A third suddenly blurted out the inquiry why people had begun hanging and shooting themselves among us of late, as though they had suddenly lost their roots, as though the ground were giving way under every one's feet.

People looked coldly at this raisonneur.

Then Lyamshin, who prided himself on playing the fool, took a bunch of grapes from the plate; another, laughing, followed his example, and a third stretched out his hand for the Chateau d'Yquem.

But the head of police arriving checked him, and even ordered that the room should be cleared.
As every one had seen all they wanted they went out without disputing, though Lyamshin began pestering the police captain about something.

The general merrymaking, laughter, and playful talk were twice as lively on the latter half of the way.
We arrived at Semyon Yakovlevitch's just at one o'clock.