Having seated himself alongside of Yarchenko, he straight off
began to play a new role--he became something on the order of an
old good soul of a landed proprietor, who had at one time been at
a university himself, and now can not look upon the students
without a quiet, fatherly emotion.
"Believe me, gentlemen, that one's soul rests from all these
worldly squabbles in the midst of youth," he was saying, imparting
to his depraved and harsh face an actor-like, exaggerated and
improbable expression of being moved. "This faith in a high ideal,
these honest impulses! ... What can be loftier and purer than our
Russian students as a body? ... KELLNER! Chompa-a-agne!" he yelled
deafeningly all of a sudden, and dealt a heavy blow on the table
with his fist.
Lichonin and Yarchenka did not wish to remain in debt to him. A
spree began. God knows in what manner Mishka the Singer and Nicky
the Book-keeper soon found themselves in the cabinet, and at once
began singing in their galloping voices:
"They fe-e-e-el the tru-u-u-uth,
Come thou daw-aw-aw-awning quicker .
Pages:
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172