It was even proposed to give a subscription dinner in his honour, and they only gave up the idea at his earnest request--reflecting possibly at last that the man had, after all, been pulled by the nose and that that was really nothing to congratulate him upon.

Yet, how had it happened?
How could it have happened?
It is remarkable that no one in the whole town put down this savage act to madness.

They must have been predisposed to expect such actions from Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch, even when he was sane.

For my part I don't know to this day how to explain it, in spite of the event that quickly followed and apparently explained everything, and conciliated every one.

I will add also that, four years later, in reply to a discreet question from me about the incident at the club, Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch answered, frowning: "I wasn't quite well at the time." But there is no need to anticipate events.
The general outburst of hatred with which every one fell upon the "ruffian and duelling bully from the capital" also struck me as curious.
They insisted on seeing an insolent design and deliberate intention to insult our whole society at once.