man, the privy councillor Sipyagin, whose visit two days later had so disturbed Mashurina and Ostrodumov. Every now and then the general took a passing look at Nezhdanov as though at something improper, unexpected, and even offensive; Sipyagin, on the other hand, cast upon him furtive but by no means hostile glances. All the persons surrounding Nezhdanov struck one, to begin with, rather as personages than persons; and then they were all intimately acquainted with one another, and exchanged brief remarks, or even simple exclamations and words of welcome─some of them speaking across Nezhdanov; while he sat motionless arid awkward in his wide, comfortable arm-chair, like a kind of pariah. There were bitterness and shame and disgust in his soul; he did not gain much pleasure from Ostrovsky's comedy and Sadovsky's acting. And suddenly, marvellous to relate, during an ent'acte, his neighbour on the left, not the starred general, but the other, who wore no sign of distinction of any kind, addressed him softly and courteously, with a kind of ingratiating gentleness. He began speaking of Ostrovsky's play, wished to learn from Nezhdanov, as 'a representative of the younger generation,' what was his opinion of it? Astonished, almost scared, Nezhdanov at first answered abruptly and in monosyllables . . .
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