ow getting, he was now
thinking that posterity would give an entirely new interpretation to
that incident.

"Why, certainly," he said to Wolf, who was addressing him, although he
did not hear what Wolf said.

Be listened to Wolf with a sad face, drawing garlands on a piece of
paper which lay before him. Be was a liberal of the deepest dye. He
scarcely held to the traditions of the sixties, and if he ever
deviated from strict impartiality, it was invariably in favor of
liberality. Thus, in this case, besides the consideration that the
complaining president of the stock company was an unclean man, Be was
in favor of affirming the judgment, also because this charge of libel
against a journalist was a restriction on the freedom of the press.
When Wolf had finished his argument, Be, leaving the garland
unfinished, in a sad--it was sad for him to be obliged to prove such
truisms--soft, pleasant voice, convincingly proved in a few simple
words that the charge had no foundation, and, again drooping his hoary
head, continued to complete the garland.

Skovorodnikoff, who was sitting opposite Wolf, continually gathering
with his thick fingers his beard and mustache into his mouth, as soon
as Be was through with his argument, stopped chewing his beard, and,
in a loud, rasping voice, said that although the president of the
stock company was a villain, he should favor a reversal if there were
legal grounds to sustain it, but as there were none, he joined in the
opinion of Ivan Semenovitch (Be), and he invariably rejoiced at this
shot aimed at Wolf. The President supported Skovorodnikoff's opinion,
and the judgment was confirmed.

Wolf was dissatisfied, especially because by this judgment he seemed
to stand convicted of arguing in bad faith; but, feigning
indifference, he opened his papers in the next case, Maslova's, and
began to peruse it attentively. The other Senators in the meantime
called for tea, and began a talk about Kamensky's duel and his death,
which was then the subject of conversation throughout the city.

The usher entered and announced the desire of the lawyer and
Nekhludoff to be present at the hearing of the case.

"This case here," said Wolf, "is a whole romantic story," and he
related what he knew of Nekhludoff's relations to Maslova.

After talking awhile of the story, smoking cigarettes and finishing
their tea, the Senators returned to the session-room, announced their
decision in the preceding case, and