Fathers and Children by Ivan Turgenev — Read

A few days later the ball at the Governor's took place. Matvy Ilyitch was the real "hero of the occasion. " The marshal of nobility declared to all and each that he had come simply out of respect for him; while the Governor, even at the ball, even while he remained perfectly motionless, was still "making arrangements. " The affability of Matvy Ilyitch's demeanour could only be equalled by its dignity. He was gracious to all, to some with a shade of disgust, to others with a shade of respect; he was all bows and smiles "en vrai chevalier francais" before the ladies, and was continually giving vent to a hearty, sonorous, unshared laugh, such as befits a high official. He slapped Arkady on the back, and called him loudly "nephew"; vouchsafed Bazarov -- who was attired in a rather old evening coat -- a sidelong glance in passing -- absent but condescending -- and an indistinct but affable grunt, in which nothing could be distinguished but "I. " and "very much"; gave Sitnikov a finger and a smile, though with his head already averted; even to Madame Kukshin, who made her appearance at the ball with dirty gloves, no crinoline, and a bird of Paradise in her hair, he said "enchanté. " There were crowds of people, and no lack of dancing men; the civilians were for the most part standing close along the walls, but the officers danced assiduously, especially one of them who had spent six weeks in Paris, where he had mastered various daring interjections of the kind of -- "zut," "Ah, fichtr-re," "pst, pst, mon bibi," and such. He pronounced them to perfection with genuine Parisian chic, and at the same time he said "si j'aurais" for "si j'avais," "absolument" in the sense of "absolutely," expressed himself, in fact, in that Great Russo-French jargon which the French ridicule so when they have no reason for assuring us that we speak French like angels, "comme des anges."

Arkady, as we are aware, danced badly, while Bazarov did not dance at all; they both took up their position in a corner; Sitnikov joined himself on to them, with an expression of contemptuous scorn on his face, and giving vent to spiteful comments, he looked insolently about him, and seemed to be really enjoying himself. Suddenly his face changed, and turning to Arkady, he said, with some show of embarrassment it seemed, "Odintsova is here!"