resurrection(复活)-第75章

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what　he　knew　about　Nekhludoff's　relations　with　Maslova。　When　they
had　spoken　a　little　about　it　and　finished　their　tea　and
cigarettes；　the　Senators　returned　into　the　Senate　Chamber　and
proclaimed　their　decision　in　the　libel　case；　and　began　to　hear
Maslova's　case。

Wolf；　in　his　thin　voice；　reported　Maslova's　appeal　very　fully；
but　again　not　without　some　bias　and　an　evident　wish　for　the
repeal　of　the　sentence。

〃Have　you　anything　to　add？〃　the　chairman　said；　turning　to
Fanarin。　Fanarin　rose；　and　standing　with　his　broad　white　chest
expanded；　proved　point　by　point；　with　wonderful　exactness　and
persuasiveness；　how　the　Court　had　in　six　points　strayed　from　the
exact　meaning　of　the　law；　and　besides　this　he　touched；　though
briefly；　on　the　merits　of　the　case；　and　on　the　crying　injustice
of　the　sentence。　The　tone　of　his　speech　was　one　of　apology　to　the
Senators；　who；　with　their　penetration　and　judicial　wisdom；　could
not　help　seeing　and　understanding　it　all　better　than　he　could。　He
was　obliged　to　speak　only　because　the　duty　he　had　undertaken
forced　him　to　do　so。

After　Fanarin's　speech　one　might　have　thought　that　there　could
not　remain　the　least　doubt　that　the　Senate　ought　to　repeal　the
decision　of　the　Court。　When　he　had　finished　his　speech；　Fanarin
looked　round　with　a　smile　of　triumph；　seeing　which　Nekhludoff
felt　certain　that　the　case　was　won。　But　when　he　looked　at　the
Senators　he　saw　that　Fanarin　smiled　and　triumphed　all　alone。　The
Senators　and　the　Public　Prosecutor　did　not　smile　nor　triumph；　but
looked　like　people　wearied；　and　who　were　thinking　〃We　have　often
heard　the　like　of　you；　it　is　all　in　vain；〃　and　were　only　too　glad
when　he　stopped　and　ceased　uselessly　detaining　them　there。
Immediately　after　the　end　of　the　advocate's　speech　the　chairman
turned　to　the　Public　Prosecutor。　Selenin　briefly　and　clearly
expressed　himself　in　favour　of　leaving　the　decision　of　the　Court
unaltered；　as　he　considered　all　the　reasons　for　appealing
inadequate。　After　this　the　Senators　went　out　into　the
debating…room。　They　were　divided　in　their　opinions。　Wolf　was　in
favour　of　altering　the　decision。　Bay；　when　he　had　understood　the
case；　took　up　the　same　side　with　fervour；　vividly　presenting　the
scene　at　the　court　to　his　companions　as　he　clearly　saw　it
himself。　Nikitin；　who　always　was　on　the　side　of　severity　and
formality；　took　up　the　other　side。　All　depended　on
Skovorodnikoff's　vote；　and　he　voted　for　rejecting　the　appeal；
because　Nekhludoff's　determination　to　marry　the　woman　on　moral
grounds　was　extremely　repugnant　to　him。

Skovorodnikoff　was　a　materialist；　a　Darwinian；　and　counted　every
manifestation　of　abstract　morality；　or；　worse　still；　religion；
not　only　as　a　despicable　folly；　but　as　a　personal　affront　to
himself。　All　this　bother　about　a　prostitute；　and　the　presence　of
a　celebrated　advocate　and　Nekhludoff　in　the　Senate　were　in　the
highest　degree　repugnant　to　him。　So　he　shoved　his　beard　into　his
mouth　and　made　faces；　and　very　skilfully　pretended　to　know
nothing　of　this　case；　excepting　that　the　reasons　for　an　appeal
were　insufficient；　and　that　he；　therefore；　agreed　with　the
chairman　to　leave　the　decision　of　the　Court　unaltered。

So　the　sentence　remained　unrepealed。


CHAPTER　XXII。

AN　OLD　FRIEND。

〃Terrible；〃　said　Nekhludoff；　as　he　went　out　into　the　waiting…room
with　the　advocate；　who　was　arranging　the　papers　in　his　portfolio。
〃In　a　matter　which　is　perfectly　clear　they　attach　all　the
importance　to　the　form　and　reject　the　appeal。　Terrible！〃

〃The　case　was　spoiled　in　the　Criminal　Court；〃　said　the　advocate。

〃And　Selenin；　too；　was　in　favour　of　the　rejection。　Terrible！
terrible！〃　Nekhludoff　repeated。　〃What　is　to　be　done　now？〃

〃We　will　appeal　to　His　Majesty；　and　you　can　hand　in　the　petition
yourself　while　you　are　here。　I　will　write　it　for　you。〃

At　this　moment　little　Wolf；　with　his　stars　and　uniform；　came　out
into　the　waiting…room　and　approached　Nekhludoff。　〃It　could　not　be
helped；　dear　Prince。　The　reasons　for　an　appeal　were　not
sufficient；〃　he　said；　shrugging　his　narrow　shoulders　and　closing
his　eyes；　and　then　he　went　his　way。

After　Wolf；　Selenin　came　out　too；　having　heard　from　the　Senators
that　his　old　friend　Nekhludoff　was　there。

