There were a lot of people at the governor's ball, civilian cavaliers crowded more closely along the walls, and brisk officers danced diligently with the ladies. The hall was filled with live, orchestral music, clinking glasses and people talking. But the gaze of the young aristocrat fell on the figure standing in the corner.

It was none other than Evgeny Vasilyevich Bazarov. In relation to the people around him, Bazarov behaved cheekily and carelessly.