resurrection(复活)-第20章

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！


permission　to　speak　in　their　own　defence。

Euphemia　Botchkova　repeated　once　more　that　she　knew　nothing　about
it　and　had　taken　part　in　nothing；　and　firmly　laid　the　whole　blame
on　Maslova。　Simeon　Kartinkin　only　repeated　several　times：　〃It　is
your　business；　but　I　am　innocent；　it's　unjust。〃　Maslova　said
nothing　in　her　defence。　Told　she　might　do　so　by　the　president；
she　only　lifted　her　eyes　to　him；　cast　a　look　round　the　room　like
a　hunted　animal；　and；　dropping　her　head；　began　to　cry；　sobbing
aloud。

〃What　is　the　matter？〃　the　merchant　asked　Nekhludoff；　hearing　him
utter　a　strange　sound。　This　was　the　sound　of　weeping　fiercely
kept　back。　Nekhludoff　had　not　yet　understood　the　significance　of
his　present　position；　and　attributed　the　sobs　he　could　hardly
keep　back　and　the　tears　that　filled　his　eyes　to　the　weakness　of
his　nerves。　He　put　on　his　pince…nez　in　order　to　hide　the　tears；
then　got　out　his　handkerchief　and　began　blowing　his　nose。

Fear　of　the　disgrace　that　would　befall　him　if　every　one　in　the
court　knew　of　his　conduct　stifled　the　inner　working　of　his　soul。
This　fear　was；　during　this　first　period；　stronger　than　all　else。


CHAPTER　XXII。

THE　TRIALTHE　SUMMING　UP。

After　the　last　words　of　the　prisoners　had　been　heard；　the　form　in
which　the　questions　were　to　be　put　to　the　jury　was　settled；　which
also　took　some　time。　At　last　the　questions　were　formulated；　and
the　president　began　the　summing　up。

Before　putting　the　case　to　the　jury；　he　spoke　to　them　for　some
time　in　a　pleasant；　homely　manner；　explaining　that　burglary　was
burglary　and　theft　was　theft；　and　that　stealing　from　a　place
which　was　under　lock　and　key　was　stealing　from　a　place　under　lock
and　key。　While　he　was　explaining　this；　he　looked　several　times　at
Nekhludoff　as　if　wishing　to　impress　upon　him　these　important
facts；　in　hopes　that；　having　understood　it；　Nekhludoff　would　make
his　fellow…jurymen　also　understand　it。　When　he　considered　that
the　jury　were　sufficiently　imbued　with　these　facts；　he　proceeded
to　enunciate　another　truthnamely；　that　a　murder　is　an　action
which　has　the　death　of　a　human　being　as　its　consequence；　and　that
poisoning　could　therefore　also　be　termed　murder。　When；　according
to　his　opinion；　this　truth　had　also　been　received　by　the　jury；　he
went　on　to　explain　that　if　theft　and　murder　had　been　committed　at
the　same　time；　the　combination　of　the　crimes　was　theft　with
murder。

Although　he　was　himself　anxious　to　finish　as　soon　as　possible；
although　he　knew　that　his　Swiss　friend　would　be　waiting　for　him；
he　had　grown　so　used　to　his　occupation　that；　having　begun　to
speak；　he　could　not　stop　himself；　and　therefore　he　went　on　to
impress　on　the　jury　with　much　detail　that　if　they　found　the
prisoners　guilty；　they　would　have　the　right　to　give　a　verdict　of
guilty；　and　if　they　found　them　not　guilty；　to　give　a　verdict　of
not　guilty；　and　if　they　found　them　guilty　of　one　of　the　crimes
and　not　of　the　other；　they　might　give　a　verdict　of　guilty　on　the
one　count　and　of　not　guilty　on　the　other。　Then　he　explained　that
though　this　right　was　given　them　they　should　use　it　with　reason。

He　was　going　to　add　that　if　they　gave　an　affirmative　answer　to
any　question　that　was　put　to　them　they　would　thereby　affirm
everything　included　in　the　question；　so　that　if　they　did　not　wish
to　affirm　the　whole　of　the　question　they　should　mention　the　part
of　the　question　they　wished　to　be　excepted。　But；　glancing　at　the
clock。　and　seeing　it　was　already　five　minutes　to　three；　he
resolved　to　trust　to　their　being　intelligent　enough　to　understand
this　without　further　comment。

〃The　facts　of　this　case　are　the　following；〃　began　the　president；
and　repeated　all　that　had　already　been　said　several　times　by　the
advocates；　the　public　prosecutor　and　the　witnesses。

The　president　spoke；　and　the　members　on　each　side　of　him　listened
with　deeply…attentive　expressions；　but　looked　from　time　to　time
at　the　clock；　for　they　considered　the　speech　too　long　though　very
goodi。e。；　such　as　it　ought　to　be。　The　public　prosecutor；　the
lawyers；　and；　in　fact；　everyone　in　the　court；　shared　the　same
impression。　The　president　finished　the　summing　up。　Then　he　found
it　necessary　to　tell　the　jury　what　they　all　knew；　or　might　have
found　out　by　reading　it　upi。e。；　how　they　were　to　consider　the
case；　count　the　votes；　in　case　of　a　tie　to　acquit　the　prisoners；
and　so　on。

