Chapter 13

I BECOME GROWN-UP

When, on May 8th, I returned home from the final, the divinity,
examination, I found my acquaintance, the foreman from
Rozonoff's, awaiting me. He had called once before to fit me for
my gown, as well as for a tunic of glossy black cloth (the lapels
of which were, on that occasion, only sketched in chalk), but to-
day he had come to bring me the clothes in their finished state,
with their gilt buttons wrapped in tissue paper.

Donning the garments, and finding them splendid (notwithstanding
that St. Jerome assured me that the back of the tunic wrinkled
badly), I went downstairs with a complacent smile which I was
powerless to banish from my face, and sought Woloda, trying the
while to affect unconsciousness of the admiring looks of the
servants, who came darting out of the hall and corridor to gaze
upon me with ravished eyes. Gabriel, the butler, overtook me in
the salle, and, after congratulating me with much empressement,
handed me, according to instructions from my father, four bank-
notes, as well as informed me that Papa had also given orders
that, from that day forth, the groom Kuzma, the phaeton, and the
bay horse Krassavchik were to be entirely at my disposal. I was
so overjoyed at this not altogether expected good-fortune that I
could no longer feign indifference in Gabriel's presence, but,
flustered and panting, said the first thing which came into my
head ("Krassavchik is a splendid trotter," I think it was). Then,
catching sight of the various heads protruding from the doors of
the hall and corridor, I felt that I could bear no more, and set
off running at full speed across the salle, dressed as I was in
the new tunic, with its shining gilt buttons. Just as I burst
into Woloda's room, I heard behind me the voices of Dubkoff and
Nechludoff, who had come to congratulate me, as well as to
propose a dinner somewhere and the drinking of much champagne in
honour of my matriculation. Dimitri informed me that, though he
did not care for champagne, he would nevertheless join us that
evening and drink my health, while Dubkoff remarked that I looked
almost like a colonel, and Woloda omitted to congratulate me at
all, merely saying in an acid way that he supposed we should now--
i.e. in two days time--be off into the country. The truth was
that Woloda, though pleased at my matriculation, did not
altogether like my becoming as grown-up as himself. St. Jerome,
who also joined us at this moment, said in a very pompous manner
that his duties were now ended, and that, although he did not
know whether they had been well done or ill, at least he had done
his best, and must depart to-morrow to his Count's. In replying
to their various remarks I could feel, in