The people were leaving the church. The village schoolmaster, Machigin, a simple young man, was standing near the girls, smiling and conversing freely with them. Peredonov thought that it was not quite becoming for him to conduct himself so freely before the future inspector. Machigin wore a straw hat. But Peredonov remembered that in the summer he had seen him just outside the town wearing an official cap with a badge. Peredonov decided to complain about it. As it happened, Inspector Bogdanov was also present. Peredonov walked up to him and said:
"Your Machigin has been wearing a cap with a badge. He's trying to look like a gentleman."
Bogdanov was alarmed, trembled, and his grey Adam's apple quivered.
"He has no right! No right whatever!" he exclaimed anxiously, blinking his red-rimmed eyes.
"He has no right, but he's been wearing it," complained Peredonov. "He ought to be stopped—I told you that long ago. Or else any boor of a muzhik can wear a badge; and what will come of it?"
Bogdanov, who had been frightened by Peredonov before, was even more alarmed.
"How does he dare, eh?" he wailed. "I will call him up at once, at once. And I'll reprimand him most severely."
He left Peredonov and quickly ran off home.
Volodin walked at Peredonov's side and said in a reproachful, bleating voice:
"He's wearing a badge. What do you think of that! As if he had an official rank! Why is it allowed!"