ut which seemed to be very amusing to them,
to judge by their happy laughter,--that of running about the rooms,
and trying to catch each other. The dogs, too, ran about and barked;
and the canaries which hung up in cages before the windows, straining
their throats in rivalry, heightened the general uproar by the
piercing accents of their shrill singing. Just as this deafening
amusement had reached its climax, a tarantass, all splashed with mud,
drew up at the front gate, and a man about forty-five years old,
wearing a travelling dress, got out of it and remained standing as if
bewildered.

For some time he stood at the gate without moving, but gazing at the
house with observant eyes; then he entered the court-yard by the
wicket-gate, and slowly mounted the steps. He encountered no one in
the vestibule; but suddenly the drawing-room door was flung open, and
Shurochka, all rosy red, came running out of the room; and directly
afterwards, with shrill cries, the whole of the youthful band rushed
after her. Suddenly, at the sight of an unknown stranger, they stopped
short, and became silent; but the bright eyes which were fixed on him
still retained their friendly expression, the fresh young faces
did not cease to smile. Then Maria Dmitrievna's son approached the
visitor, and politely asked what he could do for him.

"I am Lavretsky," said the stranger.

A friendly cry of greeting answered him--not that all those young
people were inordinately delighted at the arrival of a distant and
almost forgotten relative, but simply because they were ready to
rejoice and make a noise over every pleasurable occurrence. They all
immediately surrounded Lavretsky. Lenochka, as his old acquaintance,
was the first to name herself, assuring him that, if she had had a
very little more time, she would most certainly have recognized him;
and then she introduced all the rest of the company to him, giving
them all, her betrothed included, their familiar forms of name. The
whole party then went through the dining-room into the drawing-room.
The paper on the walls of both rooms had been altered, but the
furniture remained just as it used to be. Lavretsky recognized the
piano. Even the embroidery-frame by the window remained exactly as it
had been, and in the very same position as of old; and even seemed
to have the same unfinished piece of work on it which had been there
eight years before. They placed him in a large arm-chair, and sat
down grave