FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48  
49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   >>   >|  
ng over the feet of each other, the jury again seated themselves in the two rows of high-backed chairs. Everything proceeded smoothly, quickly and not without solemnity, and the regularity, order and solemnity evidently pleased the participants, confirming their sense of rendering important public service. Nekhludoff also experienced this feeling. As soon as the jury seated themselves the presiding justice instructed them in their rights, duties and responsibilities. While speaking, he was constantly changing his attitude; now he leaned on his right hand, now on his left; then he reclined in his chair, or rested his hands on the arms of the chair, smoothed the corners of the paper on the table, polished the paper-knife or clutched the lead pencil. Their rights, according to him, consisted in that they were allowed to question prisoners, through the presiding justice; they might keep pencils and paper, and might also view exhibits. Their duties consisted in not giving a false verdict. And their responsibilities consisted in that if they failed to keep secret their deliberations, or spoke to outsiders, they would be liable to punishment. They all listened with respectful attention. The merchant, from whom the fumes of wine spread through the jury box, and who was suppressing the noisy rising of gases in his stomach, approvingly nodded at every sentence. CHAPTER IX. After he had finished the instructions, the presiding justice turned to the prisoners. "Simon Kartinkin, rise!" he said. Simon sprang up nervously. The muscles of his cheeks began to twitch still quicker. "What is your name?" "Simon Petroff Kartinkin," he said quickly, in a sharp voice, evidently prepared for the question. "What estate?" "Peasant." "What government, district?" "Government of Tula, district of Krapivensk, Kupian township, village of Borki." "How old are you?" "Thirty-four; born in eighteen hundred----" "What faith?" "Of the Russian orthodox faith." "Are you married?" "O, no!" "What is your occupation?" "I was employed in the Hotel Mauritania." "Were you ever arrested before?" "I was never arrested before, because where I lived----" "You were not arrested?" "God forbid! Never!" "Have you received a copy of the indictment?" "Yes." "Sit down. Euphemia Ivanovna Bochkova!" The presiding justice turned to the next prisoner. But Simon remained standing in front of Bochk
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48  
49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

justice

 
presiding
 

consisted

 
arrested
 

seated

 

quickly

 
turned
 

rights

 

duties

 

prisoners


question

 
district
 

responsibilities

 

evidently

 

solemnity

 

Kartinkin

 

cheeks

 
CHAPTER
 

sprang

 

nervously


muscles

 

nodded

 

Government

 

sentence

 

prepared

 
finished
 
Petroff
 

instructions

 
government
 

Peasant


quicker
 

estate

 

twitch

 

hundred

 
received
 

indictment

 

forbid

 

remained

 
standing
 

prisoner


Euphemia

 
Ivanovna
 

Bochkova

 

Thirty

 

eighteen

 
Kupian
 

township

 
village
 

approvingly

 

employed