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 individual." He paid no attention to the others. Sipiagin
turned his head once or twice in a dignified manner, as if
looking round at his worldly belongings, a pose that set off to