And so he won six rubles from each of them. God knows how many games he had won from the prince, yet I never knew them to pay each other any money; but Nekhliudof took out two greenbacks, and handed them over to him.
"No," says he, "I don't want to take your money. Let's square it: play 'quits or double,'[52]—either double or nothing."
I set the balls. Fedotka began to play the first hand. Nekhliudof seemed to play only for fun: sometimes he would come very near winning a game, yet just fail of it. Says he, "It would be too easy a move, I won't have it so." But Fedotka did not forget what he was up to. Carelessly he proceeded with the game, and thus, as if it were unexpectedly, won.
"Let us play double stakes once more," says he.
"All right," says Nekhliudof.
Once more Fedotka won the game.
"Well," says he, "it began with a mere trifle. I don't wish to win much from you. Shall we make it once more or nothing?"
"Yes."
Say what you may, but fifty rubles is a pretty sum, and Nekhliudof himself began to propose, "Let us make it double or quit." So they played and played.