the wife and other stories-第29部分

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l　him　to　ask　him　in。　A　minute　later　a　young　man　of　agreeable　appearance　comes　in。　For　the　last　year　he　and　I　have　been　on　strained　relations；　he　answers　me　disgracefully　at　the　examinations；　and　I　mark　him　one。　Every　year　I　have　some　seven　such　hopefuls　whom；　to　express　it　in　the　students'　slang；　I　〃chivy〃　or　〃floor。〃　Those　of　them　who　fail　in　their　examination　through　incapacity　or　illness　usually　bear　their　cross　patiently　and　do　not　haggle　with　me；　those　who　come　to　the　house　and　haggle　with　me　are　always　youths　of　sanguine　temperament；　broad　natures；　whose　failure　at　examinations　spoils　their　appetites　and　hinders　them　from　visiting　the　opera　with　their　usual　regularity。　I　let　the　first　class　off　easily；　but　the　second　I　chivy　through　a　whole　year。

〃Sit　down；〃　I　say　to　my　visitor；　〃what　have　you　to　tell　me？〃

〃Excuse　me；　professor；　for　troubling　you；〃　he　begins；　hesitating；　and　not　looking　me　in　the　face。　〃I　would　not　have　ventured　to　trouble　you　if　it　had　not　been　。　。　。　I　have　been　up　for　your　examination　five　times；　and　have　been　ploughed。　。　。　。　I　beg　you；　be　so　good　as　to　mark　me　for　a　pass；　because　。　。　。〃

The　argument　which　all　the　sluggards　bring　forward　on　their　own　behalf　is　always　the　same；　they　have　passed　well　in　all　their　subjects　and　have　only　come　to　grief　in　mine；　and　that　is　the　more　surprising　because　they　have　always　been　particularly　interested　in　my　subject　and　knew　it　so　well；　their　failure　has　always　been　entirely　owing　to　some　incomprehensible　misunderstanding。

〃Excuse　me；　my　friend；〃　I　say　to　the　visitor；　〃I　cannot　mark　you　for　a　pass。　Go　and　read　up　the　lectures　and　come　to　me　again。　Then　we　shall　see。〃

A　pause。　I　feel　an　impulse　to　torment　the　student　a　little　for　liking　beer　and　the　opera　better　than　science；　and　I　say；　with　a　sigh：

〃To　my　mind；　the　best　thing　you　can　do　now　is　to　give　up　medicine　altogether。　If；　with　your　abilities；　you　cannot　succeed　in　passing　the　examination；　it's　evident　that　you　have　neither　the　desire　nor　the　vocation　for　a　doctor's　calling。〃

The　sanguine　youth's　face　lengthens。

〃Excuse　me；　professor；〃　he　laughs；　〃but　that　would　be　odd　of　me；　to　say　the　least　of　it。　After　studying　for　five　years；　all　at　once　to　give　it　up。〃

〃Oh；　well！　Better　to　have　lost　your　five　years　than　have　to　spend　the　rest　of　your　life　in　doing　work　you　do　not　care　for。〃

But　at　once　I　feel　sorry　for　him；　and　I　hasten　to　add：

〃However；　as　you　think　best。　And　so　read　a　little　more　and　come　again。〃

〃When？〃　the　idle　youth　asks　in　a　hollow　voice。

〃When　you　like。　Tomorrow　if　you　like。〃

And　in　his　good…natured　eyes　I　read：

〃I　can　come　all　right；　but　of　course　you　will　plough　me　again；　you　beast！〃

〃Of　course；〃　I　say；　〃you　won't　know　more　science　for　going　in　for　my　examination　another　fifteen　times；　but　it　is　training　your　character；　and　you　must　be　thankful　for　that。〃

Silence　follows。　I　get　up　and　wait　for　my　visitor　to　go；　but　he　stands　and　looks　towards　the　window；　fingers　his　beard；　and　thinks。　It　grows　boring。

The　sanguine　youth's　voice　is　pleasant　and　mellow；　his　eyes　are　clever　and　ironical；　his　face　is　genial；　though　a　little　bloated　from　frequent　indulgence　in　beer　and　overlong　lying　on　the　sofa；　he　looks　as　though　he　could　tell　me　a　lot　of　interesting　things　about　the　opera；　about　his　affairs　of　the　heart；　and　about　comrades　whom　he　likes。　Unluckily；　it　is　not　the　thing　to　discuss　these　subjects；　or　else　I　should　have　been　glad　to　listen　to　him。

〃Professor；　I　give　you　my　word　of　honour　that　if　you　mark　me　for　a　pass　I　。　。　。　I'll　。　。　。〃

