Part 7 (1/2)
”Tell us what took place.”
”What took place?” suddenly said Maslova. ”I came to the hotel; I was taken to the room; he was there, and was already very drunk.” (She p.r.o.nounced the word ”he” with a peculiar expression of horror and with wide-open eyes.) ”I wished to depart; he would not let me.”
She became silent, as if she had lost the thread of the story, or thought of something else.
”What then?”
”What then? Then I remained there awhile and went home.”
At this point the a.s.sistant public prosecutor half rose from his seat, uncomfortably resting on one elbow.
”Do you wish to question the prisoner?” asked the justiciary, and receiving an affirmative answer, motioned his a.s.sent.
”I would like to put this question: Has the prisoner been acquainted with Simon Kartinkin before?” asked the a.s.sistant prosecutor without looking at Maslova.
And having asked the question he pressed his lips and frowned.
The justiciary repeated the question. Maslova looked with frightened eyes at the prosecutor.
”With Simon? I was,” she said.
”I would like to know now, what was the character of the acquaintance that existed between them. Have they met often?”
”What acquaintance? He invited me to meet guests; there was no acquaintance,” answered Maslova, throwing restless glances now at the prosecutor, now at the justiciary.
”I would like to know why did Kartinkin invite Maslova only, and not other girls?” asked the prosecutor, with a Mephistophelian smile, winking his eyes.
”I don't know. How can I tell?” answered Maslova, glancing around her, frightened, and for a moment resting her eyes on Nekhludoff. ”He invited whomever he wished.”
”Is it possible that she recognized me?” Nekhludoff thought, with horror. He felt his blood rising to his head, but Maslova did not recognize him. She turned away immediately, and with frightened eyes gazed at the prosecutor.
”Then the prisoner denies that she had intimate relations with Kartinkin? Very well. I have no more questions to ask.”
He removed his elbow from the desk, and began to make notes. In reality, instead of making notes, he merely drew lines across his notes, having seen prosecutors and attorneys, after an adroit question, making memoranda of questions which were to crush their opponents.
The justiciary did not turn immediately to the prisoner, because he was at the moment asking his a.s.sociate in the eye-gla.s.ses whether he consented to the questions previously outlined and committed to writing.
”What followed?” the justiciary continued.
”I came home,” Maslova continued, looking somewhat bolder, ”and went to sleep. As soon as I was asleep our girl, Bertha, came and woke me.
'Your merchant is here again. Wake up.' Then he”--again she p.r.o.nounced it with evident horror--”he wished to send for wine, but was short of money. Then he sent me to the hotel, telling me where the money was and how much to take, and I went.”
The justiciary was whispering at the time to his a.s.sociate on the left, and did not listen to Maslova, but to make it appear that he had heard everything he repeated her last words.
”And you went. Well, what else?” he asked.
”I came there and did as he told me. I went to his room. I did not enter it alone, but called Simon Michaelovich and her,” she said, pointing to Bochkova.
”She lies; I never entered----” Bochkova began, but she was stopped.
”In their presence I took four ten ruble bills,” she continued.