"Declined!" a high boyish voice replied.
Again it began, and again "Declined." And so it went on for about
an hour. Levin, with his elbows on the balustrade, looked and
listened. At first he wondered and wanted to know what it meant;
then feeling sure that he could not make it out he began to be
bored. Then recalling all the excitement and vindictiveness he
had seen on all the faces, he felt sad; he made up his mind to
go, and went downstairs. As he passed through the entry to the
galleries he met a dejected high school boy walking up and down
with tired-looking eyes. On the stairs he met a couple--a lady
running quickly on her high heels and the jaunty deputy
prosecutor.
"I told you you weren't late," the deputy prosecutor was saying
at the moment when Levin moved aside to let the lady pass.
Levin was on the stairs to the way out, and was just feeling in
his waistcoat pocket for the number of his overcoat, when the
secretary overtook him.
"This way, please, Konstantin Dmitrievitch; they are voting."
The candidate who was being voted on was Nevyedovsky, who had so
stoutly denied all idea of standing. Levin went up to the door
of the room; it was locked. The secretary knocked, the door
opened, and Levin was met by two red-faced gentlemen, who darted
out.
"I can't stand any more of it," said one red-faced gentleman.
After them the face of the marshal of the province was poked out.
His face was dreadful-looking from exhaustion and dismay.
"I told you not to let any one out!" he cried to the doorkeeper.
"I let someone in, your excellency!"
"Mercy on us!" and with a heavy sigh the marshal of the province
walked with downcast head to the high table in the middle of the
room, his legs staggering in his white trousers.
Nevyedovsky had scored a higher majority, as they had planned,
and he was the new marshal of the province. Many people were
amused, many were pleased and happy, many were in ecstasies, many
were disgusted and unhappy. The former marshal of the province
was in a state of despair, which he could not conceal. When
Nevyedovsky went out of the room, the crowd thronged round him
and followed him enthusiastically, just as they had followed the
governor who had opened the meetings, and just as they had
followed Snetkov when he was elected.