obscene words dwells the same sweetish, hysterical sentimentality
as in female boarding schools, and, so they say, in penal
institutions.

In the house of Anna Markovna everybody was already dressed and
ready for the reception of the guests, and languishing from
inaction and expectation. Despite the fact that the majority of
the women experienced toward men--with the exception of their
lovers--a complete, even somewhat squeamish, indifference, before
every evening dim hopes came to life and stirred within their
souls; it was unknown who would choose them, whether something
unusual, funny and alluring might not happen, whether a guest
would not astonish with his generosity, whether there would not be
some miracle which would overturn the whole life...In these
presentiments and hopes was something akin to those emotions which
the accustomed gamester experiences when counting his ready money
before starting out for his club. Besides that, despite their
asexuality, they still had not lost the chiefest instinctive
aspiration of women--to please.

And, in truth, altogether curious personages came into the house
at times and ludicrous, motley events arose. The police would
appear suddenly together with disguised detectives and arrest some
seemingly respectable, irreproachable gentlemen and lead them off,
pushing them along with blows in the neck. At times brawls would
spring up between the drunken, trouble-making company and the
porters of all the establishments, who had gathered on the run for
the relief of a fellow porter--a brawl, during which the window-
panes and the decks of grand-pianos were broken, when the legs of
the plush chairs were wrenched out for weapons, blood ran over the