ng from the box and almost pulled the carriage door
off its hinges in his effort to open it--and then, with a condescending
smile on his lips, in his eyes, over the whole of his face, Boris
Andraevitch, with one graceful gesture of the shoulders, dropped his
cloak and sprang to the ground. Valentina Mihailovna gracefully threw
her arms round his neck and they kissed three times. Kolia stamped
his little feet and pulled at his father's coat from behind, but
Boris Andraevitch first kissed Anna Zaharovna, quickly threw off his
uncomfortable, ugly Scotch cap, greeted Mariana and Kollomietzev, who
had also come out (he gave Kollomietzev a hearty shake of the hand in
the English fashion), and then turned to his little son, lifted him
under the arms, and kissed him.

During this scene Nejdanov half guiltily scrambled out of the carriage
and, without removing his cap, stood quietly near the front wheel,
looking out from under his eyebrows. Valentina Mihailovna, when
embracing her husband, had cast a penetrating look over his shoulder at
this new figure. Sipiagin had informed her that he was bringing a tutor.

Everyone continued exchanging greetings and shaking hands with the
newly-arrived host as they all moved up the broad stairs, lined on
either side with the principal men and maid servants. They did not come
forward to kiss the master's hand (an Asiatic custom they had abandoned
long ago), but bowed respectfully. Sipiagin responded to their
salutations with a slight movement of the nose and eyebrows, rather than
an inclination of the head.

Nejdanov followed the stream up the wide stairs. As soon as they reached
the hall, Sipiagin, who had been searching for Nejdanov with his eyes,
introduced him to his wife, Anna Zaharovna, and Mariana, and said to
Kolia, "This is your tutor. Mind you do as he tells you. Give him your
hand." Kolia extended his hand timidly, stared at him fixedly, but
finding nothing particularly interesting about his tutor, turned to his
"papa" again. Nejdanov felt uncomfortable, just as he had done at the
theatre. He wore an old shabby coat, and his face and hands were covered
with dust from the journey. Valentina Mihailovna said something kindly
to him, but he did not quite catch what it was and did not reply.
He noticed that she was very bright, and clung to her husband
affectionately. He did not like Kolia's befrizzled and pomaded head, and
when his eye fell on Kollomietzev, thought, "What a sleek ind