People caught at him and began to exhibit him at public literary gatherings.

The first time he came on to the platform at some public reading in which he was to take part, he was received with enthusiastic clapping which lasted for five minutes.

He recalled this with tears nine years afterwards, though rather from his natural artistic sensibility than from gratitude.
"I swear, and I'm ready to bet," he declared (but only to me, and in secret), "that not one of that audience knew anything whatever about me." A noteworthy admission.

He must have had a keen intelligence since he was capable of grasping his position so clearly even on the platform, even in such a state of exaltation; it also follows that he had not a keen intelligence if, nine years afterwards, he could not recall it without mortification, he was made to sign two or three collective protests (against what he did not know); he signed them.

Varvara Petrovna too was made to protest against some "disgraceful action" and she signed too.