heir decision," said the
justiciary, rising.

Everybody then rose, and, with a relieved and pleasant feeling of
having fulfilled an important duty, walked around the court-room.

"What a shameful mess we have made of it," said Peter Gerasimovitch,
approaching Nekhludoff, to whom the foreman was telling a story. "Why,
we have sentenced her to hard labor."

"Is it possible?" exclaimed Nekhludoff, taking no notice at all this
time of the unpleasant familiarity of the tutor.

"Why, of course," he said. "We have not inserted in the answer,
'Guilty, but without intent to cause death.' The secretary has just
told me that the law cited by the prosecutor provides fifteen years'
hard labor."

"But that was our verdict," said the foreman.

Peter Gerasimovitch began to argue that it was self-evident that as
she did not steal the money she could not have intended to take the
merchant's life.

"But I read the questions before we left the room," the foreman
justified himself, "and no one objected."

"I was leaving the room at the time," said Peter Gerasimovitch. "But
how did you come to miss it?"

"I did not think of it," answered Nekhludoff.

"You did not!"

"We can right it yet," said Nekhludoff.

"No, we cannot--it is all over now."

Nekhludoff looked at the prisoners. While their fate was being
decided, they sat motionless behind the grating in front of the
soldiers. Maslova was smiling.

Nekhludoff's soul was stirred by evil thoughts. When he thought that
she would be freed and remain in the city, he was undecided how he
should act toward her, and it was a difficult matter. But Siberia and
penal servitude at once destroyed the possibility of their meeting
again. The wounded bird would stop struggling in the game-bag, and
would no longer remind him of its existence.

CHAPTER XXIV.

The apprehensions of Peter Gerasimovitch were justified.

On returning from the consultation-room the justiciary produced a
document and read the following:

"By order of His Imperial Majesty, the Criminal Division of the ----
Circuit Court, in conformity with the finding of the jury, and in
accordance with ch. 771, s. 3, and ch. 776, s. 3, and ch. 777 of the
Code of Criminal Procedure, this 28th day of April, 188-, decrees
that Simon Kartinkin, thirty-three years of age, and Katherine
Maslova, twenty-seven years of age, be deprived of all civil rights,
and sent to penal servitude, Kartinkin for eight, Maslova for the te