resurrection(复活)-第54章

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Petersburg　advocate　went　up　to　a　desk　in　front　of　the　grating。

The　Senate　Chamber　was　not　so　big　as　the　Criminal　Court；　and　was
more　simply　furnished；　only　the　table　in　front　of　the　senators
was　covered　with　crimson；　gold…trimmed　velvet；　instead　of　green
cloth；　but　the　attributes　of　all　places　of　judgment；　i。e。；　the
mirror　of　justice；　the　icon；　the　emblem　of　hypocrisy；　and　the
Emperor's　portrait；　the　emblem　of　servility；　were　there。

The　usher　announced；　in　the　same　solemn　manner：　〃The　Court　is
coming。〃　Every　one　rose　in　the　same　way；　and　the　senators　entered
in　their　uniforms　and　sat　down　on　highbacked　chairs　and　leant　on
the　table；　trying　to　appear　natural；　just　in　the　same　way　as　the
judges　in　the　Court　of　Law。　There　were　four　senators
presentNikitin；　who　took　the　chair；　a　clean…shaved　man　with　a
narrow　face　and　steely　eyes；　Wolf；　with　significantly　compressed
lips；　and　little　white　hands；　with　which　he　kept　turning　over　the
pages　of　the　business　papers；　Skovorodnikoff；　a　heavy；　fat；
pockmarked　manthe　learned　lawyer；　and　Bay；　the
patriarchal…looking　man　who　had　arrived　last。

With　the　advocates　entered　the　chief　secretary　and　public
prosecutor；　a　lean；　clean…shaven　young　man　of　medium　height；　a
very　dark　complexion；　and　sad；　black　eyes。　Nekhludoff　knew　him　at
once；　in　spite　of　his　curious　uniform　and　the　fact　that　he　had
not　seen　him　for　six　years。　He　had　been　one　of　his　best　friends
in　Nekhludoff's　student　days。

〃The　public　prosecutor　Selenin？〃　Nekhludoff　asked；　turning　to　the
advocate。

〃Yes。　Why？〃

〃I　know　him　well。　He　is　a　fine　fellow。〃

〃And　a　good　public　prosecutor；　business…like。　Now　he　is　the　man
you　should　have　interested。〃

He　will　act　according　to　his　conscience　in　any　case；〃　said
Nekhludoff；　recalling　the　intimate　relations　and　friendship
between　himself　and　Selenin；　and　the　attractive　qualities　of　the
latterpurity；　honesty；　and　good　breeding　in　its　best　sense。

〃Yes；　there　is　no　time　now；〃　whispered　Fanarin；　who　was
listening　to　the　report　of　the　case　that　had　commenced。

The　Court　of　Justice　was　accused　of　having　left　a　decision　of　the
Court　of　Law　unaltered。

Nekhludoff　listened　and　tried　to　make　out　the　meaning　of　what　was
going　on；　but；　just　as　in　the　Criminal　Court；　his　chief
difficulty　was　that　not　the　evidently　chief　point；　but　some　side
issues；　were　being　discussed。　The　case　was　that　of　a　newspaper
which　had　published　the　account　of　a　swindle　arranged　by　a
director　of　a　limited　liability　company。　It　seemed　that　the　only
important　question　was　whether　the　director　of　the　company　really
abused　his　trust；　and　how　to　stop　him　from　doing　it。　But　the
questions　under　consideration　were　whether　the　editor　had　a　right
to　publish　this　article　of　his　contributor；　and　what　he　had　been
guilty　of　in　publishing　it：　slander　or　libel；　and　in　what　way
slander　included　libel；　or　libel　included　slander；　and　something
rather　incomprehensible　to　ordinary　people　about　all　sorts　of
statutes　and　resolutions　passed　by　some　General　Department。

The　only　thing　clear　to　Nekhludoff　was　that；　in　spite　of　what
Wolf　had　so　strenuously　insisted　on；　the　day　before；　i。e。；　that
the　Senate　could　not　try　a　case　on　its　merits；　in　this　case　he
was　evidently　strongly　in　favour　of　repealing　the　decision　of　the
Court　of　Justice；　and　that　Selenin；　in　spite　of　his
characteristic　reticence；　stated　the　opposite　opinion　with　quite
unexpected　warmth。　The　warmth；　which　surprised　Nekhludoff；
evinced　by　the　usually　self…controlled　Selenin；　was　due　to　his
knowledge　of　the　director's　shabbiness　in　money　matters；　and　the
fact；　which　had　accidentally　come　to　his　cars；　that　Wolf　had　been
to　a　swell　dinner　party　at　the　swindler's　house　only　a　few　days
before。

Now　that　Wolf　spoke　on　the　case；　guardedly　enough；　but　with
evident　bias；　Selenin　became　excited；　and　expressed　his　opinion
with　too　much　nervous　irritation　for　an　ordinary　business
transaction。

It　was　clear　that　Selenin's　speech　had　offended　Wolf。　He　grew
red；　moved　in　his　chair；　made　silent　gestures　of　surprise；　and　at
last　rose；　with　a　very　dignified　and　injured　look；　together　with
the　other　senators；　and　went　out　into　the　debating…room。

〃What　particular　case　have　you　come　about？〃　the　usher　asked
again；　addressing　Fanarin。

〃I　have　already　told　you：　Maslova's　case。〃

〃Yes；　quite　so。　It　is　to　be　heard　to…day；　but〃

〃But　what？〃　the　advocate　asked。

〃Well；　you　see；　this　case　was　to　be　examined　without　taking
sides；　so　that　the　senators　will　hardly　come　out　again　after
passing　the　resolution。　But　I　will　inform　them。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃

