikonin, and also felt sure that something about us had displeased
him (perhaps it was Ikonin's red hairs), for, after taking another look
at the pair of us, he motioned impatiently to us to be quick in taking
our tickets. I felt vexed and offended--firstly, because none of the
professors had responded to our bows, and, secondly, because they
evidently coupled me with Ikonin under the one denomination of
"candidates," and so were condemning me in advance on account of
Ikonin's red hairs. I took my ticket boldly and made ready to answer,
but the professor's eye passed over my head and alighted upon Ikonin.
Accordingly, I occupied myself in reading my ticket. The questions
printed on it were all familiar to me, so, as I silently awaited my
turn, I gazed at what was passing near me, Ikonin seemed in no way
diffident--rather the reverse, for, in reaching for his ticket, he threw
his body half-way across the table. Then he gave his long hair a shake,
and rapidly conned over what was written on his ticket. I think he
had just opened his mouth to answer when the professor with the star
dismissed the gymnasium student with a word of commendation, and then
turned and looked at Ikonin. At once the latter seemed taken back, and
stopped short. For about two minutes there was a dead silence.

"Well?" said the