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Bilibin liked conversation as he liked work, only when it could

be made elegantly witty. In society he always awaited an

opportunity to say something striking and took part in a

conversation only when that was possible. His conversation was

always sprinkled with wittily original, finished phrases of

general interest. These sayings were prepared in the inner

laboratory of his mind in a portable form as if intentionally, so

that insignificant society people might carry them from drawing

room to drawing room. And, in fact, Bilibin's witticisms were

hawked about in the Viennese drawing rooms and often had an

influence on matters considered important.