Chapter 80 Part Two - Eighteen

The next day, just as Nekhludoff was dressed and about to go downstairs, the footman brought him the calling card of the Moscow lawyer.The lawyer was here on his own business, but if the Privy Council trial of the Maslova case was imminent, he would be willing to appear.The telegram sent by Nekhludoff happened to be staggered with him.He smiled when Nekhludoff told him when Maslova's case was to be heard, and by which privy councilors. "These three privy officers are exactly three types," he said. "Wolf is a typical Petersburg bureaucrat, Skovorodnikov is a learned jurist, and Bay is a down-to-earth jurist, so he is the liveliest of the three," the lawyer said. "Hope is in him, too. Now, how's the matter going with the Board of Appeals?"

"Well, today I'm going to see Baron Vorobyov. I didn't have a chance to see him yesterday." "Do you know how Vorobyov became a baron?" said the lawyer, answering Nekhludoff's comical tone when he spoke of this purely Russian surname and foreign title. "Emperor Paul gave it to his grandfather for some reason, and his grandfather was probably a servant. He didn't know what had won the emperor's favor. The emperor said: 'Make him a baron, it's my will, no one else. Stop it.' And here comes Baron Vorobyov. He's very proud of it. A cunning old man, really."

-------- ① Refers to the Russian Emperor Paul I (1754-1801), who reigned from 1796 to 1801. "Then I'll go and see him now," said Nekhludoff. "Well, that's great, let's go together. I'll take you there by car." Before leaving, Nekhludoff received in the anteroom a letter in French from Mariette that the footman had handed him. "I do not hesitate to violate my principles, and I obey my orders to intercede before my husband for the man you have protected. The man will soon be released. The husband has sent a letter to the commandant. Come and see me, then. We will wait You. Mar."

"What does that sound like?" Nekhludoff said to the lawyer. "It's really terrible! A woman was imprisoned in a single cell for seven months without any crime. Now it only takes one sentence to release her." "It's always been like this. Well, at least your wish has been granted." "Yes, but the matter is so easy to solve, but it makes me feel uncomfortable. May I ask: what is going on there?Why on earth was she locked up? " "Well, it's better not to get to the bottom of things like this. I'll take you there," said the lawyer, as they reached the front steps.The beautiful limousine hired by the lawyer came to the door. "You are going to Baron Vorobyov now, are you?"

The lawyer told the driver where to go.A few fine horses brought Nekhludoff to the baron's door.The Baron is at home.In the first room after entering the door, there was a young official in a civil uniform. He had a particularly slender neck, a protruding Adam's apple, and his steps were very soft. There were two other wives. "What's your surname?" asked the young official with a prominent Adam's apple, walking from the two wives to Nekhludoff with extraordinary ease. Nekhludoff gave his name. "The Baron spoke of you. Please wait a moment!" The young official entered a closed room and led out from there a lady in mourning with tears on her face.With bony fingers the lady lowered the veil that was carelessly rolled up to hide the tears.

"Come in!" said the young official to Nekhludoff, walked lightly to the door of the study, opened it, and stood there. Nekhludoff went into the study and saw sitting in an armchair behind a large writing desk a sturdy man of medium height, with short-cropped hair and a frock coat, looking cheerfully ahead.As soon as he saw Nekhludoff, he smiled kindly on his kind face with bright red cheeks and white beard. "I'm glad to see you. Lingtang and I have known each other for a long time. We are old friends. I saw you when you were a child, and I saw you again when you became an officer. Okay, please sit down, tell me, do you have any?" What can I do for you? Yes, yes," he said, listening to Nekhludoff's story about Fedosya, shaking his white-haired head in a short crop.

"Tell me, tell me, I understand everything. Yes, yes, it is a very touching thing. You have appealed, then?" "I have prepared the appeal," said Nekhludoff, taking the petition from his pocket. "But I would like to ask your attention to this case." "You've done well. I'll be sure to bring the case up myself," said the baron, trying to feign pity on his cheerful face, but it didn't look like "it's a very touching case. It looks like she's still a My child, at first her husband treated her so roughly that she hated him, but after a while they reconciled... Yes, I'm going to make the case up."

"Count Charsky said he was going to intercede with the Queen." Nekhludoff hadn't finished speaking when the baron's face changed suddenly. "But send the appeal to the office, I will do my best," he said to Nekhludoff. At this time, the young official came in again, obviously intending to show off his smart gait. "The lady asked for a few more words." "Well, let her come! Oh, boy, how many tears you'll see here, if only you could dry them all! But only as much as you can." The lady came in. "I forgot to beg you, but you can't let him abandon his daughter, because he has already made up his mind..."

"Didn't I say I'd do my best?" "For God's sake, Baron, save me, mother!" She grabbed his hand and kissed it. "Anything will work out." When the lady had left, Nekhludoff also got up to take his leave. "We're going to do our best. We're going to talk to the Justice Department. They'll give us an answer. Then we'll do what we can." Nekhludoff left the room and walked through the office.Like in the Privy Council, he saw many beautiful officials in this beautiful room, all of them were neat and clean, courteous, dignified and elegant in clothes, and spoke solemnly and clearly.

"There are so many of them, there are so many! How well-kept their bodies are, how clean their shirts and hands are, and how well-polished their boots are. Who are they relying on? Let alone prisoners How rich and well-to-do they look, even compared with the peasants!" Nekhludoff couldn't help thinking again.