and sighs would resound

one person would wraf cucumber poultice and a * "[ cranberries in his ears radish, a third walk abc r nothing on but his shirt/' conscious, roll about regular periods of once or twice a month that this happened, for the reason that the Oblomovkans did not like to allow any super- fluous heat to escape by the chimney, but covered the stoves when the flames were rising high. Consequently upon no single stove -couch or stove could a hand be laid without danger of that hand being blistered.

Only once was the monotony of Oblomovkan life broken by a wholly unexpected circumstance. The household, exhausted by the labours of dinner, had assembled for tea, when there entered a local peasant who had just been making an expedition to the town. Thrusting his hand into his bosom, he with difficulty produced a much-creased letter, addressed to the master of the house. Every one sat thunder- struck, and even the master himself changed countenance. Not an eye was there which did not dart glances at the missive. Not a nose was there which was not strained in its direction.