Peredonov kept the Princess's second letter more zealously than the first: he always carried it about with him in his wallet and showed it to everyone, looking mysterious as he did so. He looked vigilantly to see that no one took the letter away from him. He did not give it into anyone's hands, and after each showing he put it away in his wallet, which he put into the side-pocket of his frock-coat, buttoned up his coat and looked gravely and significantly at his companions. "Why do you hide it away like that?" Routilov once asked him laughingly. "As a precaution," said Peredonov morosely, "who can tell? You might take it from me." "It'd be a case for Siberia," said Routilov with a contemptuous laugh, slapping Peredonov on the back. But Peredonov preserved an imperturbable dignity. In general he had lately been assuming an air of greater importance. He often boasted: "I'll be an inspector. You will go sour here, but I shall have two districts to begin with. And then perhaps three, Oh--ho--ho!" He was quite convinced that he would receive his inspector's position very soon. More than once he said to the schoolmaster, Falastov: "I'll get you too out of here, old chap." And the schoolmaster, Falastov, was more respectful in his bearing to Peredonov. [1] Koukish, a clenched fist with the thumb thrust between the first and second fingers. This gesture is a great insult in Russia. To make it is as much as to say, "A fig for you!" [2] A Russian popular dance. [3] "Sosna" means "pine" and "so sna" "from sleep." Peredonov puns on it. [4] Variation on the pun. "Sonya" is another form of "Sofya." [5] _Lapti_, rough shoes worn by the peasants. [6] Russians eat dried sunflower seeds as Americans eat peanuts. CHAPTER XXII Peredonov began to attend church frequently. He always stood in a conspicuous place. At one time he crossed himself more often than was necessary, at another he stood like a person in a trance and looked stupidly before him. It seemed to him that spies were hiding behind the columns, and were peeping out from there, trying to make him laugh. But he did not yield. Laughter, the quiet, faint laughter, the giggling and the whispering of the Routilov girls, sounded in Peredonov's ears, and grew at times to an extraordinary pitch--as if the cunning girls were laughing straight into his ears, to make him laugh and to disgrace him. But Peredonov did not yield. At times a smoke-like, bluish nedotikomka appeared among the clouds of incense smoke; its eyes gleamed like little fires; with a slight rustle it lifted itself into the air, though not for long, but for the most part it rolled itself at the feet of members of the congregation, it jeered at Peredonov and tormented him obtrusively. Of course, it wanted to frighten him so that he would leave the church before Mass was over. But he understood its cunning design--and he did not yield.