resurrection(复活)-第10章

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never　thought；　and　never　wished。　。　。　God　is　my　witness；　I　say；　I
never　meant　this；〃　she　said。

〃So　you　do　not　plead　guilty　of　having　stolen　the　money　and　the
ring　from　the　merchant　Smelkoff；　but　confess　that　you　gave　him
the　powder？〃　said　the　president。

〃Well；　yes；　I　do　confess　this；　but　I　thought　they　were　sleeping
powders。　I　only　gave　them　to　make　him　sleep；　I　never　meant　and
never　thought　of　worse。〃

〃Very　well；〃　said　the　president；　evidently　satisfied　with　the
results　gained。　〃Now　tell　us　how　it　all　happened；〃　and　he　leaned
back　in　his　chair　and　put　his　folded　hands　on　the　table。　〃Tell　us
all　about　it。　A　free　and　full　confession　will　be　to　your
advantage。〃

Maslova　continued　to　look　at　the　president　in　silence；　and
blushing。

〃Tell　us　how　it　happened。〃

〃How　it　happened？〃　Maslova　suddenly　began；　speaking　quickly。　〃I
came　to　the　lodging…house；　and　was　shown　into　the　room。　He　was
there；　already　very　drunk。〃　She　pronounced　the　word　HE　with　a
look　of　horror　in　her　wide…open　eyes。　〃I　wished　to　go　away；　but
he　would　not　let　me。〃　She　stopped；　as　if　having　lost　the　thread；
or　remembered　some　thing　else。

〃Well；　and　then？〃

〃Well；　what　then？　I　remained　a　bit；　and　went　home　again。〃

At　this　moment　the　public　prosecutor　raised　himself　a　little；
leaning　on　one　elbow　in　an　awkward　manner。

〃You　would　like　to　put　a　question？〃　said　the　president；　and
having　received　an　answer　in　the　affirmative；　he　made　a　gesture
inviting　the　public　prosecutor　to　speak。

〃I　want　to　ask；　was　the　prisoner　previously　acquainted　with
Simeon　Kartinkin？〃　said　the　public　prosecutor；　without　looking　at
Maslova；　and；　having　put　the　question；　he　compressed　his　lips　and
frowned。

The　president　repeated　the　question。　Maslova　stared　at　the　public
prosecutor；　with　a　frightened　look。

〃With　Simeon？　Yes；〃　she　said。

〃I　should　like　to　know　what　the　prisoner's　acquaintance　with
Kartinkin　consisted　in。　Did　they　meet　often？〃

〃Consisted　in？　。　。　。

〃He　invited　me　for　the　lodgers；　it　was　not　an　acquaintance　at
all；〃　answered　Maslova；　anxiously　moving　her　eyes　from　the
president　to　the　public　prosecutor　and　back　to　the　president。

〃I　should　like　to　know　why　Kartinkin　invited　only　Maslova；　and
none　of　the　other　girls；　for　the　lodgers？〃　said　the　public
prosecutor；　with　half…closed　eyes　and　a　cunning；　Mephistophelian
smile。

〃I　don't　know。　How　should　I　know？〃　said　Maslova；　casting　a
frightened　look　round；　and　fixing　her　eyes　for　a　moment　on
Nekhludoff。　〃He　asked　whom　he　liked。〃

〃Is　it　possible　that　she　has　recognised　me？〃　thought　Nekhludoff；
and　the　blood　rushed　to　his　face。　But　Maslova　turned　away　without
distinguishing　him　from　the　others；　and　again　fixed　her　eyes
anxiously　on　the　public　prosecutor。

〃So　the　prisoner　denies　having　had　any　intimate　relations　with
Kartinkin？　Very　well；　I　have　no　more　questions　to　ask。〃

And　the　public　prosecutor　took　his　elbow　off　the　desk；　and　began
writing　something。　He　was　not　really　noting　anything　down；　but
only　going　over　the　letters　of　his　notes　with　a　pen；　having　seen
the　procureur　and　leading　advocates；　after　putting　a　clever
question；　make　a　note；　with　which；　later　on；　to　annihilate　their
adversaries。

The　president　did　not　continue　at　once；　because　he　was　consulting
the　member　with　the　spectacles；　whether　he　was　agreed　that　the
questions　（which　had　all　been　prepared　be　forehand　and　written
out）　should　be　put。

〃Well！　What　happened　next？〃　he　then　went　on。

〃I　came　home；〃　looking　a　little　more　boldly　only　at　the
president；　〃and　went　to　bed。　Hardly　had　I　fallen　asleep　when　one
of　our　girls；　Bertha；　woke　me。　'Go；　your　merchant　has　come
again！'　He〃she　again　uttered　the　word　HE　with　evident　horror
〃he　kept　treating　our　girls；　and　then　wanted　to　send　for　more
wine；　but　his　money　was　all　gone；　and　he　sent　me　to　his　lodgings
and　told　me　where　the　money　was；　and　how　much　to　take。　So　I
went。〃

The　president　was　whispering　to　the　member　on　his　left；　but；　in
order　to　appear　as　if　he　had　heard；　he　repeated　her　last　words。

〃So　you　went。　Well；　what　next？〃

〃I　went；　and　did　all　he　told　me；　went　into　his　room。　I　did　not　go
alone；　but　called　Simeon　Kartinkin　and　her；〃　she　said；　pointing
to　Botchkova。

