The rain of the previous night was over, but it was damp, grey, and windy.

Low, ragged, dingy clouds moved rapidly across the cold sky.

The tree-tops roared with a deep droning sound, and creaked on their roots; it was a melancholy morning.
Mavriky Nikolaevitch and Gaganov arrived on the spot in a smart char-a-banc with a pair of horses driven by the latter.

They were accompanied by a groom.

Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch and Kirillov arrived almost at the same instant.