Again (and the following is a phenomenon peculiar to Russia) a very short time would have elapsed before once more he would be consorting with the very cronies who had recently cuffed him--and consorting with them as though nothing whatsoever had happened--no reference to the subject being made by him, and they too holding their tongues.
In short, Nozdrev was, as it were, a man of incident.

Never was he present at any gathering without some sort of a fracas occurring thereat.

Either he would require to be expelled from the room by gendarmes, or his friends would have to kick him out into the street.

At all events, should neither of those occurrences take place, at least he did something of a nature which would not otherwise have been witnessed.
That is to say, should he not play the fool in a buffet to such an extent as to make very one smile, you may be sure that he was engaged in lying to a degree which at times abashed even himself.

Moreover, the man lied without reason.