"What an idea!" said Peredonov angrily. "I don't want your brides. I can get them by cleaner means." "You've cast a spell to burst my eyes," continued Volodin, "but mind your spectacles don't burst sooner." Peredonov caught his glasses in fear. "What nonsense!" he growled. "You let your tongue run away with you." Varvara looked warningly at Volodin and said crossly: "Don't be spiteful, Pavel Vassilyevitch, eat your soup, or else it'll get cold. Eat, you spiteful thing!" She thought that Ardalyon Borisitch had exorcised himself in time. Volodin began to eat his soup. They were all silent for a while, and presently Volodin said in a hurt voice: "No wonder I dreamed last night that I was being smeared with honey. Did you smear me, Ardalyon Borisitch?" "That's not the way you ought to be smeared," said Varvara still crossly. "Why should I be? Be good enough to tell me. I don't see why I should be," said Volodin. "Well, because you've got a nasty tongue," explained Varvara. "You oughtn't to babble everything that comes into your mind immediately." [1] A quotation from Griboyedov's, "The Misfortune of Being too Clever." [2] See note above. Search for "chure" implies, "Hence! away!" CHAPTER XX In the evening Peredonov went to the Club--he had been invited to play cards. Goudayevsky, the notary, was also there. Peredonov was frightened when he saw him, but Goudayevsky conducted himself quietly and Peredonov felt reassured. They played a long time and drank a good deal. Late at night in the refreshment room Goudayevsky ran up to Peredonov and without any explanation hit him several times in the face, broke his glasses and quickly left the Club. Peredonov showed no resistance, pretended he was drunk, then fell to the floor, and began to grunt. They shook him and carried him home. The next day the whole town was talking about this scuffle. That same evening Varvara found an opportunity to steal the first forged letter from Peredonov. Grushina had insisted on this so that no discrepancies might be found by comparing the two forgeries. Peredonov carried this letter about with him, but on this evening he happened to leave it at home: while changing into his dress clothes, he had taken the letter from his pocket, put it under a text-book on the chest of drawers and promptly forgotten it. Varvara burnt it over a candle at Grushina's. When Peredonov returned home late that night and Varvara saw his broken spectacles, he told her that they had burst of themselves. She believed him and imagined that it was all the fault of Volodin's evil tongue. Peredonov also persuaded himself that it was due to Volodin. The next day, however, Grushina told Varvara the details of the scuffle at the Club. In the morning, when dressing, Peredonov suddenly remembered the letter, looked for it unavailingly, and felt terrified. He shouted in a savage voice: "Varvara! Where's that letter?" Varvara was disconcerted.