Nothing could put it off any longer:  Ivan was obliged to obey, and he did not attempt to find any new pretext for delay.  He drew back two paces, and with a spring he returned to his place, and standing on tiptoe, he whirled the knout above his head, and then letting it suddenly fall, he struck Gregory with such dexterity that the lash wrapped itself thrice round his victim’s body, encircling him like a serpent, but the tip of the thong struck the plank upon which Gregory was lying.  Nevertheless, in spite of this precaution, Gregory uttered a loud shriek, and Ivan counted “One.”

At the shriek, the young aide-de-camp again turned towards the window; but it was still shut, and mechanically his eyes went back to the culprit, and he repeated the word “One.”

The knout had traced three blue furrows on Gregory’s shoulders.  Ivan took another spring, and with the same skill as before he again enveloped the culprit’s body with the hissing thong, ever taking care that the tip of it should not touch him.  Gregory uttered another shriek, and Ivan counted “Two.”  The blood now began to colour the skin.

At the third stroke several drops of blood appeared; at the fourth the blood spurted out; at the fifth some drops spattered the young officer’s face; he drew back, and wiped them away with his handkerchief.  Ivan profited by his distraction, and counted seven instead of six:  the captain took no notice.  At the ninth stroke Ivan stopped to change the lash, and in the hope that a second fraud might pass off as luckily as the first, he counted eleven instead of ten.

At that moment a window opposite to Vaninka’s opened, and a man about forty-five or fifty in general’s uniform appeared.  He called out in a careless tone, “Enough, that will do,” and closed the window again.

Immediately on this apparition the young aide-de-camp had turned towards his general, saluting, and during the few seconds that the general was present he remained motionless.  When the window had been shut again, he repeated the general’s words, so that the raised whip fell without touching the culprit.

“Thank his excellency, Gregory,” said Ivan, rolling the knout’s lash round his hand, “for having spared you two strokes;” and he added, bending down to liberate Gregory’s hand, “these two with the two I was able to miss out make a total of eight strokes instead of twelve.  Come, now, you others, untie his other hand.”

But poor Gregory was in no state to thank anybody; nearly swooning with pain, he could scarcely stand.

Two moujiks took him by the arms and led him towards the serfs’ quarters, followed by Ivan.  Having reached the door, however, Gregory stopped, turned his head, and seeing the aide-de-camp gazing pitifully at him, “Oh sir,” he cried, “please thank his excellency the general for me.  As for the lady Vaninka,” he added in a low tone, “I will certainly thank her myself.”