复活 Resurrection 23

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复活Resurrection23
THETRIALTHEVERDICT.
Atlastthepresidentfinishedhisspeech,andliftingthelistofquestionswithagracefulmovementofhisarmhehandedittotheforeman,whocameuptotakeit.Thejury,gladtobeabletogetintothedebatingcourt,gotuponeaftertheotherandlefttheroom,lookingasifabitashamedofthemlvesandagainnotknowingwhattodowiththeirhands.Assoonasthedoorwasclodbehindthemagendarmecameuptoit,pulledhisswordoutofthescabbard,and,holdingitupagainsthisshoulder,stoodatthedoor.Thejudgesgotupandwentaway.Theprisonerswerealsoledout.Whenthejurycameintothedebatingroomthefirstthingtheydidwastotakeouttheircigarettes,asbefore,andbeginsmoking.Thenoftheunnaturalnessandfalnessoftheirposition,whichallofthemhadexperiencedwhilesittingintheirplacesinthecourt,pasdwhentheyenteredthedebatingroomandstartedsmoking,andtheyttleddownwithafeelingofreliefandatoncebeganananimatedconversation.
"'Tisn'tthegirl'sfault.She'sgotmixedupinit,"saidthekindlymerchant."Wemustrecommendhertomercy."
"That'sjustwhatwearegoingtoconsider,"saidtheforeman."Wemustnotgivewaytoourpersonalimpressions."
"Thepresident'ssummingupwasgood,"remarkedthecolonel.
"Good?Why,itnearlyntmetosleep!"
"ThechiefpointisthatthervantscouldhaveknownnothingaboutthemoneyifMaslovahadnotbeeninaccordwiththem,"saidtheclerkofJewishextraction.
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"Well,doyouthinkthatitwasshewhostolethemoney?"askedoneofthejury.
"Iwillneverbelieveit,"criedthekindlymerchant;"itwasallthatredeyedhag'sdoing."
"Theyareanicelot,allofthem,"saidthecolonel.
"Butshesayssheneverwentintotheroom."
"Oh,believeherbyallmeans."
"Ishouldnotbelievethatjade,notfortheworld."
"Whetheryoubelieveherornotdoesnotttlethequestion,"saidtheclerk.
"Thegirlhadthekey,"saidthecolonel.
"Whatifshehad?"retortedthemerchant.
"Andthering?"
"Butdidn'tshesayallaboutit?"againcriedthemerchant."Thefellowhadatemperofhisown,andhadhadadroptoomuchbesides,andgavethegirlalicking;whatcouldbesimpler?Well,thenhe'ssorryquitenaturally.'There,nevermind,'sayshe;'takethis.'Why,Iheardthemsayhewassixfootfivehigh;Ishouldthinkhemusthaveweighedabout20stones."
"That'snotthepoint,"saidPeterGerasimovitch."Thequestionis,whethershewastheinstigatorandinciterinthisaffair,orthervants?"
"Itwasnotpossibleforthervantstodoitalone;shehadthekey."
Thiskindofrandomtalkwentonforaconsiderabletime.Atlasttheforemansaid:"Ibegyourpardon,gentlemen,buthadwenotbettertakeourplacesatthetableanddiscussthematter?Come,plea."Andhetookthechair.
Thequestionswereexpresdinthefollowingmanner.
1.IsthepeasantofthevillageBorki,Krapivinskiadistrict,SimeonPetrovKartinkin,33yearsofage,guiltyofhaving,inagreementwithotherpersons,giventhemerchantSmelkoff,onthe17thJanuary,188,inthetownofN,withintenttodeprivehimoflife,forthepurpoofrobbinghim,poisonedbrandy,whichcaudSmelkoff'sdeath,andofhavingstolenfromhimabout2,500roublesinmoneyandadiamondring?
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2.IsthemeschankaEuphemiaIvanovnaBotchkova,43yearsofage,guiltyofthecrimesdescribedabove?
3.IsthemeschankaKaterinaMichaelovnaMaslova,27yearsofage,guiltyofthecrimesdescribedinthefirstquestion?
4.IftheprisonerEuphemiaBotchkovaisnotguiltyaccordingtothefirstquestion,isshenotguiltyofhaving,onthe17thJanuary,inthetownofN,whileinrviceatthehotelMauritania,stolenfromalockedportmanteau,belongingtothemerchantSmelkoff,alodgerinthathotel,andwhichwasintheroomoccupiedbyhim,2,500roubles,forwhichobjectsheunlockedtheportmanteauwithakeyshebroughtandfittedtothelock?
Theforemanreadthefirstquestion.
