第188章

第188章withinanhourandahalfthegreaternumberoftheplayerswerenolongerseriouslyinterestedintheirownplay.

thewholeinterestofthegamewasconcentratedonrostov.insteadofamerelossofsixteenhundredroubleshehadbynowscoredagainsthimalongcolumnoffigures,whichhehadaddeduptothetenththousand,thoughhevaguelysupposedthatbynowithadrisentofifteenthousand.inrealitythescorealreadyexceededtwentythousandroubles.dolohovwasnotnowlisteningtostories,ortellingthem,hefollowedeverymovementofrostov’shands,andfromtimetotimetookacursorysurveyofhisscorewithhim.hehadresolvedtokeeptheplayuptillthatscorehadreachedforty-threethousand.hehadfixedonthatnumberbecauseitrepresentedthesumofhisandsonya’sages.rostovsatwithhisheadproppedinbothhands,beforethewine-stainedtablescrawledoverwithscoringsandlitteredwithcards.onetorturingsensationneverlefthim;thosebroad-boned,reddishhands,withthehairsvisibleundertheshirt-cuffs,thosehandswhichhelovedandhated,heldhimintheirpower.

“sixhundredroubles,ace,corner,nine;winningitback’soutofthequestion！…andhowhappyishouldbeathome.…theknavedoubleorquits,itcan’tbe！…andwhyishedoingthistome？…”rostovponderedandthought.sometimesheputahigherstakeonacard;butdolohovrefuseditandfixedthestakehimself.nikolaysubmittedtohim,andatonemomenthewasprayingtogod,ashehadprayedunderfireonthebridgeofamschteten;atthenexthetriedhisfortuneonthechancethatthecardthathewouldfirstpickupamongtheheapofcrumpledonesunderthetablewouldsavehim;thenhereckoneduptherowsofbraidingsonhiscoat,andtriedstakingthewholeamountofhislossesonacardofthatnumber,thenhelookedroundforhelptotheothersplaying,orstaredintodolohov’sface,whichlookedquitecoldnow,andtriedtopenetrateintowhatwaspassingwithinhim.