In this state of mind Nekhludoff left the Court and went into the
jurymen's room. He sat by the window smoking all the while, and
hearing what was being said around him.
The merry merchant seemed with all his heart to sympathise with
Smelkoff's way of spending his time. "There, old fellow, that was
something like! Real Siberian fashion! He knew what he was about,
no fear! That's the sort of wench for me."
The foreman was stating his conviction, that in some way or other
the expert's conclusions were the important thing. Peter
Gerasimovitch was joking about something with the Jewish clerk,
and they burst out laughing. Nekhludoff answered all the
questions addressed to him in monosyllables and longed only to be
left in peace.
When the usher, with his sideways gait, called the jury back to
the Court, Nekhludoff was seized with fear, as if he were not
going to judge, but to be judged. In the depth of his soul he
felt that he was a scoundrel, who ought to be ashamed to look
people in the face, yet, by sheer force of habit, he stepped on
to the platform in his usual self-possessed manner, and sat down,
crossing his legs and playing with his pince-nez.
The prisoners had also been led out, and were now brought in
again. There were some new faces in the Court witnesses, and
Nekhludoff noticed that Maslova could not take her eyes off a
very fat woman who sat in the row in front of the grating, very
showily dressed in silk and velvet, a high hat with a large bow
on her head, and an elegant little reticule on her arm, which was
bare to the elbow. This was, as he subsequently found out, one of
the witnesses, the mistress of the establishment to which Maslova
had belonged.
The examination of the witnesses commenced: they were asked their
names, religion, etc. Then, after some consultation as to whether
the witnesses were to be sworn in or not, the old priest came in
again, dragging his legs with difficulty, and, again arranging
the golden cross on his breast, swore the witnesses and the
expert in the same quiet manner, and with the same assurance that
he was doing something useful and important.
The witnesses having been sworn, all but Kitaeva, the keeper of
the house, were led out again. She was asked what she knew about
this affair. Kitaeva nodded her head and the big hat at every
sentence and smiled affectedly. She gave a very full and
intelligent account, speaking with a strong German accent. First
of all, the hotel servant Simeon, whom she knew, came to her
establishment on behalf of a rich Siberian merchant, and she sent
Lubov back with him. After a time Lubov returned with the
merchant. The merchant was already somewhat intoxicated--she
smiled as she said this--and went on drinking and treating the
girls. He was short of money. He sent this same Lubov to his
lodgings. He had taken a "predilection" to her. She looked at the
prisoner as she said this.