Into the cross-country, with his legs wide apart, as if the floor under him had been lowered and raised on a sea wave, he went after his companion. The huge rooms seemed too cramped for his sweeping gait — he was always afraid to hook his shoulder at the door or sweep away some knickknack from the fireplace. He maneuvered between various objects, exaggerating the danger that existed more in his imagination. Between the piano and the table, littered with books, six people could freely pass, but he dared to do so only with a sinking heart. His heavy hands were dangling helplessly, and he did not know what to do with them. And when suddenly it seemed to him clearly that he was about to touch the books on the table, he, like a frightened horse, spun to the side and almost knocked down the stool at the piano .. He looked at his confidently walking companion and for the first time in his life thought about how clumsy his own gait is and how it differs from the gait of other people. For a moment he was burned with shame at this thought.