the sign of the cross and lowered his head on
his breast.

"It is the truth!" said one of the company, confirming the priest's
words.

"True? Very well!" shouted Ignat, and, striking the table with his fist,
he addressed himself to the priest:

"Eh, you! Sell me your daughter! How much will you take?"

The priest shook his head and shrank back.

"One thousand!"

The company giggled, seeing that the priest was shrinking as though cold
water was being poured on him.

"Two!" roared Ignat, with flashing eyes.

"What's the matter with you? How is it?" muttered the priest, stretching
out both hands to Ignat.

"Three!"

"Ignat Matveyich!" cried the priest, in a thin, ringing voice. "For
God's sake! For Christ's sake! Enough! I'll sell her! For her own sake
I'll sell her!"

In his sickly, sharp voice was heard a threat to someone, and his eyes,
unnoticed by anybody before, flashed like coals. But the intoxicated
crowd only laughed at him foolishly.

"Silence!" cried Ignat, sternly, straightening himself to his full
length and flashing his eyes.

"Don't you understand, devils, what's going on here? It's enough to make
one cry, while you giggle."

He walked up to the priest, went down on his knees before him, and said
to him firmly:

"Father now you see what a rascal I am. Well, spit into my face!"

Something ugly and ridiculous took place. The priest too, knelt before
Ignat, and like a huge turtle, crept around near his feet, kissed his
knees and muttered something, sobbing. Ignat bent over him, lifted him
from the floor and cried to him, commanding and begging:

"Spit! Spit right into my shameless eyes!"

The company, stupefied for a moment by Ignat's stern voice, laughed
again so that the panes rattled in the tavern windows.

"I'll give you a hundred roubles. Spit!"

And the priest crept over the floor and sobbed for fear, or for
happiness, to hear that this man was begging him to do something
degrading to himself.

Finally Ignat arose from the floor, kicked the priest, and, flinging at
him a package of money, said morosely, with a smile:

"Rabble! Can a man repent before such people? Some are afraid to hear
of repentance, others laugh at a sinner. I was about to unburden myself
completely; the heart trembled. Let me, I thought. No, I didn't think at
all. Just so! Get out of here! And see that you never show yourself to
me again. Do you hear?"

"Oh, a queer fellow!" said the crowd, somewhat move