"
Sanine paused, and Soloveitchik leaned forward eagerly as if to hear
something of the utmost importance.
"At that time I had a comrade, a student of mathematics, Ivan Lande by
name. He was a wonderful man, of indomitable moral force; a Christian,
not from conviction, but by nature. In his life all Christianity was
mirrored. If struck, he did not strike back; he treated every man as
his brother, and in woman he did not recognize the sexual attraction.
Do you remember Semenoff?"
Soloveitchik nodded, as with childish pleasure.
"Well, at that time Semenoff was very ill. He was living in the Crimea,
where he gave lessons. There, solitude and the presentiment of his
approaching death drove him to despair. Lande heard of this, and
determined to go thither and save this lost soul. He had no money, and
no one was willing to lend any to a reputed madman. So he went on foot,
and, after walking over a thousand versts, died on the way, and thus
sacrificed his life for others."
"And you, oh! do tell me," cried Soloveitchik with flashing eyes, "do
you recognize the greatness of such a man?"
"He was much talked about at the time," replied Sanine thoughtfully.
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