Chapter 25 Part One - Twenty Two

After the defendants made their final statements and all parties concerned discussed the formulation of the question for a while, and all the questions were settled, the president of the court made a concluding speech. Before narrating the case, he explained to the jurors for a long time in a friendly and pleasant tone that robbery is robbery, stealing is stealing, stealing from a locked place is stealing from a locked place, and stealing from an unlocked place is a crime. Steal from unlocked places.When he was explaining, he kept looking at Nekhludoff, as if hoping that he would understand this important joint, so that he could explain it to his colleagues.Then he thought that the jurors had fully understood these reasons, and began to explain another reason: the act of killing a person is called murder, so poisoning is also a kind of murder.When he felt that this truth was also understood by the jurors, he explained to them that if the theft and murder happened at the same time, then the theft and murder constituted criminal elements.

Although he himself wanted to get away quickly, because the Swiss woman was waiting for him there, he was so used to this job that he couldn't hold back his mouth at first, so he explained to the jurors in detail that if they If they find the accused guilty, they have the right to acquit them; if they think the accused not guilty, they have the right to acquit them; They commit one crime and not the other.He then explained to them that although they had this right, they had to use it reasonably.He also wanted to explain to them that if they answered affirmatively to the questions posed, it meant that they adjudicated all the crimes raised in the questions; Reservations.At this moment, looking at his pocket watch, he saw that it was only five minutes to three o'clock, and decided to turn at once to the case.

"This is the case," he began, repeating what the defense, the deputy prosecutor, and the witnesses had said several times. The chief judge was speaking, and the judges on both sides listened in a contemplative manner. Occasionally looking at their watches, they felt that his speech was very good, that is to say, it followed the rules, but it took a little longer.Whether it's the deputy prosecutor, or other officials in the court and those present, everyone feels the same way.Finally, the President concluded his concluding remarks. Everything that needs to be said seems to have been said.But the president refused to give up his right to speak.Satisfied with the cadence of his own voice, he thought it necessary to say a few more words to emphasize the importance of the rights enjoyed by jurors, pointing out that they must be cautious in exercising this right and must not abuse it, because they have taken an oath, they are members of society. conscience, the sacred secrets of the jury chamber must be guarded, etc., etc.

As soon as the president began to speak, Maslova fixed her eyes on him, as if afraid of missing a word.In this way, Nekhludoff did not have to worry about meeting her eyes, but kept looking at her, and something happened in his mind: when a loved one was reunited after a long absence, her appearance, which had been weathered all these years, surprised him. , but then through the appearance, her original face gradually recovered, and the main features of that unparalleled person appeared in Nekhludoff's mind. This was what happened in Nekhludoff's mind. Yes, in spite of her prison robes, her fat body, her high breasts, her wide chin, her brow and temples wrinkled, her puffy eyes, she was indeed Katyusha, with her eyes full of life at Easter dawn. Katyusha gazed at him, the beloved, from head to toe with joyful, passionate eyes, and innocently smiling.

"There is such a coincidence! I have been in my jury court for trial. I haven't seen her in ten years, but I saw her in the dock here! How will this matter end? I hope it will end sooner, sooner! " Regret arose in him, but he did not want to let it rule him yet.He thought it was an accident that would pass shortly and not harm his life.He felt like a little dog who had done something wrong, and whose master had taken him by the scruff of the neck, and pressed his nose to the place where the trouble had been done.The little dog squealed wildly, planted its feet on the ground, and drew back, trying to get away from the place where it had caused its trouble and forget it, but its master would not let it go.Nekhludoff, too, felt the baseness of his previous conduct, and felt the strong hand of his master, but he still did not understand the consequences of what he had done, and did not recognize that he had a master over his destiny.He still didn't want to believe that he was responsible for this incident.But the invisible hand held him tightly, and he felt unable to escape.He was still pretending to be a hero, sitting in the second seat in the first row as if nothing had happened, crossing one leg on the other as he used to, fiddling with his pince-nez casually.But deep down he had felt how cruel, vile, and vile, not only that act, but his whole life of idleness, dissipation, cruelty, and self-satisfaction.For the past twelve years a dreadful veil had veiled his eyes from that crime and the whole life that had followed it.Now the curtain is fluttering, and he has occasionally seen the scene behind the curtain.