And then, without leaving Vronsky time to realize the minutiæ of his situation, Petritsky began to retail the news of the day. As he listened to Petritsky's well-known gossip, in the familiar environment of his quarters where he had lived for three years, Vronsky experienced the pleasant sensation of his return to his gay and idle Petersburg life.
"It cannot be!" he cried, as he turned the faucet of his wash-stand and let the water stream over his red, healthy neck; "it cannot be!" he cried, referring to the report that Laura had taken up with Mileef and thrown Fertinghof over. "And is he as stupid and as conceited as ever?.... Well, and how about Buzulukof?"
"Akh! Buzulukof! here's a good story, fascinating!" said Petritsky. "You know his passion, — balls; and he never misses one at court. At the last one he went in a new helmet. Have you seen the new helmets? Very handsome, .... light. Well, he was standing.... No; but listen."
"Yes, I am listening," replied Vronsky, rubbing his face with a towel.
"The grand duchess was just going by on the arm of some foreign ambassador or other, and unfortunately for him their conversation turned on the new helmets. The grand duchess wanted to point out one of the new helmets, and, seeing our galubchik standing there," — here Petritsky showed how he stood in his helmet, — "she begged him to show her his helmet. He did not budge. What does it mean? The fellows wink at him, make signs, scowl at him. 'Give it to her.' .... He does not stir. He is like a dead man. You can imagine the scene!.... Now.... as he.... then they attempt to take it off ... He won't let it go! .... At last he himself takes it off, and hands it to the grand duchess.
"'Here, this is the new kind,' said the grand duchess. But, as she turned it over, — you can imagine it — out came, bukh! pears, bonbons, ....two pounds of bonbons! .... He had been to market, galubchik!"
Vronsky burst out laughing; and long afterwards,
