Hermann was the son of a German who had become a naturalised Russian, and from whom he had inherited a small capital.' Being firmly convinced of the necessity of preserving his independence, Hermann did not touch his private income, but lived on his pay, without allowing himself the slightest luxury. Moreover, he was reserved and ambitious, and his companions rarely had an opportunity of making merry at the expense of his extreme parsimony. He had strong passions and an ardent imagination, but his firmness of disposition preserved him from the ordinary errors of young men. Which conclusion about Hermann does the description of him in the passage most clearly support
