Vronsky had never spoken to him of his passion, but he was aware that he knew all about it, and that he put the right interpretation on it, and he was glad to see that in his eyes.

“Ah! yes,” he said, to the announcement that Vronsky had been at the Tverskoys’; and his black eyes shining, he plucked at his left mustache, and began twisting it into his mouth, a bad habit he had.

“Well, and what did you do yesterday?  Win anything?” asked Vronsky.

“Eight thousand.  But three don’t count; he won’t pay up.”

“Oh, then you can afford to lose over me,” said Vronsky, laughing. (Yashvin had bet heavily on Vronsky in the races.)

“No chance of my losing.  Mahotin’s the only one that’s risky.”

And the conversation passed to forecasts of the coming race, the only thing Vronsky could think of just now.

“Come along, I’ve finished,” said Vronsky, and getting up he went to the door.  Yashvin got up too, stretching his long legs and his long back.

“It’s too early for me to dine, but I must have a drink.  I’ll come along directly.  Hi, wine!” he shouted, in his rich voice, that always rang out so loudly at drill, and set the windows shaking now.

“No, all right,” he shouted again immediately after.  “You’re going home, so I’ll go with you.”

And he walked out with Vronsky.

Chapter 20

Vronsky was staying in a roomy, clean, Finnish hut, divided into two by a partition.  Petritsky lived with him in camp too.  Petritsky was asleep when Vronsky and Yashvin came into the hut.

“Get up, don’t go on sleeping,” said Yashvin, going behind the partition and giving Petritsky, who was lying with ruffled hair and with his nose in the pillow, a prod on the shoulder.

Petritsky jumped up suddenly onto his knees and looked round.

“Your brother’s been here,” he said to Vronsky.  “He waked me up, damn him, and said he’d look in again.”  And pulling up the rug he flung himself back on the pillow.  “Oh, do shut up, Yashvin!” he said, getting furious with Yashvin, who was pulling the rug off him.  “Shut up!” He turned over and opened his eyes.  “You’d better tell me what to drink; such a nasty taste in my mouth, that...”

“Brandy’s better than anything,” boomed Yashvin.  “Tereshtchenko! brandy for your master and cucumbers,” he shouted, obviously taking pleasure in the sound of his own voice.

“Brandy, do you think?  Eh?” queried Petritsky, blinking and rubbing his eyes.  “And you’ll drink something?  All right then, we’ll have a drink together!  Vronsky, have a drink?” said Petritsky, getting up and wrapping the tiger-skin rug round him.  He went to the door of the partition wall, raised his hands, and hummed in French, “There was a king in Thule.”  “Vronsky, will you have a drink?”

“Go along,” said Vronsky, putting on the coat his valet handed to him.