“Krassotkin!” cried one of the boys suddenly. He was the first to see him come in.
Krassotkin’s entrance made a general sensation; the boys moved away and stood on each side of the bed, so that he could get a full view of Ilusha. The captain ran eagerly to meet Kolya.
“Please come in … you are welcome!” he said hurriedly. “Ilusha, Mr. Krassotkin has come to see you!”
But Krassotkin, shaking hands with him hurriedly, instantly showed his complete knowledge of the manners of good society. He turned first to the captain’s wife sitting in her armchair, who was very ill-humored at the moment, and was grumbling that the boys stood between her and Ilusha’s bed and did not let her see the new puppy. With the greatest courtesy he made her a bow, scraping his foot, and turning to Nina, he made her, as the only other lady present, a similar bow. This polite behavior made an extremely favorable impression on the deranged lady.
“There, you can see at once he is a young man that has been well brought up,” she commented aloud, throwing up her hands; “but as for our other visitors they come in one on the top of another.”
“How do you mean, mamma, one on the top of another, how is that?” muttered the captain affectionately, though a little anxious on her account.