Chapter 61 Part One - Fifty Eight

"Well, come on, I'm at your service. Want a cigarette? Wait a minute, let's not dirty the place," said Maslennikov, bringing out an ashtray. "Well, tell me, what's the matter?" "I have two things to trouble you with." "I see." Maslennikov's face became gloomy and depressed.The look of excitement like a puppy whose ears have been scratched by its owner suddenly disappeared without a trace.There were conversations in the living room.A woman said: "I don't believe it at all, I don't believe it at all." A man across the drawing room repeated: "Countess Volendrova and Viktor Apraksin." laughing.Maslennikov listened attentively to the chatter and laughter in the drawing-room and to Nekhludoff.

"I still came to you about that woman," said Nekhludoff. "Oh, the woman who was wrongfully convicted? I know, I know." "I beg you to transfer her to work in the hospital. It is said that it can be done." Maslennikov pursed his lips, thinking about it. "I'm afraid not," he said. "I'll talk it over with them, though, and I'll call you back tomorrow." "I've heard there are a lot of sick people there and they need nurses." "Okay, okay. Either way, I'll get back to you." "Well, don't worry," said Nekhludoff.

There was a burst of laughter in the living room, which didn't sound like it was fake. "It's Viktor's fault," Maslennikov said with a smile. "When he's in a good mood, he's always very playful." "One more thing," said Nekhludoff, "there are still one hundred and thirty people in the prison. They have not committed any crimes, because their ID cards have expired. They have been there for a month." Nekhludoff explained how they were imprisoned. "How do you know these things?" Maslennikov asked, with a sudden look of anxiety and irritation on his face.

"I went to a defendant and they surrounded me in the hallway and demanded that I..." "Which defendant are you looking for?" "A farmer, he was charged for no reason, and I hired a lawyer for him. Let's not talk about it. Don't those people commit a crime, and they should go to jail just because their ID card expired?  …" "It's the prosecutor's business," Maslennikov interrupted Nekhludoff angrily. "That's what you call a speedy, fair trial. The deputy prosecutors are supposed to visit prisons to see if the detainees are complying with the law. But they don't do anything but play cards."

"Then you can't do anything?" Nekhludoff said angrily, remembering that the lawyer had said that the governor would put the blame on the prosecutor. "No, I'll take care of it. I'll get to it right away." "It's worse for her. The wretched woman," said a woman's voice from the living room, apparently indifferent to what had just been said. "That's better, I'll take this with me too," came a man's teasing voice from the other end, and a woman's laughter, who seemed unwilling to give him something. "No, no, nothing," said the woman's voice.

"Well, let me do those things," repeated Maslennikov, extinguishing his cigarette in his white hand with a turquoise ring. "Now let's go to the ladies." "By the way, there is one more thing," said Nekhludoff, stopping at the door without going into the drawing room. "I heard that someone was physically punished in the prison yesterday. Is there such a thing?" Maslennikov blushed. "Ah, are you talking about that? No, man, I really can't let you go to prison. You have to take care of your own business. Let's go, let's go, Anna is calling us," he said, holding Nie in his arms. Khludoff's arms were again very agitated, just like when the distinguished guest came, but at the moment it was not elation, but panic.

Nekhludoff withdrew his arm from Maslenilev's, without saying goodbye to anyone, without saying a word, and crossing the drawing-room and hall, passing the footmen standing up to greet him, gloomy, Go to the vestibule and onto the street. "What happened to him? What did you do to offend him?" Anna asked her husband. "He's French," someone said. "It's not French, it's Zulu." -------- ①A nation in southeastern Africa. "Well, he's always been like that." Someone got up to leave, someone just arrived, and the chirping conversation continued.The matter of Nekhludoff naturally became a good topic of conversation today.

Nekhludoff received a letter from Maslennikov the day after his visit.Maslennikov wrote boldly on a piece of smooth, waxed letter paper with his official title, that he had written to the doctor about the transfer of Maslova to the hospital, and that he expected to get his wish.The signature at the end of the letter is "Love your old colleague Maslennikov", and the name "Maslennikov" is signed in fancy and bold fonts. "Fool!" Nekhludoff couldn't help saying.From the word "colleague", I felt that Maslennikov was condescending to him, which meant that Maslennikov still considered himself an important person despite his shameless position.He claimed to be his colleague, if not flattering, at least he was not arrogant because of his eminence.