deformed and nasty creature, he played the part of a buffoon:
they smeared his bald head with mustard, made him go upon all-
fours, drink mixtures of different brandies and dance comical
dances; he did all this in silence, an idiotic smile on his
wrinkled face, and having done what he was told to do, he
invariably said, outstretching his hand with his palm upward:

"Give me a rouble."

They laughed at him and sometimes gave him twenty kopeiks,
sometimes gave him nothing, but it sometimes happened that they
threw him a ten-rouble bill and even more.

"You abominable fellow," cried Ignat to him one day. "Say, who
are you?"

The priest was frightened by the call, and bowing low to Ignat,
was silent.

"Who? Speak!" roared Ignat.

"I am a man--to be abused," answered the priest, and the company
burst out laughing at his words.

"Are you a rascal?" asked Ignat, sternly.

"A rascal? Because of need and the weakness of my soul?"

"Come here!" Ignat called him. "Come and sit down by my side."