The Little Demon Fyodor Sologub (large ebook reader .TXT) đ
- Author: Fyodor Sologub
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The Mayor, Yakov Anikyevitch Skouchayev, met Peredonov on the threshold of his drawing-room. He was a tall, robust man with closely cropped dark hair; he comported himself with dignity and courtesy, though not altogether free from contemptuousness towards people of small means.
Peredonov sat down heavily in a broad chair and said in answer to his hostâs first polite questions:
âIâve come on business.â
âWith pleasure. What can I do for you?â said the Mayor politely.
In his cunning little black eyes suddenly glimmered a spark of contempt. He thought that Peredonov had come to borrow money, and decided that he could not let him have more than a hundred and fifty roubles. There were quite a number of officials in town who owed Skouchayev more or less significant sums. Skouchayev never referred to the loan, but he never extended further credit to the delinquent debtors. He always gave willingly the first time according to the standing and condition of the borrower.
âYou, as Mayor, Yakov Anikyevitch, are the first personage in the town,â said Peredonov. âThatâs why I came to have a talk with you.â
Skouchayev assumed an important air and inclined his head slightly as he sat in the chair.
âAll sorts of scandal are being spread about me,â said Peredonov morosely. âThey invent things that never happened.â
âYou canât gag other peopleâs mouths,â said the Mayor. âAnd, in any case, in our little Palestines itâs well known that gossips have nothing to do except to wag their tongues.â
âThey say I donât go to church, but thatâs not true,â continued Peredonov. âI do go; itâs true I didnât go on St. Eliasâ day, but that was because I had a stomach ache. Otherwise I always go.â
âThatâs quite true,â the host confirmed, âI happened to see you there myself, though I donât often go to your church, I usually go to the monastery. Itâs been a custom of our family for a long time.â
âAll sorts of scandal are being spread about me,â said Peredonov. âThey say that I tell the schoolboys nasty tales, but thatâs nonsense. Of course, I sometimes tell them something amusing at a lesson, to make it interesting. You yourself have a boy at school. Now, he hasnât told you anything of the sort about me, has he?â
âThatâs quite true,â agreed Skouchayev. âNothing of the sort has happened. However, youngsters are usually cunning, they never repeat what they know they oughtnât to repeat. Of course, my boy is still quite small. Heâs young enough to have repeated something silly, but I assure you he has said nothing of the sort.â
âAnd in the elder classes they know everything for themselves,â went on Peredonov. âBut, of course, I never say anything improper there.â
âNaturally,â replied Skouchayev, âa school is not a market place.â
âThatâs the kind of people they are here,â complained Peredonov. âThey invent tales of things that never happened. Thatâs why Iâve come to youâ âyouâre the Mayor of the town.â
Skouchayev felt very flattered that Peredonov had come to him. He did not understand what it was all about, but he was shrewd enough not to show his lack of comprehension.
âAnd there are other things being said about me,â continued Peredonov. âFor one thing that I live with Varvaraâ âthey say that sheâs not my cousin but my mistress. And sheâs only a cousin to meâ âhonest to God! Sheâs a very distant relativeâ âonly a third cousin; thereâs nothing against marrying her. Indeed Iâm going to marry her.â
âSo-o. So-o. Of course!â said Skouchayev reflectively. âBesides, a brideâs wreath ends the matter.â
âIt was impossible earlier,â said Peredonov. âI had important reasons. It was utterly impossible, or I should have married long ago, believe me.â
Skouchayev assumed an air of dignity, frowned, and, tapping on the dark tablecloth with his plump white fingers, said:
âI believe you. If that is so, it alters the case entirely. I believe you now. I must confess that it was a little dubious for you to live, if you will permit me to say so, with your companion without marrying her. It was very dubious, perhaps becauseâ âwell, you know children are an impressionable race; theyâre apt to pick things up. Itâs hard to teach them whatâs good, but the bad comes easily to them. Thatâs why it was really dubious. And besides, whose business is it? Thatâs how I look at it. It flatters me that youâve come to complain to me, because although Iâm only one of the common folkâ âI didnât go beyond the District schoolâ âstill I have the respect and confidence of society. This is my third year as Mayor, so that my word counts for something among the burgesses.â
Skouchayev talked and all the time entangled himself in his own thoughts, and it seemed as if he would never end his tongue-spinning. He stopped abruptly and thought irritatedly:
âThis is a waste of time. Thatâs the trouble with these learned men. You canât understand what they want. Everythingâs clear to him, to the learned man, in his books, but as soon as he gets his nose out of his books, he tangles up himself and tangles up other people.â
He fixed his eye on Peredonov with a look of perplexity, his keen eyes grew dull, his stout body relapsed into the chair, and he seemed no longer the brisk man of action but simply a rather foolish old man.
Peredonov was silent for a while, as if he were bewitched by his hostâs last words. Then, screwing up his eyes with an indefinable clouded expression, he said:
âYouâre the Mayor of the town, so you can say that itâs all nonsense.â
âThat is, in what respect?â inquired Skouchayev cautiously.
âWell,â explained Peredonov, âif they should inform against me in the Districtâ âthat I donât go to church or something or otherâ âthen if they should come and ask you might put in a word for me.â
âThis we can do,â said the Mayor. âIn any case, you can rely on us. If anything should happen, then weâll stand
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