Russia is the play of nature but not of mind.

If I were to try leaving my skin for a drum, for instance, to the Akmolinsky infantry regiment, in which I had the honour of beginning my service, on condition of beating the Russian national hymn upon it every day, in face of the regiment, they'd take it for liberalism and prohibit my skin...

and so I confine myself to the students.

I want to leave my skeleton to the academy, but on the condition though, on the condition that a label should be stuck on the forehead for ever and ever, with the words: 'A repentant free-thinker.' There now!" The captain spoke excitedly, and genuinely believed, of course, that there was something fine in the American will, but he was cunning too, and very anxious to entertain Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch, with whom he had played the part of a buffoon for a long time in the past.

But the latter did not even smile, on the contrary, he asked, as it were, suspiciously: "So you intend to publish your will in your lifetime and get rewarded for it ?" "And what if I do, Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch?
What if I do ?" said Lebyadkin, watching him carefully.