At last, one fine day, Savéliitch came into my room with a letter in his
hand.

I took it trembling. The address was written in my father's hand.

This prepared me for something serious, since it was usually my mother
who wrote, and he only added a few lines at the end. For a long time I
could not make up my mind to break the seal. I read over the solemn
address:--

"To my son, Petr' Andréjïtch Grineff, District of Orenburg, Fort
Bélogorsk."

I tried to guess from my father's handwriting in what mood he had
written the letter. At last I resolved to open it, and I did not need to
read more than the first few lines to see that the whole affair was at
the devil. Here are the contents of this letter:--

"My Son Petr',--

"We received the 15th of this month the letter in which you ask our
parental blessing and our consent to your marriage with Marya Ivánofna,
the Mironoff daughter.[46] And not only have I no intention of giving
you either my blessing or my consent, but I intend to come and punish
you well for your follies, like a little boy, in spite of your officer's
rank, because you have shown me that you are not fit to wear the sword
entrusted to you for the defence of your country, and not for fighting
duels with fools like yourself. I shall write immediately to Andréj
Karlovitch to beg him to send you away from Fort Bélogorsk to some place