'Take care of your coat while it is new, and of your honour while it is
young.'"

My mother tearfully begged me not to neglect my health, and bade
Savéliitch take great care of the darling. I was dressed in a short
"_touloup_"[10] of hareskin, and over it a thick pelisse of foxskin. I
seated myself in the _kibitka_ with Savéliitch, and started for my
destination, crying bitterly.

I arrived at Simbirsk during the night, where I was to stay twenty-four
hours, that Savéliitch might do sundry commissions entrusted to him. I
remained at an inn, while Savéliitch went out to get what he wanted.
Tired of looking out at the windows upon a dirty lane, I began wandering
about the rooms of the inn. I went into the billiard room. I found there
a tall gentleman, about forty years of age, with long, black
moustachios, in a dressing-gown, a cue in his hand, and a pipe in his
mouth. He was playing with the marker, who was to have a glass of brandy
if he won, and, if he lost, was to crawl under the table on all fours. I
stayed to watch them; the longer their games lasted, the more frequent
became the all-fours performance, till at last the marker remained
entirely under the table. The gentleman addressed to him some strong
remarks, as a funeral sermon, and proposed that I should play a game
with him. I replied that I did not know how to play billiards. Probably
it seemed to him very odd. He looked at me with a sort of pity.
Nevertheless, he continued talking to me. I learnt that his name was
Iván Ivánovitch[11] Zourine, that he commanded a troop in the ----th
Hussars, that he was recruiting just now at Simbirsk, and that he had
established himself at the same inn as myself. Zourine asked me to lunch
with him, soldier fashion, and, as we say, on what Heaven provides. I
accepted with pleasure; we sat down to table; Zourine drank a great