B1032 <=> B1034 [BTG XLII Beelzebub in America, p. 1033]

“What struck my eye was a certain peculiarity in these ribbons and braids. On some of the pupils these ribbons simply hung down the back, but on others, although they also hung down the back, yet the ends of these ribbons were tied together in a certain way.

“On the very next holiday, when I took my foster child home, talking with her over what is called a samovar, I asked her:

“’Tell me, Sonia, please, why although the pupils of your institute dress alike in everything else, there is that peculiarity in the ends of their braids?’ She immediately blushed and without answering this question of mine stared pensively into her tea, and only after a certain time nervously replied:

“’It’s not just a simple thing among us. Although this is our big institute secret, yet I cannot help telling it to you, my friend, as I am quite sure that you will not give away this big institute secret of ours to anybody.’

“She proceeded to tell me frankly as follows:

“’The manner of tying our ribbons was intentionally devised by the pupils so that they could recognize one another; that is, know to which club a pupil belongs, and at the same time so that the class teachers and supervisors, and in general anyone not a pupil of the institute, should not know or discover the secret.

“’All the pupils of our institute are divided into two categories, one belongs to what is called the “men’s club” and the other to what is called the “women’s club,” and we recognize one another just by the manner of tying these ribbons.’

“After this she explained to me in detail in just what the difference between these two clubs lies.

“She said that as a rule all new arrivals in the institute were at first members of the women’s club, and only afterwards, if any pupil proved to be daring toward the teachers or in general showed herself very active in some way or other, then by the common consent of all the pupils she was enrolled as a member of the men’s club and from that moment tied the ends of the ribbons of her two braids together.