s regretted that they had not had
the generosity to warn him of what he certainly should himself have
realized--the strong possibility of disgrace.

In such wise there passed a quarter of an hour--twenty minutes--half an
hour--finally, three-quarters. De Windt, now on his feet, was on the
point of starting towards the Colonel's quarters, when--the suspense
ended, and Ivan came quietly in. The young man's face was white and
scowling as he seated himself at the table, poured himself a large drink
of _vodka_ and drank it off, amid the breathless attention of the whole
mess. For three or four minutes they waited, patiently. But at last de
Windt, who could restrain himself no longer, burst forth with:

"Ivan Mikhailovitch, for Heaven's sake tell us what has happened! What
did he say to you? How did he answer your accusation?"

Ivan broke out into an unpleasant laugh. "He tried swearing me out of
his presence," said he. "But that didn't quite do. My visit was--well,
timely, or untimely, whichever way you regard it. It was a curious
scene; but I'm afraid I can't explain it very fully. It was--well, too
intimate. What good I've done, I can't tell, just yet. But, at least,
Foma Vassilyitch is fully aware of our feelings in regard to his--his
recent mode of existence. Now I must go, gentlemen.--Vladimir, may I
speak to you, for a few minutes, on a private matter?"

With a formal bow, Ivan ended his most unsatisfactory explanation, and
left the tent again, followed eagerly by de Windt.

Outside, however, Ivan's behavior was unexpected. De Windt began, at
once, with a flood of eager, anxious questions; but, when they were a
few hundred feet away from the mess-tent, Gregoriev turned to him,
saying, in a low tone: "Wait a little, Vladimir. The thing has more in
it than you suspect--thank God!--You will be able to guess all that I
can't explain; but you must wait, before I tell you anything, till I've
read--this!" And Ivan drew, from the breast of his uniform, a bit of
crumpled paper, which, smoothing out, he paused in the white twilight to
read. The note, written in a half-formed, feminine hand, ran thus:

"LIEUTENANT GREGORIEV:--You behold me in an unbearable and
misleading position. I am the most unhappy woman in Petersburg;
but, if you will, you can save my whole life for me. I shall get
this to you in some way; and, if you have any pity, any charity, in
your heart, for a woman helpless and friendless