“Well, Lizaveta Gregorievna,” said she, on entering the room, “I have seen young Berestoff, and I had ample opportunity for taking a good look at him, for we have been together all day.”
“How did that happen? Tell me about it, tell me everything about it.”
“Very well. We set out, I, Anissia Egorovna, Nenila, Dounka....”
“Yes, yes, I know. And then?”
“With your leave, I will tell you everything in detail. We arrived just in time for dinner. The room was full of people. The Kolbinskys were there, as well as the Zakharevskys, the Khloupinskys, the bailiff’s wife and her daughters....”
“Well, and Berestoff?”
“Wait a moment. We sat down to table; the bailiff’s wife had the place of honour. I sat next to her ... the daughters pouted and didn’t like it, but I didn’t care about them....”
“Good heavens, Nastia, how tiresome you are with your never-ending details!”
“How impatient you are! Well, we rose from the table we had been sitting down for three hours, and the dinner was excellent: pastry, blanc-manges, blue, red and striped.... Well, we left the table and went into the garden to have a game at catching one another, and it was then that the young lord made his appearance.”
“Well, and is it true that he is so very handsome?”