Rising the next morning Nekhludoff recalled the events of the previous
day and was seized with fear.
But, notwithstanding this fear, he was even more determined than
before to carry out his plan already begun.
With this consciousness of the duty that lay upon him he drove to
Maslenikoff for permission to visit in jail, besides Maslova, the old
woman Menshova and her son, of whom Maslova had spoken to him.
Besides, he also wished to see Bogodukhovskaia, who might be useful to
Maslova.
Nekhludoff had known Maslenikoff since they together served in the
army. Maslenikoff was the treasurer of the regiment. He was the most
kind-hearted officer, and possessed executive ability. Nothing in
society was of any interest to him, and he was entirely absorbed in
the affairs of the regiment. Nekhludoff now found him an administrator
in the civil government. He was married to a rich and energetic woman
to whom was due his change of occupation.
She laughed at him and patted him as she would a tamed animal.
Nekhludoff had visited them once the previous winter, but the couple
seemed so uninteresting to him that he never called again.
Maslenikoff's face became radiant when he saw Nekhludoff. His face was
as fat and red, his dress as excellent as when he served in the army.
As an army officer he was always neat, dressed in a tight uniform made
according to the latest style; now his dress fitted his well-fed body
as perfectly. He wore a uniform. Notwithstanding the difference in
their age--Maslenikoff was about forty--they familiarly "thoued" each
other.
"Very glad you remembered me. Come to my wife. I have just ten minutes
to spare, and then I must to the session. My chief, you know, is away.
I am directing the affairs of the district," he said, with joy which
he could not conceal.
"I came to you on business."
"What's that?" Maslenikoff said in a frightened and somewhat stern
voice, suddenly pricking his ears.
"There is a person in jail in whom I am very much interested;" at the
word "jail" Maslenikoff's face became even more stern, "and I would
like to have the right of interview in the office instead of the
common reception room, and oftener than on the appointed days. I was
told that it depended on you."
"Of course, mon cher, I am always ready to do anything for you,"
Maslenikoff said, touching his knees with both hands, as if desiring
to soften his own greatness. "I can do it, but you know I am caliph
only for an hour."
"So you can give me a pass that will enable me to see her?"
"It is a woman?"
"Yes."
"What is the charge against her?"
"Poisoning. But she was irregularly convicted."
"Yes, there is justice for you! Ils n'en font point d'autres," he
said, for some reason in French. "I know that you do not agree with
me, but c'est mon opinion bien arretee," he added, repeating the
opinion that had been reiterated during the past year by a retrograde,
conservative newspaper. "I know you are a liberal."
"I don't know whether I am a liberal or something else," smilingly
said Nekhludoff, who always wondered at being joined to some party, or
called a liberal only because he held that a man must not be judged
without being heard; that all are equal before the law; that it is
wrong to torture and beat people generally, especially those that are
not convicted. "I don't know whether I am a liberal or not, but I do
know that our present courts, bad as they are, are nevertheless better
than those that preceded them."
"And what lawyer have you retained?"
"I have retained Fanarin."
"Ah, Fanarin!" Maslenikoff said, frowning as he recalled how Fanarin,
examining him as a witness the year before, in the most polite manner
made him the butt of ridicule.
"I would not advise you to have anything to do with him. Fanarin est
un homme tare."
"I have another request to make of you," Nekhludoff said, without
answering him. "A long time ago I made the acquaintance of a girl
teacher, a very wretched creature. She is now in jail and desires to
see me. Can you give me a pass to her?"
Maslenikoff leaned his head to one side and began to reflect.
"She is a political."
"Yes, I was told so."
"You know politicals can only be seen by their relatives, but I will
give you a general pass. Je sais que vous n'abuserez pas----"
"What is the name of this your protege? Bogodukhovskaia? Elle est
jolie?"
"Hideuse."
Maslenikoff disapprovingly shook his head, went to the table and on a
sheet of paper with a printed letter-head wrote in a bold hand: "The
bearer, Prince Dmitri Ivanovich Nekhludoff, is hereby permitted to
visit the prisoners, Maslova and Bogodukhovskaia, now detained in the
prison," and signed his name to it with a broad flourish.
"You will see now what order there is in prison. And to keep order
there is very difficult, because it is overcrowded, especially by
those to be transported. But I watch over them, and like the
occupation. You will see there are very many there, but they are
content, and are faring well. It is necessary to know how to deal with
them. Some unpleasantness occurred there a few days ago--disobedience.
Another man in my place would have treated it as a riot and made many
people miserable, but we arranged it all pleasantly. What is necessary
is solicitude on the one hand, and prompt and vigorous dealing on the
other," he said, clenching his soft, white fist projecting from under
a white, starched cuff and adorned with a turquoise ring--"solicitude
and vigorous dealing."
"Well, I don't know about that," said Nekhludoff. "I was there twice,
and I was very much distressed by the sight."
"You know what I will tell you? You ought to get acquainted with
Princess Passek," continued Maslenikoff, who had become talkative;
"she has entirely devoted herself to this cause. Elle fait beaucoup
de bien. Thanks to her and, without false modesty, to myself,
everything has been changed, and changed so that none of the old
horrors can be found there, and they are decidedly well off there. You
will see it. There is Fanarin. I am not personally acquainted with
him; besides, our roads do not meet because of my position in society,
but he is decidedly a bad man, and allows himself to state in court
such things, such things!"
"Well, thank you," said Nekhludoff, taking the document, and took
leave of his old comrade.
"Would you not like to see my wife?"
"No, thank you; I have no time now."
"Well, now, she will never forgive me," said Maslenikoff, conducting
his old comrade to the first landing, as he did with people of
secondary importance, among whom he reckoned Nekhludoff. "Do come but
for a moment."
But Nekhludoff was firm, and while the footman and porter sprang
toward him, handing him his overcoat and cane, and opening the door,
before which a policeman stood, he excused himself, pleading want of
time.
"Well, then, Thursday, please. That is her reception day. I will tell
her!" Maslenikoff shouted from the top of the stairs.