Read "What is to be Done?" by Nikolay Chernyshevsky online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
Marya Alekséyevna wanted to give a great party on Viérotchka's birthday, but Viérotchka begged to have no guests invited: the one wanted to show off the bridegroom; the other found such an exhibition distasteful. They compromised by having the smallest possible party, inviting only a few of their most intimate friends. They invited Pavel Konstantinuitch's colleagues -- those, of course, who had been longer in the service and were higher in position than himself -- two of Marya Alekséyevna's friends, three young girls who were more intimate with Viérotchka than any others.
As Lopukhóf looked over the assembling guests, he noticed that there was no lack of partners (kavalyer); every one of the young girls had a young man, either as candidate for bridegroom or bridegroom already. Therefore Lopukhóf was not invited in the capacity of a partner; why, then? As he thought the matter over he remembered that his playing on the piano preceded his invitation. Of course he was invited so as to save expense -- to take the place of an accompanist (tapper). "All right," he thought. "Excuse me, Marya Alekséyevna," and he went to Pavel Konstantinuitch.