HereVologonovlowershisvoice，andcontinueswithsomethingofthegrowlofanangrydog:
“Itoohavehadsons，oneofwhomwaskilledatKushkaadocumenthascertifiedtothateffect，anotherwasdrownedwhilstdrunk，threemorediedininfancy，andonlytwoarestillalive。Oftheselast，IknowthatoneisactingasawaiterinahotelatSmolensk，whiletheother，Melenti，waseducatedfortheChurch，senttostudyinaseminary，inducedtoabscondandgetintotrouble，andeventuallydispatchedtoSiberia。Therenow！Yes，theRussianiswhatmightbecalleda’lightweighted’
individual，anindividualwho，unlessheholdshimselfdownbythehead，issooncarriedoffbythewindlikeachicken’sfeather——forwearetooself-confidentandrestless。Beforenow，Imyselfhavebeenagull，amanlackingbalance:forneverdoesyouthrealiseitsowninsignificance，orknowhowtowait。“
Dissertationsofthekinddropfromtheoldmanlikewaterfromaleakypipeonacold，blusterydayinautumn。Wagginghisgreybeard，hetalksandtalks，untilIbegintothinkthathemustbeanevilwizard，andmasterofthisremote，barren，swampy，ravine-pittedregion——thatheitiswhooriginallyplantedthetowninthisuncomfortable，clayeyhollow，andhasthrownthehousesintoheaps，andentangledthestreets，andwantonlycreatedthetown’sunaccountablyrudeandroughanddeadlyexistence，andaddledmen’sbrainswithdisconnectednonsense，andconsumedtheirheartswithafearoflife。Yes，itcomestomethatitmustbehewho，duringthelongsixmonthsofwinter，causescruelsnowstormsfromtheplaintoinvadethetown，andwithfrostcompressesthebuildingsofthetownuntiltheirrafterscrack，andstingingcoldbringsbirdstotheground。
Lastly，Ibecomeseizedwiththeideathatitmustbehewho，almosteverysummer，envelopsthetowninthoseterriblevisitationsofheatbynightwhichseemalmosttocausethehousestomelt。
However，asarulehemaintainscompletesilence，andmerelymakeschewingmotionswithhisstrong-toothedjawsashesitswagginghisbeardfromsidetoside。Atsuchtimesthereisinhiseyesabluishfirelikethegleamofcharcoal，whilehiscrookedfingerswrithelikeworms，andhisoutwardappearancebecomessheerlythatofamagicianofiniquity。
OnceIaskedhim:
“Whatinparticularoughtmentowaitfor？“
Forawhilehesatclaspinghisbeard，and，withcontractedeyes，gazingasatsomethingbehindme。Thenhesaidquietlyanddidactically:
“SomedaytherewillariseaStrangeManwhowillproclaimtotheworldtheWordtowhichthereneverwasabeginning。ButtowhichofusisthehourwhenthatManwillariseknown？Tononeofus……AndtowhichofusareknownthemiracleswhichthatWordwillperform？Tononeofus。“
Onceuponatimethereusedtoglidepastthewindowofmyroomthefair，curly，wavering，goldenheadofNilushkatheidiot，aladlookinglikeathingwhichtheearthhasbegottenoflove。
Yes，Nilushkawaslikeanangelinsomesacredpictureadorningthesouthernorthenortherngatesofanancientchurch，as，withhisflushedfacesmearedwithwax-smokeandoil，andhislightblueeyesgleaminginacold，unearthlysmile，andaframecladinaredsmockreachingtobelowhisknees，andthesolesofhisfeetshowingblackalwayshewalkedontiptoe，andhisthincalves，asstraightandwhiteasthecalvesofawoman，coveredwithgoldendown，hewalkedthestreets。
Sometimeshoppingalongononeleg，andsmiling，andwavinghisarms，andcausingtheamplefoldsandsleevesofhissmocktoflutteruntilheseemedtobemovinginthemidstofanimbus，Nilushkawouldsinginahaltingwhisperthechildishditty:
0hLo-ord，pardonme！
Wo-olvesrun，Anddo-ogsrun，AndthehunterswaitTokillthewolves。
0hLo-ord，pardonme！
Meanwhile，hewoulddiffuseacheeringatmosphereofhappinesswithwhichnooneinthelocalityhadanythingincommon。Forhewaseveralighthearted，winning，essentiallypureinnocentofthetypewhichneverfailstoevokegood-naturedsmilesandkindlyemotions。Indeed，asheroamedthestreets，thesuburbseemedtoliveitslifewithlessclamour，toappearmoredecentofoutwardguise，sincethelocalfolklookedupontheimbecilewithfarmoreindulgencethantheydidupontheirownchildren；
andhewasintimatewith，andbelovedby，eventheworst。