〃I'll　inform　them；　I'll　inform　them。〃　And　the　usher　again　put
something　down　on　his　paper。

The　Senators　really　meant　to　pronounce　their　decision　concerning
the　libel　case；　and　then　to　finish　the　other　business；　Maslova's
case　among　it；　over　their　tea　and　cigarettes；　without　leaving　the
debating…room。


CHAPTER　XXI。

THE　APPEAL　DISMISSED。

As　soon　as　the　Senators　were　seated　round　the　table　in　the
debating…room；　Wolf　began　to　bring　forward　with　great　animation
all　the　motives　in　favour　of　a　repeal。　The　chairman；　an
ill…natured　man　at　best；　was　in　a　particularly　bad　humour　that
day。　His　thoughts　were　concentrated　on　the　words　he　had　written
down　in　his　memoranda　on　the　occasion　when　not　he　but　Viglanoff
was　appointed　to　the　important　post　he　had　long　coveted。　It　was
the　chairman；　Nikitin's；　honest　conviction　that　his　opinions　of
the　officials　of　the　two　upper　classes　with　which　he　was　in
connection　would　furnish　valuable　material　for　the　historians。　He
had　written　a　chapter　the　day　before　in　which　the　officials　of
the　upper　classes　got　it　hot　for　preventing　him；　as　he　expressed
it；　from　averting　the　ruin　towards　which　the　present　rulers　of
Russia　were　driving　it；　which　simply　meant　that　they　had　prevented
his　getting　a　better　salary。　And　now　he　was　considering　what　a
new　light　to　posterity　this　chapter　would　shed　on　events。

〃Yes；　certainly；〃　he　said；　in　reply　to　the　words　addressed　to　him
by　Wolf；　without　listening　to　them。

Bay　was　listening　to　Wolf　with　a　sad　face　and　drawing　a　garland
on　the　paper　that　lay　before　him。　Bay　was　a　Liberal　of　the　very
first　water。　He　held　sacred　the　Liberal　traditions　of　the　sixth
decade　of　this　century；　and　if　he　ever　overstepped　the　limits　of
strict　neutrality　it　was　always　in　the　direction　of　Liberalism。
So　in　this　case；　beside　the　fact　that　the　swindling　director；　who
was　prosecuting　for　libel；　was　a　bad　lot；　the　prosecution　of　a
journalist　for　libel　in　itself　tending；　as　it　did；　to　restrict
the　freedom　of　the　press；　inclined　Bay　to　reject　the　appeal。

When　Wolf　concluded　his　arguments　Bay　stopped　drawing　his　garland
and　began　in　a　sad　and　gentle　voice　（he　was　sad　because　he　was
obliged　to　demonstrate　such　truisms）　concisely；　simply　and
convincingly　to　show　how　unfounded　the　accusation　was；　and　then；
bending　his　white　head；　he　continued　drawing　his　garland。

Skovorodnikoff；　who　sat　opposite　Wolf；　and；　with　his　fat　fingers；
kept　shoving　his　beard　and　moustaches　into　his　mouth；　stopped
chewing　his　beard　as　soon　as　Bay　was　silent；　and　said　with　a
loud；　grating　voice；　that；　notwithstanding　the　fact　of　the
director　being　a　terrible　scoundrel；　he　would　have　been　for　the
repeal　of　the　sentence　if　there　were　any　legal　reasons　for　it；
but；　as　there　were　none；　he　was　of　Bay's　opinion。　He　was　glad　to
put　this　spoke　in　Wolf's　wheel。

The　chairman　agreed　with　Skovorodnikoff；　and　the　appeal　was
rejected。

Wolf　was　dissatisfied；　especially　because　it　was　like　being
caught　acting　with　dishonest　partiality；　so　he　pretended　to　be
indifferent；　and；　unfolding　the　document　which　contained
Maslova's　case；　he　became　engrossed　in　it。　Meanwhile　the　Senators
rang　and　ordered　tea；　and　began　talking　about　the　event　that；
together　with　the　duel；　was　occupying　the　Petersburgers。

It　was　the　case　of　the　chief　of　a　Government　department；　who　was
accused　of　the　crime　provided　for　in　Statute　995。

〃What　nastiness；〃　said　Bay；　with　disgust。

〃Why；　where　is　the　harm　of　it？　I　can　show　you　a　Russian　book
containing　the　project　of　a　German　writer；　who　openly　proposes
that　it　should　not　be　considered　a　crime；〃　said　Skovorodnikoff；
drawing　in　greedily　the　fumes　of　the　crumpled　cigarette；　which　he
held　between　his　fingers　close　to　the　palm；　and　he　laughed
boisterously。

〃Impossible！〃　said　Bay。

I　shall　show　it　you；〃　said　Skovorodnikoff；　giving　the　full　title
of　the　book；　and　even　its　date　and　the　name　of　its　editor。

〃I　hear　he　has　been　appointed　governor　to　some　town　in　Siberia。〃

〃That's　fine。　The　archdeacon　will　meet　him　with　a　crucifix。　They
ought　to　appoint　an　archdeacon　of　the　same　sort；〃　said
Skovorodnikoff。　〃I　could　recommend　them　one；〃　and　he　threw　the
end　of　his　cigarette　into　his　saucer；　and　again　shoved　as　much　of
his　beard　and　moustaches　as　he　could　into　his　mouth　and　began
chewing　them。

The　usher　came　in　and　reported　the　advocate's　and　Nekhludoff's
desire　to　be　present　at　the　examination　of　Maslova's　case。

〃This　case；〃　Wolf　said；　〃is　quite　romantic；〃　and　he　told　them
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　u