"What do you mean by 'the eternal husband,' what's that?" Pavel Pavlovitch suddenly pricked up his ears.
"Oh, it's one type of husband . . . it would be a long story. You'd better clear out, its time you were gone; I'm sick of you."
"And predatory? You said 'predatory'!"
"I said you were a 'predatory type'; I said it ironically."
"What do you mean by a 'predatory type'? Tell me, please, Alexey Ivanovitch, for God's sake, or for Christ's sake!"
"Come, that's enough, that's enough!" cried Velchaninov, suddenly growing horribly angry. “It’s time you were off. Get along."
"No, it's not enough!" Pavel Pavlovitch flared up; "even though you are sick of me it's not enough, for we must drink together and clink glasses! Let us drink together, and then I'll go, but as it is it's not enough!"
"Pavel Pavlovitch! Will you go to the devil to-day or will you not?"
"I can go to the devil, but first we'll drink! You said that you would not drink with me; but I want you to drink with me!"
There was no grimacing, no sniggering about him now. He seemed all at once entirely transformed, and to have become in his whole tone and appearance so completely the opposite of the Pavel Pavlovitch of the moment before, that Velchaninov was quite taken aback.
"Do let us drink, Alexey Ivanovitch! Don't refuse me,"
Pavel Pavlovitch persisted, gripping his hand tightly and looking strangely into his eyes.
Clearly there was more at stake than merely drinking.
"Yes, if you like," muttered Velchaninov; "but how can we? . . . There's nothing left but the dregs. . . ."
"There are just two glasses left, it's thick, but we'll drink it and clink glasses! Here, take your glass."
They clinked their glasses and emptied them.
"Since that's so—since that's so . . . Ach!"
Pavel Pavlovitch clutched his forehead in his hand and remained for some moments in that position. Velchaninov had a feeling every moment that he would speak out and utter the very final word. But Pavel Pavlovitch uttered nothing; he simply gazed at him and smiled again the same sly, knowing smile.
"What do you want of me, you drunken fellow! You're