Probablythereasonforthiswasthatthesemblanceofflightamidanatmosphereofgoldendustwhichwashiscombinedwithhisstraight，slenderlittlefiguretoputallwhobeheldhiminmindofchurches，angels，God，andParadise。Atallevents，allviewedhiminamannercontemplative，interested，andmorethanalittledeferential。
AcuriousfactwasthecircumstancethatwheneverNilushkasightedastraygleamfromapieceofglass，ortheglitterofamorselofcopperinsunlight，hewouldhaltdeadwherehewas，turngreywiththeashinessofdeath，losehissmile，andremaindilatingtoanunnaturalextenthiscloudedandtroubledeyes。
Andso，withhiswholeformdistortedwithhorror，andhisthinhandcrossinghimself，andhiskneestrembling，andhissmockflutteringaroundhisfrailwispofabody，andhisfeaturesgrowingstonelike，hewould，foranhourormore，continuetostand，untilatlengthsomeonelaidahandinhis，andledhimhome。
Thetalehaditthat，inthefirstinstance，born“soft-headed，“
hefinallylosthisreason，fiveyearsbeforetheperiodofwhichIamwriting，whenagreatfireoccurred，andthatthenceforthanything，savesunlight，thatinanywayresembledfireplungedhimintothistorporofdumbdread。
Naturallythepeopleofthesuburbdevotedtohimagreatdealofattention。
“TheregoesGod’sfool，“wouldbetheirremark。“ItwillnotbelongbeforehediesandbecomesaSaint，andwefalldownandworshiphim。“
Yettherewerepersonswhowouldgosofarastocrackrudejestsathisexpense。Forinstance，ashewouldbeskippingalong，withhischildishvoiceraisedinhislittleditty，someidleroranotherwouldshoutfromawindow，orthroughthecrannyofafence:
“Hi，Nilushka！Fire！Fire！“
Whereupontheangel-facedimbecilewouldsinktoearthasthoughhislegshadbeencutawayatthekneefromunderhim，andhewouldhuddle，franticallyclutchinghisgoldenheadinhispermanentlysoiledhands，andexposinghisyouthfulformtothedust，underthenearesthouseorfence。
Onlythenwouldthepersonwhohadgivenhimthefrightrepent，andsaywithalaugh:
“Godinheaven，whatastupidladthisis！“
And，shouldthatpersonhavebeenaskedwhyhehadthusterrifiedtheboy，hewouldprobablyhavereplied:
“Becauseitissuchsporttodoso。Asaladwhocannotfeelthingsasotherhumanbeingsdo，heinclinesfolktomakefunofhim。“
AsfortheomniscientAntipaVologonov，thefollowingwashisfrequentcommentonNilushka:
“Christalsohadtowalkinterror。Christalsowaspersecuted。
Whyso？BecauseeverHeenduredinrectitudeandstrength。Menneedtolearnwhatisrealandwhatisunreal。Manyarethesinsofearthcomeofthefactthattheseemingismistakenfortheactual，andthatmenkeeppressingforwardwhentheyoughttobewaiting，tobeprovingthemselves。“
HenceVologonov，liketherest，bestowedmuchattentionuponNilushka，andfrequentlyheldconversationswithhim。
“DoyounowpraytoGod，“hesaidonceashepointedtoheavenwithoneofhiscrookedfingers，andwiththedisengagedhandclaspedhisdishevelled，variouslycolouredbeard。
WhereuponNilushkaglancedfearfullyatthemysteriouslypointingfinger，and，pluckingsharplyathisforehead，shoulders，andstomachwithtwofingersandathumb，intonedinthin，plaintiveaccents:
“OurFatherinHeaven——“
“WHICHARTinHeaven。“
“Yes，intheHeavenofHeavens。“
“Ah，well！Godwillunderstand。Heisthefriendofallblessedones。“[Idiots；sincepersonsmentallydeficientarepopularlydeemedtostandinapeculiarlycloserelationtotheAlmighty。]
Again，greatwasNilushka’sinterestinanythingspherical。
Also，hehadaloveforhandlingtheheadsofchildren；when，softlyapproachingagroupfrombehind，hewould，withhisbright，quietsmile，layslender，bonyfingersuponaclose-croppedlittlepoll；withtheresultthatthechildren，notrelishingsuchfingering，wouldtakealarmatthesame，and，boltingtoadiscreetdistance，thenceabusetheidiot，putouttheirtonguesathim，anddrawlinanasalchorus:
“Nilka，thebottle-neck，theneckwithoutanapetoit“
[ProbablytheattractivenessofthisformulalayratherintherhymingoftheRussianwords:“Nilka，butilka，bashkabezzatilka！“thanintheiractualmeaning]。