"Monsieur Landau!" the countess addressed him with a softness and caution that impressed Oblonsky.

And she introduced them.

Landau looked round hurriedly, came up, and smiling, laid his moist, lifeless hand in Stepan Arkadyevitch's outstretched hand and immediately walked away and fell to gazing at the portraits again.

The countess and Alexey Alexandrovitch looked at each other significantly.