"Still, you had better go and apologise," she said, "or he will think you don't know how to behave in public."
"That's just it! I did apologise, but he took it somehow queerly... he didn't say a word of sense. There wasn't time to talk properly."
Next day Tchervyakov put on a new uniform, had his hair cut and went to Brizzhalov's to explain; going into the general's reception room he saw there a number of petitioners and among them the general himself, who was beginning to interview them. After questioning several petitioners the general raised his eyes and looked at Tchervyakov.