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172
SÖNYA KOVALÉVSKY
lavished upon her. She took no pains about her
personal appearance or dress, the latter being as simple as
possible, even showing a tendency to slovenliness—a
trait which remained with her to the last."
In connection with this peculiarity the same friend
relates the following characteristic little incident:
" I remember, shortly after our acquaintance began,
how once, when I was talking enthusiastically to Sönya
about something which interested us both,—in those
days we never could talk otherwise than
enthusiastically,—she occupied herself the whole time in pulling
off the trimming of her left sleeve, which had become
unsewn; and when at last she managed to tear it all
off, she threw it on the ground as if it were of no
value and she was only too glad to be rid of it."
After having lived during six months in Petersburg,
the young couple left for Heidelberg in the spring of
1869; Sönya to study mathematics, and her husband
to study geology. After they had matriculated there,
they went to England, where Sönya had the
opportunity of making acquaintance with the most celebrated
persons of the day—George Eliot, Darwin, Spencer,
Huxley, and others.
In George Eliot’s diary, published in Mr. Cross’s
biography of his wife, we find the following remarks,
dated October 6, 1869:
Last Sunday we had a visit from an interesting Russian couple,
M. and Mme. Kovalévsky. She, a sweet, taking creature, with
a shy voice and manner, who studies mathematics by special
permission, which she procured with Kirchhoffs help in
Heidelberg. He, amiable and intelligent, studying the natural sciences,
especially geology, and on his way to Vienna, where he will stay
for six months; he leaves his wife in Heidelberg.
This plan was not immediately realized, and Vladimir
stayed for one term in Heidelberg with his wife. Their
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