Berg was satisfied and happy.

The smile of pleasure never left his face.

The party was very successful and quite like other parties he had seen.

Everything was similar: the ladies' subtle talk, the cards, the general raising his voice at the card table, and the samovar and the tea cakes; only one thing was lacking that he had always seen at the evening parties he wished to imitate.

They had not yet had a loud conversation among the men and a dispute about something important and clever.