If, however, it chanced that a student was a Conservative, or an
officer an Anarchist, this must be regarded as most extraordinary, and
even unpleasant. As for Sanine, according to his origin and education
he ought to have been something quite different from what he was; and
Maria Ivanovna felt as Lida, Novikoff and all who came into contact
with him felt, that he had disappointed expectation. With a mother's
instinct she quickly saw the impression that her son made on those
about him; and it pained her.
Sanine was aware of this. He would fain have reassured her, but was at
a loss how to begin. At first he thought of professing sentiments that
were false, so that she might be pacified; however, he only laughed,
and, rising, went indoors. There, for a while, he lay on his bed,
thinking. It seemed as if men wished to turn the whole world into a
sort of military cloister, with one set of rules for all, framed with a
view to destroy all individuality, or else to make this submit to one
vague, archaic power of some kind. He was even led to reflect upon
Christianity and its fate, but this bored him to such an extent that he
fell asleep, and did not wake until evening had turned to night.
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