"You will pay eight hundred rubles of copper money?"
"And if I say that I will pay, I will pay even in copper, and afterward, if the Lord God permits me to remain mayor, with His supreme assistance, the money may come back to me in a couple of years."
"It will come back, or it will not come back. I need some too; I will not give you all. A man with education has always more outgoes than one who is ignorant; if we should enroll Repa in place of your son, it would be a sparing for you; you cannot find eight hundred rubles on the road."
The hope of saving such a large sum began to tickle Burak, and smile at him agreeably.
"Ba!" said he at last, "that is always a very dangerous thing."
"Well, it is not on your head."
"That is just what I am afraid of, that the thing will be done by your head, and ground out on mine."
"As you like; then pay eight hundred rubles."
"I do not say that I am not sorry for the money."
"But since you think that it will come back to you, why are you sorry? Do not count too much on your mayorship, though; they don't know everything about you yet; if they only knew what I know—"