Chapter 34

WhenVronskywenttoMoscowfromPetersburg,hehadlefthislargesetofroomsinMorskaiatohisfriendandfavoritecomradePetritsky.

Petritskywasayounglieutenant,notparticularlywell-connected,andnotmerelynotwealthy,butalwayshopelesslyindebt.Towardseveninghewasalwaysdrunk,andhehadoftenbeenlockedupafterallsortsofludicrousanddisgracefulscandals,buthewasafavoritebothofhiscomradesandhissuperiorofficers.Onarrivingattwelveo’clockfromthestationathisflat,Vronskysaw,attheouterdoor,ahiredcarriagefamiliartohim.Whilestilloutsidehisowndoor,asherang,heheardmasculinelaughter,thelispofafemininevoice,andPetritsky’svoice.“Ifthat’soneofthevillains,don’tlethimin!”Vronskytoldtheservantnottoannouncehim,andslippedquietlyintothefirstroom.BaronessShilton,afriendofPetritsky’s,witharosylittlefaceandflaxenhair,resplendentinalilacsatingown,andfillingthewholeroom,likeacanary,withherParisianchatter,satattheroundtablemakingcoffee.Petritsky,inhisovercoat,andthecavalrycaptainKamerovsky,infulluniform,probablyjustcomefromduty,weresittingeachsideofher.

“Bravo!Vronsky!”shoutedPetritsky,jumpingup,scrapinghischair.“Ourhosthimself!Baroness,somecoffeeforhimoutofthenewcoffeepot.Why,wedidn’texpectyou!Hopeyou’resatisfiedwiththeornamentofyourstudy,”hesaid,indicatingthebaroness.“Youknoweachother,ofcourse?”