resurrection(复活)-第22章

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interrupt　him。　Only　the　clerk；　infected　by　his　example；　decided
to　break　in　with　a　story　of　his　own：　〃There　are　some　who　get　so
used　to　it　that　they　can　take　40　drops。　I　have　a　relative；〃　but
the　colonel　would　not　stand　the　interruption；　and　went　on　to
relate　what　effects　the　opium　had　on　his　brother…in…law's　wife。

〃But；　gentlemen；　do　you　know　it　is　getting　on　towards　five
o'clock？〃　said　one　of　the　jury。

〃Well；　gentlemen；　what　are　we　to　say；　then？〃　inquired　the
foreman。　〃Shall　we　say　she　is　guilty；　but　without　intent　to　rob？
And　without　stealing　any　property？　Will　that　do？〃　Peter
Gerasimovitch；　pleased　with　his　victory；　agreed。

〃But　she　must　be　recommended　to　mercy；〃　said　the　merchant。

All　agreed；　only　the　old　artelshik　insisted　that　they　should　say
〃Not　guilty。〃

〃It　comes　to　the　same　thing；〃　explained　the　foreman；　〃without
intent　to　rob；　and　without　stealing　any　property。　Therefore；　'Not
guilty；'　that's　evident。〃

〃All　right；　that'll　do。　And　we　recommend　her　to　mercy；〃　said　the
merchant；　gaily。

They　were　all　so　tired；　so　confused　by　the　discussions；　that
nobody　thought　of　saying　that　she　was　guilty　of　giving　the　powder
but　without　the　intent　of　taking　life。　Nekhludoff　was　so　excited
that　he　did　not　notice　this　omission；　and　so　the　answers　were
written　down　in　the　form　agreed　upon　and　taken　to　the　court。

Rabelais　says　that　a　lawyer　who　was　trying　a　case　quoted　all
sorts　of　laws；　read　20　pages　of　judicial　senseless　Latin；　and
then　proposed　to　the　judges　to　throw　dice；　and　if　the　numbers
proved　odd　the　defendant　would　he　right；　if　not；　the　plaintiff。

It　was　much　the　same　in　this　case。　The　resolution　was　taken；　not
because　everybody　agreed　upon　it；　but　because　the　president；　who
had　been　summing　up　at　such　length；　omitted　to　say　what　he　always
said　on　such　occasions；　that　the　answer　might　be；　〃Yes；　guilty；
but　without　the　intent　of　taking　life；〃　because　the　colonel　had
related　the　story　of　his　brother…in…law's　wife　at　such　great
length；　because　Nekhludoff　was　too　excited　to　notice　that　the
proviso　〃without　intent　to　take　life〃　had　been　omitted；　and
thought　that　the　words　〃without　intent〃　nullified　the　conviction；
because　Peter　Gerasimovitch　had　retired　from　the　room　while　the
questions　and　answers　were　being　read；　and　chiefly　because；　being
tired；　and　wishing　to　get　away　as　soon　as　possible；　all　were
ready　to　agree　with　the　decision　which　would　bring　matters　to　an
end　soonest。

The　jurymen　rang　the　bell。　The　gendarme　who　had　stood　outside　the
door　with　his　sword　drawn　put　the　sword　back　into　the　scabbard
and　stepped　aside。　The　judges　took　their　seats　and　the　jury　came
out　one　by　one。

The　foreman　brought　in　the　paper　with　an　air　of　solemnity　and
handed　it　to　the　president；　who　looked　at　it；　and；　spreading　out
his　hands　in　astonishment；　turned　to　consult　his　companions。　The
president　was　surprised　that　the　jury；　having　put　in　a
provisowithout　intent　to　robdid　not　put　in　a　second
provisowithout　intent　to　take　life。　From　the　decision　of　the
jury　it　followed　that　Maslova　had　not　stolen；　nor　robbed；　and　yet
poisoned　a　man　without　any　apparent　reason。

〃Just　see　what　an　absurd　decision　they　have　come　to；〃　he
whispered　to　the　member　on　his　left。　〃This　means　penal　servitude
in　Siberia；　and　she　is　innocent。〃

〃Surely　you　do　not　mean　to　say　she　is　innocent？　answered　the
serious　member。

〃Yes；　she　is　positively　innocent。　I　think　this　is　a　case　for
putting　Article　817　into　practice　（Article　817　states　that　if　the
Court　considers　the　decision　of　the　jury　unjust　it　may　set　it
aside）。〃

〃What　do　you　think？〃　said　the　president；　turning　to　the　other
member。　The　kindly　member　did　not　answer　at　once。　He　looked　at
the　number　on　a　paper　before　him　and　added　up　the　figures；　the
sum　would　not　divide　by　three。　He　had　settled　in　his　mind　that　if
it　did　divide　by　three　he　would　agree　to　the　president's
proposal；　but　though　the　sum　would　not　so　divide　his　kindness
made　him　agree　all　the　same。

〃I；　too；　think　it　should　he　done；〃　he　said。

〃And　you？〃　asked　the　president；　turning　to　the　serious　member。

〃On　no　account；〃　he　answered；　firmly。　〃As　it　is；　the　papers
accuse　the　jury　of　acquitting　prisoners。　What　will　they　say　if
the　Court　does　it？　I；　shall　not　agree　to　that　on　any　account。〃

