some nor ugly, neither tall nor short, neither fair nor dark. In short, he was a man whom Nature had dowered with no sharp-cut, distinguishing features, whether good or bad, mental or physical.
"Ha!" said Oblomov as he greeted him. "So it is you, Alexiev? Whence are you come?"
"To tell the truth, I had not thought to call upon you to-day," replied the visitor, "but by chance I met Ovchinin, and he carried me off to his quarters, whither I, in my turn, have now come to convey you."
"To convey me to, to——?"
"To Ovchinin's. Already Alianov, Pchailo, and Kolimiagin are there."
"But why have they collected together ? And what do they want with me ? "
"Ovchinin desires you to lunch with him, and then to accompany him and the rest of us to the Ekaterinhov. Likewise he has instructed me to warn you to hire a conveyance. Come, get up! 'Tis fully time you were dressed."
"How am I to dress? I have not yet washed myself."
"Then do so at once."
With that Alexiev fell to pacing the room. Presently he halted before a picture which
