All the household had moved about on tiptoe since Karmazinov's arrival.

The old lady sent news to Moscow almost every day, how he had slept, what he had deigned to eat, and had once sent a telegram to announce that after a dinner-party at the mayor's he was obliged to take a spoonful of a well-known medicine.

She rarely plucked up courage to enter his room, though he behaved courteously to her, but dryly, and only talked to her of what was necessary.
When Pyotr Stepanovitch came in, he was eating his morning cutlet with half a glass of red wine.

Pyotr Stepanovitch had been to see him before and always found him eating this cutlet, which he finished in his presence without ever offering him anything.

After the cutlet a little cup of coffee was served.