"This is rather indiscreet, but it's so good it's an awful

temptation to tell the story," said Vronsky, looking at her with

his laughing eyes. "I'm not going to mention any names."

"But I shall guess, so much the better."

"Well, listen: two festive young men were driving--"

"Officers of your regiment, of course?"

"I didn't say they were officers,--two young men who had been

lunching."

"In other words, drinking."

"Possibly. They were driving on their way to dinner with a

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friend in the most festive state of mind. And they beheld a

pretty woman in a hired sledge; she overtakes them, looks round

at them, and, so they fancy anyway, nods to them and laughs.

They, of course, follow her. They gallop at full speed. To

their amazement, the fair one alights at the entrance of the very

house to which they were going. The fair one darts upstairs to

the top story. They get a glimpse of red lips under a short

veil, and exquisite little feet."

"You describe it with such feeling that I fancy you must be one

of the two."

"And after what you said, just now! Well, the young men go in to

their comrade's; he was giving a farewell dinner. There they

certainly did drink a little too much, as one always does at

farewell dinners. And at dinner they inquire who lives at the

top in that house. No one knows; only their host's valet, in

answer to their inquiry whether any 'young ladies' are living on

the top floor, answered that there were a great many of them

about there. After dinner the two young men go into their host's

study, and write a letter to the unknown fair one. They compose

an ardent epistle, a declaration in fact, and they carry the

letter upstairs themselves, so as to elucidate whatever might

appear not perfectly intelligible in the letter."

"Why are you telling me these horrible stories? Well?"

"They ring. A maidservant opens the door, they hand her the

letter, and assure the maid that they're both so in love that

they'll die on the spot at the door. The maid, stupefied,

carries in their messages. All at once a gentleman appears with

whiskers like sausages, as red as a lobster, announces that there

is no one living in the flat except his wife, and sends them both

about their business."

"How do you know he had whiskers like sausages, as you say?"




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