All this was insulting, but Fyodor held his tongue and only spat in disgust.  But when Kuzma Lebyodkin from Warsaw, a master-bootmaker, met him and said:  “I’ve married a rich woman and I have men working under me, while you are a beggar and have nothing to eat,” Fyodor could not refrain from running after him.  He pursued him till he found himself in Kolokolny Lane.  His customer lived in the fourth house from the corner on the very top floor.  To reach him one had to go through a long, dark courtyard, and then to climb up a very high slippery stair-case which tottered under one’s feet.  When Fyodor went in to him he was sitting on the floor pounding something in a mortar, just as he had been the fortnight before.

“Your honor, I have brought your boots,” said Fyodor sullenly.

The customer got up and began trying on the boots in silence.  Desiring to help him, Fyodor went down on one knee and pulled off his old, boot, but at once jumped up and staggered towards the door in horror.  The customer had not a foot, but a hoof like a horse’s.

“Aha!” thought Fyodor; “here’s a go!”

The first thing should have been to cross himself, then to leave everything and run downstairs; but he immediately reflected that he was meeting a devil for the first and probably the last time, and not to take advantage of his services would be foolish.  He controlled himself and determined to try his luck.  Clasping his hands behind him to avoid making the sign of the cross, he coughed respectfully and began: 

“They say that there is nothing on earth more evil and impure than the devil, but I am of the opinion, your honor, that the devil is highly educated.  He has—­excuse my saying it—­hoofs and a tail behind, but he has more brains than many a student.”

“I like you for what you say,” said the devil, flattered.  “Thank you, shoemaker!  What do you want?”

And without loss of time the shoemaker began complaining of his lot.  He began by saying that from his childhood up he had envied the rich.  He had always resented it that all people did not live alike in big houses and drive with good horses.  Why, he asked, was he poor?  How was he worse than Kuzma Lebyodkin from Warsaw, who had his own house, and whose wife wore a hat?  He had the same sort of nose, the same hands, feet, head, and back, as the rich, and so why was he forced to work when others were enjoying themselves?  Why was he married to Marya and not to a lady smelling of scent?  He had often seen beautiful young ladies in the houses of rich customers, but they either took no notice of him whatever, or else sometimes laughed and whispered to each other:  “What a red nose that shoemaker has!” It was true that Marya was a good, kind, hard-working woman, but she was not educated; her hand was heavy and hit hard, and if one had occasion to speak of politics or anything intellectual before her, she would put her spoke in and talk the most awful nonsense.