"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 1 ch. IV.]
[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.