Chapter 27 Part One - Twenty Four

Peter Gerasimovic's speculation was correct. The president came back from the meeting room, and with the official document in his hand, he read out: "On April 28, 188×, the criminal court of this district court complied with His Majesty's imperial decree, and according to the verdict of the jurors, according to Article 771, Paragraph 3, and Article 777 of the Criminal Procedure Law Paragraph 3 of Article 16 and Article 777 are judged as follows: Peasant Simon Karzinkin, aged thirty-three, and townsman Ekaterina Maslova, aged twenty-seven, were deprived of all public rights. Rights, exile and hard labor: Karzinkin for eight years, Maslova for four years, and bear the consequences listed in Article 28 of the Criminal Code. Petty citizen Yefimya Bochkova, aged 43, deprived of all public rights rights and privileges, confiscation of their property, imprisonment for three years, and the consequences listed in Article 49 of the Criminal Law. The litigation costs of this case shall be shared equally by the defendants, and if the defendants are unable to pay, they shall be paid by the treasury. , the wine bottle was destroyed."

Karzinkin was still standing upright, with his hands stuck to the seams of his trouser legs, his fingers spread apart, and the muscles on his cheeks trembling constantly.Bauchkova looked nonchalant. Maslova blushed when she heard the sentence. "I am not guilty, not guilty!" she suddenly shouted to the whole court. "I'm wronged! I'm not guilty! I didn't think anything bad, I didn't even think about it. I'm telling the truth, the truth!" She sat down on the bench and burst into tears. Karzinkin and Bochkova came out of the courtroom, but Maslova sat there weeping so bitterly that the gendarme had to tug at her sleeves.

"No, it can't be over like this," Nekhludoff said to himself, completely forgetting the vile feeling he had just had.He couldn't help but rush into the corridor, wanting to see her again.The door was crowded with jurors and lawyers, talking and laughing, happy to finish the case.Nekhludoff had to stop at the door for a few minutes.When he came into the corridor, Maslova was already gone.He walked quickly, ignoring other people's attention, and didn't stop until he caught up with her.She had stopped crying and was just whimpering and wiping her red-stained face with the end of her kerchief.She walked past him without looking back.When she had passed, Nekhludoff turned hastily back, trying to find the presiding judge, but the presiding judge had gone away.

Nekhludoff did not catch up to him until the porter. "Monsieur President," said Nekhludoff, approaching him, as the President put on his light overcoat and took the silver-encrusted cane from the porter, "I can talk to you about the one who has just been judged." Case? I'm a juror." "Oh, of course, you are Prince Nekhludoff? It is an honor, we have met before," said the president, shaking Nekhludoff's hand, thinking happily of the evening when they met, when Nekhludoff danced so beautifully and lightly, better than all the young men. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"The answer about Maslova is a bit of a misunderstanding. She was not guilty of poisoning, but she was sentenced to hard labor," said Nekhludoff, frowning. "The court judged based on your answers," said the president, walking towards the gate, "although the court also feels that your answers do not conform to the facts of the case." Only then did the judge remember that he wanted to explain to the jurors that since they answered, "Yes, she committed the crime," without denying the intentional homicide, they had affirmed the intentional homicide, but he was anxious to bring the case to justice. After finishing it, he didn't say that.

"Yes, can't it be corrected even if there is a mistake?" "There can always be grounds for an appeal. This is a matter to be consulted with a lawyer," said the President, putting his hat on one side slightly on his head, and continuing towards the door. "This is outrageous." "But you must understand that there are only two roads ahead of Maslova," said the president, evidently trying to please Nekhludoff and be more polite to him.He straightened his beard outside the collar of his coat, took Nekhludoff's elbow lightly, and walked towards the door, saying: "Are you going too?"

"Yes," said Nekhludoff, hastily put on his overcoat, and followed him out. They came out into the joyously bright sunshine, and at once they were compelled to speak aloud by the noise of the wheels in the street. "You see, the situation is a little strange," said the presiding judge, opening his voice. "There were two paths before that Maslova: one was almost acquitted, and she was imprisoned for a while, and the deduction of the prison sentence was deducted." The other is hard labor. There is no middle way. If you could have added, 'But not with intent to murder,' she would have been acquitted."

"Damn me for ignoring that," said Nekhludoff. "Yes, that's the point," said the President, smiling, looking at his watch. It was only three quarters of an hour before the time Clara agreed upon. "If you like, you can go to a lawyer now. You must find a ground of appeal. You can always find it. Go to the Rue Noble," he replied to the coachman. "Yes, sir, please get in the car." "Good-bye. If there is anything I can do for you, please come to Dvornikov's house on Noble Street. The name of the place is easy to remember." He bowed cordially, got into the car and left.