twelve o’clock
When Vronsky went to Moscow from Petersburg , he had left his large set of rooms in Morskaia to his friend and favorite comrade Petritsky . Petritsky was a young lieutenant , not particularly well-connected , and not merely not wealthy , but always hopelessly in debt . Towards evening he was always drunk , and he had often been locked up after all sorts of ludicrous and disgraceful scandals , but he was a favorite both of his comrades and his superior officers . On arriving at twelve o'clock from the station at his flat , Vronsky saw , at the outer door , a hired carriage familiar to him . While still outside his own door , as he rang , he heard masculine laughter , the lisp of a feminine voice , and Petritsky 's voice . `` If that 's one of the villains , do n't let him in ! '' Vronsky told the servant not to announce him , and slipped quietly into the first room .