[Footnote A: A page attired in a sort of Cossack dress.]
II.
A tall man came into the room, wearing a good enough coat, rather short trousers, thick grey gloves, and two cravats—a black one outside, a white one underneath. Every thing belonging to him was suggestive of propriety and decorum, from his well-proportioned face, with locks carefully smoothed down over the temples, to his heelless and never-creaking boots. He bowed first to the mistress of the house, then to Marfa Timofeevna, and afterwards, having slowly taken off his gloves, he approached Maria Dmitrievna and respectfully kissed her hand twice. After that he leisurely subsided into an easy-chair, and asked, as he smilingly rubbed together the tips of his fingers—
"Is Elizaveta quite well?"
"Yes," replied Maria Dmitrievna, "she is in the garden."
"And Elena Mikhailovna?"
"Lenochka is in the garden also. Have you any news?"
"Rather!" replied the visitor, slowly screwing up his eyes, and protruding his lips. "Hm! here is a piece of news, if you please, and a very startling one, too. Fedor Ivanovich Lavretsky has arrived."
"Fedia!" exclaimed Marfa Timofeevna. "You're inventing, are you not?"
"Not at all. I have seen him with my own eyes."