resurrection(复活)-第38节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


being　that　of　cupidity；　the　only　motive　to　commit　murder　she
could　have　had。　The　jury　in　their　verdict　acquit　her　of　the
intent　to　rob；　or　participation　in　the　stealing　of　valuables；
from　which　it　follows　that　they　intended　also　to　acquit　her　of
the　intent　to　murder；　and　only　through　a　misunderstanding；　which
arose　from　the　incompleteness　of　the　president's　summing　up；
omitted　to　express　it　in　due　form　in　their　answer。　Therefore　an
answer　of　this　kind　by　the　jury　absolutely　demanded　the
application　of　statutes　816　and　808　of　the　criminal　code　of
procedure；　i。e。；　an　explanation　by　the　president　to　the　jury　of
the　mistake　made　by　them；　and　another　debate　on　the　question　of
the　prisoner's　guilt。〃

〃Then　why　did　the　president　not　do　it？〃

〃I；　too；　should　like　to　know　why；〃　Fanarin　said；　laughing。

〃Then　the　Senate　will；　of　course；　correct　this　error？〃

〃That　will　all　depend　on　who　will　preside　there　at　the　time。
Well；　now；　there　it　is。　I　have　further　said；〃　he　continued；
rapidly；　〃a　verdict　of　this　kind　gave　the　Court　no　right　to
condemn　Maslova　to　be　punished　as　a　criminal；　and　to　apply
section　3；　statute　771　of　the　penal　code　to　her　case。　This　is　a
decided　and　gross　violation　of　the　basic　principles　of　our
criminal　law。　In　view　of　the　reasons　stated；　I　have　the　honour　of
appealing　to　you；　etc。；　etc。；　the　refutation；　according　to　909；
910；　and　section　2；　912　and　928　statute　of　the　criminal　code；
etc。；　etc。　。　。　。　to　carry　this　case　before　another　department　of
the　same　Court　for　a　further　examination。　There；　all　that　can　be
done　is　done；　but；　to　be　frank；　I　have　little　hope　of　success；
though；　of　course；　it　all　depends　on　what　members　will　be　present
at　the　Senate。　If　you　have　any　influence　there　you　can　but　try。〃

〃I　do　know　some。〃

All　right；　only　be　quick　about　it。　Else　they'll　all　go　off　for　a
change　of　air；　then　you　may　have　to　wait　three　months　before　they
return。　Then；　in　case　of　failure；　we　have　still　the　possibility
of　appealing　to　His　Majesty。　This；　too；　depends　on　the　private
influence　you　can　bring　to　work。　In　this　case；　too；　I　am　at　your
service；　I　mean　as　to　the　working　of　the　petition；　not　the
influence。〃

〃Thank　you。　Now　as　to　your　fees？〃

〃My　assistant　will　hand　you　the　petition　and　tell　you。〃

〃One　thing　more。　The　Procureur　gave　me　a　pass　for　visiting　this
person　in　prison；　but　they　tell　me　I　must　also　get　a　permission
from　the　governor　in　order　to　get　an　interview　at　another　time
and　in　another　place　than　those　appointed。　Is　this　necessary？〃

〃Yes；　I　think　so。　But　the　governor　is　away　at　present；　a
vice…governor　is　in　his　place。　And　he　is　such　an　impenetrable
fool　that　you'll　scarcely　be　able　to　do　anything　with　him。〃

〃Is　it　Meslennikoff？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃I　know　him；〃　said　Nekhludoff；　and　got　up　to　go。　At　this　moment　a
horribly　ugly；　little；　bony；　snub…nosed；　yellow…faced　woman　flew
into　the　room。　It　was　the　advocate's　wife；　who　did　not　seem　to　be
in　the　least　bit　troubled　by　her　ugliness。　She　was　attired　in　the
most　original　manner；　she　seemed　enveloped　in　something　made　of
velvet　and　silk；　something　yellow　and　green；　and　her　thin　hair
was　crimped。

