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The colonel, Demin, had taken a large country house. The whole

party were in the wide lower balcony. In the courtyard the first

objects that met Vronsky's eyes were a band of singers in white

linen coats, standing near a barrel of vodka, and the robust,

good-humored figure of the colonel surrounded by officers. He had

gone out as far as the first step of the balcony and was loudly

shouting across the band that played Offenbach's quadrille,

waving his arms and giving some orders to a few soldiers standing

on one side. A group of soldiers, a quartermaster, and several

subalterns came up to the balcony with Vronsky. The colonel

returned to the table, went out again onto the steps with a

tumbler in his hand, and proposed the toast, "To the health of

our former comrade, the gallant general, Prince Serpuhovskoy.

Hurrah!"

The colonel was followed by Serpuhovskoy, who came out onto the

steps smiling, with a glass in his hand.