“All respected,” Ivan Vasilievich recalls what happened long ago with him, which changed his whole life, he says that his whole life changed because of one morning, Ivan Vasilievich was passionately in love with Varenka B. She is now, at the age of fifty, a beautiful woman and she was a provincial student, she did not practice politics, loved balls and dances, she was beautiful, they danced almost all the dances together at the ball, she danced with her father one dance, Varenka’s father was very handsome, handsome, tall n fresh “His face was ruddy with a white mustache under the reign of Tsar Nicholas I. He was an old servant of the Nicholaevsky dressing, his father and daughter danced remarkably, everyone admired them.” Ivan Vasilyevich was touched. Particularly

touched by his boots, not fashionable, but old, “obviously built by a battalion shoemaker.” To take out and dress his beloved daughter, he does not buy fashionable boots, but wears homemade ones, thought the young man. My father was out of breath and brought Varenka to him so that they could continue the dance. Soon the Colonel left, but Varenka remained at the ball with her mother. Итн Васильевич was happy “and was afraid only one, that that-nibud! not spoiled. happiness. “When he returned home, he could not sit still and went out into the street, already sunset, there was the most miserable weather, the fog was spreading, the water full of water was melting on the roads, and from all the roofs dripped, not far from his house was yule. Vasilievich went out there, saw something big black and heard the sounds of a drum and a flute: it was some kind of tough, unpleasant music. Oh began to take a closer look at this “black and incomprehensible” and, after walking step by step, saw many people. He decided that this is a teaching. The soldiers stood in two lines with rifles at their feet and did not move. “What are they doing?” – asked Ian Vasilyevich at the smith passing by. He replied that he was pro-gonyayug through the soldier’s “escape.” Looking closely, Ivan Vasilievich saw a soldier, naked to the waist, tied to the rifle, which two soldiers were dragging along. A tall military man, who seemed familiar to Ivan Vasilievich, was walking beside him. the soldier was twitching, pausing, but he was dragged forward, more and more new blows fell on his back And next to him came Varenka’s father, as smart and ruddy as he was on the ba. The insulted groan begged “to be merciful,” but his whole beaten to hit. Suddenly, the Colonel struck the small soldier’s face, who did not hit the punished enough. Then he ordered to serve the young Spitzbruten but, looking back, saw Ivan Vasilyevich, and made a Veda that he did not recognize him. Returning home, Ivan Vasilievich always imagined the terrible picture he had seen and could not sleep. But he did not blame the colonel. He thought that, “obviously, the colonel knows something about something that I do not know. If I knew what he knows, I would understand what I saw, and it would not hurt me. “He fell asleep only in the evening and only after he drank drunk.” Izan Vasilyevich did not judge the colonel, he wanted to and could not understand “his truth.” He did not enter military service as he had wanted before. In general, he did not serve anywhere and turned out to be a “worthless person.” And the love from that day began to wane, as he noticed Varenka’s features in his smile, as soon as he saw her, immediately remembered her father on the square during the execution.