"I also had an interesting dream last night," announced Volodin. "But I don't know what it can mean. I was sitting, as it were, on a gold throne with a gold crown on, and there was grass in front of me and on the grass were little sheep, all little sheep, all little sheep, ba-a!--ba-a! And the little sheep walked about and moved their heads like this and kept on their ba-a! ba-a! ba-a!" Volodin walked up and down the room, shaking his head, protruded his lips and bleated. The guests laughed. Volodin sat down on a chair with an expression of bliss on his face, looked at them with his bulging eyes and laughed with the same sheep-like bleating laughter. "What happened then?" asked Grushina, winking at the others. "Well, it was all little sheep and little sheep, and then I woke up," concluded Volodin. "A sheep has sheepish dreams," growled Peredonov. "It isn't such great shakes being Tsar of the sheep." "I also had a dream," said Varvara with an impudent smile, "only I can't tell it before men. I'll tell it to you alone." "Ah, my dear Varvara Dmitrievna, it's strange I had one too," sniggered Grushina, winking at the others. "Please tell us, we're modest men, like the ladies," said Routilov. The other men also besought Varvara and Grushina to tell them their dreams. But the pair only exchanged glances, laughed meaningly and would not tell. They sat down to play cards. Routilov assured everyone that Peredonov played cards well. Peredonov believed him. But that evening he lost as usual. Routilov was winning. This elated him and he talked more animatedly than usual. The nedotikomka mocked at Peredonov. It was hiding somewhere near by--it would show itself sometimes, peering out from behind the table or from behind someone's back, and then hide again. It seemed to be waiting for something. He felt dismayed. The very appearance of the cards dismayed him. He saw two queens in the place of one. "And where's the third," thought Peredonov. He dully examined the queen of spades, then turned it round to see if the third queen was hiding on the back. Routilov said: "Ardalyon Borisitch is looking behind the queen's shirt."[1] They all laughed. In the meantime two young police officials sat down to play _douratchki.[2]_ They played their hands very quickly. The winner laughed with joy and made a long nose at the other. The loser growled. There was a smell of food. Grushina called the guests into the dining-room. They all went, jostling each other, and with an affected politeness. Somehow they managed to seat themselves. "Help yourselves, everyone," said Grushina hospitably. "Now then, my dears, stuff without fears to your very ears."[3] "Eat the cake for the hostess' sake," shouted Mourin gleefully. He felt very gay, looking at the vodka and thinking about his winnings. Volodin and the two young officials helped themselves more lavishly than anyone else, they picked out the choicest and most expensive things, and ate caviare greedily.