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up to Mileev. “And is he as stupid and pleased as ever? Well, and
how’s Buzulukov?”
“Oh, there is a tale about Buzulukov—simply lovely!” cried Petritsky.
“You know his weakness for balls, and he never misses a single court
ball. He went to a big ball in a new helmet. Have you seen the new
helmets? Very nice, lighter. Well, so he’s standing.... No, I say, do
listen.”
“I am listening,” answered Vronsky, rubbing himself with a rough
towel.
“Up comes the Grand Duchess with some ambassador or other,
and, as ill-luck would have it, she begins talking to him about the new
helmets. The Grand Duchess positively wanted to show the new
helmet to the ambassador. They see our friend standing there.”
(Petritsky mimicked how he was standing with the helmet.) “The Grand
Duchess asked him to give her the helmet; he doesn’t give it to her.
What do you think of that? Well, every one’s winking at him, nodding,
frowning—give it to her, do! He doesn’t give it to her. He’s mute as a
fish. Only picture it!... Well, the...what’s his name, whatever he
was...tries to take the helmet from him...he won’t give it up!... He pulls
it from him, and hands it to the Grand Duchess. ‘Here, your High-
ness,’ says he, ‘is the new helmet.’ She turned the helmet the other side
up, And—just picture it!—plop went a pear and sweetmeats out of it,
two pounds of sweetmeats!...He’d been storing them up, the darling!”
Vronsky burst into roars of laughter. And long afterwards, when he
was talking of other things, he broke out into his healthy laugh, show-
ing his strong, close rows of teeth, when he thought of the helmet.
Having heard all the news, Vronsky, with the assistance of his valet,
got into his uniform, and went off to report himself. He intended,
when he had done that, to drive to his brother’s and to Betsy’s and to
pay several visits with a view to beginning to go into that society where
he might meet Madame Karenina. As he always did in Petersburg, he
left home not meaning to return till late at night.