began to consider Maslova's case.

Wolf very circumstantially set forth Maslova's appeal from the
sentence, and again not without partiality, but with the evident
desire to reverse the judgment.

"Have you anything to add?" the President asked Fanirin.

Fanirin rose, and, projecting his broad, starched front, with
remarkable precision of expression began to discuss the errors of the
court below in the application of the law on the six points raised,
and permitted himself, though briefly, to touch upon the merits of the
case and the crying injustice of the decision. By the tone of his
short but strong speech, he seemed to excuse himself, to insist that
the honorable Senators with their power of penetration and judicial
wisdom saw and understood better than he, but that he was speaking
only because his duties demanded it. After Fanirin's speech there
seemed to be no doubt left that the Senate had to reverse the
judgment. When he was through, Fanirin smiled triumphantly. Looking at
his lawyer and seeing that smile, Nekhludoff was convinced that the
case was won. But as he looked at the Senators Nekhludoff saw that
Fanirin alone was smiling and triumphant. The Senators and Associate
Attorney General were neither smiling nor triumphant, but wore the air
of people suffering from ennui and saying: "Oh, we know these cases!
You are wasting your time." They were all evidently relieved only when
the lawyer had finished, and they were no longer unnecessarily
detained. After the speech the President turned to Selenin, who
plainly, briefly and accurately expressed himself against a reversal.
Then the Senators arose and went to consult.

The Senators were divided. Wolf favored a reversal. Be, who thoroughly
understood the case, warmly argued also in favor of a reversal, and in
glowing terms pictured the court scene and the misunderstanding of the
jury. Nikitin, who, as usual, stood for severity and for strict
formality, was against it. The whole case, then, depended on
Skovorodnikoff's vote. And his vote was thrown against a reversal,
principally for the reason that Nekhludoff's determination to marry
the girl on moral grounds was extremely repugnant to him.

Skovorodnikoff was a materialist, a Darwinist, and considered every
manifestation of abstract morality, or, worse still, piety, not only
as contemptible and absurd but as an affront to his person. All this
bustle about a fallen girl, and the presence there in the Senate of