resurrection(复活)-第20节

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poisoned　a　man　without　any　apparent　reason。

〃Just　see　what　an　absurd　decision　they　have　come　to；〃　he
whispered　to　the　member　on　his　left。　〃This　means　penal　servitude
in　Siberia；　and　she　is　innocent。〃

〃Surely　you　do　not　mean　to　say　she　is　innocent？　answered　the
serious　member。

〃Yes；　she　is　positively　innocent。　I　think　this　is　a　case　for
putting　Article　817　into　practice　（Article　817　states　that　if　the
Court　considers　the　decision　of　the　jury　unjust　it　may　set　it
aside）。〃

〃What　do　you　think？〃　said　the　president；　turning　to　the　other
member。　The　kindly　member　did　not　answer　at　once。　He　looked　at
the　number　on　a　paper　before　him　and　added　up　the　figures；　the
sum　would　not　divide　by　three。　He　had　settled　in　his　mind　that　if
it　did　divide　by　three　he　would　agree　to　the　president's
proposal；　but　though　the　sum　would　not　so　divide　his　kindness
made　him　agree　all　the　same。

〃I；　too；　think　it　should　he　done；〃　he　said。

〃And　you？〃　asked　the　president；　turning　to　the　serious　member。

〃On　no　account；〃　he　answered；　firmly。　〃As　it　is；　the　papers
accuse　the　jury　of　acquitting　prisoners。　What　will　they　say　if
the　Court　does　it？　I；　shall　not　agree　to　that　on　any　account。〃

The　president　looked　at　his　watch。　〃It　is　a　pity；　but　what's　to
be　done？〃　and　handed　the　questions　to　the　foreman　to　read　out。
All　got　up；　and　the　foreman；　stepping　from　foot　to　foot；　coughed；
and　read　the　questions　and　the　answers。　All　the　Court；　secretary；
advocates；　and　even　the　public　prosecutor；　expressed　surprise。
The　prisoners　sat　impassive；　evidently　not　understanding　the
meaning　of　the　answers。　Everybody　sat　down　again；　and　the
president　asked　the　prosecutor　what　punishments　the　prisoners
were　to　be　subjected　to。

The　prosecutor；　glad　of　his　unexpected　success　in　getting　Maslova
convicted；　and　attributing　the　success　entirely　to　his　own
eloquence；　looked　up　the　necessary　information；　rose　and　said：
〃With　Simeon　Kartinkin　I　should　deal　according　to　Statute　1；452
paragraph　93。　Euphemia　Botchkova　according　to　Statute　。　。　。；　etc。
Katerina　Maslova　according　to　Statute　。　。　。；etc。〃

All　three　punishments　were　the　heaviest　that　could　he　inflicted。

〃The　Court　will　adjourn　to　consider　the　sentence；〃　said　the
president；　rising。　Everybody　rose　after　him；　and　with　the
pleasant　feeling　of　a　task　well　done　began　to　leave　the　room　or
move　about　in　it。

〃D'you　know；　sirs；　we　have　made　a　shameful　hash　of　it？〃　said
Peter　Gerasimovitch；　approaching　Nekhludoff；　to　whom　the　foreman
was　relating　something。　〃Why；　we've　got　her　to　Siberia。〃

〃What　are　you　saying？〃　exclaimed　Nekhludoff。　This　time　he　did　not
notice　the　teacher's　familiarity。

〃Why；　we　did　not　put　in　our　answer　'Guilty；　but　without　intent　of
causing　death。'　The　secretary　just　told　me　the　public　prosecutor
is　for　condemning　her　to　15　years'　penal　servitude。〃

〃Well；　but　it　was　decided　so；〃　said　the　foreman。

Peter　Gerasimovitch　began　to　dispute　this；　saying　that　since　she
did　not　take　the　money　it　followed　naturally　that　she　could　not
have　had　any　intention　of　committing　murder。

