Chapter 84 Part Two - Twenty Two

"No reason!" said Nekhludoff, entering the reception room with the lawyer who had packed his bag. "For such a clear and obvious case, they still have to hold on to the form and dismiss it. It's really unreasonable!" "The case was botched in the original court," the attorney said. "Even Selenin insisted on refusal. How unreasonable, really unreasonable!" repeated Nekhludoff. "What should we do now?" "Sue the imperial petition to the emperor. While you are here, hand over the petition in person. I will draft it for you." At that moment Wolf, a little man in uniform and with some stars, came into the reception room and came up to Nekhludoff.

"What can you do, my dear duke. There's no good reason," he said, closing his eyes, shrugging his shoulders, and walking away. Selenin also followed Wolfe out.He learned from the privy councilor that his old friend Nekhludoff was also there. "Oh, I didn't expect to meet you here," he said, going up to Nekhludoff, with a smile on his lips, but his eyes were still sad. "I didn't know you came to Petersburg at all." "I didn't know you became a prosecutor..." "Deputy prosecutor," Selenin corrected. "Why did you come to the Privy Council?" He looked at his friend sadly and dejectedly, and asked. "I heard you were in Petersburg. But how did you come here?"

"I'm here hoping for justice and the rescue of a woman who was innocently sentenced." "Which woman?" "It's the woman in the case that was judged just now." "Ah, the case of Maslova," said Selenin, remembering. "That appeal is completely baseless." "The problem is not the pleadings, it's the woman who did not commit a crime and was sentenced." Selenin sighed. "It's possible, but..." "It's not possible, but it's true..." "how do you know?" "Because I was a juror on that case. I know where we went wrong."

Selenin pondered. "It should have been announced then," he said. "I declared it." "It should be recorded and sent together when the appeal is made..." Selenin has always been busy with official duties and rarely participates in social activities. He obviously knew nothing about Nekhludoff's affair.Nekhludoff noticed this and decided not to mention his relationship with Maslova. "Yes, but even as it stands now, the original sentence is clearly ridiculous," he said. "The Privy Council has no right to say this. If the Privy Council thinks that the original judgment is unfair and revokes it, let alone that the Privy Council may lose its position, it will not be able to uphold justice, but it will be in danger of undermining justice," Xie Lenin recalled the incident just now. The case, on the other hand, "put aside that point, at least the jury's verdict would be rendered meaningless."

"All I know is that the woman was completely innocent and that the last hope of saving her from the punishment she didn't deserve is now lost. The highest authority sanctioned a completely illegal act." "The Privy Council did not approve because it did not examine and had no authority to examine the case itself," Selenin said, narrowing his eyes. "You probably live with your aunt," he added, obviously trying to change the subject. "I heard from her yesterday that you were here. The countess asked me to go to a party with you and listen to a foreigner's sermon," Selenin said with a smile on his lips.

"Yes, I went to listen to it, and it was so annoying that I left in the middle of it," said Nekhludoff angrily, annoyed by Selenin's diversion of the subject. "Oh, then why bother? It's nothing more than a religious feeling, though a little too much, a little sectarian," said Selenin. "It's just nonsense," said Nekhludoff. "Oh, that's not the case. The only thing that's strange is that we know so little about the teachings of the Church that we tend to regard some basic truths as new discoveries," said Selenin, as if eager to put his new ideas to rest. Insights told old friends.

Nekhludoff looked closely at Selenin in surprise.Selenin did not lower his eyes, his eyes were not only melancholy, but also malicious. "Do you believe in the teachings of the Church?" asked Nekhludoff. "Of course I do," replied Selenin, looking directly into Nekhludoff's eyes. Nekhludoff sighed. "It's weird," he said. "Well, we'll talk about it later," Selenin said. "I'll go right away," he said, turning to the civil marshal who had come up to him respectfully. "We must meet again sometime," he said emotionally. "Can I find you? As for me, I'm always at home before dinner at seven o'clock in the evening. I live on Najarizin Street," he said of his house number. "We haven't seen each other for so many years!" He added, with a smile on his lips again, and left.

"If I had time, I'd come to see you," said Nekhludoff, feeling that after this short conversation this sweet man had become strange, alienated, and incomprehensible, if not an enemy. if.