delicate condition, so that she could not stand any longer, had engaged the first decent izvoshchik at hand. The officers had chased her; she was frightened and, feeling still more ill, had run up the stairs. Venden himself, who had just returned from his office, heard the sound of a bell and voices. He came out, and, seeing drunken officers with a letter, he had put them out. He demanded that they should be severely punished.
"No, it's all very well to talk," said the regimental commander to Vronsky, whom he had asked to join him, "but Petritsky is becoming unbearable. Not a week passes by without some scandal. This chinovnik will not stop here, he will go farther."
Vronsky saw all the unpleasantness of this affair, and he felt that a duel should be avoided, and that everything should be done to make the titular counselor relent and smooth over the scandal. The regimental commander had summoned him because he knew he was a shrewd and gentlemanly man, and zealous for the interests of the regiment. They had talked the matter over and decided that Vronsky, accompanied by Petritsky and Kerdrof, should go to make their excuses to the titular counselor. The regimental commander and Vronsky both realized that Vronsky's name and his flügel-adjutant's monogram ought to have a great effect in soothing the titular counselor. In reality these two influences proved partially efficacious, but the results of the reconciliation remained in doubt, as Vronsky said.
When he reached the French Theater, Vronsky took the regimental commander into the lobby, and told him of his success, or rather lack of success. After reflection the regimental commander decided to leave the matter in abeyance; but afterward he began to question Vronsky regarding the details of the interview, and he could not help laughing as he heard Vronsky tell how the titular counselor kept suddenly flaming out in wrath as he recalled the particulars of the affair, and how Vronsky, veering round at the last mention of reconciliation, had withdrawn, pushing Petritsky before him, and
