"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