〃Well；　I　never　expected　to　see　you　here；〃　he　said；　coming　up　to
Nekhludoff；　and　smiling　only　with　his　lips　while　his　eyes
remained　sad。　〃I　did　not　know　you　were　in　Petersburg。〃

〃And　I　did　not　know　you　were　Public　Prosecutor…in…Chief。〃

〃How　is　it　you　are　in　the　Senate？〃　asked　Selenin。　〃I　had　heard；
by　the　way；　that　you　were　in　Petersburg。　But　what　are　you　doing
here？〃

〃Here？　I　am　here　because　I　hoped　to　find　justice　and　save　a　woman
innocently　condemned。〃

〃What　woman？〃

〃The　one　whose　case　has　just　been　decided。〃

〃Oh！　Maslova's　case；〃　said　Selenin；　suddenly　remembering　it。　〃The
appeal　had　no　grounds　whatever。〃

〃It　is　not　the　appeal；　it's　the　woman　who　is　innocent；　and　is
being　punished。〃

Selenin　sighed。　〃That　may　well　be；　but'

〃Not　MAY　BE；　but　is。〃

〃How　do　you　know？〃

〃Because　I　was　on　the　jury。　I　know　how　we　made　the　mistake。〃

〃Selenin　became　thoughtful。　〃You　should　have　made　a　statement　at
the　time；〃　he　said。

〃I　did　make　the　statement。〃

〃It　should　have　been　put　down　in　an　official　report。　If　this　had
been　added　to　the　petition　for　the　appeal〃

〃Yes；　but　still；　as　it　is；　the　verdict　is　evidently　absurd。〃

〃The　Senate　has　no　right　to　say　so。　If　the　Senate　took　upon
itself　to　repeal　the　decision　of　the　law　courts　according　to　its
own　views　as　to　the　justice　of　the　decisions　in　themselves；　the
verdict　of　the　jury　would　lose　all　its　meaning；　not　to　mention
that　the　Senate　would　have　no　basis　to　go　upon；　and　would　run　the
risk　of　infringing　justice　rather　than　upholding　it；〃　said
Selenin；　calling　to　mind　the　case　that　had　just　been　heard。

〃All　I　know　is　that　this　woman　is　quite　innocent；　and　that　the
last　hope　of　saying　her　from　an　unmerited　punishment　is　gone。　The
grossest　injustice　has　been　confirmed　by　the　highest　court。〃

〃It　has　not　been　confirmed。　The　Senate　did　not　and　cannot　enter
into　the　merits　of　the　case　in　itself；〃　said　Selenin。　Always　busy
and　rarely　going　out　into　society；　he　had　evidently　heard　nothing
of　Nekhludoff's　romance。　Nekhludoff　noticed　it；　and　made　up　his
mind　that　it　was　best　to　say　nothing　about　his　special　relations
with　Maslova。

〃You　are　probably　staying　with　your　aunt；〃　Selenin　remarked；
apparently　wishing　to　change　the　subject。　〃She　told　me　you　were
here　yesterday；　and　she　invited　me　to　meet　you　in　the　evening；
when　some　foreign　preacher　was　to　lecture；〃　and　Selenin　again
smiled　only　with　his　lips。

〃Yes；　I　was　there；　but　left　in　disgust；〃　said　Nekhludoff　angrily；
vexed　that　Selenin　had　changed　the　subject。

〃Why　with　disgust？　After　all；　it　is　a　manifestation　of　religious
feeling；　though　one…sided　and　sectarian；〃　said　Selenin。

〃Why；　it's　only　some　kind　of　whimsical　folly。〃

〃Oh；　dear；　no。　The　curious　thing　is　that　we　know　the　teaching　of
our　church　so　little　that　we　see　some　new　kind　of　revelation　in
what　are；　after　all；　our　own　fundamental　dogmas；〃　said　Selenin；
as　if　hurrying　to　let　his　old　friend　know　his　new　views。

Nekhludoff　looked　at　Selenin　scrutinisingly　and　with　surprise；
and　Selenin　dropped　his　eyes；　in　which　appeared　an　expression　not
only　of　sadness　but　also　of　ill…will。

〃Do　you；　then；　believe　in　the　dogmas　of　the　church？〃　Nekhludoff
asked。

〃Of　course　I　do；〃　replied　Selenin；　gazing　straight　into
Nekhludoff's　eyes　with　a　lifeless　look。

Nekhludoff　sighed。　〃It　is　strange；〃　he　said。

〃However；　we　shall　have　a　talk　some　other　time；〃　said　Selenin。
〃I　am　coming；〃　he　added；　in　answer　to　the　usher；　who　had
respectfully　approached　him。　〃Yes；　we　must　meet　again；〃　he　went
on　with　a　sigh。　〃But　will　it　be　possible　for　me　to　find　you？　You
will　always　find　me　in　at　seven　o'clock。　My　address　is
Nadejdinskaya；〃　and　he　gave　the　number。　〃Ah；　time　does　not　stand
still；〃　and　he　turned　to　go；　smiling　only　with　his　lips。

〃I　will　come　if　I　can；〃　said　Nekhludoff；　feeling　that　a　man　once
near　and　dear　to　him　had；　by　this　brief　conversation；　suddenly
become　strange；　distant；　and　incomprehensible；　if　not　hostile　to
him。


CH