As　soon　as　we　reach　the　〃word　of　honour〃　I　wave　my　hands　and　sit　down　to　the　table。　The　student　ponders　a　minute　longer；　and　says　dejectedly：

〃In　that　case；　good…bye。　。　。　I　beg　your　pardon。〃

〃Good…bye；　my　friend。　Good　luck　to　you。〃

He　goes　irresolutely　into　the　hall；　slowly　puts　on　his　outdoor　things；　and；　going　out　into　the　street；　probably　ponders　for　some　time　longer；　unable　to　think　of　anything；　except　〃old　devil；〃　inwardly　addressed　to　me；　he　goes　into　a　wretched　restaurant　to　dine　and　drink　beer；　and　then　home　to　bed。　〃Peace　be　to　thy　ashes；　honest　toiler。〃

A　third　ring　at　the　bell。　A　young　doctor；　in　a　pair　of　new　black　trousers；　gold　spectacles；　and　of　course　a　white　tie；　walks　in。　He　introduces　himself。　I　beg　him　to　be　seated；　and　ask　what　I　can　do　for　him。　Not　without　emotion；　the　young　devotee　of　science　begins　telling　me　that　he　has　passed　his　examination　as　a　doctor　of　medicine；　and　that　he　has　now　only　to　write　his　dissertation。　He　would　like　to　work　with　me　under　my　guidance；　and　he　would　be　greatly　obliged　to　me　if　I　would　give　him　a　subject　for　his　dissertation。

〃Very　glad　to　be　of　use　to　you；　colleague；〃　I　say；　〃but　just　let　us　come　to　an　understanding　as　to　the　meaning　of　a　dissertation。　That　word　is　taken　to　mean　a　composition　which　is　a　product　of　independent　creative　effort。　Is　that　not　so？　A　work　written　on　another　man's　subject　and　under　another　man's　guidance　is　called　something　different。　。　。　。〃

The　doctor　says　nothing。　I　fly　into　a　rage　and　jump　up　from　my　seat。

〃Why　is　it　you　all　come　to　me？〃　I　cry　angrily。　〃Do　I　keep　a　shop？　I　don't　deal　in　subjects。　For　the　tho　usand　and　oneth　time　I　ask　you　all　to　leave　me　in　peace！　Excuse　my　brutality；　but　I　am　quite　sick　of　it！〃

The　doctor　remains　silent；　but　a　faint　flush　is　apparent　on　his　cheek…bones。　His　face　expresses　a　profound　reverence　for　my　fame　and　my　learning；　but　from　his　eyes　I　can　see　he　feels　a　contempt　for　my　voice；　my　pitiful　figure；　and　my　nervous　gesticulation。　I　impress　him　in　my　anger　as　a　queer　fish。

〃I　don't　keep　a　shop；〃　I　go　on　angrily。　〃And　it　is　a　strange　thing！　Why　don't　you　want　to　be　independent？　Why　have　you　such　a　distaste　for　independence？〃

I　say　a　great　deal；　but　he　still　remains　silent。　By　degrees　I　calm　down；　and　of　course　give　in。　The　doctor　gets　a　subject　from　me　for　his　theme　not　worth　a　halfpenny；　writes　under　my　supervision　a　dissertation　of　no　use　to　any　one；　with　dignity　defends　it　in　a　dreary　discussion；　and　receives　a　degree　of　no　use　to　him。

The　rings　at　the　bell　may　follow　one　another　endlessly；　but　I　will　confine　my　description　here　to　four　of　them。　The　bell　rings　for　the　fourth　time；　and　I　hear　familiar　footsteps；　the　rustle　of　a　dress；　a　dear　voice。　。　。　。

Eighteen　years　ago　a　colleague　of　mine；　an　oculist；　died　leaving　a　little　daughter　Katya；　a　child　of　seven；　and　sixty　thousand　roubles。　In　his　will　he　made　me　the　child's　guardian。　Till　she　was　ten　years　old　Katya　lived　with　us　as　one　of　the　family；　then　she　was　sent　to　a　boarding…school；　and　only　spent　the　summer　holidays　with　us。　I　never　had　time　to　look　after　her　education。　I　only　superintended　it　at　leisure　moments；　and　so　I　can　say　very　little　about　her　childhood。

The　first　thing　I　remember；　and　like　so　much　in　remembrance；　is　the　extraordinary　trustfulness　with　which　she　came　into　our　house　and　let　herself　be　treated　by　the　doctors；　a　trustfulness　which　was　always　shining　in　her　little　face。　She　would　sit　somewhere　out　of　the　way；　with　her　face　tied　up；　invariably　watching　something　with　attention；　whether　she　watched　me　writing　or　turning　over　the　pages　of　a　book；　or　watched　my　wife　bustling　about；　o