"Well,gentlemen,whatdoyouthink?"Thisquestionwasquicklyanswered.Allagreedtosay"Guilty,"asifconvincedthatKartinkinhadtakenpartbothinthepoisoningandtherobbery.Anoldartelshik,[memberofanartel,anassociationofworkmen,inwhichthemembersshareprofitsandliabilities]whoanswerswereallinfavourofacquittal,wastheonlyexception.
Theforemanthoughthedidnotunderstand,andbegantopointouttohimthateverythingtendedtoproveKartinkin'sguilt.Theoldmanansweredthathedidunderstand,butstillthoughtitbettertohavepityonhim."Wearenotsaintsourlves,"andhekepttohisopinion.
TheanswertothecondquestionconcerningBotchkovawas,aftermuchdisputeandmanyexclamations,answeredbythewords,"Notguilty,"therebeingnoclearproofsofherhavingtakenpartinthepoisoningafactheradvocatehadstronglyinsistedon.Themerchant,anxioustoacquitMaslova,insistedthatBotchkovawasthechiefinstigatorofitall.Manyofthejurysharedthisview,buttheforeman,wishingtobeinstrictaccordwiththelaw,declaredtheyhadnogroundstoconsiderherasanaccompliceinthepoisoning.Aftermuchdisputingtheforeman'sopiniontriumphed.
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TothefourthquestionconcerningBotchkovatheanswerwas"Guilty."Butontheartelshik'sinsistenceshewasrecommendedtomercy.
Thethirdquestion,concerningMaslova,raidafiercedispute.Theforemanmaintainedshewasguiltybothofthepoisoningandthetheft,towhichthemerchantwouldnotagree.Thecolonel,theclerkandtheoldartelshiksidedwiththemerchant,therestemedshaky,andtheopinionoftheforemanbegantogainground,chieflybecauallthejurymenweregettingtired,andpreferredtotakeuptheviewthatwouldbringthemsoonertoadecisionandthusliberatethem.
Fromallthathadpasd,andfromhisformerknowledgeofMaslova,Nekhludoffwascertainthatshewasinnocentofboththetheftandthepoisoning.Andhefeltsurethatalltheotherswouldcometothesameconclusion.Whenhesawthatthemerchant'sawkwarddefence(evidentlybadonhisphysicaladmirationforher,whichhedidnoteventrytohide)andtheforeman'sinsistence,andespeciallyeverybody'sweariness,werealltendingtohercondemnation,helongedtostatehisobjections,yetdarednot,lesthisrelationswithMaslovashouldbediscovered.Hefelthecouldnotallowthingstogoonwithoutstatinghisobjection;and,blushingandgrowingpaleagain,wasabouttospeakwhenPeterGerasimovitch,irritatedbytheauthoritativemanneroftheforeman,begantoraihisobjectionsandsaidtheverythingsNekhludoffwasabouttosay.
"Allowmeonemoment,"hesaid."Youemtothinkthatherhavingthekeyprovessheisguiltyofthetheft;butwhatcouldbeeasierthanforthervantstoopentheportmanteauwithafalkeyaftershewasgone?"
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"Ofcour,ofcour,"saidthemerchant.
"Shecouldnothavetakenthemoney,becauinherpositionshewouldhardlyknowwhattodowithit."
"That'sjustwhatIsay,"remarkedthemerchant.
"Butitisverylikelythathercomingputtheideaintothervants'headsandthattheygraspedtheopportunityandshovedalltheblameonher."PeterGerasimovitchspokesoirritablythattheforemanbecameirritatedtoo,andwentonobstinatelydefendingtheoppositeviews;butPeterGerasimovitchspokesoconvincinglythatthemajorityagreedwithhim,anddecidedthatMaslovawasnotguiltyofstealingthemoneyandthattheringwasgivenher.
Butwhenthequestionofherhavingtakenpartinthepoisoningwasraid,herzealousdefender,themerchant,declaredthatshemustbeacquitted,becaushecouldhavenoreasonforthepoisoning.Theforeman,however,saidthatitwasimpossibletoacquither,becausheherlfhadpleadedguiltytohavinggiventhepowder.
"Yes,butthinkingitwasopium,"saidthemerchant.
"Opiumcanalsodepriveoneoflife,"saidthecolonel,whowasfondofwanderingfromthesubject,andhebegantellinghowhisbrotherinlaw'swifewouldhavediedofanoverdoofopiumiftherehadnotbeenadoctornearathandtotakethenecessarymeasures.Thecoloneltoldhisstorysoimpressively,withsuchlfposssionanddignity,thatnoonehadthecouragetointerrupthim.Onlytheclerk,infectedbyhixample,decidedtobreakinwithastoryofhisown:"Therearesomewhogetsoudtoitthattheycantake40drops.Ihavearelative,"butthecolonelwouldnotstandtheinterruption,andwentontorelatewhateffectstheopiumhadonhisbrotherinlaw'swife.