The　president　looked　at　his　watch。　〃It　is　a　pity；　but　what's　to
be　done？〃　and　handed　the　questions　to　the　foreman　to　read　out。
All　got　up；　and　the　foreman；　stepping　from　foot　to　foot；　coughed；
and　read　the　questions　and　the　answers。　All　the　Court；　secretary；
advocates；　and　even　the　public　prosecutor；　expressed　surprise。
The　prisoners　sat　impassive；　evidently　not　understanding　the
meaning　of　the　answers。　Everybody　sat　down　again；　and　the
president　asked　the　prosecutor　what　punishments　the　prisoners
were　to　be　subjected　to。

The　prosecutor；　glad　of　his　unexpected　success　in　getting　Maslova
convicted；　and　attributing　the　success　entirely　to　his　own
eloquence；　looked　up　the　necessary　information；　rose　and　said：
〃With　Simeon　Kartinkin　I　should　deal　according　to　Statute　1；452
paragraph　93。　Euphemia　Botchkova　according　to　Statute　。　。　。；　etc。
Katerina　Maslova　according　to　Statute　。　。　。；etc。〃

All　three　punishments　were　the　heaviest　that　could　he　inflicted。

〃The　Court　will　adjourn　to　consider　the　sentence；〃　said　the
president；　rising。　Everybody　rose　after　him；　and　with　the
pleasant　feeling　of　a　task　well　done　began　to　leave　the　room　or
move　about　in　it。

〃D'you　know；　sirs；　we　have　made　a　shameful　hash　of　it？〃　said
Peter　Gerasimovitch；　approaching　Nekhludoff；　to　whom　the　foreman
was　relating　something。　〃Why；　we've　got　her　to　Siberia。〃

〃What　are　you　saying？〃　exclaimed　Nekhludoff。　This　time　he　did　not
notice　the　teacher's　familiarity。

〃Why；　we　did　not　put　in　our　answer　'Guilty；　but　without　intent　of
causing　death。'　The　secretary　just　told　me　the　public　prosecutor
is　for　condemning　her　to　15　years'　penal　servitude。〃

〃Well；　but　it　was　decided　so；〃　said　the　foreman。

Peter　Gerasimovitch　began　to　dispute　this；　saying　that　since　she
did　not　take　the　money　it　followed　naturally　that　she　could　not
have　had　any　intention　of　committing　murder。

〃But　I　read　the　answer　before　going　out；〃　said　the　foreman；
defending　himself；　〃and　nobody　objected。〃

〃I　had　just　then　gone　out　of　the　room；〃　said　Peter　Gerasimovitch；
turning　to　Nekhludoff；　〃and　your　thoughts　must　have　been
wool…gathering　to　let　the　thing　pass。〃

〃I　never　imagined　this；〃　Nekhludoff　replied。

〃Oh；　you　didn't？〃

〃Oh；　well；　we　can　get　it　put　right；〃　said　Nekhludoff。

〃Oh；　dear　no；　it's　finished。〃

Nekhludoff　looked　at　the　prisoners。　They　whose　fate　was　being
decided　still　sat　motionless　behind　the　grating　in　front　of　the
soldiers。　Maslova　was　smiling。　Another　feeling　stirred　in
Nekhludoff's　soul。　Up　to　now；　expecting　her　acquittal　and
thinking　she　would　remain　in　the　town；　he　was　uncertain　how　to
act　towards　her。　Any　kind　of　relations　with　her　would　be　so　very
difficult。　But　Siberia　and　penal　servitude　at　once　cut　off　every
possibility　of　any　kind　of　relations　with　her。　The　wounded　bird
would　stop　struggling　in　the　game…bag；　and　no　longer　remind　him
of　its　existence。


CHAPTER　XXIV。

THE　TRIALTHE　SENTENCE。

Peter　Gerasimovitch's　assumption　was　correct。　The　president　came
back　from　the　debating　room　with　a　paper；　and　read　as
follows：〃April　28th；　188…。　By　His　Imperial　Majesty's　ukase　No。
…　The　Criminal　Court；　on　the　strength　of　the　decision　of　the
jury；　in　accordance　with　Section　3　of　Statute　771；　Section　3　of
Statutes　770　and　777；　decrees　that　the　peasant；　Simeon　Kartinkin；
33　years　of　age；　and　the　meschanka　Katerina　Maslova；　27　years　of
age；　are　to　be　deprived　of　all　property　rights　and　to　be　sent　to
penal　servitude　in　Siberia；　Kartinkin　for　eight；　Maslova　for　four
years；　with　the　consequences　stated　in　Statute　25　of　the　code。
The　meschanka　Botchkova；　43　years　of　age；　to　be　deprived　of　all
special　personal　and　acquired　rights；　and　to　be　imprisoned　for
three　years　with　consequences　in　accord　with　Statute　48　of　the
code。　The　costs　of　the　case　to　be　borne　equally　by　the　prisoners；
and；　in　the　case　of　their　being　without　sufficient　property；　the
costs　to　be　transf