painted boat was lightly rocking from side to side, creating a
gentle ripple over the water. The men rarely spoke, and then in
somewhat preoccupied tones. Everything was submerged in the
morning stillness, and everyone was occupied with the morning
work; the whole gave one a feeling of order and regularity of
everyday life. Suddenly, at the other end of the avenue,
Nejdanov got a vision of the very incarnation of order and
regularity-- Sipiagin himself.

He wore a brown coat, something like a dressing gown, and a
checkered cap; he was leaning on an English bamboo cane, and his
newly-shaven face shone with satisfaction; he was on the round of
inspecting his estate. Sipiagin greeted Nejdanov kindly.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, "I see you are one of the early birds!" (He
evidently wanted to express his approval by this old saying,
which was a little out of place, of the fact that Nejdanov, like
himself, did not like lying in bed long.) "At eight o'clock we
all take tea in the dining room, and we usually breakfast at
twelve. I should like you to give Kolia his first lesson in
Russian grammar at ten o'clock, and a lesson in history at two. I
don't want him to have any lessons tomorrow, as it will he his
name-day, hut I would like you to begin today."

Nejdanov bowed his head, and Sipiagin took leave of him in the
French fashion, quickly lifting his hand several times to his
lips and nose, and walked away, whistling and waving his cane
energetically, not at all like an important official and state
dignitary, but like a jolly Russian country gentleman.