guided by the rules of the Church. He decided to take advantage of this
great opportunity of warning unbelievers of the perils that threatened
them. At all events, he wanted to persuade himself that this was the
only motive that guided him in the course he had resolved to take. But
at the bottom of his heart he was only anxious to get his revenge on the
proud atheist.

"Yes, it is very sad indeed," said Father Michael, toying with the cross
he was wearing over his priestly robes, and passing his hands over its
polished sides. "I am very glad you have given me your confidence. As a
servant of the Church I shall admonish the young man--of course with the
utmost kindness. I shall certainly do it in the way that befits my holy
office," said Father Michael to himself, really thinking that he had
forgotten the ill-feeling the boy's father had towards him. He firmly
believed the boy's soul to be the only object of his pious care.

The next day, during the divinity lesson which Father Michael was giving
to Mitia Smokovnikov's class, he narrated the incident of the forged
coupon, adding that the culprit had been one of the pupils of the
school. "It was a very wicked thing to do," he said; "but to deny the
crime is still worse. If it is true that the sin has been committed by
one of you, let the guilty one confess." In saying this, Father Michael
looked sharply at Mitia Smokovnikov. All the boys, following his glance,
turned also to Mitia, who blushed, and felt extremely ill at ease, with
large beads of perspiration on his face. Finally, he burst into tears,
and ran out of the classroom. His mother, noticing his trouble, found
out the truth, ran at once to the photographer's shop, paid over the
twelve roubles and fifty kopeks to Maria Vassilievna, and made her
promise to deny the boy's guilt. She further implored Mitia to hide the
truth from everybody, and in any case to withhold it from his father.