THE lawyer consented to take proceedings on behalf of Ivan Mironov, not
so much for the sake of the fee, as because he believed the peasant, and
was revolted by the wrong done to him.
Both parties appeared in the court when the case was tried, and the
yard-porter Vassily was summoned as witness. They repeated in the court
all they had said before to the police officials. Ivan Mironov again
called to his aid the name of the Divinity, and reminded the shopkeeper
of the hour of death. Eugene Mihailovich, although quite aware of his
wickedness, and the risks he was running, despite the rebukes of his
conscience, could not now change his testimony, and went on calmly to
deny all the allegations made against him.
The yard-porter Vassily had received another ten roubles from his
master, and, quite unperturbed, asserted with a smile that he did not
know anything about Ivan Mironov. And when he was called upon to take
the oath, he overcame his inner qualms, and repeated with assumed ease
the terms of the oath, read to him by the old priest appointed to the
court. By the holy Cross and the Gospel, he swore that he spoke the
whole truth.
The case was decided against Ivan Mironov, who was sentenced to pay five
roubles for expenses. This sum Eugene Mihailovich generously paid for
him. Before dismissing Ivan Mironov, the judge severely admonished him,
saying he ought to take care in the future not to accuse respectable
people, and that he also ought to be thankful that he was not forced to
pay the costs, and that he had escaped a prosecution for slander, for
which he would have been condemned to three months’ imprisonment.
“I offer my humble thanks,” said Ivan Mironov; and, shaking his head,
left the court with a heavy sigh.
The whole thing seemed to have ended well for Eugene Mihailovich and
the yard-porter Vassily. But only in appearance. Something had happened
which was not noticed by any one, but which was much more important than
all that had been exposed to view.
Vassily had left his village and settled in town over two years ago. As
time went on he sent less and less money to his father, and he did not
ask his wife, who remained at home, to join him. He was in no need of
her; he could in town have as many wives as he wished, and much better
ones too than that clumsy, village-bred woman. Vassily, with each
recurring year, became more and more familiar with the ways of the town
people, forgetting the conventions of a country life. There everything
was so vulgar, so grey, so poor and untidy. Here, in town, all seemed on
the contrary so refined, nice, clean, and rich; so orderly too. And he
became more and more convinced that people in the country live just like
wild beasts, having no idea of what life is, and that only life in
town is real. He read books written by clever writers, and went to the
performances in the Peoples’ Palace. In the country, people would not
see such wonders even in dreams. In the country old men say: “Obey the
law, and live with your wife; work; don’t eat too much; don’t care for
finery,” while here, in town, all the clever and learned people--those,
of course, who know what in reality the law is--only pursue their own
pleasures. And they are the better for it.
Previous to the incident of the forged coupon, Vassily could not
actually believe that rich people lived without any moral law. But after
that, still more after having perjured himself, and not being the worse
for it in spite of his fears--on the contrary, he had gained ten roubles
out of it--Vassily became firmly convinced that no moral laws whatever
exist, and that the only thing to do is to pursue one’s own interests
and pleasures. This he now made his rule in life. He accordingly got as
much profit as he could out of purchasing goods for lodgers. But this
did not pay all his expenses. Then he took to stealing, whenever chance
offered--money and all sorts of valuables. One day he stole a purse full
of money from Eugene Mihailovich, but was found out. Eugene Mihailovich
did not hand him over to the police, but dismissed him on the spot.
Vassily had no wish whatever to return home to his village, and remained
in Moscow with his sweetheart, looking out for a new job. He got one as
yard-porter at a grocer’s, but with only small wages. The next day after
he had entered that service he was caught stealing bags. The grocer did
not call in the police, but gave him a good thrashing and turned him
out. After that he could not find work. The money he had left was soon
gone; he had to sell all his clothes and went about nearly in rags. His
sweetheart left him. But notwithstanding, he kept up his high spirits,
and when the spring came he started to walk home.