Capítulo 1430: Chapter 218: Moscow University
“You’re so interested in Moscow University, why don’t we take a stroll around? Don’t you feel stifled staying at ho?”
“During Shrovetide, are there people on campus? Can we get in?”
“You don’t have to worry about that, I’m quite familiar with that old porter at the school. Students give him so wine money, and he always accepts respectfully, tending to be drunk more often than sober. We just need to hand him fifty kopecks to buy a bottle of fiery vodka, and everything will be fine.”
Arthur smiled subtly at Herzen’s suggestion; although he found it sowhat abrupt, he was indeed curious about the atmosphere at Moscow University, especially after Herzen’s eloquent depiction of the student-professor conflict.
Arthur watched Herzen put on his coat with the help of a servant and asked, “You haven’t told , how did you manage to escape the school’s punishnt afterwards?”
“Old thod.”
Herzen’s tone was like that of a seasoned rogue: “The dean of academic affairs later summoned and other math departnt students involved in the Marlov incident. I taught them to deny everything, refuse to admit anything, at most only admit one thing: that we were in the politics departnt classroom when the incident erupted. Apart from that, don’t say a word more. But so students are timid and nervous, for instance, that chubby Russian-German baron family kid I brought to stir up trouble in the politics departnt. To such people, I could only give more encouragent.”
Blackwell curiously asked, “How did you encourage him?”
Herzen adjusted his coat: “I told the chubby kid that lying to the school principal and dean for the sake of causing trouble would, at most, get him locked up in confinent for a few days. But if I find out he’s babbling before the dean and implicating others, I’ll make sure the entire class knows and make his life in school unbearable.”
Blackwell couldn’t help but sneer: “Now I finally understand why you could beco friends with Sir Arthur Hastings, your thods are exactly alike.”
Arthur denied outright: “When I studied at the University of London, I never did such things, that was Eld’s job.”
“Eld?” Herzen asked, “Eld Carter? The author of ‘St. George’s flag still rises’?”
“Exactly.” Arthur nodded, “He was quite the skilled lad like you. Whenever sothing happened at school, it was generally him who took the responsibility to ‘persuade’. Eld not only ‘persuaded’ at school but was also eloquent and adept at diation on the streets of London.”
Herzen had only t two of Arthur’s other friends in Leipzig, one was Heinrich Heine, and the other was Alexander Dumas, so he couldn’t help imagining Eld as soone similar to them.
Though Heine and Great Dumas might not necessarily be upright figures, at least these two guys presented themselves with literary grandeur before young fans from Russia, not letting their thunderous fa be diminished.
As Herzen put on his boots, he said, “You know, serving as the academic director and national special representative at the University of Gottingen will bring you many conveniences at Moscow University.”
Arthur, with a cigar between his lips, asked, “How so? Why would Moscow University respect Gottingen’s academic director?”
Herzen explained, “Moscow University’s professors mainly divide into two factions, and they are agreeable in appearance but disagreeable at heart. One faction is entirely made up of Germans, while the other is non-Germans. Generally speaking, I prefer the German professors because they are mostly kind and knowledgeable, like Loder, Feischer, Hildbrandt, and the forr principal Heim, but their common trait is that they don’t understand or refuse to understand Russian and don’t care much about students’ studies. Their minds are filled with Western employnt ideas; for them, professorship is rely a respectable job without any other aning. These people are rigidly conventional, indulge in cigars recklessly, proudly display cross dals on their chest without ever removing them, regardless of the occasion. Moreover, since most of these German professors teach in the field of Natural Philosophy, as you understand, they are all graduates from the University of Gottingen.”
Upon hearing Herzen’s evaluation, Arthur first glanced at the cigar in his hand, then looked down at the Saint Anna dal ribbon loop around his chest, and jestingly remarked, “Although I only served as academic director at Gottingen for over half a year, I truly seem to have beco a proud Gottingen person.”
Herzen laughed out loud: “I didn’t an to mock you, but I’m depicting a type of people, so I have to find so characteristics, don’t I? I bet that during your visit to Moscow University, you’ll definitely receive a warm welco from the German professors.”
Arthur felt a headache looming, knowing he was about to et with these distinguished alumni from the University of Gottingen: “I rember you ntioned the other faction, the non-German professors?”
Herzen replied, “The non-German professors, they are exactly the opposite of the German professors. Beyond Russian, they do not comprehend any other languages. Of course, Latin, which is a language no longer in use, is an exception. In their hearts, national essence always ranks first, and their thoughts are narrow and superficial. Except for a few individuals, none of them hold any status within the school. Although they don’t indulge in cigars recklessly, they do drink in excess.”
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