eight o’clock
There , thanks to the efforts of the housekeeper , the footman , and under-butler -- the latter had risen at dawn in order to run home to sharpen his son 's scythe -- breakfast was ready . On a spotless white cloth stood a boiling , shiny , silver samovar -LRB- at least it looked like silver -RRB- , a coffee-pot , hot milk , cream , butter , and all sorts of fancy white bread and biscuits . The only persons at table were the second son of the house , his tutor -LRB- a student -RRB- , and the secretary . The host , who was an active member of the Zemstvo and a great farmer , had already left the house , having gone at eight o'clock to attend to his work . Volgin , while drinking his coffee , talked to the student and the secretary about the weather , and yesterday 's vint , and discussed Theodorite 's peculiar behaviour the night before , as he had been very rude to his father without the slightest cause . Theodorite was the grown-up son of the house , and a ne'er - do-well . His name was Theodore , but some one had once called him Theodorite either as a joke or to tease him ; and , as it seemed funny , the name stuck to him , although his doings were no longer in the least amusing .