ort one. His father, a rich Southern landlord, died while he
was a child. He was the only son, and was brought up by his mother. He
was the best scholar in the university, making his specialty
mathematics. He was offered a chair in the university and a course
abroad. But he hesitated. There was a girl of whom he became enamored,
so he contemplated marriage and political activity. He wished
everything, but resolved on nothing. At that time his college chums
asked him for money for a common cause. He knew what that common cause
was, and at the time took no interest in it whatever, but from a
feeling of fellowship and egoism gave the money, that it might not be
thought that he was afraid. Those who took the money were arrested; a
note was found from which it was learned that the money had been given
by Kryltzoff. He was arrested, taken to the police station, then to
the prison.

After his discharge he traveled now South, now to St. Petersburg, then
abroad, and again to Kieff and to Odessa. He was denounced by a man in
whom he placed great faith. He was arrested, tried, kept in prison two
years and finally death sentence was imposed on him, but was afterward
commuted to hard labor for life.

He was stricken with consumption while in prison, and under the
present circumstances had but a few months to live, and he knew it.

CHAPTER V.

At last Nekhludoff succeeded in obtaining permission to visit Maslova
in her cell among the politicals.

While passing the dimly-lighted court-yard from the officers'
headquarters to "No. 5," escorted by a messenger, he heard a stir and
buzzing of voices coming from the one-story dwelling occupied by the
prisoners. And when he came nearer and the door was opened, the
buzzing increased and turned into a Babel of shouting, cursing and
laughing. A rattling of chains was heard, and a familiar noisome air
was wafted from the doorway. The din of voices with the rattle of
chains, and the dreadful odor always produced in Nekhludoff the
tormenting feeling of some moral nausea, turning into physical
nausea. These two impressions, mingling, strengthened each other.

The apartment occupied by the political prisoners consisted of two
small cells, the doors of which opened into the corridor, partitioned
off from the rest. As Nekhludoff got beyond the partition he noticed
Simonson feeding a billet of pine wood into the oven.

Spying Nekhludoff he looked up without rising and extended his hand.