Before Peredonov arrived there was already a visitor there. Peredonov knew him--but then who is not known to everyone in our town? Everyone knows everyone else, but some have quarrelled and broken off the acquaintance. This was the District physician, Georgiy Semenovitch Trepetov, a little man--even smaller than Kirillov--with a pimply, insignificant, sharp-featured face. He wore blue spectacles, and he always looked under or to the side of them, as if it were an effort to look at his companion. He was unusually upright, and never gave a single kopeck for anyone else's benefit. He detested deeply everyone who was a government official: he would go so far as to shake hands at meeting but stubbornly refrained from conversation. For this he was reputed a shining light--like Kirillov--although he knew very little and was a poor physician. He was all the time getting ready to lead the simple life, and with this intention he looked on at the muzhiks when they blew their noses and scratched the back of their heads and wiped their mouths with the back of their hands; when he was alone he sometimes imitated them, but he always put off his simplification till next summer. Peredonov here also repeated his usual complaints against the town gossip, such as he had made during the last few days, and against the envious people who wanted to hinder his obtaining an inspector's position. At the beginning Kirillov felt rather flattered by this attention. He exclaimed: "Now you can see what goes on in provincial towns. I always said that the one deliverance for thinking people is to join hands--and I'm glad that you've come to the same conclusion." Trepetov snorted angrily, as if affronted. Kirillov looked at him timorously. Trepetov said with contempt: "Thinking people!" and then he snorted again. After a short silence he began again in his thin, indignant voice: "I don't know how thinking people can serve a musty classicism." Kirillov said irresolutely: "But, Georgiy Semenovitch, you never realise that a man does not always choose his own profession." Trepetov snorted contemptuously, which finally settled the amiable Kirillov, and became immersed in a deep silence. Kirillov turned to Peredonov when he heard that he was talking of an inspector's position. Kirillov looked worried. He imagined that Peredonov wanted to be an inspector in our district. In the District Council there had matured a project to establish the position of their Inspector of schools, who was to be chosen by the Council, the appointment to be approved by the Educational Commission. Then, the Inspector Bogdanov, who had charge of the schools of three districts, would be transferred to one of the neighbouring towns, and the schools of our district would be turned over to the new Inspector. For this position the members of the Council had in view an instructor in a pedagogical seminary in the neighbouring town, Safata.