〃But　I　read　the　answer　before　going　out；〃　said　the　foreman；
defending　himself；　〃and　nobody　objected。〃

〃I　had　just　then　gone　out　of　the　room；〃　said　Peter　Gerasimovitch；
turning　to　Nekhludoff；　〃and　your　thoughts　must　have　been
wool…gathering　to　let　the　thing　pass。〃

〃I　never　imagined　this；〃　Nekhludoff　replied。

〃Oh；　you　didn't？〃

〃Oh；　well；　we　can　get　it　put　right；〃　said　Nekhludoff。

〃Oh；　dear　no；　it's　finished。〃

Nekhludoff　looked　at　the　prisoners。　They　whose　fate　was　being
decided　still　sat　motionless　behind　the　grating　in　front　of　the
soldiers。　Maslova　was　smiling。　Another　feeling　stirred　in
Nekhludoff's　soul。　Up　to　now；　expecting　her　acquittal　and
thinking　she　would　remain　in　the　town；　he　was　uncertain　how　to
act　towards　her。　Any　kind　of　relations　with　her　would　be　so　very
difficult。　But　Siberia　and　penal　servitude　at　once　cut　off　every
possibility　of　any　kind　of　relations　with　her。　The　wounded　bird
would　stop　struggling　in　the　game…bag；　and　no　longer　remind　him
of　its　existence。


CHAPTER　XXIV。

THE　TRIALTHE　SENTENCE。

Peter　Gerasimovitch's　assumption　was　correct。　The　president　came
back　from　the　debating　room　with　a　paper；　and　read　as
follows：〃April　28th；　188…。　By　His　Imperial　Majesty's　ukase　No。
…　The　Criminal　Court；　on　the　strength　of　the　decision　of　the
jury；　in　accordance　with　Section　3　of　Statute　771；　Section　3　of
Statutes　770　and　777；　decrees　that　the　peasant；　Simeon　Kartinkin；
33　years　of　age；　and　the　meschanka　Katerina　Maslova；　27　years　of
age；　are　to　be　deprived　of　all　property　rights　and　to　be　sent　to
penal　servitude　in　Siberia；　Kartinkin　for　eight；　Maslova　for　four
years；　with　the　consequences　stated　in　Statute　25　of　the　code。
The　meschanka　Botchkova；　43　years　of　age；　to　be　deprived　of　all
special　personal　and　acquired　rights；　and　to　be　imprisoned　for
three　years　with　consequences　in　accord　with　Statute　48　of　the
code。　The　costs　of　the　case　to　be　borne　equally　by　the　prisoners；
and；　in　the　case　of　their　being　without　sufficient　property；　the
costs　to　be　transferred　to　the　Treasury。　Articles　of　material
evidence　to　be　sold；　the　ring　to　be　returned；　the　phials
destroyed。〃　Botchkova　was　condemned　to　prison；　Simeon　Kartinken
and　Katerina　Maslova　to　the　loss　of　all　special　rights　and
privileges　and　to　penal　servitude　in　Siberia；　he　for　eight　and
she　for　four　years。

Kartinkin　stood　holding　his　arms　close　to　his　sides　and　moving
his　lips。　Botchkova　seemed　perfectly　calm。　Maslova；　when　she
heard　the　sentence；　blushed　scarlet。　〃I'm　not　guilty；　not
guilty！〃　she　suddenly　cried；　so　that　it　resounded　through　the
room。　〃It　is　a　sin！　I　am　not　guilty！　I　never　wishedI　never
thought！　It　is　the　truth　I　am　sayingthe　truth！〃　and　sinking　on
the　bench　she　burst　into　tears　and　sobbed　aloud。　When　Kartinkin
and　Botchkova　went　out　she　still　sat　crying；　so　that　a　gendarme
had　to　touch　the　sleeve　of　her　cloak。

