resurrection(复活)-第42章

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〃Won't　you　smoke？〃　said　the　advocate；　sitting　down　opposite
Nekhludoff　and　trying　to　conceal　a　smile；　apparently　still
excited　by　the　success　of　the　accomplished　transaction。

〃Thanks；　I　have　come　about　Maslova's　case。〃

〃Yes；　yes；　directly！　But　oh；　what　rogues　these　fat　money　bags
are！〃　he　said。　〃You　saw　this　here　fellow。　Why；　he　has　about
twelve　million　roubles；　and　he　cannot　speak　correctly；　and　if　he
can　get　a　twenty…five　rouble　note　out　of　you　he'll　have　it；　if
he's　to　wrench　it　out　with　his　teeth。〃

〃He　says　〃'eaven　and　hour；'　and　you　say　'this　here　fellow；'〃
Nekhludoff　thought；　with　an　insurmountable　feeling　of　aversion
towards　this　man　who　wished　to　show　by　his　free　and　easy　manner
that　he　and　Nekhludoff　belonged　to　one　and　the　same　camp；　while
his　other　clients　belonged　to　another。

〃He　has　worried　me　to　deatha　fearful　scoundrel。　I　felt　I　must
relieve　my　feelings；〃　said　the　advocate；　as　if　to　excuse　his
speaking　about　things　that　had　no　reference　to　business。　〃Well；
how　about　your　case？　I　have　read　it　attentively；　but　do　not
approve　of　it。　I　mean　that　greenhorn　of　an　advocate　has　left　no
valid　reason　for　an　appeal。〃

〃Well；　then；　what　have　you　decided？〃

〃One　moment。　Tell　him；〃　he　said　to　his　assistant；　who　had　just
come　in；　〃that　I　keep　to　what　I　have　said。　If　he　can；　it's　all
right；　if　not；　no　matter。〃

〃But　he　won't　agree。〃

〃Well；　no　matter；〃　and　the　advocate　frowned。

〃There　now；　and　it　is　said　that　we　advocates　get　our　money　for
nothing；〃　he　remarked；　after　a　pause。　〃I　have　freed　one　insolvent
debtor　from　a　totally　false　charge；　and　now　they　all　flock　to　me。
Yet　every　such　case　costs　enormous　labour。　Why；　don't　we；　too；
'lose　bits　of　flesh　in　the　inkstand？'　as　some　writer　or　other　has
said。　Well；　as　to　your　case；　or；　rather；　the　case　you　are　taking
an　interest　in。　It　has　been　conducted　abominably。　There　is　no
good　reason　for　appealing。　Still；〃　he　continued；　〃we　can　but　try
to　get　the　sentence　revoked。　This　is　what　I　have　noted　down。〃　He
took　up　several　sheets　of　paper　covered　with　writing；　and　began
to　read　rapidly；　slurring　over　the　uninteresting　legal　terms　and
laying　particular　stress　on　some　sentences。　〃To　the　Court　of
Appeal；　criminal　department；　etc。；　etc。　According　to　the
decisions；　etc。；　the　verdict；　etc。；　So…and…so　Maslova　pronounced
guilty　of　having　caused　the　death　through　poison　of　the　merchant
Smelkoff；　and　has；　according　to　Statute　1454　of　the　penal　code；
been　sentenced　to　Siberia；〃　etc。；　etc。　He　stopped。　Evidently；　in
spite　of　his　being　so　used　to　it；　he　still　felt　pleasure　in
listening　to　his　own　productions。　〃This　sentence　is　the　direct
result　of　the　most　glaring　judicial　perversion　and　error；〃　he
continued；　impressively；　〃and　there　are　grounds　for　its
revocation。　Firstly；　the　reading　of　the　medical　report　of　the
examination　of　Smelkoff's　intestines　was　interrupted　by　the
president　at　the　very　beginning。　This　is　point　one。〃

〃But　it　was　the　prosecuting　side　that　demanded　this　reading；〃
Nekhludoff　said；　with　surprise。

〃That　does　not　matter。　There　might　have　been　reasons　for　the
defence　to　demand　this　reading；　too。〃

〃Oh；　but　there　could　have　been　no　reason　whatever　for　that。〃

〃It　is　a　ground　for　appeal；　though。　To　continue：　'　Secondly；'　he
went　on　reading；　'when　Maslova's　advocate；　in　his　speech　for　the
defence；　wishing　to　characterise　Maslova's　personality；　referred
to　the　causes　of　her　fall；　he　was　interrupted　by　the　president
calling　him　to　order　for　the　alleged　deviation　from　the　direct
subject。　Yet；　as　has　been　repeatedly　pointed　out　by　the　Senate；
the　elucidation　of　the　criminal's　characteristics　and　his　or　her
moral　standpoint　in　general　has　a　significance　of　the　first
importance　in　criminal　cases；　even　if　only　as　a　guide　in　the
settling　of　the　question　of　imputation。'　That's　point　two；〃　he
said；　with　a　look　at　Nekhludoff。

〃But　he　spoke　so　badly　that　no　one　could　make　anything　of　it；〃
Nekhludoff　said；　still　more　astonished。

〃The　fellow's　quite　a　fool；　and　of　course　could　not　be　expected
to　say　anything　sensible；〃　Fanarin　said；　laughing；　〃but；　all　the
same；　it　will　do　as　a　reason　for　appeal。　Thirdly：　'The　president；
in　his　summing　up；　contrary　to　the　direct　decree　of　section　1；
statute　801；　of　the　criminal　code；　omitted　to　inform　the　jury
what　the　judicial　points　are　that　constitute　guilt；　and　did　not
mention　that　having　admitted　the　fact　of　Maslova　having
administered　the　poison　to　Smelkoff；　the　jury　had　a　right　not　to
impute　the　guilt　of　murder　to　her；　since　the　proofs　of　wilful
intent　to　deprive　Smelkoff　of　life　were　absent；　and　only　to
pronounce　her　guilty　of　carelessness　resulting　in　the　death　of
the　merchant；　which　she　did　not　desire。'　This　is　the　chief
point。〃

〃Yes；　but　we　ought　to　have　known　that　ourselves。　It　was　our
mistake。〃

〃And　now　the　fourth　point；〃　the　advocate　continued。　〃The　form　of
the　answer　given　by　the　jury　contained　an　evident　contradiction。
Maslova　is　accused　of　wilfully　poisoning　Smelkoff；　her　one　object
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