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"But,gentlemen,doyouknowitisgettingontowardsfiveo'clock?"saidoneofthejury.
"Well,gentlemen,whatarewetosay,then?"inquiredtheforeman."Shallwesaysheisguilty,butwithoutintenttorob?Andwithoutstealinganyproperty?Willthatdo?"PeterGerasimovitch,pleadwithhisvictory,agreed.
"Butshemustberecommendedtomercy,"saidthemerchant.
Allagreed;onlytheoldartelshikinsistedthattheyshouldsay"Notguilty."
"Itcomestothesamething,"explainedtheforeman;"withoutintenttorob,andwithoutstealinganyproperty.Therefore,'Notguilty,'that'vident."
"Allright;that'lldo.Andwerecommendhertomercy,"saidthemerchant,gaily.
Theywereallsotired,soconfudbythediscussions,thatnobodythoughtofsayingthatshewasguiltyofgivingthepowderbutwithouttheintentoftakinglife.Nekhludoffwassoexcitedthathedidnotnoticethisomission,andsotheanswerswerewrittendownintheformagreeduponandtakentothecourt.
Rabelaissaysthatalawyerwhowastryingacaquotedallsortsoflaws,read20pagesofjudicialnlessLatin,andthenpropodtothejudgestothrowdice,andifthenumbersprovedoddthedefendantwouldheright,ifnot,theplaintiff.
Itwasmuchthesameinthisca.Theresolutionwastaken,notbecaueverybodyagreeduponit,butbecauthepresident,whohadbeensummingupatsuchlength,omittedtosaywhathealwayssaidonsuchoccasions,thattheanswermightbe,"Yes,guilty,butwithouttheintentoftakinglife;"becauthecolonelhadrelatedthestoryofhisbrotherinlaw'swifeatsuchgreatlength;becauNekhludoffwastooexcitedtonoticethattheproviso"withoutintenttotakelife"hadbeenomitted,andthoughtthatthewords"withoutintent"nullifiedtheconviction;becauPeterGerasimovitchhadretiredfromtheroomwhilethequestionsandanswerswerebeingread,andchieflybecau,beingtired,andwishingtogetawayassoonaspossible,allwerereadytoagreewiththedecisionwhichwouldbringmatterstoanendsoonest.
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Thejurymenrangthebell.Thegendarmewhohadstoodoutsidethedoorwithhissworddrawnputtheswordbackintothescabbardandsteppedaside.Thejudgestooktheiratsandthejurycameoutonebyone.
Theforemanbroughtinthepaperwithanairofsolemnityandhandedittothepresident,wholookedatit,and,spreadingouthishandsinastonishment,turnedtoconsulthiscompanions.Thepresidentwassurpridthatthejury,havingputinaprovisowithoutintenttorobdidnotputinacondprovisowithoutintenttotakelife.FromthedecisionofthejuryitfollowedthatMaslovahadnotstolen,norrobbed,andyetpoisonedamanwithoutanyapparentreason.
"Justewhatanabsurddecisiontheyhavecometo,"hewhisperedtothememberonhisleft."ThismeanspenalrvitudeinSiberia,andsheisinnocent."
"Surelyyoudonotmeantosaysheisinnocent?"answeredtheriousmember.
"Yes,sheispositivelyinnocent.IthinkthisisacaforputtingArticle817intopractice(Article817statesthatiftheCourtconsidersthedecisionofthejuryunjustitmaytitaside)."
"Whatdoyouthink?"saidthepresident,turningtotheothermember.Thekindlymemberdidnotansweratonce.Helookedatthenumberonapaperbeforehimandaddedupthefigures;thesumwouldnotdividebythree.Hehadttledinhismindthatifitdiddividebythreehewouldagreetothepresident'sproposal,butthoughthesumwouldnotsodividehiskindnessmadehimagreeallthesame.
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"I,too,thinkitshouldhedone,"hesaid.
"Andyou?"askedthepresident,turningtotheriousmember.
"Onnoaccount,"heanswered,firmly."Asitis,thepapersaccuthejuryofacquittingprisoners.WhatwilltheysayiftheCourtdoesit?I,shallnotagreetothatonanyaccount."
Thepresidentlookedathiswatch."Itisapity,butwhat'stobedone?"andhandedthequestionstotheforemantoreadout.Allgotup,andtheforeman,steppingfromfoottofoot,coughed,andreadthequestionsandtheanswers.AlltheCourt,cretary,advocates,andeventhepublicprocutor,expresdsurpri.Theprisonerssatimpassive,evidentlynotunderstandingthemeaningoftheanswers.Everybodysatdownagain,andthepresidentaskedtheprocutorwhatpunishmentstheprisonersweretobesubjec