Varvara Pavlovna's father, Pavel Petrovitch Korobyin, a retired general-major, had spent his whole time on duty in Petersburg.

He had had the reputation in his youth of a good dancer and driller.

Through poverty, he had served as adjutant to two or three generals of no distinction, and had married the daughter of one of them with a dowry of twenty-five thousand roubles.

He mastered all the science of military discipline and manoeuvres to the minutest niceties, he went on in harness, till at last, after twenty-five years' service, he received the rank of a general and the command of a regiment.

Then he might have relaxed his efforts and have quietly secured his pecuniary position.
Indeed this was what he reckoned upon doing, but he managed things a little incautiously.