seven o'clock in the evening
I told all this to Stepan Trofimovitch ; he paid no attention , except to the news about the Lebyadkins . And now , having described our enigmatic position throughout those eight days during which we knew nothing , I will pass on to the description of the succeeding incidents of my chronicle , writing , so to say , with full knowledge , and describing things as they became known afterwards , and are clearly seen to-day . I will begin with the eighth day after that Sunday , that is , the Monday evening -- for in reality a `` new scandal '' began with that evening . It was seven o'clock in the evening . Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch was sitting alone in his study -- the room he had been fond of in old days . It was lofty , carpeted with rugs , and contained somewhat heavy old-fashioned furniture . He was sitting on the sofa in the corner , dressed as though to go out , though he did not seem to be intending to do so .