〃No；　it　is　impossible　to　leave　it　as　it　is；〃　said　Nekhludoff　to
himself；　utterly　forgetting　his　bad　thoughts。　He　did　not　know　why
he　wished　to　look　at　her　once　more；　but　hurried　out　into　the
corridor。　There　was　quite　a　crowd　at　the　door。　The　advocates　and
jury　were　going　out；　pleased　to　have　finished　the　business；　and
he　was　obliged　to　wait　a　few　seconds；　and　when　he　at　last　got　out
into　the　corridor　she　was　far　in　front。　He　hurried　along　the
corridor　after　her；　regardless　of　the　attention　he　was　arousing；
caught　her　up；　passed　her；　and　stopped。　She　had　ceased　crying　and
only　sobbed；　wiping　her　red；　discoloured　face　with　the　end　of　the
kerchief　on　her　head。　She　passed　without　noticing　him。　Then　he
hurried　back　to　see　the　president。　The　latter　had　already　left
the　court；　and　Nekhludoff　followed　him　into　the　lobby　and　went　up
to　him　just　as　he　had　put　on　his　light　grey　overcoat　and　was
taking　the　silver…mounted　walking…stick　which　an　attendant　was
handing　him。

〃Sir；　may　I　have　a　few　words　with　you　concerning　some　business　I
have　just　decided　upon？〃　said　Nekhludoff。　I　am　one　of　the　jury。〃

〃Oh；　certainly；　Prince　Nekhludoff。　I　shall　be　delighted。　I　think
we　have　met　before；〃　said　the　president；　pressing　Nekhludoff's
hand　and　recalling　with　pleasure　the　evening　when　he　first　met
Nekhludoff；　and　when　he　had　danced　so　gaily；　better　than　all　the
young　people。　〃What　can　I　do　for　you？〃

〃There　is　a　mistake　in　the　answer　concerning　Maslova。　She　is　not
guilty　of　the　poisoning　and　yet　she　is　condemned　to　penal
servitude；〃　said　Nekhludoff；　with　a　preoccupied　and　gloomy　air。

〃The　Court　passed　the　sentence　in　accordance　with　the　answers　you
yourselves　gave；〃　said　the　president；　moving　towards　the　front
door；　〃though　they　did　not　seem　to　be　quite　in　accord。〃　And　he
remembered　that　he　had　been　going　to　explain　to　the　jury　that　a
verdict　of　〃guilty〃　meant　guilty　of　intentional　murder　unless　the
words　〃without　intent　to　take　life〃　were　added；　but　had；　in　his
hurry　to　get　the　business　over；　omitted　to　do　so。

〃Yes；　but　could　not　the　mistake　be　rectified？〃

〃A　reason　for　an　appeal　can　always　be　found。　You　will　have　to
speak　to　an　advocate；〃　said　the　president；　putting　on　his　hat　a
little　to　one　side　and　continuing　to　move　towards　the　door。

〃But　this　is　terrible。〃

〃Well；　you　see；　there　were　two　possibilities　before　Maslova；〃
said　the　president；　evidently　wishing　to　be　as　polite　and
pleasant　to　Nekhludoff　as　he　could。　Then；　having　arranged　his
whiskers　over　his　coat　collar；　he　put　his　hand　lightly　under
Nekhludoff's　elbow；　and；　still　directing　his　steps　towards　the
front　door；　he　said；　〃You　are　going；　too？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Nekhludoff；　quickly　getting　his　coat；　and　following
him。

They　went　out　into　the　bright；　merry　sunlight；　and　had　to　raise
their　voices　because　of　the　rattling　of　the　wheels　on　the
pavement。

〃The　situation　is　a　curious　one；　you　see；〃　said　the　president；
〃what　lay　before　this　Maslova　was　one　of　two　things：　either　to　be
almost　acquitted　and　only　imprisoned　for　a　short　time；　or；　taking
the　preliminary　confinement　into　consideration；　perhaps　not　at
allor　Siberia。　There　is　nothing　between。　Had　you　but　added　the
words；　'without　intent　to　cause　death；'　she　would　have　been
acquitt