Klara Olsufyevna celebrates her birthday with a lavish party. The narrator apologizes for not being able to adequately describe the splendor of the party. In the back stairs, Golyadkin stands “huddled up” (150) and watches the party from the outside for several hours. He thinks about entering to talk to Klara. By the time he does, however, someone else already pushed past him. Golyadkin curses to himself and waits until the person has fully moved past, then slips through the entrance “almost unnoticed” (153). He heads directly to Klara, so focused that he does not notice that he has stepped on a woman’s dress, knocked into a man, and almost caused the waiter to spill a tray.

When Golyadkin reaches Klara, he congratulates her on her birthday. He stumbles over his words and feels the whole party turning to stare at him. Filippovich shakes his head disapprovingly, taking Klara by the arm and leading her away from Golyadkin. A butler appears at Golyadkin’s arm, informing Golyadkin that “a certain gentleman from somewhere or other” (156) has asked to speak to him. Golyadkin does not believe that any such person exists. He begins a long, rambling speech about the dangers of the chandelier above the partygoers, describing how it could fall on their heads.