Resurrection

The back was all taken up by seats in tiers. Sitting on the front

seats were four women, either servant or factory girls, and two

working men, evidently overawed by the grandeur of the room, and

not venturing to speak above a whisper.

Soon after the jury had come in the usher entered, with his

sideward gait, and stepping to the front, called out in a loud

voice, as if he meant to frighten those present, "The Court is

coming!" Every one got up as the members stepped on to the

platform. Among them the president, with his muscles and fine

whiskers. Next came the gloomy member of the Court, who was now

more gloomy than ever, having met his brother-in-law, who

informed him that he had just called in to see his sister (the

member's wife), and that she had told him that there would be no

dinner there.

"So that, evidently, we shall have to call in at a cook shop,"

the brother-in-law added, laughing.

"It is not at all funny," said the gloomy member, and became

gloomier still.

Then at last came the third member of the Court, the same Matthew

Nikitich, who was always late. He was a bearded man, with large,

round, kindly eyes. He was suffering from a catarrh of the

stomach, and, according to his doctor's advice, he had begun

trying a new treatment, and this had kept him at home longer than

usual. Now, as he was ascending the platform, he had a pensive

air. He was in the habit of making guesses in answer to all sorts

of self-put questions by different curious means. Just now he had

asked whether the new treatment would be beneficial, and had

decided that it would cure his catarrh if the number of steps

from the door to his chair would divide by three. He made 26

steps, but managed to get in a 27th just by his chair.

The figures of the president and the members in their uniforms,

with gold-embroidered collars, looked very imposing. They seemed

to feel this themselves, and, as if overpowered by their own

grandeur, hurriedly sat down on the high backed chairs behind the

table with the green cloth, on which were a triangular article

with an eagle at the top, two glass vases--something like those

in which sweetmeats are kept in refreshment rooms--an inkstand,

pens, clean paper, and good, newly-cut pencils of different

kinds.

The public prosecutor came in with the judges. With his portfolio

under one arm, and swinging the other, he hurriedly walked to his

seat near the window, and was instantly absorbed in reading and

looking through the papers, not wasting a single moment, in hope

of being ready when the business commenced. He had been public

prosecutor but a short time, and had only prosecuted four times

before this. He was very ambitious, and had firmly made up his

mind to get on, and therefore thought it necessary to get a

conviction whenever he prosecuted. He knew the chief facts of the

poisoning case, and had already formed a plan of action. He only

wanted to copy out a few points which he required.