'Thank you,' said the examiner, 'you may put the money back in your pocket.'
The second exa miner looked at him. 'What is twenty - one plus twenty - four?'
'Forty - five,' said Wladek, without hesitation.
'How many legs does a cow have?'
Wladek could not believe his ears. 'Four, sir,' he said, wondering if the question was a trick.
'And a hor3e?'
'Four, sir,' said Wladek still in disbelief.
'Which would you throw overboard if you were out at sea in a small boat which needed to be lightened, bread or money?'
'The money, sir,' said Wladek.
'Good.' TEe examiner picked up a card marked 'Admitted' and handed it over to Wladek. 'After you have changed your money, show that card to the immigration officer. Tell him your full name and he will give you a registration card. You will then be given an entry certificate. If you do not commit a crime for five years and pass a simple reading and writing examination at the end of that time, you will be permitted to apply for full United States citizenship. Good luck, Wladek.'
'Thank you, sir.'
At the money exchange counter Wladek handed in eighteen months of Turkish savings and the three fifty - ruble notes. He was handed forty - seven dollars twenty cents in exchange for the Turkish money but was told the rubles were worthless.'He could only think of Doctor Dubien and his fifteen years of diligent saving.
The final stop was the immigration officer, who was seated behind a counter at the exit barrier directly under a picture of President Harding. Wladek and George went over to him.
'Full nam(t?' the officer said to George.
'George Novak,' replied Jerzy firmly. The officer wrote the name on a card.
'And your address?' he asked.
'Broome Street, New York, New York.'
The officer passed George the card. 'This is your Immigration Certificate, 21871 - George Novak. Welcome to the United States, George.
I'm Polish too. You'll like it here. Many congratulations and good luck.'
Igo George smiled and shook hands 'With the officer, stood to one side and waited for Wladek. The officer stared at Wladek in his long bearskin coat.
Wladek passed him the card marked 'Admitted'.
'Full name?' asked the officer.
Wladek hesitated.
'What's your name?' repeated the man, a little louder, slightly impatient, wondering if he couldn't speak English.
Wladek couldn't get the words out. How he hated that Peasant name.
'For the last time, what's your name?'
George was staring at Wladek. So were others who had joined the queue for the immigration officer. Wladek still didn't speak. The officer suddenly grabbed his wrist, stared closely at the inscription on the silver band, wrote on a card and passed it to Wladek.
'21872 - Baron Abel Rosnovski. Welcome to the United States. Many congratulations and good luck, Abel.'
12 William returned to start his last year at St. Paul's in September, 1923, and was elected president of the Senior Class, exactly thirty - three years after his father had held the same office. William did not win the election in the usual fashion, by virtue of being the finest athlete or the most popular boy in the school. Matthew Lester, his closest friend, would un - doubtedly have won any contest based on those criteria. It was simply that William was the most impressive boy in the school, and for that reason Matthew Lester could not be pre. vailed upon to run against him. St. Paul's entered William's name as their candidate for the Hamilton Memorial Mathe - matics Scholarship at Harvard, and William worked singlemindedly towards that goal during the autumn term.
When Wiffiam. returned to Beacon Hill for Christmas, he was looking forward to an uninterrupted period in which to get to grips with Principia Mathematica. But it was not to be, for there were several invitations to parties and balls awaiting his arrival. To most of them he felt able to return a tactful regret, but one was absolutely inescapable.
The grandmothers had arranged a ball, to be held at the Red House on Louisburg Square. William wondered at what age he would find it possible to defend his home against invasion by the two great ladies and decided the time had not yet come. He had few close friends in Boston, but this did not inhibit the grandmothers in their compilation of a formidable guest list.
To mark the occasion they presented William with his first dinner jacket in the latest double - breasted style; he received the gift with some pretence at indifference but later swaggered around his bedroom in the suit, often stopping to stare at himself in the mirror. The next day he put through a long distance call to New York and asked Matthew Lester to join him for the fateful weekend. Matthew's sister wanted to come as well but her mother didn't think it would be suitable.