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Vronsky had wanted to pay the money at the time (he had that

amount then), but Venovsky and Yashvin had insisted that they

would pay and not Vronsky, who had not played. That was so far

well, but Vronsky knew that in this dirty business, though his

only share in it was undertaking by word of mouth to be surety

for Venovsky, it was absolutely necessary for him to have the two

thousand five hundred roubles so as to be able to fling it at the

swindler, and have no more words with him. And so for this first

and most important division he must have four thousand roubles.

The second class-eight thousand roubles-consisted of less

important debts. These were principally accounts owing in

connection with his race horses, to the purveyor of oats and hay,

the English saddler, and so on. He would have to pay some two

thousand roubles on these debts too, in order to be quite free

from anxiety. The last class of debts-to shops, to hotels, to his

tailor-were such as need not be considered.