She　stepped　out　triumphantly　into　the　ante…room；　followed　by　a
tall；　smiling　man；　with　a　greenish　complexion；　dressed　in　a　coat
with　silk　facings；　and　a　white　tie。　This　was　an　author。
Nekhludoff　knew　him　by　sight。

She　opened　the　cabinet　door　and　said；　〃Anatole；　you　must　come　to
me。　Here　is　Simeon　Ivanovitch；　who　will　read　his　poems；　and　you
must　absolutely　come　and　read　about　Garshin。〃

Nekhludoff　noticed　that　she　whispered　something　to　her　husband；
and；　thinking　it　was　something　concerning　him；　wished　to　go　away；
but　she　caught　him　up　and　said：　〃I　beg　your　pardon；　Prince；　I
know　you；　and；　thinking　an　introduction　superfluous；　I　beg　you　to
stay　and　take　part　in　our　literary　matinee。　It　will　be　most
interesting。　M。　Fanarin　will　read。〃

〃You　see　what　a　lot　I　have　to　do；〃　said　Fanarin；　spreading　out
his　hands　and　smilingly　pointing　to　his　wife；　as　if　to　show　how
impossible　it　was　to　resist　so　charming　a　creature。

Nekhludoff　thanked　the　advocate's　wife　with　extreme　politeness
for　the　honour　she　did　him　in　inviting　him；　but　refused　the
invitation　with　a　sad　and　solemn　look；　and　left　the　room。

〃What　an　affected　fellow！〃　said　the　advocate's　wife；　when　he　had
gone　out。

In　the　ante…room　the　assistant　handed　him　a　ready…written
petition；　and　said　that　the　fees；　including　the　business　with　the
Senate　and　the　commission；　would　come　to　1；000　roubles；　and
explained　that　M。　Fanarin　did　not　usually　undertake　this　kind　of
business；　but　did　it　only　to　oblige　Nekhludoff。

〃And　about　this　petition。　Who　is　to　sign　it？〃

〃The　prisoner　may　do　it　herself；　or　if　this　is　inconvenient；　M。
Fanarin　can；　if　he　gets　a　power　of　attorney　from　her。〃

Oh；　no。　I　shall　take　the　petition　to　her　and　get　her　to　sign　it；〃
said　Nekhludoff；　glad　of　the　opportunity　of　seeing　her　before　the
appointed　day。


CHAPTER　XLVI。

A　PRISON　FLOGGING。

At　the　usual　time　the　jailer's　whistle　sounded　in　the　corridors　of
the　prison；　the　iron　doors　of　the　cells　rattled；　bare　feet
pattered；　heels　clattered；　and　the　prisoners　who　acted　as
scavengers　passed　along　the　corridors；　filling　the　air　with
disgusting　smells。　The　prisoners　washed；　dressed；　and　came　out
for　revision；　then　went　to　get　boiling　water　for　their　tea。

The　conversation　at　breakfast　in　all　the　cells　was　very　lively。
It　was　all　about　two　prisoners　who　were　to　be　flogged　that　day。
One；　Vasiliev；　was　a　young　man　of　some　education；　a　clerk；　who
had　killed　his　mistress　in　a　fit　of　jealousy。　His
fellow…prisoners　liked　him　because　he　was　merry　and　generous　and
firm　in　his　behaviour　with　the　prison　authorities。　He　knew　the
laws　and　insisted　on　their　being　carried　out。　Therefore　he　was
disliked　by　the　authorities。　Three　weeks　before　a　jailer　struck
one　of　the　scavengers　who　had　spilt　some　soup　over　his　new
uniform。　Vasiliev　took　the　part　of　the　scavenger；　saying　that　it
was　not　lawful　to　strike　a　prisoner。

