The Cathedral Clergy: A Chronicle

Chapter 22

Chapter 22 That was the outline of the sermon that Savely wished to deliver and in fact did deliver the next day before all the officials he had assembled in church, a sermon that ended not only his preaching but also his entire career of service to the church. The Old Town intelligentsia viewed it not as a sermon but as a revolution and concluded that if the archpriest were to start speaking in that vein, then officials would soon feel uncomfortable merely going out in public. Even Savely’s own friends and cronies sharply accused him of recklessly inciting mob passions. On this point his friends agreed with his foes, and with one voice they declared: No, we cannot tolerate this! The only exceptions to the general chorus were the visitors from out of town, Bornovolokov and Termosesov. Although they had heard the sermon , they said nothing and did not take umbrage. On the contrary, when Termosesov returned from mass, he went up to Bornovolokov with his arms folded and, extremely happy, recited: “‘Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace.’”17 “What does that mean?” inquired his superior. “It means that I’m leaving you. Live and be happy, but do me one last favor as we part company: dash off a note to the authorities and say that ‘today the priest I have written about, abandoning all the respect befitting a national holiday, gave an extremely subversive sermon, which Mister Termosesov, my emissary, will have the honor of recounting in person.’” “Write it down and I’ll sign it. And you can go to the devil!” The friends were on the verge of parting when they were delayed for a moment by the sudden appearance of a pale and frightened Danilka, who, disheveled and dripping wet, rushed right up to Bornovolokov, fell down at his feet, and cried: “Master, send me wherever Your Worship pleases, but I just can’t stay here any longer! Everybody’s down on the riverbank now—they’re after my hide.” And Danilka explained that they were all but threatening to do away with him for having submitted a petition against the archpriest, 17 A quotation from Simeon, who uttered these words on beholding Christ as a child, for it had been prophesied that he would not die until he had seen the Lord (see Luke 2: 29). 252 PART III and as proof he pointed to his wet, tattered rags, reporting that just a moment ago they had thrown him off the bridge into the river. “An uprising! Excellent!” Termosesov gleefully exclaimed and, putting on his cap in the middle of the room, he remarked to his superior, “Now you see how things are done!” Termosesov departed, and then Bornovolokov drove off, too, but in a different direction, to bring more disturbances to light. ...