As if to spite him, the case dragged out to a weary length. After the
examination of the witnesses and the expert, and after all the
unnecessary questions by the prosecutor and the attorneys, usually
made with an important air, the justiciary told the jury to look at
the exhibits, which consisted of an enormous ring with a diamond
rosette, evidently made for the forefinger, and a glass tube
containing the poison. These were sealed and labeled.
The jury were preparing to view these things, when the prosecutor rose
again and demanded that before the exhibits were examined the medical
report of the condition of the body be read.
The justiciary was hurrying the case, and though he knew that the
reading of the report would only bring ennui and delay the dinner, and
that the prosecutor demanded it only because he had the right to do
so, he could not refuse the request and gave his consent. The
secretary produced the report, and, lisping the letters l and r, began
to read in a sad voice.
The external examination disclosed:
1. The height of Therapout Smelkoff was six feet five inches.
"But what a huge fellow," the merchant whispered in Nekhludoff's ear
with solicitude.
2. From external appearances he seemed to be about forty years of age.
3. The body had a swollen appearance.
4. The color of the pall was green, streaked with dark spots.
5. The skin on the surface of the body rose in bubbles of various
sizes, and in places hung in patches.
6. The hair was dark and thick, and fell off at a slight touch.
7. The eyes came out of their orbits, and the pupils were dull.
8. A frothy, serous fluid flowed continuously from the cavity of the
mouth, the nostrils and ears. The mouth was half open.
9. The neck almost disappeared in the swelling of the face and breast,
et cetera, et cetera.
Thus, over four pages and twenty-seven clauses, ran the description of
the external appearance of the terrible, large, stout, swollen and
decomposing body of the merchant who amused himself in the city. The
loathing which Nekhludoff felt increased with the reading of the
description. Katiousha's life, the sanies running from the nostrils,
the eyes that came out of their sockets, and his conduct toward
her--all seemed to him to belong to the same order, and he was
surrounded and swallowed up by these things. When the reading was
finally over, the justiciary sighed deeply and raised his head in the
hope that it was all over, but the secretary immediately began to read
the report on the internal condition of the body.
The justiciary again bent his head, and, leaning on his hand, closed
his eyes. The merchant, who sat near Nekhludoff, barely kept awake,
and from time to time swayed his body. The prisoners as well as the
gendarmes behind them sat motionless.
The internal examination disclosed:
1. The skin covering of the skull easily detached, and no hemorrhage
was noticeable. 2. The skull bones were of average thickness and
uninjured. 3. On the hard membrane of the skull there were two small
discolored spots of about the size of four centimetres, the membrane
itself being of a dull gray color, et cetera, et cetera, to the end of
thirteen more clauses.
Then came the names of the witnesses, the signature and deduction of
the physician, from which it appeared that the changes found in the
stomach, intestines and kidneys justified the conclusion "to a large
degree probable" that the death of Smelkoff was due to poison taken
into the stomach with a quantity of wine. That it was impossible to
tell by the changes in the stomach and intestines the name of the
poison; and that the poison came into the stomach mixed with wine
could be inferred from the fact that Smelkoff's stomach contained a
large quantity of wine.
"He must have drank like a fish," again whispered the awakened
merchant.
The reading of this official report, which lasted about two hours, did
not satisfy, however, the prosecutor. When it was over the justiciary
turned to him, saying:
"I suppose it is superfluous to read the record of the examination of
the intestines."
"I would ask that it be read," sternly said the prosecutor without
looking at the justiciary, sidewise raising himself, and impressing by
the tone of his voice that it was his right to demand it, that he
would insist on it, and that a refusal would be ground for appeal.
The associate with the long beard and kind, drooping eyes, who was
suffering from catarrh, feeling very weak, turned to the justiciary:
"What is the good of reading it? It will only drag the matter out.
These new brooms only take a longer time to sweep, but do not sweep
any cleaner."
The associate in the gold eye-glasses said nothing, and gloomily and
determinedly looked in front of him, expecting nothing good either
from his wife or from the world.
The report commenced thus: "February 15th, 188-. The undersigned, in
pursuance of an order, No. 638, of the Medical Department," began the
secretary with resolution, raising the pitch of his voice, as if to
dispel the drowsiness that seized upon every one present, "and in the
presence of the assistant medical director, examined the following
intestines:
"1. The right lung and heart (contained in a five-pound glass vial).
"2. The contents of the stomach (contained in a five-pound glass
vial).
"3. The stomach itself (contained in a five-pound glass vial).
"4. The kidneys, liver and spleen (contained in a two-and-a-half-pound
glass vial).
"5. The entrails (contained in a five-pound earthen jar)."
As the reading of this report began the justiciary leaned over to one
of his associates and whispered something, then to the other, and,
receiving affirmative answers, interrupted the reading at this point.
"The Court finds the reading of the report superfluous," he said.
The secretary closed reading and gathered up his papers, while the
prosecutor angrily began to make notes.
"The gentlemen of the jury may now view the exhibits," said the
justiciary.
The foreman and some of the jury rose from their seats, and, holding
their hands in awkward positions, approached the table and looked in
turn on the ring, vials and jars. The merchant even tried the ring on
his finger.
"What a finger he had," he said, returning to his seat. "It must have
been the size of a large cucumber," he added, evidently amused by the
giant figure of the merchant, as he imagined him.