He's always playing billiards here.

Only three years ago he was not a _shlupik_ and kept up his spirits and even used to call other people _shlupiks_.

But one day he turns up, and our porter...you know Vassily? Why, that fat one; he's famous for his _bon mots_.

And so Prince Tchetchensky asks him, 'Come, Vassily, who's here? Any _shlupiks_ here yet?' And he says, 'You're the third.

' Yes, my dear boy, that he did!" Talking and greeting the friends they met, Levin and the prince walked through all the rooms: the great room where tables had already been set, and the usual partners were playing for small stakes; the divan room, where they were playing chess, and Sergey Ivanovitch was sitting talking to somebody; the billiard room, where, about a sofa in a recess, there was a lively party drinking champagne--Gagin was one of them.