Returning home one day he found the young man had installed himself in his study and was asleep on the sofa there, uninvited.

He explained that he had come in, and finding no one at home had "had a good sleep." Von Lembke was offended and again complained to his wife.

Laughing at his irritability she observed tartly that he evidently did not know how to keep up his own dignity; and that with her, anyway, "the boy" had never permitted himself any undue familiarity, "he was naive and fresh indeed, though not regardful of the conventions of society." Von Lembke sulked.

This time she made peace between them.

Pyotr Stepanovitch did not go so far as to apologise, but got out of it with a coarse jest, which might at another time have been taken for a fresh offence, but was accepted on this occasion as a token of repentance.