AFTER having got rid of the coupon, Eugene Mihailovich forgot all about it; but his wife, Ma-ria Vassilievna, could not forgive herself for hav-ing been taken in, nor yet her husband for his cruel words. And most of all she was furious against the two boys who had so skilfully cheated her.
From the day she had accepted the forged coupon as payment, she looked closely at all the school-boys who came in her way in the streets. One day she met Mahin, but did not recognise him, for on seeing her he made a face which quite changed his features. But when, a fortnight after the incident with the coupon, she met Mitia Smokovnikov face to face, she knew him at once.
She let him pass her, then turned back and followed him, and arriving at his house she made inquiries as to whose son he was. The next day she went to the school and met the divinity instructor, the priest Michael Vedensky, in the hall. He asked her what she wanted. She an-swered that she wished to see the head of the school. "He is not quite well," said the priest.
"Can I be of any use to you, or give him your message?"
Maria Vassilievna thought that she might as well tell the priest what was the matter. Michael Vedensky was a widower, and a very ambitious man. A year ago he had met Mitia Smokovni-kov's father in society, and had had a discussion with him on religion. Smokovnikov had beaten him decisively on all points; indeed, he had made him appear quite ridiculous. Since that time the priest had decided to pay special attention to Smokovnikov's son; and, finding him as indifferent to religious matters as his father was, he began to persecute him, and even brought about his fail-ure in examinations.
When Maria Vassilievna told him what young Smokovnikov had done to her, Vedensky could not help feeling an inner satisfaction. He saw in the boy's conduct a proof of the utter wickedness of those who are not 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 re-solved 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 Mi-chael, 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 to-wards 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 Smokovni-kov'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 com-mitted by one of you, let the guilty one confess."
