复活 Resurrection 11

CHAPTER XI. THE TRIAL—MASLOVA CROSS-EXAMINED. When the reading of the indictment was over, the president, after having consulted the members, turned to Kartinkin, with an expression that plainly said: Now we shall find out the whole truth down to the minutest detail. “Peasant Simeon Kartinkin,” he said, stooping to the left. Simeon Kartinkin got up, stretched his arms down his sides, and leaning forward with his whole body, continued moving his cheeks inaudibly(听不见似地). “You are accused of having on the 17th January, 188—, together with Euphemia Botchkova and Katerina Maslova, stolen money from a portmanteau belonging to the merchant Smelkoff, and then, having procured some arsenic, persuaded Katerina Maslova to give it to the merchant Smelkoff in a glass of brandy, which was the cause of Smelkoff’s death. Do you plead guilty?” said the president, stooping to the right. “Not nohow, because our business is to attend on the lodgers, and—” “You’ll tell us that afterwards. Do you plead guilty?” “Oh, no, sir. I only,—” “You’ll tell us that afterwards. Do you plead guilty?” quietly and firmly asked the president. “Can’t do such a thing, because that—” The usher again rushed up to Simeon Kartinkin, and stopped him in a tragic whisper. The president moved the hand with which he held the paper and placed the elbow in a different position with an air that said: “This is finished,” and turned to Euphemia Botchkova. “Euphemia Botchkova, you are accused of having, on the 17th of January, 188-, in the lodging-house Mauritania, together with Simeon Kartinkin and Katerina Maslova, stolen some money and a ring out of the merchant Smelkoff’s portmanteau, and having shared the money among yourselves, given poison to the merchant Smelkoff, thereby causing his death. Do you plead guilty?” “I am not guilty of anything,” boldly and firmly replied the prisoner. “I never went near the room, but when this baggage went in she did the whole business.” “You will say all this afterwards,” the president again said, quietly and firmly. “So you do not plead guilty?” “I did not take the money nor give the drink, nor go into the room. Had I gone in I should have kicked her out.” “So you do not plead guilty?” “Never.” “Very well.” “Katerina Maslova,” the president began, turning to the third prisoner, “you are accused of having come from the brothel with the key of the merchant Smelkoff’s portmanteau, money, and a ring.” He said all this like a lesson learned by heart, leaning towards the member on his left, who was whispering into his ear that a bottle mentioned in the list of the material evidence was missing. “Of having stolen out of the portmanteau money and a ring,” he repeated, “and shared it. Then, returning to the lodging house Mauritania with Smelkoff, of giving him poison in his drink, and thereby causing his death. Do you plead guilty?” “I am not guilty of anything,” she began rapidly. “As I said before I say again, I did not take it—I did not take it; I did not take anything, and the ring he gave me himself.” “You do not plead guilty of having stolen 2,500 roubles?” asked the president. “I’ve said I took nothing but the 40 roubles.” “Well, and do you plead guilty of having given the merchant Smelkoff a powder in his drink?” “Yes, that I did. Only I believed what they told me, that they were sleeping powders, and that no harm could come of them. I never thought, and never wished. . . God is my witness; I say, I never meant this,” she said. “So you do not plead guilty of having stolen the money and the ring from the merchant Smelkoff, but confess that you gave him the powder?” said the president. “Well, yes, I do confess this, but I thought they were sleeping powders. I only gave them to make him sleep; I never meant and never thought of worse.”