Not asking anyone about it, reluctantly and with feigned indifference replying to his friends' inquiries as to how it was going, and not even asking the booksellers how it was selling, Koznyshev watched keenly and with strained attention for the first impression his book would produce in Society and in literature.
Senza domandarne a nessuno, rispondendo svogliatamente e con finta indifferenza alle domande degli amici su come andava il libro, senza chiederne neppure ai librai se veniva comprato, Sergej Ivanovic aveva spiato con vigilanza, con ansia, la prima impressione che il suo libro produceva in società e fra i letterati.