asked Maria Pablovna.

"Without fail," said Nekhludoff, and seeing the dissatisfied face of
Kryltzoff, went over to his own team, climbed into the wagon, and
holding fast to the sides of it, drove along the line of gray-coated
and fettered prisoners which stretched for almost a mile.

Nekhludoff crossed the river to a town, and his driver took him to a
hotel, where, notwithstanding the poor appointments, he found a
measure of comfort entirely wanting in the inns of his stopping
places. He took a bath, dressed himself in city clothes and drove to
the governor of the district. He alighted at a large, handsome
building, in front of which stood a sentry and a policeman.

The general was ill, and did not receive. Nekhludoff, nevertheless,
asked the porter to take his card to the general, and the porter
returned with a favorable answer:

"You are asked to step in."

The vestibule, the porter, the messenger, the shining floor of the
hall--everything reminded him of St. Petersburg, only it was somewhat
dirtier and more majestic. Nekhludoff was admitted to the cabinet.

The general, bloated, with a potato nose and prominent bumps on his
forehead, hairless pate and bags under his eyes, a man of sanguine
temperament, was reclining in a silk morning gown, and with a
cigarette in his hand, was drinking tea from a silver saucer.

"How do you do, sir? Excuse my receiving you in a morning gown; it is
better than not receiving at all," he said, covering his stout,
wrinkled neck with the collar of his gown. "I am not quite well, and
do not go out. What brought you into these wilds?"

"I was following a party of convicts, among whom is a person near to
me," said Nekhludoff. "And now I come to see Your Excellency about
that person, and also another affair."

The general inhaled the smoke of his cigarette, took a sip of tea,
placed his cigarette in a malachite ash-holder, and steadily gazing
with his watery, shining eyes at Nekhludoff, listened gravely. He only
interrupted Nekhludoff to ask him if he wished to smoke.

Nekhludoff told the general that the person in whom he was interested
was a woman, that she was unjustly convicted, and that His Majesty's
clemency had been appealed to.

"Yes. Well?" said the general.

"I was promised in St. Petersburg that the news of this woman's fate
would be sent to this place not later than this month."

Looking steadily at Nekhludoff, the general asked:

"Anything else?"

"My second