〃That's　a　lie；　I　never　went　in；〃　Botchkova　began；　but　was
stopped。

〃In　their　presence　I　took　out　four　notes；〃　continued　Maslova；
frowning；　without　looking　at　Botchkova。

〃Yes；　but　did　the　prisoner　notice；〃　again　asked　the　prosecutor；
〃how　much　money　there　was　when　she　was　getting　out　the　40
roubles？〃

Maslova　shuddered　when　the　prosecutor　addressed　her；　she　did　not
know　why　it　was；　but　she　felt　that　he　wished　her　evil。

〃I　did　not　count　it；　but　only　saw　some　100…rouble　notes。〃

〃Ah！　The　prisoner　saw　100…rouble　notes。　That's　all？〃

〃Well；　so　you　brought　back　the　money；〃　continued　the　president；
looking　at　the　clock。

〃I　did。〃

〃Well；　and　then？〃

〃Then　he　took　me　back　with　him；〃　said　Maslova。

〃Well；　and　how　did　you　give　him　the　powder？；　In　his　drink？〃

〃How　did　I　give　it？　I　put　them　in　and　gave　it　him。〃

Why　did　you　give　it　him？〃

She　did　not　answer；　but　sighed　deeply　and　heavily。

〃He　would　not　let　me　go；〃　she　said；　after　a　moment's　silence；
〃and　I　was　quite　tired　out；　and　so　I　went　out　into　the　passage
and　said　to　Simeon；　'If　he　would　only　let　me　go；　I　am　so　tired。'
And　he　said；　'We　are　also　sick　of　him；　we　were　thinking　of　giving
him　a　sleeping　draught；　he　will　fall　asleep；　and　then　you　can
go。'　So　I　said　all　right。　I　thought　they　were　harmless；　and　he
gave　me　the　packet。　I　went　in。　He　was　lying　behind　the　partition；
and　at　once　called　for　brandy。　I　took　a　bottle　of　'fine
champagne'　from　the　table；　poured　out　two　glasses；　one　for　him
and　one　for　myself；　and　put　the　powders　into　his　glass；　and　gave
it　him。　Had　I　known　how　could　I　have　given　them　to　him？〃

〃Well；　and　how　did　the　ring　come　into　your　possession？　asked　the
president。　〃When　did　he　give　it　you？〃

〃That　was　when　we　came　back　to　his　lodgings。　I　wanted　to　go　away；
and　he　gave　me　a　knock　on　the　head　and　broke　my　comb。　I　got　angry
and　said　I'd　go　away；　and　he　took　the　ring　off　his　finger　and
gave　it　to　me　so　that　I　should　not　go；〃　she　said。

Then　the　public　prosecutor　again　slightly　raised　himself；　and；
putting　on　an　air　of　simplicity；　asked　permission　to　put　a　few
more　questions；　and；　having　received　it；　bending　his　head　over
his　embroidered　collar；　he　said：　〃I　should　like　to　know　how　long
the　prisoner　remained　in　the　merchant　Smelkoff's　room。〃

Maslova　again　seemed　frightened；　and　she　again　looked　anxiously
from　the　public　prosecutor　to　the　president；　and　said　hurriedly：

〃I　do　not　remember　how　long。〃

〃Yes；　but　does　the　prisoner　remember　if　she　went　anywhere　else　in
the　lodging…house　after　she　left　Smelkoff？〃

Maslova　considered　for　a　moment。　〃Yes；　I　did　go　into　an　empty
room　next　to　his。〃

〃Yes；　and　why　did　you　go　in？〃　asked　the　public　prosecutor；
forgetting　himself；　and　addressing　her　directly。

〃I　went　in　to　rest　a　bit；　and　to　wait　for　an　isvostchik。〃

〃And　was　Kartinkin　in　the　room　with　the　prisoner；　or　not？〃

〃He　came　in。〃

〃Why　did　he　come　in？〃

〃There　was　some　of　the　merchant's　brandy　left；　and　we　finished　it
together。〃

〃Oh；　finished　it　together。　Very　well！　And　did　the　prisoner　talk
to　Kartinkin；　and；　if　so；　what　about？〃

Maslova　suddenly　frowned；　blushed　very　red；　and　said；　hurriedly；
〃What　about？　I　did　not　talk　about　anything；　and　that's　all　I
know。　Do　what　you　like　with　me；　I　am　not　guilty；　and　that's　all。〃

〃I　have　nothing　more　to　ask；〃　said　the　prosecutor；　and；　drawing
up　his　shoulders　in　an　unnatural　manner；　began　writing　down；　as
the　prisoner's　own　evidence；　in　the　notes　for　his　speech；　that
she　had　been　in　the　empty　room　with　Kartinkin。

There　was　a　short　silence。

〃You　have　nothing　more　to　say？〃

〃I　have　told　everything；〃　she　said；　with　a　sigh；　and　sat　down。

Then　the　president　noted　something　down；　and；　having　listened　to
something　that　the　member　on　his　left　whispered　to　him；　he
announced　a　ten…minutes'　interval；　rose　hurriedly；　and　left　the
court。　The　communication　he　had　received　from　the　tall；　bearded
member　with　the　kindly　eyes　was　that　the　member；　having　felt　a
slig