ALEXEI VLADIMIROVITCH KRUGOSVETLOFF, professor. A savant, about fifty years old, with quiet, deferential, and self-possessed manners in society, and a similar slow singing speech. He likes to hear himself talk. He maintains a contemptuous reserve towards those who do not agree with him. A great smoker. A lean, restless man.
THE PHYSICIAN, a healthy, corpulent man of about forty, with ruddy face. Noisy and blunt. With a self-complacent smile.
MARIA KONSTANTINOVNA, a girl of about twenty, a student at the Conservatory, with bangs, excessively modern dress, and of an insinuating and timid disposition.
PETRISTCHEFF, age twenty-eight, philologist, Dr., on the look-out for a position, member of the same societies as Vassili Leoniditch, and, besides, of the Society for the Arrangement of Dances for Girls of the Common People, bald-headed, vivacious in movement and speech, very courteous.
THE BARONESS, a distinguished lady of about fifty; her movements are ponderous, and she talks in a monotone.
THE PRINCESS, a lady of the world, a guest.
THE PRINCESS's DAUGHTER, a young lady of high society, a guest; she makes faces.
THE DUCHESS, an old-fashioned lady, who is hardly able to move about, with false locks and teeth.
GROSSMANN, of dark complexion and Jewish type, very lively, nervous; he talks very loud.
