In spring, contrariwise, the company would fall to expressing surprise and gratification at the thought that the long _days_ were approaching. Yet, had you inquired what the long days meant to them, they could not possibly have told you! After this episode silence would resume its sway, until, perhaps, in snuffing the candle, some one would chance to extinguish it. Upon that every one would give a start, and one of the company would be sure to ejaculate: “An unexpected guest is making his way in our direction.” In fact, it was not an uncommon phenomenon for the incident to give rise to a lengthy conversation. Time, at Oblomovka, was reckoned mostly by festivals, by the seasons of the year, and by various family and domestic events--no reference whatsoever being made, to months or to the days of a month. This may have partly arisen from the fact that none but old Oblomov were capable of distinguishing between the names of the months and the dates in a given month. Presently the head of the family would relapse into meditation, while little Ilya, lolling behind his mother’s back, would also be sunk in dreams, and at times actually dozing. Suddenly old Oblomov would (to take a typical incident) halt in the middle of his pacing, and clap his hand anxiously to the tip of his nose; whereupon there would ensue some such dialogue as the following: _The master of the house:_ What on earth is the matter with me? See! Some one must have passed away, for the tip of my nose is itching! _His wife:_ Good Lord! Why should any one have passed away because the _tip_ of your nose is sore? Some one has passed away only when the _bridge_ of one’s nose is hurting one. What a forgetful man you are, to be sure! Were you to say a thing like that before strangers, you would make us blush for you. _The master of the house:_ But _every_ part of my nose is hurting me? _His wife:_ Pain at the side of it means news to come; in the eyebrows, sorrow; in the forehead, a greeting; on the right side, a man; on the left side, a woman; in the ears, rain; in the lips, a kiss; in the whiskers, a present of something to eat; in the elbow, a new place to sleep in; and in the sole of the foot, a journey. And so forth, and so forth. Lastly, when nine o’clock had struck there would follow supper; after which the company would disperse to rest, and sleep would once more reign over the care-free heads of the Oblomovkans.