resurrection(复活)- 第19部分

〃That's　not　the　point；〃　said　Peter　Gerasimovitch。　〃The　question
is；　whether　she　was　the　instigator　and　inciter　in　this　affair；　or
the　servants？〃

〃It　was　not　possible　for　the　servants　to　do　it　alone；　she　had　the
key。〃

This　kind　of　random　talk　went　on　for　a　considerable　time。　At　last
the　foreman　said：　〃I　beg　your　pardon；　gentlemen；　but　had　we　not
better　take　our　places　at　the　table　and　discuss　the　matter？
Come；　please。〃　And　he　took　the　chair。

The　questions　were　expressed　in　the　following　manner。

1。　Is　the　peasant　of　the　village　Borki；　Krapivinskia　district；
Simeon　Petrov　Kartinkin；　33　years　of　age；　guilty　of　having；　in
agreement　with　other　persons；　given　the　merchant　Smelkoff；　on　the
17th　January；　188…；　in　the　town　of　N…；　with　intent　to　deprive
him　of　life；　for　the　purpose　of　robbing　him；　poisoned　brandy；
which　caused　Smelkoff's　death；　and　of　having　stolen　from　him
about　2；500　roubles　in　money　and　a　diamond　ring？

2。　Is　the　meschanka　Euphemia　Ivanovna　Botchkova；　43　years　of　age；
guilty　of　the　crimes　described　above？

3。　Is　the　meschanka　Katerina　Michaelovna　Maslova；　27　years　of
age；　guilty　of　the　crimes　described　in　the　first　question？

4。　If　the　prisoner　Euphemia　Botchkova　is　not　guilty　according　to
the　first　question；　is　she　not　guilty　of　having；　on　the　17th
January；　in　the　town　of　N；　while　in　service　at　the　hotel
Mauritania；　stolen　from　a　locked　portmanteau；　belonging　to　the
merchant　Smelkoff；　a　lodger　in　that　hotel；　and　which　was　in　the
room　occupied　by　him；　2；500　roubles；　for　which　object　she
unlocked　the　portmanteau　with　a　key　she　brought　and　fitted　to　the
lock？

The　foreman　read　the　first　question。

〃Well；　gentlemen；　what　do　you　think？〃　This　question　was　quickly
answered。　All　agreed　to　say　〃Guilty；〃　as　if　convinced　that
Kartinkin　had　taken　part　both　in　the　poisoning　and　the　robbery。
An　old　artelshik；　＇member　of　an　artel；　an　association　of　workmen；
in　which　the　members　share　profits　and　liabilities＇　whose
answers　were　all　in　favour　of　acquittal；　was　the　only　exception。

The　foreman　thought　he　did　not　understand；　and　began　to　point　out
to　him　that　everything　tended　to　prove　Kartinkin's　guilt。　The　old
man　answered　that　he　did　understand；　but　still　thought　it　better
to　have　pity　on　him。　〃We　are　not　saints　ourselves；〃　and　he　kept
to　his　opinion。

The　answer　to　the　second　question　concerning　Botchkova　was；　after
much　dispute　and　many　exclamations；　answered　by　the　words；　〃Not
guilty；〃　there　being　no　clear　proofs　of　her　having　taken　part　in
the　poisoninga　fact　her　advocate　had　strongly　insisted　on。　The
merchant；　anxious　to　acquit　Maslova；　insisted　that　Botchkova　was
the　chief　instigator　of　it　all。　Many　of　the　jury　shared　this
view；　but　the　foreman；　wishing　to　be　in　strict　accord　with　the
law；　declared　they　had　no　grounds　to　consider　her　as　an
accomplice　in　the　poisoning。　After　much　disputing　the　foreman's
opinion　triumphed。

To　the　fourth　question　concerning　Botchkova　the　answer　was
〃Guilty。〃　But　on　the　artelshik's　insistence　she　was　recommended
to　mercy。

The　third　question；　concerning　Maslova；　raised　a　fierce　dispute。
The　foreman　maintained　she　was　guilty　both　of　the　poisoning　and
the　theft；　to　which　the　merchant　would　not　agree。　The　colonel；
the　clerk　and　the　old　artelshik　sided　with　the　merchant；　the　rest
seemed　shaky；　and　the　opinion　of　the　foreman　began　to　gain
ground；　chiefly　because　all　the　jurymen　were　getting　tired；　and
preferred　to　take　up　the　view　that　would　bring　them　sooner　to　a
decision　and　thus　liberate　them。

From　all　that　had　passed；　and　from　his　former　knowledge　of
Maslova；　Nekhludoff　was　certain　that　she　was　innocent　of　both　the
theft　and　the　poisoning。　And　he　felt　sure　that　all　the　others
would　come　to　the　same　conclusion。　When　he　saw　that　the
merchant's　awkward　defence　（evidently　based　on　his　physical
admiration　for　her；　which　he　did　not　even　try　to　hide）　and　the
foreman's　insistence；　and　especially　everybody's　weariness；　were
all　tending　to　her　condemnation；　he　longed　to　state　his
objections；　yet　dared　not；　lest　his　relations　with　Maslova　should
be　discovered。　He　felt　he　could　not　allow　things　to　go　on　without
stating　his　objection；　and；　blushing　and　growing　pale　again；　was
about　to　speak　when　Peter　Gerasimovitch；　irritated　by　the
authoritative　manner　of　the　foreman；　began　to　raise　his
objections　and　said　the　very　things　Nekhludoff　was　about　to　say。

〃Allow　me　one　moment；〃　he　said。　〃You　seem　to　think　that　her
having　the　key　proves　she　is　guilty　of　the　theft；　but　what　could
be　easier　than　for　the　servants　to　open　the　portmanteau　with　a
false　key　after　she　was　gone？

〃Of　course；　of　course；〃　said　the　merchant。

〃She　could　not　have　taken　the　money；　because　in　her　position　she
would　hardly　know　what　to　do　with　it。〃

〃That's　just　what　I　say；〃　remarked　the　merchant。

〃But　it　is　very　likely　that　her　coming　put　the　idea　into　the
servants'　heads　and　that　they　grasped　the　opportunity　and　shoved
all　the　blame　on　her。〃　Peter　Gerasimovitch　spoke　so　irritably
that　the　foreman　became　irritated　too；　and　went　on　obstinately
defending　the　opposite　views；　but　Peter　Gerasimovitch　spoke　so
convincingly　that　the　majority　agreed　with　him；　and　decided　that
Maslova　was　not　guilty　of　stealing　the　money　and　that　the　ring
was　given　her。

But　when　the　question　of　her　having　taken　part　in　the　poisoning
was　raised；　her　zealous　defender；　the　merchant；　declared　that　she
must　be　acquitted；　because　she　could　have　no　reason　for　the
poisoning。　The　foreman；　however；　said　that　it　was　impossible　to
acquit　her；　because　she　herself　had　pleaded　guilty　to　having
given　the　powder。

〃Yes；　but　thinking　it　was　opium；〃　said　the　merchant。

〃Opium　can　also　deprive　one　of　life；〃　said　the　colonel；　who　was
fond　of　wandering　from　the　subject；　and　he　began　telling　how　his
brother…in…law's　wife　would　have　died　of　an　overdose　of　opium　if
there　had　not　been　a　doctor　near　at　hand　to　take　the　necessary
measures。　The　colonel　told　his　story　so　impressively；　with　such
self…possession　and　dignity；　that　no　one　had　the　courage　to
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　wha