Everything　seemed　to　have　been　told；　but　no；　the　president　could
not　forego　his　right　of　speaking　as　yet。　It　was　so　pleasant　to
hear　the　impressive　tones　of　his　own　voice；　and　therefore　he
found　it　necessary　to　say　a　few　words　more　about　the　importance
of　the　rights　given　to　the　jury；　how　carefully　they　should　use
the　rights　and　how　they　ought　not　to　abuse　them；　about　their
being　on　their　oath；　that　they　were　the　conscience　of　society；
that　the　secrecy　of　the　debating…room　should　be　considered
sacred；　etc。

From　the　time　the　president　commenced　his　speech；　Maslova　watched
him　without　moving　her　eyes　as　if　afraid　of　losing　a　single　word；
so　that　Nekhludoff　was　not　afraid　of　meeting　her　eyes　and　kept
looking　at　her　all　the　time。　And　his　mind　passed　through　those
phases　in　which　a　face　which　we　have　not　seen　for　many　years
first　strikes　us　with　the　outward　changes　brought　about　during
the　time　of　separation；　and　then　gradually　becomes　more　and　more
like　its　old　self；　when　the　changes　made　by　time　seem　to
disappear；　and　before　our　spiritual　eyes　rises　only　the　principal
expression　of　one　exceptional；　unique　individuality。　Yes；　though
dressed　in　a　prison　cloak；　and　in　spite　of　the　developed　figure；
the　fulness　of　the　bosom　and　lower　part　of　the　face；　in　spite　of
a　few　wrinkles　on　the　forehead　and　temples　and　the　swollen　eyes；
this　was　certainly　the　same　Katusha　who；　on　that　Easter　eve；　had
so　innocently　looked　up　to　him　whom　she　loved；　with　her　fond；
laughing　eyes　full　of　joy　and　life。

〃What　a　strange　coincidence　that　after　ten　years；　during　which　I
never　saw　her；　this　case　should　have　come　up　today　when　I　am　on
the　jury；　and　that　it　is　in　the　prisoners'　dock　that　I　see　her
again！　And　how　will　it　end？　Oh；　dear；　if　they　would　only　get　on
quicker。〃

Still　he　would　not　give　in　to　the　feelings　of　repentance　which
began　to　arise　within　him。　He　tried　to　consider　it　all　as　a
coincidence；　which　would　pass　without　infringing　his　manner　of
life。　He　felt　himself　in　the　position　of　a　puppy；　when　its
master；　taking　it　by　the　scruff　of　its　neck；　rubs　its　nose　in　the
mess　it　has　made。　The　puppy　whines；　draws　back　and　wants　to　get
away　as　far　as　possible　from　the　effects　of　its　misdeed；　but　the
pitiless　master　does　not　let　go。

And　so；　Nekhludoff；　feeling　all　the　repulsiveness　of　what　he　had
done；　felt　also　the　powerful　hand　of　the　Master；　but　he　did　not
feel　the　whole　significance　of　his　action　yet　and　would　not
recognise　the　Master's　hand。　He　did　not　wish　to　believe　that　it
was　the　effect　of　his　deed　that　lay　before　him；　but　the　pitiless
hand　of　the　Master　held　him　and　he　felt　he　could　not　get　away。　He
was　still　keeping　up　his　courage　and　sat　on　his　chair　in　the
first　row　in　his　usual　self…possessed　pose；　one　leg　carelessly
thrown　over　the　other；　and　playing　with　his　pince…nez。　Yet　all
the　while；　in　the　depths　of　his　soul；　he　felt　the　cruelty；
cowardice　and　baseness；　not　only　of　this　particular　action　of　his
but　of　his　whole　self…willed；　depraved；　cruel；　idle　life；　and
that　dreadful　veil　which　had　in　some　unaccountable　manner　hidden
from　him　this　sin　of　his　and　the　whole　of　his　subsequent　life　was
beginning　to　shake；　and　he　caught　glimpses　of　what　was　covered　by
that　veil。


CHAPTER　XXIII。

THE　TRIALTHE　VERDICT。

At　last　the　president　finished　his　speech；　and　lifting　the　list
of　questions　with　a　graceful　movement　of　his　arm　he　handed　it　to
the　foreman；　who　came　up　to　take　it。　The　jury；　glad　to　be　able　to
get　into　the　debating…court；　got　up　one　after　the　other　and　left
the　room；　looking　as　if　a　bit　ashamed　of　themselves　and　again　not
knowing　what　to　do　with　their　hands。　As　soon　as　the　door　was
closed　behind　them　a　gendarme　came　up　to　it；　pulled　his　sword　out
of　the　scabbard；　and；　holding　it　up　against　his　shoulder；　stood
at　the　door。　The　judges　got　up　and　went