This question is based on George Bernard Shaw's Arms and the Man . Petkoff [grinning] 'Sergius: tell Catherine that queer story his friend told us about how...

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In the given extract from George Bernard Shaw's "Arms and the Man," Petkoff's grinning is a case of irony. Irony is a figure of speech where words are used in a way that their intended meaning is different from their literal meaning. In this case, Petkoff is grinning while asking Sergius to tell a story about being hidden by "two women," when in fact the "two women" are Petkoff's own daughter and wife. The irony lies in the fact that Petkoff is unaware of the true identity of the "two women" in the story, while the audience is aware of it, creating a sense of amusement and surprise.