The Possessed (the Devils)

In Undertaking To Describe The Recent And Strange Incidents In Our Town, Till Latelywrapped In Uneventful Obscurity, I Find Myself Forced In Absence Of Literary Skill To Beginmy Story Rather Far Back, That Is To Say, With Certain Biographical Details Concerning Thattalented And Highly-esteemed Gentleman, Stepan Trofimovitch Verhovensky. I Trust Thatthese Details May At Least Serve As An Introduction, While My Projected Story Itself Will Comelater.i Will Say At Once That Stepan Trofimovitch Had Always Filled A Particular Rôle Among Us, Thatof The Progressive Patriot, So To Say, And He Was Passionately Fond Of Playing The Part-somuch So That I Really Believe He Could Not Have Existed Without It. Not That I Would Put Himon A Level With An Actor At A Theatre, God Forbid, For I Really Have A Respect For Him. This Mayall Have Been The Effect Of Habit, Or Rather, More Exactly Of A Generous Propensity He Hadfrom His Earliest Years For Indulging In An Agreeable Day-dream In Which He Figured As Apicturesque Public Character.