Book 2 Chapter 25 Lydia Shoustovas Home

On that, his last day in Petersburg, he went in the morning to
the Vasilievski Ostrov to see Shoustova. Shoustova lived on the
second floor, and having been shown the back stairs, Nekhludoff
entered straight into the hot kitchen, which smelt strongly of
food. An elderly woman, with turned-up sleeves, with an apron and
spectacles, stood by the fire stirring something in a steaming
pan.

"Whom do you want?" she asked severely, looking at him over her
spectacles.

Before Nekhludoff had time to answer, an expression of fright and
joy appeared on her face.

"Oh, Prince!" she exclaimed, wiping her hands on her apron. "But
why have you come the back way? Our Benefactor! I am her mother.
They have nearly killed my little girl. You have saved us," she
said, catching hold of Nekhludoff's hand and trying to kiss it.

"I went to see you yesterday. My sister asked me to. She is here.
This way, this way, please," said Shoustova's mother, as she led
the way through a narrow door, and a dark passage, arranging her
hair and pulling at her tucked-up skirt. "My sister's name is
Kornilova. You must have heard of her," she added, stopping
before a closed door. "She was mixed up in a political affair.
An extremely clever woman!"

Shoustova's mother opened the door and showed Nekhludoff into a
little room where on a sofa with a table before it sat a plump,
short girl with fair hair that curled round her pale, round face,
which was very like her mother's. She had a striped cotton blouse
on.