five o’clock
Valentina Mihailovna was also present at the second lesson , this time on Russian history . She announced , with a smile , that in this subject she needed instruction almost as much as Kolia . She conducted herself just as quietly as she had done at the first lesson . Between two and five o'clock Nejdanov stayed in his own room writing letters to his St. Petersburg friends . He was neither bored nor in despair ; his overstrained nerves had calmed down somewhat . However , they were set on edge again at dinner , although Kollomietzev was not present , and the kind attention of host and hostess remained unchanged ; but it was this very attention that made Nejdanov angry . To make matters worse , the old maiden lady , Anna Zaharovna , was obviously antagonistic , Mariana continued serious , and Kolia rather unceremoniously kicked him under the table .