〃I'll　teach　you　the　law；〃　said　the　jailer；　and　gave　Vasiliev　a
scolding。　Vasiliev　replied　in　like　manner；　and　the　jailer　was
going　to　hit　him；　but　Vasiliev　seized　the　jailer's　hands；　held
them　fast　for　about　three　minutes；　and；　after　giving　the　hands　a
twist；　pushed　the　jailer　out　of　the　door。　The　jailer　complained
to　the　inspector；　who　ordered　Vasiliev　to　be　put　into　a　solitary
cell。

The　solitary　cells　were　a　row　of　dark　closets；　locked　from
outside；　and　there　were　neither　beds；　nor　chairs；　nor　tables　in
them；　so　that　the　inmates　had　to　sit　or　lie　on　the　dirty　floor；
while　the　rats；　of　which　there　were　a　great　many　in　those　cells；
ran　across　them。　The　rats　were　so　bold　that　they　stole　the　bread
from　the　prisoners；　and　even　attacked　them　if　they　stopped
moving。　Vasiliev　said　he　would　not　go　into　the　solitary　cell；
because　he　had　not　done　anything　wrong；　but　they　used　force。　Then
he　began　struggling；　and　two　other　prisoners　helped　him　to　free
himself　from　the　jailers。　All　the　jailers　assembled；　and　among
them　was　Petrov；　who　was　distinguished　for　his　strength。　The
prisoners　got　thrown　down　and　pushed　into　the　solitary　cells。

The　governor　was　immediately　informed　that　something　very　like　a
rebellion　had　taken　place。　And　he　sent　back　an　order　to　flog　the
two　chief　offenders；　Vasiliev　and　the　tramp；　Nepomnishy；　giving
each　thirty　strokes　with　a　birch　rod。　The　flogging　was　appointed
to　take　place　in　the　women's　interviewing…room。

All　this　was　known　in　the　prison　since　the　evening；　and　it　was
being　talked　about　with　animation　in　all　the　cells。

Korableva；　Khoroshevka；　Theodosia；　and　Maslova　sat　together　in
their　corner；　drinking　tea；　all　of　them　flushed　and　animated　by
the　vodka　they　had　drunk；　for　Maslova；　who　now　had　a　constant
supply　of　vodka；　freely　treated　her　companions　to　it。

〃He's　not　been　a…rioting；　or　anything；〃　Korableva　said；　referring
to　Vasiliev；　as　she　bit　tiny　pieces　off　a　lump　of　sugar　with　her
strong　teeth。　〃He　only　stuck　up　for　a　chum；　because　it's　not
lawful　to　strike　prisoners　nowadays。〃

〃And　he's　a　fine　fellow；　I've　heard　say；〃　said　Theodosia；　who　sat
bareheaded；　with　her　long　plaits　round　her　head；　on　a　log　of　wood
opposite　the　shelf　bedstead　on　which　the　teapot　stood。

〃There；　now；　if　you　were　to　ask　HIM；〃　the　watchman's　wife　said　to
Maslova　（by　him　she　meant　Nekhludoff）。

〃I　shall　tell　him。　He'll　do　anything　for　me；〃　Maslova　said；
tossing　her　head；　and　smiling。

〃Yes；　but　when　is　he　coming？　and　they've　already　gone　to　fetch
them；〃　said　Theodosia。　〃It　is　terrible；〃　she　added；　with　a　sigh。

〃I　once　did　see　how　they　flogged　a　peasant　in　the　village。
Father…in…law；　he　sent　me　once　to　the　village　elder。　Well；　I
went；　and　there〃　。　。　。　The　watchman's　wife　began　her　long　story；
which　was　interrupted　by　the　sound　of　voices　and　steps　in　the
corridor　above　them。

The　women　were　silent；　and　sat　listening。

〃There　they　are；　hauling　him　along；　the　devils！〃　Khoroshavka
said。　〃They'll　do　him　to　death；　they　will。　The　jailers　are　so
enraged　with　him　because　he　never　would　give　in　to　them。〃

All　was　quiet　again　upstairs；　and　the　watchman's　wife　finished
her　story　of　how　she　was